OP/ED: Helicopter Crash in Eastern Afghanistan; Details not yet clear

The header here IS the header I used on an earlier post over at War On Terror News here.

In that post I included a press release from ISAF:

ISAF Joint Command - Afghanistan
2011-08-S-014
For Immediate Release

KABUL, Afghanistan (Aug. 6, 2011) – An International Security Assistance Force helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan today, and recovery operations are underway.

ISAF is still in the process of assessing the circumstances to determine the facts of the incident, reporting indicates there was enemy activity in the area.

Additional details will be released as appropriate.

This statement was issued over eight hours ago - and yes, I caught it about then. I chose to sit on the story, because as far as I am concerned, nothing would have been served by sharing at that instant.

Yes, like most journalists I love to be first with any story. However, in this case, my usual question of "Who does it serve" by my rushing to 'print' was answered in short order by: 'NOBODY!

Not all media outlets displayed such reticence. A certain 'milblogger/photojournalist/author' had the news on his site within 30 minutes with the comment "This is serious.' No s***, Sherlock! This particular milblogger counts many stateside military families among his 'fans,' and I am sure - from the few comments I saw - that many of them spent/are spending many very anxious hours wondering if they will get that dreaded knock on the door.

The milblogger mentioned above did link to a msm report, and yes, since the early hours of this morning the msm has been rife with speculation about this tragedy.

Truth is, we do NOT have all the facts. Yes, we know we have a helicopter down in eastern Afghanistan, and yes we know that the Taleban is claiming responsibility. We are also hearing numbers that vary from 25 - 31 lives lost. That is ALL we know, at this time, about what happened in Wardak. Truth is, we may never know all the facts, and we may not 'need to know' them all, ever. We already know enough to know that today all of us are mourning the loss of these fallen heroes, and we are grieving with their families.

One of my questions is: how long is our msm going to keep acting as the media mouthpiece for the Taleban? It is well known that the Taleban gleefully claims responsibility for such loss of coalition troops' lives. It is also common knowledge that the Taleban is prone to exaggeration. So reporting ANYthing they say, just fuels the Taleban propaganda machine.

It has often been asked whose side the msm is on in this Global War on Terror. It would be hard to believe that they are on the side of our troops, since they consistently ignore the day to day great things our troops do - leave those unreported - but are always quick to jump on any negatives, and especially rush to report and speculate on tragedies such as this, before the facts are in. (I should note, in all fairness, that apparently Fox News is sticking to the few known facts in their tv reporting. )

I have written in the past about this msm propensity to rush to air/print with speculation and non-fact based hyperbole. (If you missed it the first time, go read this for my take on the disrespect the msm displays to our military and their families.)

Right now there are military families either waiting for that knock on the door, or already grasping the devastating news they have just heard.

WHO does it serve for any media to fill the airwaves with speculative 'news' items before any investigation is complete? It sure as hell doesn't serve ANY in our extended military community, and that's where I get royally ticked. The reverberations from events such as this already echo through the military families at super speed. The loved ones do not need to be exposed to 'reports' that add to their grief.

The ISAF statement above ends with: Additional details will be released as appropriate.

"As appropriate." It is my opinion that it is totally INappropriate for any of us to speculate before facts are released. What IS appropriate are expressions of support, like this from the Secretary General of NATO:

06 Aug. 2011

Secretary General's statement on helicopter tragedy in Afghanistan

I am deeply saddened by the death of US service members and Afghan soldiers in today's helicopter incident. My thoughts and condolences are with their families and loved ones.

In this tragic moment I would like to stress NATO's strong solidarity with the American and the Afghan people as well as with their respective Governments.

Brave and committed men and women from 48 countries are working along side their Afghan counterparts, to make Afghanistan a peaceful and stable country. We honour their sacrifices.

We are determined to stay the course, especially in this crucial period when Afghan and international security forces are working closer than ever to make transition a success.

Also appropriate is the statement released by the White House:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday morning released the following statement after a NATO helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan killed 31 Americans and 7 Afghan soldiers.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the Americans who were lost earlier today in Afghanistan. Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan. We will draw inspiration from their lives, and continue the work of securing our country and standing up for the values that they embodied. We also mourn the Afghans who died alongside our troops in pursuit of a more peaceful and hopeful future for their country. At this difficult hour, all Americans are united in support of our men and women in uniform who serve so that we can live in freedom and security." ( I couldn't find this on the White House site itself, but did find it here.)

Taking his words at their face value, I have to agree with this statement, which has been released in a timely, and appropriate, manner.

As BHO's statement says: Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan.

Yes, these are the men and women who, when asked the question "Who shall I send, and who will go for us?" without hesitation immediately respond: "Send me."

As the facts remain murky, the msm needs to shut up, or stick to reporting the bare facts as released by the military investigators. Period. All our thoughts and prayers must be focused on these fallen heroes and their families, in quiet gratitude, support and respect.

America, I sadly stand up next to you.

[Check out an appropriate journalist/blogger response to this tragedy here]

Iran sanctions: BHO administration says the right thing but...

THIS just in over the BBC:

29 September 2010 Last updated at 14:59 ET

US imposes sanctions on Iranian officials for 'abuses'

US President Barack Obama has ordered for the first time sanctions against senior Iranian officials for "sustained and severe violations of human rights".

The eight men include the head of the Revolutionary Guards, a former interior minister and the prosecutor general.

The treasury department said they would face a travel ban and asset freeze.

The alleged abuses include the killings and beatings of anti-government protesters after the disputed presidential election in June 2009.

Millions of Iranians defied official warnings and participated in mass rallies that drew the largest crowds since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

The authorities launched a brutal crackdown, during which opposition and human rights groups accused the security forces of extra-judicial killings, rapes and torture. Thousands were held without charge.

Over the subsequent six months, at least 40 protesters were killed, although the opposition says more than 70 died. At least two people have been executed for related offences, and dozens imprisoned.

[...]

In a statement, the White House said: "As the president noted in his recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, human rights are a matter of moral and pragmatic necessity for the United States."

"The United States will always stand with those in Iran who aspire to have their voices heard. We will be a voice for those aspirations that are universal, and we continue to call upon the Iranian government to respect the rights of its people."

All of those named in the US sanctions list served in Iran's military, law enforcement and justice system around the time of the 2009 protests:...

There follows a list of those named in the sanctions, and a video clip of Secretary of State Clinton.

Check it out on the BBC here.

This declaration follows on the most recent symbol of disapproval of Iran, when the US and other nations walked out of the UN as the Iranian despot did his usual anti-Israel, anti-all- things-not-Iranian screed this past week.

My two questions are this:

1) what took you so long? and 2) what is the US actually going to do?

We have all watched the horrific videos and read the desperate emails/twitters that the Iranian people bravely got out to the watching west following the farce of an election last June. Who can forget grotesque images like this? (Yes, I have chosen to show the obscenity of Neda's death, as a reminder.)



The BBC story above quotes the official number as 40 killed and thousands were arrested. I would suggest that both numbers are grossly under-estimated, since at least one other story sated that 70 Iranian professors were arrested in the horrific days following June 2009. Many of those Iranians arrested were never heard of again, and we know that there were many who were beaten and tortured. There was also executions of those who dared to protest and demand a democratic vote.

Iranian 'leaders' have continued to laugh at the west's demands about their nuclear programme, and the UN has allowed Ahmadinejad to continue his unfettered mockery of the condemnation by the rest of the world. Since 1979, Iran has consistently ignored any rhetoric expressing disappointment, disapproval and even 'outrage,' spouted from the rest of the world. We also know that Iran has aided and abetted enemies of the west in this current Global War on Terror, as we hear of Islamic terrorists being trained and supplied with weaponry by the Iranian regime.

Since 1979, all the west has offered IS rhetoric, and empty words, symbols. Back in June 2009, the Iranian people were dying on their streets, and begging the world to hear them, to help them.

It appears that the wheels of diplomatic solutions turn really, REALLY slowly, but this pronouncement of sanctions today - unless backed up with real action and consequences for the Iranian despots - will accomplish nothing, except more mockery from Ahmadinejad.

Since BHO took office, he has talked a good talk (usually ad nauseum,) about human rights, but he has yet to prove - unequivocally - that he is prepared to walk the walk, and back his words with action.

Today's statement about sanctions is a good thing, a good first step. It also makes for a good soundbite on the evening news. However, if these words, these sanctions, are not backed up with actions that mean more than empty noise, we will have failed the people of Iran - again.

Mr President: the people of Iran, and the rest of us, are watching. The "always" you spoke of is NOW! It is long time past for the talking to stop, and for the people of Iran to know that we DO stand with them, whatever the cost.

To quote JFK of January 1961 (another Democrat president):

Let every nation know, [...] that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

"Set 'em up, Joe": Beer summit for Koran burner?

Has anyone not heard about a little man ('whatsisname') in the US who is supposedly planning to burn a copy of the Koran on 9/11? According to every media outlet, there are worldwide calls for a self-professed pastor to rethink his public burning of what is said to be muslims' most holy of books.

Government and military leaders have got into the act; from Obama, to the State Dept (US), to PM Harper of Canada, Canada's Minister of Defence, to Tony Blair - envoy to the middle east, to American General Petraeus etc etc.

This attention whore who is garnering all the headlines of outrage, has a 'congregation' of approximately fifty - 50!!! - disciples, yet to hear the breathless condemnation, the world will surely end if he goes ahead with this this publicity stunt.

Yes, most of us find burning ANY book offensive (Farenheit 451, anyone?) but really, this 'pastor' is getting far more attention than he deserves. Reminds me of a 5 year old in a kindergarten who is desperate for attention. 'Whatsisname' has about as much sense, or respect for others as any fresh-faced kid starting their first day of school. Oh wait. Most 5 year olds I have known have more common sense than this idiot, or the 'leaders' telling him he needs to rethink his threatened stunt.

Not a chance, of course, since he is basking in the media spotlight, enjoying his 15 minutes of fame.

The reasons the various leaders have given for this moron NOT to burn the Koran are disingenuous, in my opinion. Does anybody really think our troops will be safer on the frontlines
because a small minded man, in a small town in America, declines to burn a book? Anybody even half awake has seen - almost on a daily basis - radical muslims around the world disrespect the Christian Bible, and the American flag, just to give two regular examples. We all also know that our troops are being killed on a daily basis by these muslims with, as far as I know, no Korans being burned as impetus.

Truth of the matter is, muslims do not NEED an excuse to hate us, or kill us if given half a chance. Burning one of their books merely gives them another cue to scream for our submission or annihilation.

My suggestion is that we all should have ignored this pathetic creature, since one thing attention whores hate is being ignored. Instead of fanning the flames of his pseudo notoriety, this whole pathetic incident would have been over with nary a spark if he had been ignored.

But - as usual - the BHO administration is loath to let any crisis, real or manufactured, go to waste. America, and the rest of us, has far more critical issues to deal with (usually behind closed doors for BHO, but I digress) as the country is being torn apart on the heels of economic, health, education restructuring.

It is my opinion that this Koran burning threat/promise should have remained a local issue, with local law enforcement taking care of business, if they so chose. This idiot proves to me that he is ignorant on so many levels, not the least of which is to choose 9/11 as the day for his stunt. I suggest he could better spend that day leading his flock in reading the Bible, and praying for the 9/11 families. Failing that, he could be doing good works for the worldwide Christians who are regularly tortured - and worse - for their faith. That, to me, would be a better demonstration of the differences between the muslims and the Christians. But what do I know?

One person who has been noticeably absent in the public commentary on this tempest in a teapot is Joe Biden, VP of the US.

Since Joe has proved so often in the past that he always has some 'significant' utterance to make, I think he should host an intimate beer summit with this pastor. If the pastor is teetotal, so much the better. A tea party it should be.

Oh and of course, no cameras, no publicity. ZILCH. Then this little man can fade back into obscurity, where he belongs.

Move along, nothing to see here.

***[THIS just in, at least via CBC:

The pastor has reconsidered, and is now going to New York to 'consult' with an imam..]***

Platitudes of Oil

Another Monkey in the Middle classic:

Book of Obama: Chapter 11

nd The Anointed One spoke unto the masses:

While I was fixing your economy, granting everyone Healthcare, and destroying this nation's alliances with our traditional friends, my enemy (Republicans and Teabggers) destroyed a deep well in the Gulf of Mexico.

This happened due to the incompetence of the British and how it was caused by the evil done by Bush the Lessor.

This was not MY fault, The Anointed One he exclaimed!

It was BP, they lied to Me, they said they could plug the leak. For they had many plans, though none would work well, they all looked good when they proposed them.

It was the fault of Steven Chu, he is the smartest man I know after Me. He has a Nobel in Physics, head of MY energy policy and should have known how to solve this mess. Chu failed Me!

And MY predecessor, Bush the Lessor, caused this disaster. It was his policies that was the direct caused of this. It was his lack of regulation, his people that let BP, that evil Corporation, to do what they wanted to.

Yet I will heal this mess. I will require the passing of the Cap and Trade Bill. Yes it will raise yourn electric rates by 30% but it will save the environment (At least MY poll numbers with them!).

I demand an end to all drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. We can never allow an disaster like this to happen again (This will please MY Saudi masters.).

visited the Gulf, not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times. I talked to the fishermen, innkeeper, tavern owner. They cried they will go broke. They have no income, no monies, it is all the fault of BP. They will be destroyed.

I told them that I will force BP to put Billions of their dollars into a special account and a third party will settle all claims (I think I can get Andy "The Weasel" Stern to head it.). They will get paid eventually, but not until I get MY share (It is the Chicago Way!).

I went to the Gulf, and held out MY arms. I demanded the oil to stop spilling (It was keeping Me from MY golf game!), but nothing happened. The oil kept flowing. I am The Anointed One! The Chosen of the People. If I say stop, it will stop!

But the flow of oil did not stop. Not when The Anointed One demanded it to, not when the people of the region prayed to their God, not for many months. It flowed and destroyed the sea and land. The birds and fish. The hopes of the people. It destroyed all because of the hubris of The Anointed One....

Go read the rest of this chapter, here.

Iran: One year later

Tight security in Iran ahead of election anniversary

Page last updated at 09:24 GMT, Saturday, 12 June 2010 10:24 UK

By Jon Leyne



Opposition protests followed last year's disputed elections

There is a huge security presence in Tehran and other Iranian cities, as the country marks the first anniversary of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election, witnesses say.

Opposition leaders have called off planned protests, saying they want to avoid the loss of innocent lives.

The government says Mr Ahmadinejad was re-elected by a landslide. It says the protests were just a Western plot.

So far there are no reports of any protests.

But opposition sources say their supporters did go out onto their roofs after dark on Friday night to chant Allahu Akbar (God is great), a gesture of defiance they began following Mr Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Sullen acquiescence

They came onto the streets in their millions a year ago. It was a spontaneous outburst of anger from huge numbers of Iranians who felt Mr Ahmadinejad had stolen the presidential election. (here)

Exiled Iranian activists on the election anniversary

Arash Bahmani

Arash Bahmani was the editor of Gilan-e Behtar, a weekly newspaper published in northern Iran, and the head of a reformist alumni union in his home province of Gilan. He was forced to flee Iran after the elections.

Like many Iranians, I was politically active both in the run-up to, and after the elections and a warrant was issued for my arrest.

I previously spent two weeks in jail in 2006 while I was being investigated under the charge of insulting the Supreme Leader. So I already had an open dossier at the Revolutionary Court.

My problem was not knowing who to trust to take me across the border

Arash Bahmani

One of my friends had already been arrested. And the judge at the Revolutionary Court said he had issued me an eight-year prison sentence, on the previous charges. So after conferring with friends, fleeing Iran was considered as one option. I lived in hiding for a while before deciding to escape.

More stories of exiles here.

This week, the UN voted to impose another round of sanctions against Iran:

UN votes for new sanctions on Iran over nuclear issue

President Obama said the new sanctions sent an "unmistakable message"

The UN Security Council has voted in favour of fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme.

The council voted 12 to two, with one abstention, in favour of a fourth round of sanctions, including tighter finance curbs and an expanded arms embargo.

US President Barack Obama said the sanctions were an unmistakable message on stopping the spread of nuclear arms.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the sanctions should be thrown in the dustbin like a "used handkerchief"....(here)

'Unmistakable message.' Uhuh, right! And of course Ahmadinejad is shaking in his boots. Not!

BHO is quoted in a BBC story on these sanctions:

Mr Obama accused Iran's leaders of "hiding behind outlandish rhetoric".

But he said the sanctions did "not close the door on diplomacy" and he urged Iran to "choose a different and better path".

Mr Ahmadinejad was quoted by Iran's Isna news agency as saying: "I gave one of the [world powers] a message that the resolutions you issue are like a used handkerchief which should be thrown in the dustbin. They are not capable of hurting Iranians."

'...outlandish rhetoric...' ! Go here to see what other world leaders are saying. As history has proven, UN sanctions rarely achieve their stated goal, and usually end up hurting the 'ordinary' people of the countries labouring under those UN sanctions. The National Review echoes what many already know:

June 10, 2010 4:00 A.M.

The U.N.’s Iran Dead End

The latest round of U.N. sanctions against Iran will not stop that nation’s rulers from acquiring a nuclear arsenal. It could in fact help them acquire one. That is the likely outcome if President Obama does not revise his Iran policy.

The resolution, approved yesterday, achieved the following. Forty persons associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the fanatical entity that oversees Iran’s nuclear program and is a power base for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Khamenei, had been targeted by previous sanctions; they, and a new 41st, will now face a travel ban and asset freeze. U.N. member states will be required to inspect planes and ships going to or coming from Iran if they suspect that these vessels contain banned cargo (yet the resolution provides no authorization for the forcible boarding of such vessels). Iran will not be allowed to invest — in any country — in uranium mines, enrichment plants, or similar facilities. And there will be a ban on the sale of many types of weapons systems, including any ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload, to Iran.

This is all to the good, but it is a highly limited good. Most of the measures are little more than modest escalations of earlier sanctions resolutions, of which there have been three. These failed utterly to modify the Iranian state’s conduct; rather, the mullahs doubled down, ever adding to their number of centrifuges.[emphasis mine]

Go here for the rest of this column. Maybe Hillary Clinton should wag her finger harder.

From the New York Times comes this:

Beyond Iran Sanctions, Plans B, C, D and ...

By DAVID E. SANGER

Published: June 10, 2010

WASHINGTON — No one in the Obama White House believes that, by themselves, the newest rounds of sanctions against Iran’s military-run businesses, its shipping lines and its financial institutions will force Tehran to halt its 20-year-long drive for a nuclear capability.

So what, exactly, does President Obama plan to do if, as everyone expects, these sanctions fail, just as the previous three did?

There is a Plan B — actually, a Plan B, C, and D — parts of which are already unfolding across the Persian Gulf. The administration does not talk about them much, at least publicly, but they include old-style military containment and an operation known informally at the C.I.A. as the Braindrain Project to lure away Iran’s nuclear talent. By all accounts, Mr. Obama has ramped up a Bush-era covert program to undermine Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure, and he has made quiet diplomatic use of Israel’s lurking threat to take military action if diplomacy and pressure fail.

But ask the designers and executors of these programs what they all add up to, and the answer inevitably boils down to “not enough.” (more here.)

Sounds all too familiar, doesn't it? Meanwhile, what of the people of Iran? As BHO and the UN focus on sanctions, the daily life of the Iranian citizens is eked out away from the media spotlight. From the Guardian in London, comes this:

Iran's tortured Green movement is down but not out. We can still help

Timothy Garton Ash

One harrowing year since the stolen election, the people of Iran need the world's attention to go beyond the nuclear issue

Wednesday 9 June 2010 18.59 BST

Do not forget Iran. Remember Neda. If there are green-clad protests in Tehran this weekend, to mark the first anniversary of the election that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole, they will doubtless again be crushed with casual brutality by the thugs of the basij militia, secret police and Revolutionary Guard. Imprisonment, torture, male rape and execution are the offerings these henchmen of the Islamic Republic bring to honour Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.

Faced with such violent repression, the Green movement is a long way down – but not out. Iran will never again be the country it was before the election of 12 June 2009. In the great demonstration three days later, one of the largest in recorded history, everything was changed, changed utterly. In the subsequent repression, a terrible beauty was born. The historical process may take years, but one day, as the economy worsens and discontent spreads to more sections of society, the movement will be back in force, though perhaps in a different form. Eventually, in Iran there will be statues of Neda Agha-Sultan, the young woman shot in one of the early mass demonstrations, and memorials to the martyrs of this struggle for freedom, as there are now memorials to the martyrs of the Iran-Iraq war. (much more here)

As always, it is up to every one of us to look behind the government leaders' public posturing before the world media.

Do not forget the people of Iran.

Jewish Donors Outraged by 'Sociopath' Obama

From Monkey in the Middle:

It only took a year and a half from when Barack Hussein Obama took office, but American Jews are deserting not only President Obama, but the Democratic Party as well.
If senior journalist David Goldman is right, the correct word for describing the way a growing number of US Jews feel about President Barack Obama is not 'anger' but 'rage' – white-hot rage, at that, and a conviction that they have been swindled.

Goldman, Senior Editor of First Things magazine and 'Spengler' columnist for Asia Times Online, spoke last week at a convention on intellectuals and terror at Ariel University in Samaria. In his lecture, he quoted a top Jewish campaign donor who used the word 'sociopath' to describe Obama. In an interview with Israel National News, he predicted a possibly dramatic 'train wreck' for the Democrats in the November mid-term elections, with Jewish fundraising for Democrats drying up and a possibly high turnout of anti-Obama evangelical Christians....

There IS more here.