Elite Member Only EXTRA Edition: Terrorist Comforts

The current President, in reassuring the nation ad nauseum of his Administration "getting it" after the systemic failures of the Christmas Day Undie bomber debacle, promised that, from this point forward, all federal government resources would be dedicated to gathering intelligence information from every lead coming to their attention to prevent future attacks on the homeland.

Recently, the White House confirmed the apprehension of the Number One Military Commander of the Taliban in Pakistan, pointing out that this capture was only being confirmed publicly because it had become known already thru-out the theater of combat. We were told that this terrorist's secret interrogation was ongoing for about two weeks time prior to the White House's announcement, so that information thereby obtained could be acted upon before the Taliban got word of this vulnerability and moved their location, etc. While I thought that the WH's confirmation of this apprehension was prompted by a political calculation to shore up its record of success, I took it at face value, as to the word having already gotten to the Taliban of their leader's talking to us.

Now, I have been informed that the first public disclosure of this capture may well have originated with the U.S. government representatives in Pakistan itself:

"Previously, some detainees were interrogated for months before

Al Qaeda learned they were in custody... But under Obama rules, America

must identify every detainee to the International Red Cross within two weeks

of capture." N.Y. Post, 2/23/10, p.27.

If this news report is accurate, we have an Administration that has completely lost its moral compass, and its rationality. I find this Administration's obsession with the care and comfort of merciless mass murders to be inexplicable, but I gladly await any insights from my Elite lawyer friend. Just saying ...

Listener Response Update

To paraphrase a famous quotation: All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for men of good will to remain silent. Because of this maxim, your humble blogger blogs and as all Elite Members know, I give it to the evildoers with both barrels blazing.

This absolutist approach leaves little room for nuanced analysis or middle ground, which makes listener feedback all the more valuable, as few problems of our nation and world are subject to resolution in three paragraphs or fewer. It is for this reason that I was gratified to hear from an Elite lawyer, pointing out that the Israeli "targeted assassination" practice might be deemed legal under certain Law of War tenets (she doubts so), but her much more substantive concern is for the immorality and corrosive impact that the use of lethal violence w/o. any due process has on the national character of the country employing mafia-style hit teams. I therefore exercise my right of the blogisphere to amend and supplement my prior entry to incorporate this pointed insight.

The Law of War should never be invoked to justify non-judicially sanctioned executions except in the circumstance of preserving the nation's very survival, as I believe is the situation between Israel and Hamas. Also, the exercise of this right of self defense creates no immunity for the inadvertent or intentional killing of innocents. Any deaths of innocents will not be dismissed as merely collateral damage normally excusable in war fighting. Surely, while the fear of becoming like the enemy is always a danger to watch out for, I put my trust in the war fighting views of Abraham Lincoln and General LeMay: Do all that is necessary to defeat the enemy swiftly, then apply all national resources to restore the quality of life of the vanquished adversary.

To be moral, a person and a nation must first remain alive.

The Law of War, Vol. IV: "Death w/o. Miranda Rights"

In what appears to have been the pen-ultimate example of a terrorist coming to swift justice, an eleven member Mossad assassination team reportedly killed (w/o. violence evident upon the corpse) a top Hamas military leader in his Dubai hotel room, w/o. ruffling the bed spread. It took Dubai's CSI almost two weeks to even confirm that the cause of death was other than natural causes.

As Hamas is engaged in a declared war of extermination against the Nation of Israel, which has reciprocated by having its Legislature also adopt a War Declaration against Hamas, the killing of this enemy combatant was legal, admiral even as not a single person other than the target was harmed, let alone inconvenienced.

Irrespective of the humane manner in which Israel implemented this act of self defense, numerous Arab, and several European, governments have lodged formal protests with the UN and Interpol. What nonsense.

In the late 1980's, Israel undertook a similar targeted execution of an enemy combatant hiding in North Africa. At the time, news reports stated that the Mossad team had filmed the entire operation to be used for subsequent training of new Agency recruits. My reaction was that making a recording of an execution was at best ghoulish. Now, with only some two decades of time for reflection, I appreciate the wisdom of that training movie - a luxury hotel room left in pristine condition, w/o. any need for special cleaning. Government competence and sensitivity to the needs of innocent people is alive and well. Just saying ...

It's Time: President Obama Man Up Now

Not being RL, I very much want the President to succeed, most particularly in discharging his executive responsibilities as CinC. So, here is my gratuitous assistance to Mr. Obama -

Americans are sacrificing blood, sweat and tears to save untold numbers of Haitians from certain and slow deaths. Millions more in dollars we do not have are being devoted to this just cause.

American missionaries recently sought to leave Haiti with a goodly number of young children, orphaned or not, to give them a safe future in the United States. Legal authority to do so was not sought or obtained, however. These putative criminals were wrong and are subject to possible long prison stays.

Nonetheless, for reasons almost wholly unrelated to the jeopardy of these misguided miscreants, President Obama should order the 82 Airborne troops to grab them from their captors and return them to the states. He needs to show the world and particularly our adversaries that Americans will be protected even when not justified by their own foolishness.

Upon their safe return, these missionaries can be sentenced by a US civilian court to attend the Reverend Wright's sermons in his south Chicago church for from 5 to 10 years, clearly punishment enuff. Also, this "Snatch&Grab" would be a clear pivot from the current foreign policy of: "I like you, so please like me", to the exercise of raw power to protect Americans. I want Iran to respect and even fear us, I don't care if they don't like me one bit. Just saying ...

John Brennan, Village Idiot; Part Deux

Inasmuch as of late this afternoon, Mr. Brennan remains holed up in his Old Executive Office Building office, and not collecting unemployment insurance, I will attempt to drive another nail in his coffin. Actually, I will merely quote the second biggest lie in his recent Op-Ed piece in the USA Today. Nothing I could say about John can be more damning than his own bizarre mis-statements on the Law of War:

"The Suspect [in military custody] gets access to a lawyer, and interrogation rules are nearly identical [to those afforded to street criminal in civilian court]."

Clearly, I did a real disservice to every town's designated idiot, as even a moron would not call the Undie Bomber a "criminal suspect", entitled to representation by an attorney to argue that the cops arrested the wrong guy. Undie was the only NW Airlines passenger on Christmas Day apprehended with his pants on fire. He immediately acknowledged his Al Qaeda connection and actions as being an attack on America.

Accordingly, no factual issues were in dispute warranting involvement of counsel to challenge Umar's designation as an enemy combatant, the sole matter EC's lawyers are legally entitled to argue, after a full, unfettered interrogation has been completed. This limited role of counsel indisputably demonstrates that the interrogation rules are polar opposites, and not nearly identical. John is truly stupid or the worst liar in history. just saying ... with no cowing.

Anti-Terror Chief, John Brennan, Must Go - Now

White House Anti-Terror Czar, John Brennan, is so clueless, he makes Janet Napolitano look almost well informed. On Tuesday, Mr. Brennan wrote an op-ed piece for USA Today, entitled: "We need no lectures". Sorry, John; you may be so dumb that you actually believe that castigating critics of the Administration's Sally Fields' Silly Ass street criminal treatment of enemy combatants will cower us into silence, but as with your refusal to fight to win, you are dead wrong. Too many innocent American lives are at stake.

Your accusation that "too many ... are now misrepresenting the facts to score political points" is a dodge on your own campaign of lies, distortion and mendacity. Your biggest Op -Ed lie is so outrageous that I can not imagine the level of arrogance it takes to believe you could get away with saying this:

"There is little difference between military and civilian custody,

other than an interrogator with a uniform."

False - placement of an enemy combatant (EC) in the physical custody of the military has absolutely no legal bearing upon the identity of the interrogators the President assigns to question him. It simply places him beyond the legal reach of civilian lawyers and judges. Accordingly, the military having sole control over the daily activities of the EC, the CIA/FBI and all other intelligence agencies having leads to follow up on can exploit unfettered time and access to the EC for as long as required to obtain all available actionable intell. Brennan's statement, that if designated as an EC, Undie Bomber could only be interrogated by military police is insulting in the extreme. When fighting a war, the President is legally empowered to use every branch of the federal government to defend us. To say otherwise is an outrageous lie, or Brennan may just be too stupid to think and speak at the same time. Too dangerous time to have someone as dumb as a rock in such a key war fighting job. Just saying ... with no cower in me.

Super Bowl Weekend - Highlights, More Pruf on a just Deity

What a difference a year makes! Wow, irrespective of your personal political bearings (either far Right or dangerously Wrong) I am sure that you have been heartened by the enduring vitality of our Great Republic. I can not remember a time in my life when the vast majority of Americans were so engaged in the national policy debates gripping the nation. Indeed, Government by and for the people is alive and well, as is this Blog.

Having ended my week long writers block, you can imagine how pleased I am with making such a seamless transition from You All to me. This weekend "Random Thoughts" grew its body of enrolled followers by 33%. MB of bloodless relations to me signed on and then informed me that I no longer need to send him each Blog entry, as he expects that followers get automatic delivery. Is he a fan or am I just getting shined here?

Now, a quick mention of the weekend's sports highlight, and a word about the Super Bowl also.

The DC Cats, winners of four games in a row, now stand at 12 - 11, first time above the 500 mark since Steff Curry accepted 27.6 million dollars to forego his senior season. The lads are 7 - 4 in the Southern Conference, in contention for a second place finish and a first round bye in the tournament.

Because the Saints had such good Karma, I was not surprised that they won the game. Nonetheless, "La Machine" throwing the game ending interception was just too bizarre not to have been pre-ordained by a higher, possibly moral, authority. Just saying...