Manns Medium

It’s not often you see anyone on Fox News and in Newsmax that is really an expert in the subject that they are often interviewed about but this story is one where they did talk to an expert in that field.  I’m talking about an article written by Sean Piccoli for Newsmax titled “ Ex-CIA Agent: Yemen Shows Obama's 'Shocking Incompetence ' Now before many of you blow a gasket, check out the story because you will find that Mr. Gary Berntsen is unquestionable and expert in incompetence.  The article reads “The fall of Yemen's pro-U.S. government to Muslim rebels reportedly backed by Iran lays bare the strategic folly of a president who just months ago hailed Yemen as a "model" Arab democracy and an "ideal" partner against jihadist terrorism, a former CIA station chief told Newsmax TV on Friday.  "Unbelievable," Gary Berntsen, who led the CIA team hunting Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, told "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner, shaking hi...

If you have not read the article by Amir Shah and Heidi Vogt of the Associated Press titled US to defend Afghanistan for decade after drawdown , I suggest you give it a look.   While I normally can understand some of the moves made by this administration, I am having a difficult time defending this one.   The purpose can be easily explained but there are parts of this agreement that I believe could be problematic and very hard to swallow. The reports states that in the agreement “the United States also pledged it will not launch attacks on other countries from Afghan soil” and while I can see partially why that would be important, a clearer explanation needs to be made.     The report further explains that “the draft agreement on a long-delayed strategic partnership agreement ensures Americans will provide military and financial support to the Afghan people for at least a decade beyond the 2014 deadline.”   This is one place where I really have a problem...

There has been very little talk about the Afghanistan War and with the ending of the Iraq War, you can be sure that many will soon begin to focus upon it.   While few may be able to understand why we are there and why we stayed so long, they may be as confused to learn that it all may be over in less than one year from now. Ishtiaq Mahsud of the Associated Press reported in his article titled “ Al-Qaida, Taliban ask Pakistani militants for help ” that “Pakistani Islamic militant commanders say prominent al-Qaida and Afghan Taliban fighters have asked them to set aside differences and step up support for the battle against U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.   The Pakistani Taliban commanders say the request came during two meetings in Pakistan's tribal region in November and December.   They said Monday that the senior al-Qaida commander Abu Yahya al-Libi attended both meetings, as did Sirajuddin Haqqani, the de-facto head of the most feared militant group in Afghanistan. ...

According to an article written by Caren Bihan and Tabassun Zakaria of Reuters titled Al Qaeda number two killed in Pakistan this week, they reported that “Al Qaeda's new second-in-command was killed earlier this week in Pakistan, U.S. officials said Saturday, in a major blow to the group still reeling from the death of Osama bin Laden.   Atiyah abd al-Rahman, a Libyan national, rose to the number two spot when Ayman al-Zawahri took the reins of al Qaeda after bin Laden was killed in May in a U.S. raid in Pakistan.” They say that this is not confirmed but if it is then while many may have forgotten about the reason given for the Afghanistan War, there are many who have not.   It appears that soon wars will be fought similar to video games so those who demean those who are quite good at those war games may want to re-think their position.   The best quote found in this article was that from a top US Official saying "Dialing back on al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan, especi...

If you love great theater, yesterday was your day to watch MSNBC and the other “major” cable news outlets.   To virtually a person, each one had their own take on how disappointing the president’s plan was.   It was too much for some and not enough for others.   The scary part was, much of the disagreement with Obama spanned the political spectrum and was mostly centered on the cost and how broke this country was.   Sad to think that these same “heavy hitters” were not screaming as loud when we were being lead by the nose into these wars. Many, who would normally be on opposite sides of any issue, now bands together and scream that since we killed Osama bin Laden, we can now bring all of our troops home and then use that money to help restore this economy.   I can somewhat understand their premise but I have to chuckle at the thought that those who are supposed to know really do think that bringing all the troops home will really allow us the use of the money c...

According to an article written by Chris Brummitt and Ishtiaq Mehsud of the Associated Press titled Al-Qaida militant said killed by US in Pakistan “a n al-Qaida leader sought in the 2008 Mumbai siege and rumored to be a long shot choice to succeed Osama bin Laden was believed killed in a U.S. drone attack as he met with other militants in an apple orchard in Pakistan, an intelligence official said Saturday. If confirmed, it would be another blow against the terror organization a month after the slaying of its leader”.   The article goes on to say that while it was unclear how Kashmiri was tracked and because it was a drone strike, “verifying who has been killed in the drone strikes is difficult, with DNA samples or photographic evidence typically needed” , we may never be really sure.   But one thing is extremely clear; those who indulge themselves with the destruction of countries and their citizens, their days are numbered. The article says that we do not know how he w...

This article may be putting the cart before the horse but I think it‘s worth asking if these types of charges will become more famous with the cache of information gleamed from the assault on the Osama compound in Pakistan. Truth be told in, the article by Rasha Madkour of the Associated Press titled Fla. imam, 2 sons charged with supporting Taliban reports that “U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said the investigation was sparked three years ago by suspicious financial activity and was not based on an undercover sting operation. "This is based on the defendant's words, actions and records," Ferrer said at a news conference Saturday.   The indictment recounts recorded conversations in which Hafiz Khan allegedly voices support for attacks on the Pakistani government and American troops in the region.   The indictment lists about $50,000 in transactions. The funds were used to buy guns, support militants' families and promote the cause of the Pakistani Taliban, accordin...

It’s been a long time coming and I, for one, thought I would never see it again but low and behold on the floor of the senate stood a man who has more creditability on torture than any other person I know.   This man is john McCain and yes Virginia he is back. It has been reported that John McCain stood flat footed on the floor of the Senate and re-educated that body and all who listen that torture does not work and the raid on the Osama bin Laden compound was not a result of it.   He re-educated them on exactly what is gained or not gained by torture and there is no one alive today that can disagree with him.   This man lived it and did not dream it.   What happens now to those who were quick to run to torture’s defense, not sure but I hope that they have some steak sauce to go with their filet of soul. It is my wish that other politicians and pundits would take a lesson from John McCain and stand up for the truth instead of what sounds good to their particular...

I have heard some spinning of an issue before but none quite like this article written by Zachary Roth titled Bin Laden family condemns killing, while wife says one son escaped , by this family.   Family is expected to bond when a tragic event happens with it and leave it to the media to try and exploit it.   But to just sit there and allow the family of bin Laden to pontificate without challenge makes me even unsure of those we place our faith in to deliver the whole story.   Here is some of the many questions those sons should have been forced to answer. In the article it was reported that “yesterday, the al Qaeda leader's sons denounced what they called their father's "arbitrary killing." In a statement, bin Laden's sons questioned why their father "was not arrested and tried in a court of law so that the truth is revealed to the people of the world." "We maintain that arbitrary killing is not a solution to political problems," the sta...