Embassy closings show the War on Terror is not over yet

Over the weekend U. S. embassies across the Middle East were closed due to security concerns. Today, the U.S. embassy in Yemen was evacuated and U.S. Citizens were told to leave the country due to an al-Qaeda threat.

In the last two weeks U.S. drones 4 times have targeted leaders of al-Qaeda in Yemen and it is believed that one of the dead  believed to be Saleh Jouti, a senior al-Qaeda member. Yesterday alone U.S. drone targeted a moving car in the  Marib province, killing four alleged al-Qaeda militants.

This comes as the State Department released a statement saying that the evacuations were due "“due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks.” After last year's terrorist attack on Benghazi it seems the administration is much more concerned with making sure that diplomatic staff in foreign countries receive adequate protection.

While it has long been known that there is a strong al-Qaeda presence in Yemen, it's strength has been growing and the potential for terrorist attacks seems more and more likely in the region due to the strong presence.

 “It’s very worrisome because al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is the most effective and threatening affiliate,” Bruce Hoffman, a Georgetown University professor told the Washington Post.

“So now the leader of the most consequential affiliate has an intimate command role in the overall organization. From Zawahiri’s point of view, there’s no better exemplar of the Qaeda brand than AQAP.”

While it is true that the core group of al-Qaeda was dispersed and diminished, it has slowly evolved in countries along the gulf and in North Africa, gaining support from governmental changes occurring due to the Arab spring and the continuing unrest in the region.

"We're witnessing another chapter of the terrorist threat and we'll be living with this for years to come,"  Juan Zarate, a deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush who's now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington told USA Today.

The regional networks are adapting to new opportunities and continue to operate despite pressure put on them by the U.S. and others, Zarate said.

"They're also taking advantage of the political, security and geographic space they operate in. We don't control all aspects of that so it's unfair to blame U.S. policy entirely," he said.

The regional groups continue their activities supported by other radical Islamist groups in Algeria, Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, and other countries in the region. Concern continues even within the U.S. of al-Qaeda affiliates perpetrating terrorist attacks in the U.S. after the Boston Bombing earlier this year.

As the U.S. and it's allies continue to put pressure on it seems clear that we are not done yet, and continued pressure needs to be applied. It seems clear though that the senior leadership continues to be affected by the drone strikes, but that even without some of the senior leadership, the group continues.

Within the U.S. and around the world the questions continue about surveillance programs. Which wonder about their effectiveness and necessity, but results seem to show that at least some of them are necessary.

If the War on Terror can be won, one thing seems clear to us now, it won't be over soon. The theater in which the war plays out may continue to change but the overall influence of Radical Islam continues throughout much of the middle east, and until something changes to diminish it's influence it seems clear that attacks will continue to occur.

NSA and FBI Compel Verizon to Hand Over Phone Records How Much is Too Much?

By Tim Newton
Last night the Guardian reported that the FBI and NSA obtained a search warrant to obtain all telephone records of individuals in its systems on an ongoing daily basis. As you may know Verizon is a significant provider within the U.S. of phone service. This order was provided by the  Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) and was authorized on April 25th for a three month period until the end of July

Over the last few weeks I have not minced my words about government overreach. After trying to plow over the first and second amendments to the constitution, the Obama administration has set it's eyes on a new one: the fourth. It reads;  "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." 

Now we do know that the Patriot act allows for both wiretapping and seizing of said records. This law was of course in reaction to the 9/11 terror attack. I understand why it was passed, but it has long been a great concern for many Americans, because we know that great power is often abused.

 The response from the White House was that laws governing such orders "are something that have been in place for a number of years now" and that they are vital to national security. I don't understand though, how my phone records are so vital to national security. The concerns of course come from how this information is used. Even  former vice-president Al Gore called the "secret blanket surveillance" as "obscenely outrageous".

In response to this news, Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) said "Of course, keeping American citizens safe is one of government’s most important responsibilities, but there is a fine line between protecting our nation and protecting our Fourth Amendment rights. Our government continues to come close to that line and in some areas may have even crossed it. It is exactly these types of concerning reports that spotlight the need for transparency and access to information that I have fought for in Congress and will continue to work towards.”

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) also spoke out on this issue, he said "The Bill of Rights was designed to protect us from evil, too, particularly that which always correlates with concentrated government power, and particularly Executive power. If the President and Congress would obey the Fourth Amendment we all swore to uphold, this new shocking revelation that the government is now spying on citizens' phone data en masse would never have happened."

There is always in government a concern to balance the defense of the nation while maintaining the rights of the individual. I do understand that there is a concern for national security, something which we know is of continuing concern to many of us. After the Boston Bombing attack we all must have wondered if there were warning signs that might have been seen. I do not think however that millions should have their privacy eliminated by the actions of a few. Specifically where there is no just cause to do so. It not only sets up for possible abuse of power, but it also leads to continuing increased lack of privacy and more intrusion by government in the future, if they can seize your phone records, why not your email?Why not your facebook account? Why not all of your banking records? There was a reason we instituted the fourth amendment, so that government stays within the bounds of a set of laws, and does not exceed those bounds and infringe upon the rights of the citizens of our nation. 
 

Boston Bombing...The Plot Thickens.

By Jessica Keith
 About a week ago we found out new details about the Boston Bombers.  We learned that while Dzhokhar was stashed away in the boat, he left the authorities a little love note. There was some pretty graphic and unnecessary language, but the gist of it was that America is the great Satan and "when you attack one Muslim, you attack us all."  In said note, he claims that he is not sad about his brother being dead, "because he is a martyr in paradise."  He also states that the victims at the marathon were "collateral damage." (http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/us/boston-bombing-investigation/index.html)  This guy gets a top notch defense team yet four families lost their loved ones.  Hardly seems fair to me.

Well, the last time I checked, it was the Muslim fanatics who attacked Americans on 9/11.  You attack one of us, you best believe the full force of America is going to come after you, your children, your children's children, and your children's children's children.  To quote from Independence Day:" We will not go quietly into the night!" We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive!" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116629/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu).  

You cannot come into our back yard, break our toys and stomp on home and think we won't come after you.  WE WILL COME.  WE ALWAYS COME.

That all having been said, I pose this question, why, if America is so horrible, did you stay here for 15 years Dzhokhar?  Why, in 2012, did you decide to become an American Citizen and take all the rights and privileges given to you?  Why did you immerse yourself in your school and community?  I am sure Chechnya would have loved to take you back.  WHY DID YOU STAY if America is so awful? 

According to NBC Nightly News (http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51971493/#51971493) Tamerlan was allegedly involved in a homicide in a Boston suburb in 2011.  This coming from a suspected terrorist who later attacked FBI agents and was shot and killed, but nonetheless, this guy was serious bad news, and we failed to stop him from inflecting harm on Americans.

Can we go ahead and classify these fanatics as what they are? TERRORISTS. There does not seem to be any gray area here.  He [Dzhokhar] made it very clear what the motives were behind the attack on April 15, 2013.  Stop sugar coating what he is.  Call a spade a spade. Ronald Reagan said "Facts are stubborn things."  You cannot ignore the fact that this was and always will be a terrorist attack.  Plain and simple.

George W. Bush said "Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.  These acts shatter steel, but they can not dent the steel of American resolve."( http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_w_bush.html#CpvZv4rtbB2LyLiQ.99  )

To Dzhokhar and Tamerlan, I say this, YOU LOSE.  We cannot be broken.  Americans are resilient people.  We will always come back stronger than before with a resolve to fight on.  We will live to fulfill our dream.  You won't.  America wins again. 

The RNC Benghazi Attack Campaign Ad That Never Ran.

By Tim Newton This ad was one which the RNC created but never ran during the campaign.
Why did the RNC decide not to run this ad focused on Benghazi, which could have put further heat on a president who was nowhere to be found in the aftermath of a deadly terrorist attack on a Libyan mission?



The ad states:"It's 3am and your children are safe asleep but there's a phone in the white house that's ringing, something's happened in the world." It then says: “The Call Came … On September 12, 2012.”  After the screen goes black, the words continue: “Security Requests Denied. Four Americans Dead. And an Administration whose story is still changing. The Call Came.”

ABC News reported:”A source familiar with the creation of the ad says the RNC leadership approved the ad but it was scrapped at the last minute because of objections from the Romney campaign, which was concerned the ad would distract from Romney’s efforts to focus on the economy.”


Upcoming soon, one of our authors will cover the Benghazi story in depth, giving us some understanding of what happened, who's to blame and why it still matters now. But I leave you with one question: Should the RNC and Romney Campaign run this ad? Tell us what you think below.

Boston Marathon Bombing.... Where Did We Go Wrong

By Jessica Keith

9/11, America is attacked, and we were violated.  We retaliated.  We got Saddam.  We got bin Laden.  We thought we were done being attacked, hurt, violated, rocked to the core, being taken advantage of. 

Monday April 15, 2013, Boston Massachusetts.  Everything changes.  This was supposed to be a regular day, minus it being Tax Day.  This was the day of the Boston Marathon.  A time honored tradition in Boston, where people from all over the world come to participate; to be a part of something bigger then themselves.

Instead, this turned into tragedy, which ended with the deaths of four innocent people. 

There are a lot of questions that are still unanswered, and for the questions that we get an answer to, there are ten new questions being asked. 

I would like to take you back to the early 2000s.  A family from Dagestan by the name of Tsarnaev comes to America claiming asylum from their homeland.  They bring with them four small children, two boys and two girls.  This family is immediately given assistance from the government.  They receive welfare (cash money for people with young and dependent children) and food stamps.  The father did not have a job and the mother did home facials.  If we fast forward a couple of years, this family had made trips back to the homeland they were allegedly fleeing from.  I am not sure about you, but if, hypothetically speaking, I was seeking asylum from another country, I would not be traveling back to said country. FOR ANYTHING.

This is where the questions begin.  Were these people really in need of political refuge?  Why, if they were in such desperate need of freedom, did they return home?  Should this have been given a second look? 

As time went on and the family remained in America, the children were able to get an education here, be provided for, with assistance from Massachusetts, and really have all the freedoms they claimed they were being persecuted for back in Dagestan.

While living in Boston the mother of these two bombers was caught shop lifting from a Lord & Taylor store.  This is mighty ironic, seeing as how her sons were identified off a camera at a Lord & Taylor store in the days following the bombing.  (Mama Tsarnaev has outstanding larceny charges against her.) 

Eventually, post theft, the parents decide to return to Dagestan.  Which again begs the question, why the need to claim political asylum?

Enter Mother Russia.  Our comrades in the frozen tundra of the former Soviet Union gave us a ring and informed us they were concerned that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, bombing brother number one, had some radical terroristic tendencies and should be watched. So the FBI does a little investigation and can’t seem to come up with anything to warrant any concern.  So in 2011 Tamerlan decides to take a six month trip to the homeland. RED FLAG. RED FLAG. RED FLAG.  Does no one else seem to see the problem with this.  Mother Russia made a call, we don’t usually chat with the Soviets.  Our relationship would be classified as “it’s complicated”, so if they are taking the time to warn us about this guy, we should probably take it seriously.

The FBI put Tamerlan and his mother on a terror watch list, called Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, or TIDE for short.  So bomber number one was on a watch list here, on the radar of Mother Russia for possible ties to terrorist organizations, yet he somehow takes a six month trip to a terrorist hotbed region of the world and nobody notices? Not only were they added to TIDE, but the Russians have a recorded conversation between Tamerlan and Mama Tsarneav, where Tamerlan talked about jihad.  Now there are reports coming out that the Saudi’s warned us of possible terrorist tendencies from Tamerlan.

So Tamerlan comes to America, gets on welfare, travels back to the country he was allegedly fleeing from, gets put on a terrorist watch list, is being watched by not one, but three countries, and yet, still travels freely in and out of the United States.  Does anyone else see the problem here?

Our younger suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarneav is a different story, one that is still unfolding.  He was a kid when the family came here.  He was part of school sports teams, and was just a party kid; pot smoking, booze drinking, college kid.  As he is living in America, partaking of all the greatness she has to offer, he decides to become an American citizen; on September 11, 2012.  Oh the irony.  Dzhokhar had every advantage afforded to him, yet he killed 4 innocent people, and injured hundreds. 

There are so many questions that still need to be answered.  The ones that are sticking out in my mind all surround why these people were even allowed to stay in this country, when clearly, they were not really seeking political asylum when they were traveling back and forth, as if it were a normal everyday thing.  Another question is what did our intelligence community know?  Did they drop the ball?  What is the purpose of all these national security precautions that were put in place post 9/11?   Why did someone with known terrorist tendencies get what seems like a free pass, yet grandma Betty is stripped searched in the middle of the airport by TSA?

Where did we go wrong?  Who gets held accountable to the proverbial dropping of the ball?  Do we need more precautions put in place to stop something like this from happening again?  Where were all the precautions that were supposed to be there?

Did we jump the gun in not classifying Dzhokhar as an enemy combatant?  Are there more people involved?  Could there be international ties? 

Like I said, there are too many questions that need to be answered, and we deserve the answers to these questions.  

Our hearts and prayers are with the people of Boston

By Tim Newton

It amazes me how quickly life can change. Events can often have the greatest affect on individuals, communities and nations. We mourn together all of the victims of this tragedy. It is with a heavy heart that I have read the news this morning, learning of the lives lost due to senseless acts. It is with gratitude that I read of the brave individuals who ran to the aid of the fallen, and gratitude that more lives were not loss. These occurrences often bring up in our memories similar events that have passed in my lifetime, Oklahoma City, Columbine, 9/11, Virginia Tech and Newtown, and this tragedy has no less affect upon my mind at this time.

I now ask that we stand united once again supporting the people of another tragedy which has occurred in our nation. We must unite and stand with the people of Boston, and make sure that they know that our hearts are with them. Let us pray for peace for the families, mourn for the victims, and hope for justice against those who committed this atrocious act of terrorism.

May God truly bless America, for we need it now.