You Can Run But Not Hide

Especially if your name is Anwar al-Awlaki.

Born in the United States to parents of Yemeni origins.  His parents returned to Yemen when he was 7.  He lived in Yemen for 11 years then returned to the United States to attend university.  He graduated Colorado State University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and was the President of the University's Muslim Students Union.  He was a leader in al-Qaeda and took over leadership of the organization when Bin Ladin was killed.

al-Awlaki was the English voice of al-Qaeda.

The U.S.-born terror mastermind Anwar al-Awlaki has been killed, Fox News confirms.

The government of the Republic of Yemen officially announced the death, saying Awlaki was targeted and killed about 5 miles from the town of Khashef in the Province of Jawf.

The operation was launched earlier today at around 9:55 AM, local time.

Yemeni security and tribal officials said an air strike thought to have been carried out by U.S. aircraft on Friday targeted a convoy of cars traveling in the eastern province of Marib but could not say whether al-Awlaki was in the convoy.

The 40-year-old al-Awlaki is believed to have inspired and even plotted or helped coordinate some of the recent attacks on the U.S., including the failed Christmas Day 2009 bombing of an airliner heading for Detroit, Michigan, and the also unsuccessful plot to send mail bombs on planes from Yemen to the United States in October.

The American-born son of Yemeni parents rose to prominence as Al-Qaeda's English-speaking voice and electronic messenger, spreading its terrorist credo via a blog, social media posts and email exchanges with such people as the U.S. Army major accused of a murderous shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

The Pakistani-American man who pleaded guilty to the May 2010 Times Square failed car bombing attempt told interrogators he was "inspired" by al-Awlaki after making contact over the Internet. Al-Awlaki was further believed to have had a hand in mail bombs addressed to Chicago-area synagogues, packages intercepted in Dubai and Europe in October 2010.

Yemen had in the past reported the deaths of Al-Qaeda leaders who were later found to be alive. Al-Awlaki was last reported to have been killed in December 2009.

Al-Awlaki is on a U.S. kill-or-capture list and is accused by Washington of inspiring several attacks in the United States.

The Yemeni officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information.

Yemen is the Arab world's most impoverished nation and has become a haven for Al-Qaeda militants.

Source

Yemen has claimed this kill.  The US claims it was done by a drone.  All that matters is this scumbag is dead and getting his just reward.

Piece of candy anyone?

And The World Is Suppose To Be Scared Of These Guys?

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Last year the Iranians decided that Star Wars was the look for them.  This year it is a cross between Lady Gaga and a Bad Hair Day.  But once again the Iranian Army has trotted out their "New Look" for the year:

I guess a new hairstylist would help these guys.

Did anyone tell these guys that American Gladiator is no longer on the air?

The badges on their sashes are for not wetting the bed.

Once again the Iranians have shown us that good taste is not needed in their military.

Hat Tip to SimplyJews

OMG! Obama said what?

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

We cannot make these things up.  But a Freudian Slip of the tongue by the President tells more about what is really on his mind than the class warfare he is doing.



Hat tip to a12iggymom

Let That Light Be The Light Of Peace

by Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

The Full Text of Bibi Netanyahu's speech to the United Nations

Ladies and gentlemen, Israel has extended its hand in peace from the moment it was established 63 years ago. On behalf of Israel and the Jewish people, I extend that hand again today. I extend it to the people of Egypt and Jordan, with renewed friendship for neighbors with whom we have made peace. I extend it to the people of Turkey, with respect and good will. I extend it to the people of Libya and Tunisia, with admiration for those trying to build a democratic future. I extend it to the other peoples of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with whom we want to forge a new beginning. I extend it to the people of Syria, Lebanon and Iran, with awe at the courage of those fighting brutal repression.

But most especially, I extend my hand to the Palestinian people, with whom we seek a just and lasting peace.

Ladies and gentlemen, in Israel our hope for peace never wanes. Our scientists, doctors, innovators, apply their genius to improve the world of tomorrow. Our artists, our writers, enrich the heritage of humanity. Now, I know that this is not exactly the image of Israel that is often portrayed in this hall. After all, it was here in 1975 that the age-old yearning of my people to restore our national life in our ancient biblical homeland — it was then that this was braided — branded, rather — shamefully, as racism. And it was here in 1980, right here, that the historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt wasn’t praised; it was denounced! And it’s here year after year that Israel is unjustly singled out for condemnation. It’s singled out for condemnation more often than all the nations of the world combined. Twenty-one out of the 27 General Assembly resolutions condemn Israel — the one true democracy in the Middle East.

Well, this is an unfortunate part of the U.N. institution. It’s the — the theater of the absurd. It doesn’t only cast Israel as the villain; it often casts real villains in leading roles: Gadhafi’s Libya chaired the U.N. Commission on Human Rights; Saddam’s Iraq headed the U.N. Committee on Disarmament.

You might say: That’s the past. Well, here’s what’s happening now — right now, today. Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon now presides over the U.N. Security Council. This means, in effect, that a terror organization presides over the body entrusted with guaranteeing the world’s security.

You couldn’t make this thing up.

So here in the U.N., automatic majorities can decide anything. They can decide that the sun sets in the west or rises in the west. I think the first has already been pre-ordained. But they can also decide — they have decided that the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Judaism’s holiest place, is occupied Palestinian territory.

Menachem Mendel Schneerson

And yet even here in the General Assembly, the truth can sometimes break through. In 1984 when I was appointed Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, I visited the Great Rabbi of Lubavich. He said to me — and ladies and gentlemen, I don’t want any of you to be offended because from personal experience of serving here, I know there are many honorable men and women, many capable and decent people serving their nations here. But here’s what the rebbe said to me. He said to me, you’ll be serving in a house of many lies. And then he said, remember that even in the darkest place, the light of a single candle can be seen far and wide.

Today I hope that the light of truth will shine, if only for a few minutes, in a hall that for too long has been a place of darkness for my country. So as Israel’s prime minister, I didn’t come here to win applause. I came here to speak the truth. The truth is — the truth is that Israel wants peace. The truth is that I want peace. The truth is that in the Middle East at all times, but especially during these turbulent days, peace must be anchored in security. The truth is that we cannot achieve peace through U.N. resolutions, but only through direct negotiations between the parties. The truth is that so far the Palestinians have refused to negotiate. The truth is that Israel wants peace with a Palestinian state, but the Palestinians want a state without peace. And the truth is you shouldn’t let that happen.

Ladies and gentlemen, when I first came here 27 years ago, the world was divided between East and West. Since then the Cold War ended, great civilizations have risen from centuries of slumber, hundreds of millions have been lifted out of poverty, countless more are poised to follow, and the remarkable thing is that so far this monumental historic shift has largely occurred peacefully. Yet a malignancy is now growing between East and West that threatens the peace of all. It seeks not to liberate, but to enslave, not to build, but to destroy.

That malignancy is militant Islam. It cloaks itself in the mantle of a great faith, yet it murders Jews, Christians and Muslims alike with unforgiving impartiality. On September 11th it killed thousands of Americans, and it left the twin towers in smoldering ruins. Last night I laid a wreath on the 9/11 memorial. It was deeply moving. But as I was going there, one thing echoed in my mind: the outrageous words of the president of Iran on this podium yesterday. He implied that 9/11 was an American conspiracy. Some of you left this hall. All of you should have.

Since 9/11, militant Islamists slaughtered countless other innocents — in London and Madrid, in Baghdad and Mumbai, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in every part of Israel. I believe that the greatest danger facing our world is that this fanaticism will arm itself with nuclear weapons. And this is precisely what Iran is trying to do.

Can you imagine that man who ranted here yesterday — can you imagine him armed with nuclear weapons? The international community must stop Iran before it’s too late. If Iran is not stopped, we will all face the specter of nuclear terrorism, and the Arab Spring could soon become an Iranian winter. That would be a tragedy. Millions of Arabs have taken to the streets to replace tyranny with liberty, and no one would benefit more than Israel if those committed to freedom and peace would prevail.

Corporate Social Responsibility & Going Green

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

A great article by Tom DeWeese of the American Policy Center. This man knows his stuff when it comes to Agenda 21 and all things green:

Why Private Industry Keeps Telling Us to “Go Green”

I’ve sounded the alarm over the dangers of Sustainable Development and the agenda for top-down control through what proponents call the “Three Es,” which includes the Environment, the Economy, and Social Equity. A fourth rail to imposing Agenda 21 is called Corporate Social Responsibility. It is the direct result of the merging of the Three Es. CSR is the map to understanding why corporations are actively promoting the “green” agenda – even to the detriment of their own business.

Picture, if you will, an Isosceles triangle. And label each point: 1.Government Power 2. Corporate Money 3. NGOs Agenda

The truth is, corporations aren’t always willing players in the partnerships – neither is government, for that matter. Many times both are answering to pressure from activists with a specific agenda.

Those activists come in the form of Non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They are determined, dedicated and radical. They mean business and they have the means to force their will on companies. It’s almost masochistic to watch how they treat companies.

Perhaps you’ve heard the term Corporate Social Responsibility. The idea is that corporations must not conduct their affairs merely to achieve profits for their stockholders – or even to just provide products and services for their customers. According to the doctrine, businesses must also help further the “well-being of society.” You know, “like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” To many businesses the term means treating customers, employees and suppliers with respect and integrity, while making sure you aren’t damaging the environment. It’s just good business.

But something much more sinister has control over the force of corporate social responsibility. As Niger Innis, president of the Congress on Racial Equality, points out, the ideological environmental movement is a powerful $4 billion-a-year U.S. industry. On the international level it’s an $8 billion-a-year gorilla.

Many of its members are intensely eco-centric, and place much higher value on wildlife and ecological values than on human progress or even human life. They have a deep fear and loathing of big business, technology, chemicals, plastics, fossil fuels and biotechnology. And they insist that the rest of the world should acknowledge and live according to their fears and ideologies.

They are masters at using junk science, scare tactics, intimidation and bogus economic and health claims to gain even greater power. These people, with their radical political agenda are now succeeding in forcing Corporate Social Responsibility on more and more companies.

They assert the right to dictate corporate social responsibility by declaring themselves stakeholders, even though their only stake is philosophical. In most cases, they have no economic interest in the companies.

They place ever-increasing demands on business to take ever more radical measures in the name of protecting the environment or in the name of social equity. Products have been banned. Even whole industries have been destroyed.

Here’s an example of the power of this force tied to Sustainable Development policies is an incident that took place in Ireland. There, McDonalds applied to build a new restaurant in a community. The government demanded an environmental impact study for the project. Now, that’s not so unusual. Only this environmental study wasn’t concerning the building of the restaurant. Rather, it was to study the effects of the food to be served on the health of the residents of the community.

McDonalds has been beaten to a pulp over the issue of obesity, human health and animal rights. The leading NGO in this fight is a radical nut-group called the Center for Science in the Public Interest which openly advocates that people eat next to nothing. No meat, no farm animals at all, no dairy, just basically some pre-selected vegetables. They are a constant thorn in the side of the Food and Drug Administration, constantly filing law suits to control food choice. They are the leaders of the infamous food police. And they hate McDonalds as much as they hate letting you decide what you want to eat.

As a result of these attacks, today McDonalds is in the forefront of promoting the green agenda. Now you may understand why the city of San Francisco recently targeted McDonald’s Happy Meals to be banned. CSR is rampant in public schools where zealots are busy working to control what children eat. Never mind that a child may go hungry because he/she refuses to eat tofu. Meanwhile, to make the controls work, corporate monsters like McDonalds must also be kept from tempting children with something they might like. All for the common good, of course.

Another example of corporate masochism comes from Caterpillar, the equipment giant that provides machinery for the mining industry. A few years ago, Caterpillar announced it was joining the United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), which is lobbying for caps on carbon dioxide emissions.

If USCAP reaches its goal for mandatory federal restrictions on the emissions, the cost of energy will be driven up, hurting Caterpillar’s customers and shareholders. When asked if he had done a cost analysis on this policy before joining USCAP, the Chairman of Caterpillar said he had not and would not. Therefore, he was blindly endorsing a policy that could put his own company out of business.

Why? Because he has been forced to accept a political agenda over business sense. To do otherwise would mean possible government sanctions, regulations or fines. It’s the new way to do business in America. It’s the force of the triangle. That’s Corporate Social Responsibility. It isn’t responsible at all. And it’s not very corporate. It’s enforcement of a political agenda.

Many times these issues begin with what appears to be completely absurd press releases by obscure fringe groups. But businesses must not ignore the source of their rants. Once they begin to give sanction to small demands in an attempt to put on a good face – the bar will be continually raised until the business becomes merely a tool for a political agenda that is in direct opposition to their ability to stay in business as the mantra of “Go Green” results in higher prices, sacrifice and fewer choices for consumers.

Well said. But every corporation knows that the moment profits (dividends) drop to a certain level, is the moment this nonsense stops. The main business of business is to make profits, not to help the world. In some cases they do both, and that is good. Not just for the communities they are in, but also for their image in the public. But let the profits, the dividends drop below a certain level, every CEO knows he/she will be out of a job and a new man/woman taking the helm instead.

Dear Attack Watch....

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle


Hat Tip to TexasFred

I found this at Texas Fred's.  20 simple questions to ask AttackWatch or #AttackWatch.  The questions will never be answered with the truth, for Barack Hussein Obama doesn't want you to know the truth.

Let’s a play a little game of 20 QUESTIONS…

1. WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL OF THAT STIMULUS MONEY?? AND YOU EXPECT US TO FALL FOR IT AGAIN?!?!?!

2. Is it okay for you to have members of the New Black Panthers standing outside voting centers in full camouflage gear threatening whites with baseball bats and night sticks?

3. Is it also okay for you to have ACORN register dead people to vote and automatically submit them as democrat voters?

4. Is it also okay for you to flat out LIE to the American people 7 TIMES in the first two minutes of your acceptance speech the night that you was so-called “elected”?

5. Is it also okay for you to have Congress vote on and pass a healthcare bill IN THE DARK OF NIGHT that over half the country DIDN’T want shoved down their throats? You need to know that this WILL ultimately be proven unconstitutional…..maybe you didn’t hear, but government CANNOT FORCE it’s citizens to purchase a government subsidized good or service.

6. Is it also okay for you to push California to pass the Dream Act so that he has more voters on his side for the election next year because he bought them all off with FREE healthcare, FREE housing, FREE food, FREE education, FREE EVERYTHING?

7. Is it also okay that you failed to acquire, let alone EVEN ASK FOR, congressional approval for a meaningless one-sided war in Libya? By the way, Bush asked for and received congressional approval for the war in Iraq….his request WAS met with some differences of opinion, but HE DID ASK…..YOU DID NOT.

8. While we’re on the subject, why do you continuously run to the UN every time you have a problem? This country is NOT run by the UN….we are a SOVERIEGN NATION that governs itself…..maybe they didn’t teach you that in American History. OH, MY BAD!! I forgot….you went to school in INDONESIA!!

9. Is it okay that when a UNION THUG like Jimmy Hoffa literally threatens a group of people in a warm-up speech for the President, that President (YOU) remains silent and doesn’t strike that UNION THUG’S comments down in some kind of response? Pardon me, but I’ve lived in this country my ENTIRE LIFE….I’m pretty darn certain that EVERYTHING in Hoffa’s speech was gone over with a fine tooth comb…do you REALLY think we are THAT STUPID?

10. Why is it that you can’t simply produce your actual long form birth certificate? Anybody that applies for a job in this country needs to provide several different forms of ID. I would think that someone who wants to be PRESIDENT would be scrutinized down to the very last letter of the alphabet.

11. Where are the college transcripts from Harvard and Occidental? They were probably burned right along with the B.C., huh?

12. How can you call yourself a Christian when you don’t celebrate Christmas or Easter, but yet you recognize and celebrate the MUSLIM holy month of Ramadan?

13. Why is that you CONTINUOUSLY apologize for our status as a Superpower Nation?

14. Why do you bow down to foreign leaders?

15. Why do you try and make a toast when God Save The Queen is being played?

16. Why did you REALLY close that Boeing plant in South Carolina?

Let’s talk about your wife for a moment…..

17. Is it okay that she goes on vacations left and right on the taxpayers dime, of which she spent $10 MILLION??

18. Is it also okay that your wife can eat burgers and fries, while at the same time, telling us Americans to eat more veggies and make their portions smaller?

19. Is it also okay for that same UNPATRIOTIC wife to disrespect the American flag at Ground Zero on 9/11/11?

20. Is it also okay for YOU to ask AMERICAN CITIZENS to rat out their own neighbors if they happen to say something negative about the President?

I have NEVER supported you from day one and do not have even a bit of an inkling of support for you now….nor will I ever. I will say though, that I recognize and have full respect for the OFFICE that you currently hold. That doesn’t mean that I need to respect the person that holds the office of POTUS. Remember, they are two VERY different things. You will NEVER have my respect for you as a person. How can I be expected to respect someone that disrespects our Constitution?

Trust me when I say that we Conservatives do NOT fear this new “snitcher site” of yours one tiny bit. This site has now made you THE laughingstock of the internet and believe me….WE ARE ROLLING ON THE FLOOR & LAUGHING OVER THIS!! It’s actually quite humorous, if you haven’t figured that out by now when taking in all of the Twitter posts that have been made since your little site started up. You are only giving us MORE firepower against you every single day.

We are not a people of violence….unless YOU DECIDE to make us resort to such. This site you’ve created only proves just how desperate and paranoid you really are. Why don’t you just give it up and surrender already? Just sayin.

SIGN THE PETITION FOLKS: ATTACKWATCH.COM Petition2Congress

It is time to tell the POTUS that these Gestapo tactics are not respectable in this nation!

Feel free to "steal" this post.  The more Conservatives who read this means the more who will fight this.

Hope and Change? "We Hope You Change Your Testimony, General"

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


"Gen. William Shelton, head of the Air Force Space Command, told House members in a classified briefing earlier this month that he was pressured to change prepared congressional testimony in a way that would favor a large company funded by Philip Falcone, a major Democratic donor, congressional sources told Fox News."

-Fox News byline


Remember the heady days of President Obama's campaign when he kept promising "Hope and Change"?

We all figured-You all figured there would be no more politics as usual, pay to play and government favors for those who contributed big bucks, right?

Oh yee suckers.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/15/general-reportedly-said-was-pressured-to-change-testimony-on-white-house-backed/

Let us remember one thing-especially you folks who say, "They all do it." When you testify before Congress, you do so under oath. If what General Shelton says is accurate, we are talking about subornation of perjury. And for you UC Santa Cruz Community Studies majors, that is a crime. Take it from one who has testified under oath hundreds of times-and always did so honestly. There should be no tolerance for this.

If this keeps up, the Obama administration will catch up with the Clinton administration in scandals.

Barack Obama's Continuing Jewish Problem

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Poor Barack Obama.  He is losing almost every core group he had.  Now he will lose not only a core group, but a major fund-raising group:  The Jews.

United States President Barack Obama enjoyed the support of an estimated 80% of U.S. Jews in the 2008 elections. However, recent polls indicate he will be receiving far less Jewish support in 2012.

Polls taken before the GOP upset in New York’s 9th District showed that Obama’s treatment of Israel was a crucial issue for many voters in the heavily Jewish area – and only 22% were satisfied with the way he had been relating to Israel.

Their dissatisfaction is thought to have been a crucial factor in the victory of Republican candidate Bob Turner, who became the first member of his party to win a seat in the traditionally Democratic district in 80 years.

Another poll showed Obama losing ground even among his strongest supporters, those who had donated to his 2008 campaign. Of those Jews who invested in an Obama victory three years ago, just 64% plan to donate to his re-election campaign, according to a recent McLaughlin & Associates survey.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the Obama campaign is stepping up its efforts to win back Jewish support. The campaign has hired a Jewish outreach director, and has sent senior Jewish officials like former White House aide David Axelrod to meet with Jewish donors.

Writer Dan Senor expressed skepticism over the chances that the new campaign push would succeed. Obama’s advisors believe the president has a “messaging problem,” he said. However, in truth, “he doesn’t have a ‘messaging’ problem. He has a record of bad policies and anti-Israel rhetoric,” opined Senor, who listed several of the many occasions on which Obama’s treatment of Israel was seen as hostile.

Obama’s loss of popularity among those who support Israel has not been accompanied by gains in Arab support. Instead, Pew Research Center surveys show steadily declining support for the U.S. in almost all Arab or Muslim countries, and the Palestinian Authority has openly snubbed Obama in recent weeks, continuing with plans to ask the UN to recognize it as a state despite U.S. disapproval.

Source

Now for the $64,000 question:  Will Barack Hussein Obama have Susan Rice veto the PA resolution due to come before the Security Council on Friday Sept. 23, only to apologize to the Muslim world right afterwords in an attempt to appease both Muslims and Jews?  Obama had her do that the last time the Security Council wanted to condemn Israel for some idiotic lie.  Or will he realize that he is a lame duck and withhold the US veto and allow the PA to become the nation of Palestine?  It would be in Obama's character to do so.  If he does, not only does he lose the Jewish vote and money, but the Democrats will lose the Jewish bloc forever.

This next week will be interesting to watch.

Can You Read Lips?

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com

I am asking for lip readers to make out what Michelle Obama is saying to her husband, the President during this 9-11 flag-folding ceremony at Ground Zero. This video has also appeared on the Baltimore Sun's blog, as well as numerous other sites. Maybe one of my readers can help.

Could she be saying, "All this for that flag"?

The Terror We Have Not Experienced

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Imagine this:

You enter your favorite pizza parlor with your family on an early Saturday night. The place is packed with families, with teens, with people. Wall to wall with a wait to be seated. Suddenly a person enters the building, goes to the middle of the place and detonates a bomb. The shrapnel rips through your body. The last thing you see is your children shredded to bits. This is not fiction. It happened here.

Imagine this:

You leave your home to go to work, get on the bus and this happens:



It happened here.

Imagine this:

You are attending a religious function with your family. A person walks in, detonates a bomb. You and your family are killed.



It happened here.

This is reality in Israel.  Not the big attacks as we experienced on 9/11, but the small single person attacks on a single, smaller target.  You never know when it will happen, where it will happen, if you or your loved ones will be involved, injured, killed.  When it is discovered that the Muslim community is behind these actions, the world insists that you do nothing to stop these attacks, in fact you have to import more terrorists into your country.  You have to surrender to everything the terrorists demand.  If you don't expect more attacks, in any city, at any time.

You set up metal detectors and security guards at the entrances of every supermarket, shopping mall, restaurant.  You have armed guards outside every school, every hospital.  Special precautions are taken with bulldozers and backhoes.  And still there is more.

The terror escalates to warfare when terrorists start firing rockets into the United States from Mexico.  Cities and towns on the border have been struck with these "homemade" rockets.  The world tells the US to ignore them.  The rockets aren't powerful and do very little damage.  Every day, every night the nation is under attack.  You are told that the rockets will stop when you give into the terrorists demands.  Obama gives in.

The US Constitution is removed and Shar'ia Law and Islam reigns.

This is the new reality that we could be living under.

9/11 wasn't a true terror attack.  It was an act of war like Pearl Harbor was.  The Fort Hood Massacre, the Arkansas Military Attack, the Times Square Bomber, and the rest of the failed attacks are the harbinger of things to come.

There will come a time in the near future when we will experience terror on the scale that Israel has.  The only hope we can have as a nation is that we have a leader who will fight back and not surrender.

VIDEO: Civilian Executed At Point Blank Range in Syria

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

If one thought that keeping the press out of a nation will mean you can get away with anything including murder, guess again.  Assad of Syria has been trying this since the protests started.  But he forgot that people have cell phones, those cell phones have video cameras.  The people of Syria are becoming the reporters.  Thus the truth is emerging, slowly but emerging.

The following video is extremely graphic.  The name of the victim is unknown.  But his murder his documented.




Please pass this on to others.  On death among 30 that day.

Hat tip to Elder of Ziyon

Gibson Guitar vs. The Obama Regime

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Since 2009 Gibson Guitars, one of the leading manufacturers of guitars has been persecuted by the Obama Administration over "tainted wood".  It seems that some of the wood that Gibson uses is manufactured in a way that violates India's laws.  Yes I did write INDIA.  The country.  Not Indiana, the state.

Last week, heavily armed federal agents raided two guitar manufacturing facilities in Tennessee owned by Gibson — one in Nashville, another in Memphis. The feds were not acting on a tip that an al Qaeda cell was holed up in the buildings; or that Mexican drug cartel gangs were lurking inside. It was actually something far more serious; far more serious, that is, to a bunch of federal bureaucrats with nothing better to do.

The raids were carried out because the Department of Justice and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claim that parts of the iconic guitars manufactured in the plants contained the wrong kind of imported wood. And, although the feds have not made clear to Gibson just what it has done wrong, the government appears also to be claiming the guitar parts might have been exported to the U.S. contrary not to American laws, but to certain domestic laws of the countries exporting the parts to the United States!

One of the laws at play here is the hundred-year old Lacey Act, passed during the “Progressive Era,” and intended to promote conservation and as a crackdown on illegal trafficking in wildlife. The law also makes it a crime for a company to violate the laws or regulations of other countries. In this particular case, Gibson’s attorneys surmise it may be the law of India they are charged with misinterpreting or violating.

The Justice Department apparently believes the wood in question, used to construct fret boards for Gibson’s popular instruments, was imported from India without having first been “finished” by Indian workers; actions that could be considered a violation of that country’s byzantine legal code.

According to a press release from Gibson, the agents “seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars.” Juszkiewicz estimated the loss of raw materials alone to be $1 million; obviously not including financial losses due to the inability to produce guitars from those materials.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Gibson has been subjected to the overreaching, punitive arm of the federal government. In 2009, the Nashville facility was raided in similar fashion, based on accusations that rosewood imported from Madagascar and used in guitars, came from illegal logging. And, despite the fact that to this day, the government has not filed formal charges against Gibson, it has refused to return the company’s property.

Gibson has engaged in extensive and costly efforts to recover its property from that raid two years ago; including the filing of a civil lawsuit. In the civil proceedings, the company presented proof, including statements from the Madagascar government, that the wood was obtained legally. Still, the federal government refuses to budge; and now, with these second and third raids, appears intent on trying to put Gibson out of business completely.

These highly publicized actions by the federal government have ramifications for any musician owning a guitar made out of certain woods by overzealous federal agents of having been obtained illegally at some point in the manufacturing process (even if years ago and by a prior owner or manufacturer). The Wall Street Journal notes that owners of vintage guitars made out of now-banned or regulated woods had “better have correct and complete documentation proving the age of the instrument. Otherwise, you could lose it to a zealous customs agent – not to mention face fines and prosecution.”

Gibson’s obviously frustrated CEO, who noted during a press conference the day of the raid that every guitar his company builds could possibly be considered criminal in nature, given the widely disparate countries from which the various woods are imported and in various states of manufacture; and considering the difficulty – if not impossibility – of correctly interpreting every relevant law of every one of those countries.

The government’s treatment of this American company – one of the few bright spots in domestic manufacture of musical instruments – is disgraceful, counterproductive, and mean-spirited.

In 2000, Charlton Heston, then serving as president of the National Rifle Association, and fighting gun control proposals, held a flintlock rifle over his head and declared famously, “from my cold dead hands.” Gibson’s CEO needs to rally freedom-loving Americans similarly; raising a Les Paul Gibson guitar over his head. All Americans who believe in freedom and limited government should come to Gibson’s defense; not just those who are guitar players.

Source

It is just coincidental that Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz has been a donator to Republican candidates and not to Barack Obama's election or now his reelection.  Mr. Juszkiewicz was informed by the government that they would drop all the charges against his company and return the property that was seized if he moved his production plants to Madagascar.  That means 500 American jobs destroyed and lost to an overseas company.  Thus we witness Obama's jobs program in true action.  Creation of jobs not here at home, but abroad.  Just don't take my word for it, but listen to Henry Juszkiewicz himself:

DTRT Radio Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz 09/02 by CP n Annieb | Blog Talk Radio

During the Clinton Administration this type of investigation and misuse of power was a regular occurrence.  To Barack Hussein Obama this is just normal Chicago Politics.  To the American people this is just wrong. It is time to call your Congressman, your Senator.  How many more American jobs will Sheik Obama send overseas?

Operation Fast and Furious-An Open Letter to Sen. Grassley and Rep. Issa

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


The below letter was sent to the addressees this morning.

September 2, 2011


Dear Senator Grassley
Dear Representative Issa


Re: Operation Fast and Furious


I am writing to you as a retired Drug Enforcement Agent. For 25 years, I served as a US Customs agent and DEA agent from 1970-1995. I was and still am very proud to be associated with both agencies. During my career, I also had opportunities to work with the ATF, an agency I had great respect for. Yet, I am very disturbed over the allegations set forth in regards to Operation Fast and Furious. I feel that this scandal has brought disgrace to federal law enforcement. Though I have no personal knowledge of the matter, as a retired federal agent, I would like to share my perceptions with you both as you strive to do your job.

First of all, were DEA to conduct an operation that involved monitoring the purchase and shipment of large quantities of drugs into the traffic without intercepting those drugs and making arrests, such an operation would never have originated at the field level. It would surely have originated and been approved at the highest levels in Washington and most likely within the US Justice Department. Common sense tells me that the inspiration for this operation came at the highest political levels of the Justice Department.

For what insane reason would such an operation be carried out involving enforcement agents performing what was essentially an intelligence operation? Keep in mind, I am no NRA member or Second Amendment fanatic. I no longer even possess a firearm. Yet, common sense once again tells me that this had to do with a political intent of corroborating the claim that 80% of guns involved in Mexican shootings originated in the US and reining in guns in general. That buttresses my belief that this goes all the way to the Attorney General and even the White House, but I’ll leave it at that. You have already uncovered White House knowledge of Fast and Furious.

As a retired agent, I can tell you that when a DEA agent is killed in the line of duty, the entire DEA family comes together from the Administrator on down. The agent’s family and their wishes are taken care of. That is why I find the reactions of DHS Director Janet Napolitano and Border Patrol head Alan Bersin so hard to fathom. Where is their outrage that two of their agents have been killed with weapons connected to Fast and Furious? Why are they not pounding on the Attorney General’s desk and President Obama’s desk demanding answers? Where is their outrage that the US Attorney’s Office in Phoenix, which was clearly connected to the operation, refused to grant victim status to Agent Terry’s family? Why have they not come to the family’s aid in this matter? Why are they not publicly speaking out and protesting about this entire mess?

In addition, I served two tours of duty with DEA overseas (Thailand and Italy). I can tell you that this case represents a major diplomatic incident between two countries. In this case, Mexico is clearly the aggrieved party. How many of their own people and agents have been killed with these weapons? For that reason, I question why our Secretary of State isn’t making any statements and demanding answers. If any of these people had any honor, they would resign in protest and go public demanding answers. Indeed, it appears that several government agencies had their hands in this operation including, regrettably, my own DEA.

It is for that reason that I am writing to express support for your efforts to uncover the truth and not allow this matter to die. No less than the honor of our federal law enforcement agencies is at stake. The ATF agents who have come forth must be saluted and protected, for they represent the true face of federal law enforcement.

I am writing this letter to you both as an open letter, which I am posting on my blog (Fousesquawk-http://garyfouse.blogspot.com), on which I have been following developments in this case. I thank you for your attention and congratulate you on pressing on with this investigation.

Sincerely,


Gary Fouse
(DEA Retired)

More Fast and Furious Coverup

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


According to the latest news today from Fox, there was an internal e-mail sent within the US Attorney's office in Phoenix between an asst US Attorney and the then US Attorney, which talked about concealing the connection between the death of a US Border Patrol agent and ATF's Operation Fast and Furious. One of the guns found at scene of the agent's murder was involved in the above operation, purchased through a straw dealer under ATF surveillance but never seized.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/02/demand-for-more-answers-in-fast-and-furious-scandal/

"Not only do congressional investigators want to "make sense" of details of the operation that allowed more than 2,000 guns to "walk" and later turn up at crime scenes on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, but they want to known why Hurley -- who knew almost immediately the guns found at Terry's crime scene belonged to Fast and Furious -- tried to "prevent the connection from being disclosed."

In an internal email the day after the murder, Hurley, and then-U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke, decided not to disclose the connection, saying " ... this way we do not divulge our current case (Fast and Furious) or the Border Patrol shooting case."

-Fox News

Keep in mind that this is the same US Attorney's office in Phoenix that refuesed to extend victim status to the family of the murdered Border Patrol agent. This is the same Dennis Burke, whose testimony before Congress recently had to be suspended when he became ill during testimony.

Once again, as a retired federal agent, I must ask-where are DHS Director Janet Napolitano and BP head Alan Bersin? Why are they not leading the charge to uncover the facts? Why are they not speaking out and demanding answers from the Justice Department? It was their (2) agents who were killed with guns involved in Fast and Furious. Why are they not standing up for Agent Terry's family? Why have they not resigned in protest? Why should they not resign in disgrace?

In addition, this is a major diplomatic incident between two countries- the US and Mexico. Where is the voice of our secretary of state, Hillary Clinton? We have heard nothing from her. Shouldn't the press ask for a statement?

It is maddening that so much of the public doesn't even know about this scandal because the media wants to sweep it under the rug in order to protect the Obama administration. As the old saying goes, we get the government we deserve.