What is going on in Iraq?

Here is a detailed history and analysis of what is taking place in Iraq . .  .

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/iraq/articles/20140624.aspx

Highlights:

·         ISIL is Al Qaeda’s arm in Syria and Iraq.

·         ISIL began as ISI or “Islamic State in Iraq” and was seeking to regain power for Sunni Muslims. “…

·         “…after U.S. forces left in 2011 the Iraqi government failed to follow U.S. advice to take good care of the Sunni tribes, if only to keep the tribes from again supporting the Islamic terrorist groups. Instead the Shia led government turned against the Sunni population and stopped providing government jobs and regular pay for many of the Sunni tribal militias. Naturally many Sunni Arabs went back to supporting terror groups, especially very violent ones like ISI.”

·      ISIL was created in 2013, uniting with terrorists from other nations, especially Syria.

·      ISIL is known for its particularly harsh treatment of civilians. This creates tensions between ISIL and other groups, especially Al Qaeda, who know from experience that such treatment had a way of making these groups unpopular (for lack of a better word) amongst Muslims.

·      With Saudi Arabia in the mix, things have gotten quite messy:

It is a problem for Saudi Arabia because the Saudis finance al Nusra and some of the other Islamic terrorist rebels in Syria that are now at war with ISIL. To the Saudis such support is the lesser of two evils as ISIL is crippling rebel efforts to overthrow the Assad government. This is also part of the ideological war the Saudis (and most other Sunni Moslems) are fighting with Shia Iran (and its Shia allies the Assads and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon). Meanwhile the Saudis continue crushing the Sunni Islamic terrorists that try to attack them at home. This includes local members of ISIL. All this sounds somewhat bizarre, with Saudi Arabia funding missionaries that create Islamic terrorists who become uncontrollable and seem to overthrow the rulers of Saudi Arabia. Absurd it may be, but it is a familiar pattern in this part of the world where religion and politics have long been intertwined in absurd and tragic ways.

·      ISIL’s power in Iraq is currently wide but shallow, concentrating on striking out at security forces, which increased ISIL’s power with Iraqi officials.

·      This year, ISIL has managed to gain control of several northern Iraqi cities, then moved south and took control of Tikrit, the home of Saddam Hussein. ISIL now has control of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city.

·      ISIL took control of the Turkish consulate, holding 49 people there prisoner. This situation is on-going, with some Turks calling for military intervention but the Turkish government has stalled. It has been several weeks, and there is no resolution as Turkey is

Bill Clinton's Loving Wife

Bill Clinton’s loving wife

"Her winning in 2016 means the final death knell for America! Her whole public life has been a LIE. "

By Dick Morris, former political advisor to President Bill Clinton

If you happen to see the Bill Clinton five minute TV ad for Hillary in which he introduces the commercial by saying he wants to share some things we may not know about Hillary’s background, beware as I was there for most of their presidency and know them better than just about anyone. I offer a few corrections:

Bill says: "In law school Hillary worked on legal services for the poor."

The facts are: Hillary’s main extra-curricular activity in law school was helping the Black Panthers, on trial in Connecticut for torturing and killing a federal agent. She went to court every day as part of a law student monitoring committee trying to spot civil rights violations and develop grounds for appeal.

Bill says: "Hillary spent a year after graduation working on a children's rights project for poor kids."

The facts are: Hillary interned with Bob Truehaft, the head of the California Communist Party . She met Bob when he represented the Panthers and traveled all the way to San Francisco to take an internship with him.

Bill says: "Hillary could have written her own job ticket, but she turned down all the lucrative job offers."

The facts are: She flunked the DC bar exam, yes, flunked, it is a matter of record, and only passed the Arkansas bar.She had no job offers in Arkansas , none, and only got hired by the University of Arkansas Law School at Fayetteville because Bill was already teaching there. She did not join the prestigious Rose Law Firm until Bill became Arkansas Attorney General and was made a partner only after he was elected Arkansas Governor.

Bill says: "President Carter appointed Hillary to the Legal Services Board of Directors and she became its chairman. "

The facts are: The appointment was in exchange for Bill's support for Carter in his 1980 primary against Ted Kennedy. Hillary then became chairman in a coup in which she won a majority away from Carter's choice to be chairman.

Bill says: "She served on the board of the Arkansas Children's Hospital."

The facts are: Yes she did. But her main board activity, not mentioned by Bill, was to sit on the Wal-Mart board of directors, for a substantial fee. She was silent about their labor and health care practices.

Bill says: "Hillary didn't succeed at getting health care for all Americans in 1994 but she kept working at it and helped to create the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that provides five million children with health insurance."

The facts are: Hillary had nothing to do with creating CHIP. It was included in the budget deal between Clinton and Republican Majority Leader Senator Trent Lott. I know; I helped to negotiate the deal. The money came half from the budget deal and half from the Attorney Generals' tobacco settlement. Hillary had nothing to do with either source of funds.

Bill says: "Hillary was the face of America all over the world."

The facts are: Her visits were part of a program to get her out of town so that Bill would not appear weak by feeding stories that Hillary was running the White House. Her visits abroad were entirely touristic and symbolic and there was no substantive diplomacy on any of them.

Bill says: "Hillary was an excellent Senator who kept fighting for children's and women's issues."

The facts are: Other than totally meaningless legislation like changing the names on courthouses and post offices, she has passed only four substantive pieces of legislation. One set up a national park in Puerto Rico. A second provided respite care for family members helping their relatives through Alzheimer’s or other conditions. And two were routine bills to aid 911 victims and responders which were sponsored by the entire NY delegation. Presently she is trying to have the US memorialize the Woodstock fiasco of 40 years ago.

..........................................

Here is what bothers me more than anything else about Hillary Clinton. She has done everything possible to weaken the President and our country (that's you and me!) when it comes to the war on terror.

1. She wants to close GITMO and move the combatants to the USA where they would have access to our legal system.

2. She wants to eliminate the monitoring of suspected Al Qaeda phone calls to/from the USA.

3. She wants to grant constitutional rights to enemy combatants captured on the battlefield.

4. She wants to eliminate the monitoring of money transfers between suspected Al Qaeda cells and supporters in the USA.

5. She wants to eliminate the type of interrogation tactics used by the military & CIA where coercion might be used when questioning known terrorists even though such tactics might save American lives.

One cannot think of a single bill Hillary has introduced or a single comment she has made that would tend to strengthen our country in the War on Terror. But, one can think of a lot of comments she has made that weaken our country and makes it a more dangerous situation for all of us.

Bottom line: She goes hand in hand with the ACLU on far too many issues where common sense is abandoned.

Share this with everyone you know ask them to prove Dick Morris wrong. Think about it - he's (Dick Morris) said all of this openly, thus if he were not truthful he'd be liable for defamation of character!

And you better believe Hillary would sue him.

A Lament from One Who Was There

And yet another shining example of our leader . . .

 A Lament from One Who Was There

"West Point Class of 2014"

May 30, 2014

The West Point graduating class of 2014 "spoke" volumes as their commencement speaker, Barack Obama, used the speech NOT to laud them for their accomplishments and their sacrifice to serve in the U.S. Military, no; instead he chose to use that precious time to tell them how effective his foreign policy has been, how the military role in foreign policy going forward (paraphrasing) "ain't what it used to be" and is no longer a leading line of defense. At times he stumbled over the words on the teleprompter to the point of embarrassment but he didn't seem to be in the least bothered by it.

To top off his narcissistic ramblings in which he claimed successes in Syria and Ukraine, for God's Sake, and bragged about ending the war in Iraq (and as every cadet sitting there knew, his actions of pulling all troops on a date certain, handed Iraq right back to Al Qaeda linked terrorist groups as if the sacrifices our military made was of no consequence and stood for nothing). Believe me, every one of those intelligent, well informed cadets knew the sacrifice this president flushed down the toilet and for what; political gain.

As if that wasn't bad enough, he then lectured the cadets that they must focus on the progressive social policy of GLOBAL WARMING! He told them they must be prepared to help the government enforce the legislation. The looks on the cadets' faces said it all!!! I could read their minds. "Since when has ANY of our military been used to enforce social policy? How 'bout NEVER! And for good reason, Mr. president, that kind of use of the military only happens under DICTATORS, you ass. We studied long and hard to learn how to lead troops to defend our country from enemies both foreign and domestic, not enforce domestic and social policy at a president's whim!"

The cadets, as is the custom, were prompted to applaud at designated intervals throughout the speech. At first, the majority of the cadets clapped on cue (out of respect for the office I would imagine) but there was no enthusiasm in it. Not even at the beginning. As the speech progressed, fewer and fewer cadets clapped. Many chose to stare at the ground. By the end there were only five or six clapping when prompted. Did the president seem to notice the cadets' silent protest? Oh hell no. He was so enthralled by the sound of his own voice he stood there and beamed like the cat that swallowed the canary.

Here's the topper; as the president handed out the diplomas to the West Point cadets; each one very accomplished, intelligent, highly trained and dedicated to serving their country, their Commander-in-Chief BOPPED AROUND on the stage CHEWING GUM!!  Disrespectful? Yeah, I'd say. He is clueless six years into his presidency. There again, the expressions on the cadets faces told it all. Contrasts don't get much more stark than that.

Mary Wood

Suggestions for Conservatives

Best-selling Novelist Brad Thor has some suggestions for conservatives . . .

Change the name of the “TEA Party” to something more comprehensive such as the “Freedom Party.”  This would be more inclusive beyond just Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party.

Don’t call for “Tax Reform.”   Call for “Tax Fairness.”

Don’t call for “Entitlement Reform.”   Call for “Entitlement Fairness.”

One of author Brad Thor’s ideas is to take out billboards in every black community across the United States reading: “There’s a limit to what the Democrat Party can do for you, and you’ve been seeing it for decades.” Below would be statistics like the black unemployment rate, incarceration rate, and more.  He noted that Democrats always warn Republicans about being on “the wrong side of history” in various issues — Democrat stances in history could also be on the billboards, from slavery to Jim Crow laws to the Ku Klux Klan.

Gain control of the precincts. 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/06/best-selling-authors-bold-suggestion-its-time-for-tea-party-to-consider-a-new-name-heres-why/

Cup of Brandy

It's the cup of brandy that no one wants to drink.

On Tuesday April 17, to 20 2013, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, the surviving
Doolittle Raiders gathered publicly for the last time.

They once were among the most universally admired and revered men
in the United States. There were 80 of the Raiders in April 1942,
when they carried out one of the most courageous and
heart-stirring military operations in this nation's history. The
mere mention of their unit's name, in those years, would bring
tears to the eyes of grateful Americans.

Now only four survive.

After Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, with the United
States reeling and wounded, something dramatic was needed to turn
the war effort around.

Even though there were no friendly airfields close enough to
Japan for the United States to launch a retaliation, a daring
plan was devised. Sixteen B-25s were modified so that they could
take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. This had never
before been tried -- sending such big, heavy bombers from a
carrier.

The 16 five-man crews, under the command of Lt. Col. James
Doolittle, who himself flew the lead plane off the USS Hornet,
knew that they would not be able to return to the carrier. They
would have to hit Japan and then hope to make it to China for a
safe landing.

But on the day of the raid, the Japanese military caught wind of
the plan. The Raiders were told that they would have to take off
from much farther out in the Pacific Ocean than they had counted
on. They were told that because of this they would not have
enough fuel to make it to safety.

And those men went anyway.

They bombed Tokyo, and then flew as far as they could. Four
planes crash-landed; 11 more crews bailed out, and three of the
Raiders died. Eight more were captured; three were executed.
Another died of starvation in a Japanese prison camp. One crew
made it to Russia.

The Doolittle Raid sent a message from the United States to its
enemies, and to the rest of the world: We will fight. And, no
matter what it takes, we will win.

Of the 80 Raiders, 62 survived the war. They were celebrated as
national heroes, models of bravery. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced
a motion picture based on the raid; "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo,"
starring Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson, was a patriotic and
emotional box-office hit, and the phrase became part of the
national lexicon. In the movie-theater previews for the film, MGM
proclaimed that it was presenting the story "with supreme pride."

Beginning in 1946, the surviving Raiders have held a reunion each
April, to commemorate the mission. The reunion is in a different
city each year. In 1959, the city of Tucson, Arizona, as a
gesture of respect and gratitude, presented the Doolittle Raiders
with a set of 80 silver goblets. Each goblet was engraved with
the name of a Raider.

Every year, a wooden display case bearing all 80 goblets is
transported to the reunion city. Each time a Raider passes away,
his goblet is turned upside down in the case at the next reunion,
as his old friends bear solemn witness.

Also in the wooden case is a bottle of 1896 Hennessy Very Special
cognac. The year is not happenstance: 1896 was when Jimmy
Doolittle was born.

There has always been a plan: When there are only two surviving
Raiders, they would open the bottle, at last drink from it, and
toast their comrades who preceded them in death.

As 2013 began, there were five living Raiders; then, in February,
Tom Griffin passed away at age 96.


What a man he was. After bailing out of his plane over a
mountainous Chinese forest after the Tokyo raid, he became ill
with malaria, and almost died. When he recovered, he was sent to
Europe to fly more combat missions. He was shot down, captured,
and spent 22 months in a German prisoner of war camp.

The selflessness of these men, the sheer guts ... there was a
passage in the Cincinnati Enquirer obituary for Mr. Griffin that,
on the surface, had nothing to do with the war, but that
emblematizes the depth of his sense of duty and devotion:
"When his wife became ill and needed to go into a nursing home,
he visited her every day. He walked from his house to the nursing
home, fed his wife and at the end of the day brought home her
clothes. At night, he washed and ironed her clothes. Then he
walked them up to her room the next morning. He did that for
three years until her death in 2005."

So now, out of the original 80, only four Raiders remain: Dick
Cole (Doolittle's co-pilot on the Tokyo raid), Robert Hite,
Edward Saylor and David Thatcher. All are in their 90s. They have
decided that there are too few of them for the public reunions to
continue.

The events in Fort Walton Beach this week will mark the end. It
has come full circle; Florida's nearby Eglin Field was where the
Raiders trained in secrecy for the Tokyo mission. The town is
planning to do all it can to honor the men: a six-day celebration
of their valor, including luncheons, a dinner and a parade.

Do the men ever wonder if those of us for whom they helped save
the country have tended to it in a way that is worthy of their
sacrifice? They don't talk about that, at least not around other
people. But if you find yourself near Fort Walton Beach this
week, and if you should encounter any of the Raiders, you might
want to offer them a word of thanks. I can tell you from
firsthand observation that they appreciate hearing that they are
remembered.

The men have decided that after this final public reunion they
will wait until a later date -- some time this year -- to get
together once more, informally and in absolute privacy. That is
when they will open the bottle of brandy. The years are flowing
by too swiftly now; they are not going to wait until there are
only two of them.

They will fill the four remaining upturned goblets.
And raise them in a toast to those who are gone.

PLEASE SEND THIS ON TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK, ESPECIALLY
TO THOSE WHO WERE TOO YOUNG TO KNOW ABOUT THESE GUYS. THIS SHOULD
BE READ BY EVERY KID IN GRADE AND HIGH SCHOOL SO THEY KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED.

Six Flags

History of Six Flags Over Texas

http://www.parktimes.com/content/

Six Flags Association of Former Employees:

http://sfafe.org/

A Wonderful State with Zero Republicans

There are more people on Welfare in Illinois than there are people working.

Chicago pays the highest wages to teachers than anywhere else in the U.S. averaging $110,000/year.

Their pensions average 80-90% of their income. Wow, are Illinois and Chicago great or what?

Be sure to read till the end. I've never heard it explained better.

Perhaps the U.S. should pull out of Chicago ?

Body count:

In the last six months, 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago.

AND Chicago has one of the strictest gun laws in the entire US.

Here's the Chicago chain of command:

· President: Barack Hussein Obama

· Senator: Dick Durbin

· House Representative: Jesse Jackson Jr.

· Governor: Pat Quinn

· House leader: Mike Madigan

· Atty. Gen.: Lisa Madigan (daughter of Mike)

· Mayor: Rohm Emanuel

· The leadership in Illinois - all Democrats.

· Thank you for the combat zone in Chicago .

· Of course, they're all blaming each other.

· Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!

· Chicago school system rated one of the worst in the country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!

· State pension fund $78 Billion in debt, worst in country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!

· Cook County ( Chicago ) sales tax 10.25% highest in country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!

This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois . And he is going to 'fix' Washington politics for us?

· George Ryan is no longer Governor, he is in the prison.

· He was replaced by Rob Blajegovitch who is...that's right, also in the prison.

· And Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned a couple of weeks ago. That is because he is fighting to not be sent to...that's right, prison.

· The Land of Lincoln , where our governors make our license plates.

But you know what?

As long as they keep providing entitlements to the population of Chicago , nothing is going to change, except the state will go broke before the country does.

"Anybody who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian."