CURL: You don't mess with the CIA - Washington Times

CURL: You don't mess with the CIA - Washington Times

Teaser:

You know who doesn’t like getting thrown under the bus? The CIA. You know what the CIA does when you try to throw it under the bus? They get even — quickly, quietly, and with fatal consequences.

That seems the most logical explanation for the torrent of information pouring out this week (unless Hillary Rodham Clinton — also thrown under the bus by President Obama — is scrapping any chance of ever running for president again and is simply setting the whole administration on fire, along with her legacy as secretary of state).

The main lesson from Watergate (after the no-brainer that you should never hire a guy named “Tricky Dick”) was this: The Cover-Up Is Worse Than The Crime. For some reason, Professor Obama seems not to know this crucial lesson. Or he’s just arrogant enough to say, “Well, that doesn’t apply to someone as brilliant as moi.”

Read the whole piece.

Daniel Greenfield's Take on Benghazi

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


Hat tip Frontpage Magazine and National Review Online



There are a lot of theories floating around the Internet as to why we didn't send in our planes to attack the attackers who were storming our consulate and CIA annex in Benghazi last month. One theory, based on an anonymous source, suggests that the administration was trying to cover up some funneling of weapons to the Syrian opposition that the Russians had gotten wind of. I'll need more documentation and named sources before I go with that one.

Daniel Greenfield, however, writing in Front Page Magazine, has a very plausible explanation. The last thing the administration wanted was our military flying into Libya and strafing Libyans from the air.

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/dgreenfield/why-our-forces-were-told-to-stand-down-in-benghazi/

We already know that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was in the White House with the President within an hour of the start of the attack. Panetta subsequently has taken the position that it wasn't wise to send American troops into harm's way without knowing what the situation was. Yet, on October 26, the President told a Denver interviewer..........(Hat tip National Review Online)

“The minute I found out what was happening . . . I gave the directive to make sure we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to do. I guarantee you everybody in the CIA and military knew the number-one priority was making sure our people are safe.”

Where is that order, and if it was made, why was it not obeyed?

Does it stretch the imagination to suspect that Panetta was given his instructions on what not to do from the President? The theory  may be wrong, but Panetta can be asked the question by Congress. Is there a reporter out there who will dare to ask the same question of the President?

Certainly not Brian Williams. He had his chance and he blew it-purposely in my view.

Is Dearborn a Police State?

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



Hat tip aomin.org

Dearborn, Michigan is home to the largest concentration of Arabs in the US. It would stand to reason that most are Muslim. However, not all Arabs are Muslim. Every year Dearborn is host to what is called Arab Fest. I repeat; Arab Fest-not Islam Fest. Yet anyone who shows up and tries to espouse any other faith is subject to a lot of harassment.

And even arrest.

In 2010, 4 Christians were arrested by Dearborn police as they engaged in a peaceful conversation with young Muslim males on a public street. The police report states that they were engaged in incitement and shouting at the crowd. The video shows otherwise. What this video shows is an outrageous abuse of police power. As a retired law enforcement agent, I am ashamed at what I see on this video.

http://aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=4070

This is the kind of local abuse that the Justice Department should be investigating. Don't hold your breath as long as the Obama administration and Eric Holder are in power.

Why Did We Leave Our People to Die in Benghazi?

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



"(The) basic principle is that you don't deploy forces into harm's way without knowing what's going on; without having some real-time information about what's taking place," Panetta told Pentagon reporters. "And as a result of not having that kind of information, the commander who was on the ground in that area, Gen. Ham, Gen. Dempsey and I felt very strongly that we could not put forces at risk in that situation."
-Leon Panetta

(You may have to highlight the text above.)


As one who has served in both the military (not in combat) and law enforcement (Military Police, US Customs and DEA-including one shoot out), I fully recognize that there are differences between military and law enforcement combat situations. Yet, there is one thing that stands out in my mind about the Benghazi attack. It appears that our personnel in Libya were left to their own devices.

During the 7-hour attack at two different locations, the CIA annex requested military assistance 3 times. They themselves were told by somebody in the chain of command to "stand down" when they wanted to respond to the consulate, which was initially under attack. In spite of that order, ex-Navy Seal Tyrone Woods and others defied that order and went to the consulate, about a mile away, where they brought personnel out. (They were unable to locate Ambassador Stevens, who was presumably already dead.)

Back at the annex, Woods, Glen Doherty and others  faced attack. They apparently were killed by mortar fire while firing machine guns at the attackers from the roofs of the annex. During that final phase of the attack, they had lasers on the attackers' positions and were calling for those positions to be fired upon, which never happened.

It has been reported that two drones were hovering over the site sending real time images back to Washington. Our officials in Washington knew that this was no protest over a video that got out of control.

Here is the point I am driving at; When your people are trapped, under attack, and being fired upon, whatever else you do, you go in and get them. That is precisely what Tyrone Woods and others on the ground did-defying orders to stand down.

Later, it was Woods, Glen Doherty and others who were under fire and needed help at the annex. There were clearly forces available in the region that could have responded-certainly in time to save those killed at the annex since the attack lasted 7 hours.

Again I stress the differences between military combat and law enforcement combat, but one classical situation in DEA was when an agent was undercover in a buy-bust situation and got into trouble either because the deal turned out to be a rip-off or a host of other emergencies. In those cases, surveillance agents go in and get their agent out. Period.

That is certainly the spirit of the military, and I have no doubt those involved were chomping at the bit to respond. Who kept them from going in to Benghazi?

In fairness, it seems a response team did go from Tripoli to Benghazi at some point, where they got stuck at the airport for some time. What seems to have been missing was air support and fire to rescue the men fighting at the annex.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who was with President Obama in the White House within an hour or so of the beginning of the attack, told Pentagon reporters two days ago that forces can not be sent into a situation when they don't have a clear picture of what is happening. Another reason I have heard was that many by-standers were gathered on the streets around the consulate and annex.

But in the end, our forces were told to stand down. It may have been too late to save Ambassador Stevens and his aide, Sean Smith, who died at the consulate, but what about Woods and Doherty 7 hours later?

Meanwhile, the man we may be re-electing president in 10 days is promising "to get to the bottom of it". In my mind, he, his Secretary of Defense, and his Secretary of State already know.

EXCLUSIVE: CIA Operators Were Denied Request For Help During Benghazi Attack, Sources Say.

By Findalis


Hat Tip to Texas Fred (With a plea for everyone to cross post, and spread the word.)

Fox News has learned from sources who were on the ground in Benghazi that an urgent request from the CIA annex for military back-up during the attack on the U.S. consulate and subsequent attack several hours later was denied by U.S. officials — who also told the CIA operators twice to “stand down” rather than help the ambassador’s team when shots were heard at approximately 9:40 p.m. in Benghazi on Sept. 11.

Former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods was part of a small team who was at the CIA annex about a mile from the U.S. consulate where Ambassador Chris Stevens and his team came under attack. When he and others heard the shots fired, they informed their higher-ups at the annex to tell them what they were hearing and requested permission to go to the consulate and help out. They were told to “stand down,” according to sources familiar with the exchange. Soon after, they were again told to “stand down.”

Woods and at least two others ignored those orders and made their way to the consulate which at that point was on fire. Shots were exchanged. The rescue team from the CIA annex evacuated those who remained at the consulate and Sean Smith, who had been killed in the initial attack. They could not find the ambassador and returned to the CIA annex at about midnight.

Full Story Here:
EXCLUSIVE: CIA operators were denied request for help during Benghazi attack, sources say

To ALL of my friends, family and readers, this is the REGIME that has given our nation away and has caused the deaths of Americans, not only in Benghazi, but in the USA via Fast and Furious as well.

I am asking ALL of you, PLEASE share this post via any and all social media, email, instant messenger, whatever it takes. America MUST see this story and know the truth.

This entire EVIL administration must be removed; they must be subjected to the most intense scrutiny and then prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They are, ALL, either directly or indirectly, guilty of MURDER!

Here is MORE from the original story:

At that point, they called again for military support and help because they were taking fire at the CIA safe house, or annex. The request was denied. There were no communications problems at the annex, according those present at the compound. The team was in constant radio contact with their headquarters. In fact, at least one member of the team was on the roof of the annex manning a heavy machine gun when mortars were fired at the CIA compound. The security officer had a laser on the target that was firing and repeatedly requested back-up support from a Spectre gunship, which is commonly used by U.S. Special Operations forces to provide support to Special Operations teams on the ground involved in intense firefights. The fighting at the CIA annex went on for more than four hours — enough time for any planes based in Sigonella Air base, just 480 miles away, to arrive. Fox News has also learned that two separate Tier One Special operations forces were told to wait, among them Delta Force operators.  

America, for the love of God, our families and this nation,please share this story with everyone you know, even hard-core libbers! They may be on the other side of the fence but they are NOT stupid, just severely misguided. Maybe THIS will open their eyes!
 

**********************************************************************************

When examining the difference between Benghazi and Watergate there are many glaring differences.  Nixon never ordered the deaths of Americans. (Especially an American Ambassador)  Those involved covered up the initial robbery and it was the coverup  and Nixon would have been imprisoned but for President Gerald Ford's pardon.  (Costing Ford re-election).

Barack Hussein Obama believes he is above the law.  Just look at the examples:

1. Failure to inform Congress and get their permission to go to war.  War Powers Act.
2. Fast and Furious.
3. The attack on our Consulate and the murder of Ambassador Stevens.

Under Nixon nobody died.  Under Obama there are the murders of 4 Americans.  And it is reported that while Stevens was being murdered, Obama was sleeping.  What type of man can sleep when his countrymen are being murdered.

You know what you have to do my friends.  You have to VOTE on November 6th.  VOTE to remove the murderous traitor Obama from the Presidency.  VOTE to remove insanity from the State Department, from the CIA.  VOTE as if your life depends on it.  For your FREEDOMS AND LIFE do!

Beware! Sandy!

Hurricane Sandy is due to strike from Florida to Bangor, Maine this next week.

Sandy has the potential to bring major impacts to the U.S. East Coast through the weekend and into early next week.

Below, we have a breakdown of the impacts and timeline for Sandy beginning with the serious threat the system poses to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. You can find more information on the Southeast U.S. impacts at this link.

Confidence is growing that Sandy will be a major threat to portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Though we feel that it's likely Sandy will hit some portion of the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic coast, there remains uncertainty with where this occurs and the exact magnitude of the impacts. The forecast involves a rare, complex atmospheric setup that will allow the system to pivot back to the northwest into the region rather than simply moving out to sea.

Where exactly this pivot back to the west or northwest occurs will dictate where the worst of the potential impacts ultimately hit. That said, Sandy will have a large wind field and therefore impacts will stretch across a wide area well away from where Sandy eventually moves inland.What kind of impacts are we talking about?

Destructive winds, heavy rain, major coastal flooding and beach erosion would pummel portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions between later Sunday and Tuesday of next week. Of course, the high winds would extend inland, with the potential for downed trees and powerlines. Widespread power outages could last for days.

This setup could even wrap in just enough cold air on its western edge to produce wet snow, possibly heavy, in some parts of the central Appalachians (mountains of West Virginia and Pennsylvania).

Residents from New England to New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia should remain vigilant and be prepared to take action in the next few days.

We'll continue to refine our forecast here at weather.com and The Weather Channel.

Check back with us often as this major storm unfolds.

Source

This is the time you should be finishing up your preps.  You should be ready to evacuate (If the authorities tell you to do so, bug out!!!), have your windows boarded up.  (Masking tape is not the solution.  It is not the best way to protect yourself, but if you have nothing else, use it.)  And make sure you have an emergency radio.  (One of those which wind up to power it.)

REMINDER:  According to Homeland Security you should have 3 days of food and water on hand.  In reality you should have at least a month if not more of non-perishable food and water.  You should be preparing this to be used now.

Remember to listen to warnings.  A hurricane (even a Category 1) can be very dangerous and cause loss of life.  You can replace your belongings.  It is only STUFF.  But you cannot replace your life.

Stay safe.

      Stay dry.

Father of Slain Navy Seal Speaks Out

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



Tyrone Woods


Lars Larson is a conservative radio talk show host in Portland, Oregon. Today, I watched him being interviewed on Megyn Kelly's Fox News show regarding his radio conversation with the father of one of the victims of the Benghazi attack. Here is the audio of Larson's conservation with Charles Woods, father of Tyrone Woods. In this discussion, Mr Woods describes his experience of speaking with President Obama and Hillary Clinton when his son's coffin came home to Andrews Air Force Base. It is highly disturbing.

http://soundcloud.com/thelarslarsonshow/charles-woods-father-of-former

What is especially outrageous is Clinton's purported comment to Mr Woods that "they were going to arrest and prosecute the person who did that video." At that time, they knew that it was an organized terrorist attack. It was part of the Big Lie.

And why is it that someone from the government telephoned Mr Woods at 6 in the morning to tell him the news? In 1977, when I was stationed in Bangkok with DEA, I was present when a fellow agent was killed by an accidental discharge of his gun. Somebody in DEA Hqs in Washington did the same thing-a call to the parents' home in the early hours of the morning. The agent who made that call, while he wasn't fired, saw his career die that day. He was a decent man and regretted his error in judgment the rest of his life.

Now we need to find out why our military was not sent in to Benghazi to attempt a rescue. Surely, the military was chomping at the bit to go in. Why were they not sent.

Last night, I watched this poseur (Obama) schmoozing with Jay Leno in front of a cheering crowd. It made me want to puke. Where is the outrage on the part of this nation to what these so-called leaders are doing-or neglecting to do?

If this country returns him to the White House after all his failures, lies, scandals, and now sheer negligence, it will say something very serious about what we have become as a society.

80 Rockets, Shells Fired From Gaza And The World Is Silent On The Barrage!

By Findalis

Why not?  After all the victims are Jews not Arabs.  After all to the UN, the Lame Stream Media, the State Department, only Arabs can be victims.  Jews are never to be considered victims no matter how many rockets are fired, how many babies are murdered.

New salvos hit the south Wednesday afternoon; school canceled for the day; residents ordered to stay close to ‘secure rooms’; three foreign workers hurt in morning hit on chicken coop.

Palestinian terrorists in Gaza continued their rocket assault on Israel Wednesday afternoon after a three-hour pause in the attacks, which have seen dozens of missiles target the south in the past two days. More than 80 rockets and shells had been fired into Israel Wednesday by late afternoon.

Israeli leaders warned of a much intensified military response if the attacks continued. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of “a more extensive” response. Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the army was ready for “a far, far greater and wider response.” Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Israel would not maintain its restraint for many more days, and that Israel was “facing a serious escalation.”

A salvo of eight rockets fell on Hof Ashkelon just after midday, shattering the quiet that had descended for a few hours after a series of rocket attacks in the morning. Another two projectiles were fired at the Hevel Eshkol area. In late afternoon, another missile strike was recorded. There were no reports of injury or damage in the latest attacks.

Three foreign workers were injured, two of them seriously, in Wednesday morning attacks when a rocket hit the chicken coop they were working in, and several houses were damaged by other missiles. At least two other people were reported lightly injured in the strikes. Some of those hurt in the attacks were flown by helicopter to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

School was cancelled in areas close to Gaza on Wednesday, and residents were told to remain within 15 seconds of “secure rooms” in case of further attacks.

Netanyahu, on a tour of the Iron Dome missile defense facility near the coastal town of Ashkelon, said, “It was not Israel that initiated this escalation, but if it goes on we are prepared to take far more extensive action.” Those who fire on Israel, he said, should know that “they have sealed their own fate.”

He also promised to fortify every building in communities 4.5 to 7 kilometers from the Strip, where until now only educational facilities had been protected.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, speaking to Army Radio, said, “There are about 1,700 households that need fortification, but that said, the situation was a lot more difficult in the past because there was no Iron Dome.”

On Wednesday morning, Iron Dome intercepted seven Grads fired at Ashkelon. In the afternoon the system stopped another missile fired at the city.

France sharply condemned the rocket fire on Israel, urging restraint from both sides.

Since Tuesday afternoon Palestinian terror groups in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have fired dozens of rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel. The incoming missiles were a mix of Gaza-produced Kassam missiles and military-grade Grad rockets that have a longer range and larger warhead.

The IDF has responded to the barrages by targeting terror cells and Hamas installations in the Gaza Strip. Three Palestinians were killed in overnight airstrikes.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz called a meeting Tuesday to assess the situation and toured some of the sites that were hit in attacks.

Barak said he could not rule out a ground invasion if fire continued. “If we need a ground operation there will be a ground operation. We will do whatever necessary to stop this wave” of violence, he told Army Radio on Wednesday.

“It’s important for the government to think before it decides. This move will bring escalation and not peace — there is no way to reconcile with the terror from Gaza. We are considering everything we need and examining everything. If there will be no choice and the fire continues, they will be struck hard, nothing is impossible,” he said.

Liberman said Israel was facing “a serious escalation” in the south. Speaking before a meeting with visiting EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, he said the situation was “unacceptable” and that Israel would “not suffer” the ongoing rocket fire for much longer.

Source

I wonder if France would be as accommodating if it were their cities being bombed, their people being killed.  Oops, I forgot, they were when Germans were doing it.

I also wonder how long will Israel go until they send in ground troops to finish the job they started in Operation Cast Lead.  An operation they stopped to be nice to Barack Hussein Obama and not have riots at his inauguration.  Bad move.

Pray for the people of Israel under constant barrage from Gaza.  And if you can, throw a few dollars, Euros, etc... to the people of the Sderot Media Center.  Serving the people of Sderot and Southern Israel for over a decade.  Just click here.

Once Upon a Time in the West

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



With the election coming up, I am re-posting an article I wrote in 2010. It is a relevant today as it was then.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2010/03/once-upon-time-in-wild-west.html



There was this Western town out in the middle of nowhere once. It was a tiny, typical old wild west town of about 75 people. It was a friendly town, and everybody got along. There was a church, a school, a blacksmith shop, a town doctor (named "Doc"), a barber shop, a horse stable and a saloon (Mabel's Saloon). It had a bartender, a couple of waitresses and several young ladies who would share a drink with you and a romp in the hay upstairs if one were so inclined. Oh yeah, there was a piano player, but he didn't know about all that.



There was also a sheriff, who commanded a posse of about 20 tough hombres.

He was also the beau of the purty local schoolteacher.

Finally, there was a no-nonsense town mayor, who everybody loved.



The sheriff and his posse took care of all the bad varmints like castle rustlers and all that. With the no-nonsence mayor and a hangin' judge, outlaws knew that if they messed with this town, they were lookin' at a necktie party.

Cattle rustler

Then one day a couple of strangers showed up in town. One wore a mask, and the other was an Indian named Tonto (which means "stupid" in Spanish).

Masked Man




Tonto


Well, anyway, this masked man was giving away bottles of snake oil, which he told the townsfolk would cure all their ills. The townsfolk were elated and welcomed the strangers to the town. When they asked him why he wore a mask, the stranger told them he was "the Lone Ranger".

Pretty soon, the townfolk were so happy with all the free snake oil that they elected the "Lone Ranger" to be their mayor. The old mayor was sent packin'. The first proclamation the new mayor made was that from then on, whiskey would be free because whiskey was a "human right". The people were elated.


Mabel wasn't too happy, but she was assured by the Lone Ranger that the city government would foot the bill.

Soon, however, changes started to come to the town. One day, soon after the mayor's inaugural, a bunch of city slickers showed up in town-all brought in by the new mayor. They were given new jobs that no one had ever heard of before.

`



Then the mayor fired the sheriff, ran him out of town, and brought in his own sheriff, who promised a "smarter" war against outlaws.



The new sheriff fired the posse and tore up all the wanted posters.

The mayor also fired the hangin' judge and brought in a new judge.



Soon, a new word was heard in the town, which had never been heard before:


"Probation".

Then the mayor and his city-slicker friends started passing a bunch of new laws. Pretty soon, Mabel had to buy snake oil supplies for all her workers. Some of the workers-especially the fine young ladies- didn't even want to drink the snake oil, but the law was passed and they all had to use snake oil. Only now it wasn't free anymore. In fact, it was now quite expensive. No matter. Everybody now had to drink snake oil when they got sick. As a result, old "Doc" had to close up shop get a job as a bartender at Mabel's saloon. The only medical care available became "Lone Ranger" snake oil.

When asked what he thought about all this, Tonto was heard to reply,

"This is a big f----- deal."


Then more city-slickers arrived from back East. Sixteen thousand of them to be exact. They were revenooers, assigned to make sure that everybody was buying their snake oil. Suddenly, the size of the town was multiplied by 160 (is that accurate?) Parking became a problem. There weren't enough horse rails for everybody to park their horses. The Lone Ranger decided that the solution was to seize the horse stable and take over the horse business.

After a year or so, somebody noticed that the quality of horses in the town had declined.


Government horse.

No matter. The Lone Ranger decreed that henceforth, everyone in the town had to purchase a government horse.


Even Granny Skaggs?



Even Granny Skaggs.

And Tonto stated,

"This is a big f----- deal, Kimo Sabe."

Then another new word was introduced into the town's vocabulary.

Taxes.

Taxes?

"Yes", explained the Lone Ranger. "It will create jobs-green jobs".



"Green jobs!?!?!"


As you might well imagine, things went to Hell in the town. People didn't get along as they used to.


In addition, the school had to close, and that purty schoolteacher had to get a job at Mabel's saloon. And it wasn't a green job.


Well, it didn't take long before the townfolk had had enough. One by one, they began leaving the town. Mabel closed down her saloon and took all her employees -including that purty little schoolteacher- to another town as far away as possible. Soon, everything was gone. No more school, no more saloon, no more barber shop, no more blacksmith, no more horse stable, just the Lone Ranger, Tonto and all those bureaucrats and revenooers.


So one day, the Lone Ranger and Tonto gave up, saddled up and headed off to Wyoming. Down the road a piece, they passed by an old rancher and his grandson who watched them riding off.

"Is that the Lone Ranger?" asked the little boy.

The old man spat out a mouthful of tobacco juice and replied,

"He ain't no f-----' Lone Ranger. Why he's a f------' outlaw."




"Hiyo Silverrrr!"

"We f------ fooled 'em Kimo Sabe".

UC Irvine 2011-12 Report on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion

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






                                                    "One person's hate speech is another person's education"


The below report is the UC Irvine 2011-2012 Report on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion, a group set up by UC President Mark Yudof in response to numerous complaints of religious and ethnic harassment on UC campuses. Included in the report are paragraphs regarding complaints of anti-Semitism, the annual anti-Israel hate fest (note how the report characterizes it) and complaints against a newly established student group  called Ex-Muslims and Critics of Islam (ECI).


http://chancellor.uci.edu/campus_climate/pdf/UCI_Annual_Campus_Climate_Report_2012.pdf


"Each year the student organization sponsors a 4-day program that examines the 
life of the Palestinian people and the political dynamics of the region."

How about speakers who say, "You can take the Jew out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew." (Mohammed al Asi), or "Rupert Murdoch-straight up Zionist Jew." (Amir Abdel Malik Ali)? How about a cartoon caricature of Ariel Sharon on that Apartheid Wall in the style of Julius Streicher's Der Stuermer? How about Jewish students getting their cameras shoved in their faces? How about Jewish students who complained being advised to seek psychological therapy or being told that "one person's hate speech is another person's education"? I've been writing about this stuff for years. I wrote my concerns to that EEO office at UCI as well as that joke of a Cross Cultural Center which was so complimented in the report.

"These achievements are testaments to the dedication of our campus community to ensure that 
we continue to make a difference in our community, the state, the nation and the world. " 

"Ah wunnerful, ah wunnerful, ah"


Frankly, this report strikes me as a self-congratulatory white paper.

What Romney Needs to Do in the Final Debate

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


The last debate between Mitt Romney and President Obama will deal with foreign policy. Make no mistake, the moderator, Bob Schieffer, is much like Candy Crowley in that he tries to portray an image of fairness, but he is a liberal. The question is how  he try to manage the debate. My fear is that he will try to squeeze Libya in between numerous other foreign policy issues to dilute the effect.

When it comes to the Middle East, Obama is incredibly weak in terms of his record. No doubt he will stand up there and remind the audience that HE killed Osama bin Laden. Beyond that, he has little to show for his outreach to the Islamic world and support of the "Arab Spring". In his first campaign, Obama promised us that he would repair America's standing in the world-especially in the Middle East. That is now a joke. If he tries to present the Arab Spring as a budding democracy, Romney should be quick to bring him back to reality. The truth is that Obama has supported the growth of the Muslim Brotherhood as they spread their tentacles beyond Egypt. He has also distanced the US from Israel and done little to nothing to stop the advance of nuclear weaponry in Iran. It is hard to say that he has improved relations with the Islamic world when our embassies are under attack or flag-burning protests. In short, Obama's foreign policy is in a shambles. It can even be charged that he is trying to reduce America's influence in the world by design. He should also be asked why he is drastically reducing our armed forces in such a dangerous world.

Of course, China will come into the debate as it should, but here again is a chance for Romney to point out that Obama is letting China get away with (economic) murder against us.

But it is Libya where the President is most vulnerable. Romney needs to pounce on that and hit him hard. If Obama wants to insist that he called Benghazi a terrorist attack in that Rose Garden speech September 12, then it makes it even more egregious that for two weeks, his surrogates blamed it on a video protest that spun out of control. There was no protest in the first place. If Obama called it a terror attack one day later, why did Susan Rice tell all the talk shows 4 days after that that there was no sign of a pre-planned terrorist act?

And who sent her out there to spin that yarn?

Romney should also remind Obama that he (Obama) never answered the question from the man in Hempstead who wanted to know who refused the requests for enhanced security in Benghazi and why.

In addition, Romney might want to ask Obama why his Justice Department continues to keep that infamous film maker in prison for some chickensh** probation violation now that the video scenario has been discredited. Is that man really a "danger to society" as the judge said-or has he become a political prisoner to appease the Muslim world? It is a serious question.

This might sound like beating a dead horse to some, but to millions of viewers, they are still getting up to speed on Benghazi now that there has been so much controversy over Candy Crowley's coming to Obama's rescue. Keep in mind the main stream media has been downplaying the issue, but if it is front and center at the debate, people will see it in spite of the best efforts of the media.

I would also suggest that Romney bring up Operation Fast and Furious, which is another great scandal within this administration. He mentioned it in the last debate, but I got the impression that he is not entirely up to speed on it. It is within the realm of foreign policy because one of the biggest victims here was Mexico. Aside from everything else, it is a foreign policy debacle.

Everybody says that the economy and jobs are the biggest issues in this campaign. Maybe so, but the public does need to pay attention to what is happening around the world and how it affects us. Hopefully, Romney can advance that cause.

Death Panels are HERE

By Findalis

The Grouch at Right Truth is a practicing Emergency Room Doctor.  He is a man who doesn't give into hysterics, conspiracies, and tin foil craziness.  So when he speaks out against Obamacare I listen to him.  And you should too.  Having said that, I received this from his lovely wife Debbie of The Right Truth with a plea to pass it along.  That I am doing.

Death Panels are HERE

Today while working my shift in the emergency room, an old lady was brought in very sick and in fact near death. I did my usual workup and evaluation and attempted to administer life saving treatment. It was my plan to admit this woman to the hospital. I found out a little later that this same woman had been a patient here just slightly more than 2 weeks ago with a DIFFERENT DIAGNOSIS. I was told that if this woman was admitted, the hospital would not be paid.

The new Medicare rule now is that if the same Medicare patient is re-admitted to the hospital within 30 days, the hospital will not be paid. When they first started this nonsense they said this only applied to patients with the same diagnosis. Now they have "expanded" the rule to include re-admissions for any reason. So if you're in the hospital for pneumonia, and 3 weeks later, you break your leg.......too bad. Medicare will not pay the hospital to fix your leg.

A little later a man was brought in by ambulance, very sick, in pain, and near death. I did my usual evaluation and treatment, doing my best to ease pain and stabilize this man's illness. He needed to be admitted. To my chagrin I found out that he had been treated for the SAME problem at a DIFFERENT HOSPITAL about 10 days prior. If I admitted this man, our hospital would be paid nothing. I admitted the man.

My friends I am caught in a terrible position. I could have given treatment to both of these people and sent them out. There is no doubt that both of them would have died. Oh, I could also be sued for malpractice, but nobody cares about that. That's why we have insurance, right?

My other choice is to admit the person, knowing full well that the hospital will have to absorb the cost of care without hope of remuneration.

This is the climate we as healthcare providers find ourselves in today. How many small and struggling hospitals will survive under such ludicrous payment schemes? Indeed many facilities will close their doors. Many doctors will retire early or simply go do something else. As more and more are added to the Obamacare rolls, there will be less and less access. People will get sicker and yes, people will die because of it.

I had a sick and sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach today after both of these incidents. We have a good hospital. Our nurses, technicians, and support staff work very hard and they deserve to be paid for their efforts. I am not so worried about myself as I am near retirement, but I worry for all the younger folks in the healthcare business and I worry about our seniors who are in the long run going to be sacrificed as the government implements cost cutting shenanigans to cover up their broken promise made way back in 1964.

Folks, this is a nightmare!

Remember when Nancy Pelosi said that we had to pass the bill to know what was in the bill?  We now know what is in the bill.  AND WE DON'T LIKE IT!

If you will, please pass this along.  Either through Facebook, Twitter and/or on your own blog.  And remember to vote on Nov. 6th to remove the problem that caused this disaster:  President Barack Hussein Obama.

Everybody is Talking About Candy Crowley

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





This is why I am a humble blogger instead of being a talking head on TV.

To tell the truth, I didn't put much importance on Crowley inserting herself into the Libya discussion last night, but she is the talk of the airwaves today. Prior to the debate, both sides had concerns about her, and I guess she justified at least the fears of the Romney camp.

At issue was whether President Obama called the Benghazi incident a terror attack during his September 12 Rose Garden remarks. Last night, he said he did. Romney took issue with that. As I previously stated, Obama made a reference to terror attacks, but it was not really clear if he was talking about Benghazi or terror attacks in general. At any rate, Crowley jumped in and supported Obama-then added that Romney was correct in that the "protest" story was out there for two weeks. Romney supporters are charging that Crowley saved Obama from Romney's points on the Libya issue. You can read the transcript of the exchange as well as the full debate transcript here. In addition, you can see Crowley's explanation post-debate here.

At any rate,  there is a silver lining here. This will get more people talking about Libya and the administration's responses. In the next debate, foreign policy is the topic, and Libya figures to get a lot of air time as well as the so-called "Arab Spring" and Obama's handling of Israel. That is unless, of course, moderator Bob Schieffer tries to keep those items short and move on to other subjects like trade with China and the cost of French perfume. I suspect that after Crowley, all eyes will be watching Schieffer's moderating.

There is another point that should be clarified either now or during the next debate: If President Obama wants to stake out the position that he did indeed call the Benghazi assault a "terror attack" on September 12, then doesn't that make Ambassador Susan Rice's (and others) statements days later about a "protest over a video that got out of control" even more egregious?

This is a great opportunity here. Obama has placed himself in a box. It behooves Romney to nail him on this in the next debate.

Obama October Surprise in the Works?

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



Hat tip to Miggie




World Net Daily has posted an interesting article by a foreign intelligence source that claims that the Obama administration is negotiating with Iran to arrange a temporary nuclear halt by the Islamic regime to be announced before the November 6 election.

http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/october-surprise-obama-secret-iran-deal-cut/

I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this information, but I think it is worthwhile to post it as it stands in case it actually happens. You can't put anything beyond this administration.

Blasphemous video was a cover for Islamic violence

First posted: 17th September 2012

The blind sheikh who looks like something that has crawled out from the pit of hell

Foreword: A warning was issued by Al Qaeda and affiliated groups in Egypt prior to September 11th stating that the American Embassy in Cairo would be attacked unless the blind sheikh and other jihadi prisoners were released from prison.

The blasphemous video was then released on the 11th which then gave a pretext for all American Embassies around the World to be attacked, after the one in Cairo was first attacked which was already a target of Al Qaeda prior to the 11th for completely different reasons.

Al Qaeda have a well known Libyan wing who have been sending suicide bombers to Iraq over the years, and this group immediately followed suite obviously following orders from higher up the hierarchy, galvanising support on the ground under the guise of the video and then successfully storming the Embassy and assassinating the sitting American Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

The video that was released in Egypt, that was created by an Egyptian Coptic Christian living in America who has endangered the lives or all Coptic's in that Country was somehow timed perfectly to Al Qaeda's own timescale in Egypt and set the stage for a well orchestrated global response by fundamentalist jihadi elements throughout the Islamic World.

Al Qaeda said they were going to target the American Embassy in Cairo, the video was released so they attacked it under this pretense and the Islamic World followed suite under the guise of the video, while all along the leadership of Al Qaeda and affiliated groups were directing the proceedings from the beginning that now sees American Embassies around the World ransacked, burning and staff murdered.

How are things going to look when the violent protesting stops?

Al Qaeda might not control the Governments of Islamic Nations but they do control large numbers of moslems on the streets who are ideologically aligned to their religious philosophy as has been shown.

Article: Raymond Ibrahim blogJihadis Threaten to Burn U.S. Embassy in Cairo

by Raymond Ibrahim • Sep 10, 2012 at 3:58 pm

Jihadi groups in Egypt, including Islamic Jihad, the Sunni Group, and Al Gamaa Al Islamiyya have issued a statement threatening to burn the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to the ground. According to El Fagr, they are calling for the immediate release of the Islamic jihadis who are imprisonment and in detention centers in the U.S. including Guantanamo Bay: "The group, which consists of many members from al-Qaeda, called [especially] for the quick release of the jihadi [mujahid] sheikh, Omar Abdul Rahman [the "Blind Sheikh"], whom they described as a scholar and jihadi who sacrificed his life for the Egyptian Umma, who was ignored by the Mubarak regime, and [President] Morsi is refusing to intervene on his behalf and release him, despite promising that he would. The Islamic Group has threatened to burn the U.S. Embassy in Cairo with those in it, and taking hostage those who remain [alive], unless the Blind Sheikh is immediately released."

Stephanie Cutter Tries to Spin Benghazi-Gate

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

Note: You may have to highlight the white portions to read the text.




Hat tip Mediaite and Human Events


Stephanie Cutter (Courtesy of Joshua Pundit)


Deputy Obama campaign director Stephanie Cutter was interviewed on CNN today by Brooke Baldwin. This is the same Stephanie Cutter who orchestrated that Joe Soptic scam that tried to link Mitt Romney to Soptic's wife dying of cancer. Today, she told Baldwin that the administration has been open and honest with the American people on what happened in Libya from Day One.

“The administration has been open and honest from day one about the Benghazi attack,” said Cutter. “As more information has become available, they’ve made that information available to the American people.”

To that the Baldwin played a montage of videotaped statements by various administration officials including UN Ambassador Susan Rice, Hillary Clinton, Leon Panetta and President Obama (on The View, no less), which, of course, were all over the map. In addition, she played a statement by the mother of one of the victims, Sean Smith, in which she said that she still doesn't know how her son died, and that she has been told lies. To all  that, Cutter lamely relied that they were telling the public as best they could based on what they knew at the time........

"Blah blah blah, woof woof woof, quack quack quack"

And in this stunning statement, Cutter told Baldwin that the only reason this (Libya) has become such a political topic is because Romney and Ryan have politicized it.

"The entire reason that this has become the political topic it is because of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan,” Cutter said. “It’s’ become a part of their stump speech, and it is reckless and irresponsible what they are doing.”

You can watch the interview (without the clip of Smith's mother) at the below Mediaite link.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/obama-campaign-spokesperson-libya-is-only-an-issue-because-of-mitt-romney-and-paul-ryan/

Some spin meisters are better than others, I guess.

"She's an amateur. I would never hire her."

BENGHAZI-GATE: The Timeline

By Findalis
Monkey in the Middle

Hat Tip to Poppy (G-d Bless You)
Stolen from Bare Naked Islam

This is a time-line which explains the trail of lies from the Obama regime:

April 6: IED thrown over the fence of the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.

April 11: Gun battle erupts between armed groups two-and-a-half miles from the U.S. Consulate, including rocket-propelled grenades.

April 27: Two South African contractors are kidnapped by armed men, released unharmed.

May 1: Deputy Commander of U.S. Embassy Tripoli’s Local Guard Force is carjacked, beaten, and detained by armed youth.

May 1: British Embassy in Tripoli is attacked by a violent mob and set on fire. Other NATO embassies attacked as well.

May 3: The State Department declines a request from personnel concerned about security at the U.S. Embassy in Libya for a DC-3 plane to take them around the country.

May 22: Two rocket-propelled grenades are fired at the Benghazi office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, less than 1 mile from the U.S. Consulate.

June 6: A large IED destroys part of the security perimeter of the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. Creates hole “big enough for 40 men to go through.”

June 10: A car carrying the British ambassador is attacked in Tripoli. Two bodyguards injured.

Late June: The building of the International Red Cross attacked again and closed down, leaving the U.S. flag as the only international one still flying in Benghazi, an obvious target.

August 6: Armed assailants carjack a vehicle with diplomatic plates operated by U.S. personnel.

September 8: A local security officer in Benghazi warns American officials about deteriorating security.

September 11: Protesters attack the U.S. Cairo embassy. U.S. Embassy releases statement and tweets sympathizing with Muslim protesters/attackers.

September 11: U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya is attacked, Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans are killed.

September 12: Secretary Clinton and President Obama issue statements condemning both the video and the attacks.

September 12: U.S. intelligence agencies have enough evidence to conclude a terrorist attack was involved.

September 13: Press Secretary Jay Carney condemns video and violence at a news conference.

September 14: Carney denies Administration had “actionable intelligence indicating that an attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi was planned or imminent.”

September 14: The bodies of slain Americans return to Andrews Air Force Base. President Obama again blames the YouTube video.

September 16: U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice appears on Sunday talk shows and says the attacks were provoked by the video, exclusively.

September 16: Libyan President Mohamed Magarief says, “no doubt that this [attack] was preplanned, predetermined.”

September 17: State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland refuses to call attacks an act of terror.

September 19: CNN reports having found Ambassador Stevens’s diary, which indicates concern about security threats in Benghazi.

September 19: Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Matthew Olsen tells Congress the attack in Libya was “terrorism.”

September 20: Carney tries to back up Olsen, says it was “self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.”

September 20: Obama refuses to call attack terrorism, citing insufficient information.

September 21: Secretary of State Clinton, at meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister, says, “What happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.”

September 25: On ABC’s “The View,” Obama says, “we don’t have all of the information yet so we are still gathering.”

September 25: To the U.N. assembly, Obama blames “A crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world.”

September 26: Libya’s Magarief on the “Today” show says, “It was a preplanned act of terrorism directed against American citizens.”

September 26: Published reports show U.S. Intel agencies and the Obama Administration knew within 24 hours that al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist were involved.

September 27: Innocence of Muslims filmmaker Mark Basseley Youseff (aka Nakoula Basseley Nakoula) is arrested and denied bail on the charges of “probation violation.”

September 28: Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, Jr., issues a statement backing the Obama Administration’s changing story about the Libyan attack. Says facts are evolving.

October 2: Carney declines to comment on reported requests from diplomats in Libya for additional security, citing the State Department’s internal investigation

Congressional Inquiry into Benghazi Begins

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



"We were fighting a losing battle. We couldn't even keep what we had," said Lt. Col. Andrew Wood, former head of a 16-member U.S. military team that helped protect the embassy in Tripoli. 


I caught an hour or so of the House Oversight hearings into the Benghazi massacre on C-SPAN while on the treadmill. Testifying were Colonel Andrew Wood, former State Regional Security Officer for Libya, Eric Nordstrom,  State Diplomatic Security head Charlene Lamb and Under Secretary Patrick Kennedy.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/10/diplomatic-security-in-libya-weak-former-military-team-chief-says/

Most all of the questioning came from Republicans. Many of the Democrats were not even present. The 3 Democrats I saw asking questions were lobbing up softballs to the witnesses while the Republicans were hammering away.

Clearly in the hottest water was Lamb, who came across as a pathetic bureaucrat trying to justify her denial of additional security personnel for Libya. The request came from none other than Nordstrom, who was sitting at the same table with her.

Trey Gowdy (R-SC) was visibly angry as he demanded that UN Ambassador Susan Rice and White House spokesman Jay Carney be called to testify as to who gave them the orders to go out and publicly spout information that was so clearly false. The Republicans also hammered home the point that the riots at American diplomatic missions were not caused by any video on YouTube.

At this point, it is expected Rice will be called to testify in a closed hearing in the coming days. The sooner the better.

Meanwhile, the White House is predictably making the intelligence agencies the scapegoat.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/10/white-house-blames-intelligence-agencies-for-benghazi-confusion/

This, of course, is beyond shameful. The State Department and the White House are both  lying in order to cover up their own ineptitude, which has resulted in the deaths of 4 Americans. They have said that the protests and the attack in Benghazi were a spontaneous reaction to a YouTube video. They have lied as to the existence of intelligence that screamed for increased security in Libya even as they reduced it and denied requests for more support. They contradict each other's statements with each passing day. It would be laughable if it were not so tragic.

And in the face of it all, they still tell us that Obama leads in the polls and will have an advantage in future debates with Romney in the area of foreign affairs.

Why Did Dept. of State Send MPAC Head to Poland?

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



Hat tip Creeping Sharia


MPAC Head Salam al Marayati (l) with friends


Hillary Clinton's State Department is starting to look as rotten as Eric Holder's Justice Department as more scandals pile up. Just recently, State participated in a human rights forum in Warsaw, Poland. Guess who they sent as an American participant. None other than Salam al Marayati, founder and head of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, which is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. In the face of criticism, State is standing by their man. Creeping Sharia has the report.

https://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/state-dept-defends-sending-hamas-hizbollah-supporter-to-human-rights-forum/

If human rights is the issue, here is another reason why Marayati was not fit to represent the US in a human rights forum. In 2009, Marayati was one of over 100 top Muslim leaders who were recipients of the so-called Freedom Letter sent by Former Muslims United (FMU) headed by Nonie Darwish, an Egyptian-American apostate, who has written and spoken out against Islamic intolerance. As a result, she has received numerous death threats. The letter asked each recipient to sign a pledge stating that American Muslim apostates should not be harmed. Only two persons signed the pledge, neither of whom was Marayati. In addition, a renewed letter was sent this year to about 200 Muslim leaders in the US including Marayati by FMU. He has not responded.

So if Marayati cannot bring himself to at least verbally defend the right to safety of Americans who have left Islam in the face of death threats, how is he a suitable representative of the US at a human rights forum?

What say you, Mrs Clinton?

Muslim Persecution of Christians: August, 2012

By Findalis
Monkey in the Middle

While many people are regularly persecuted by Islam's blasphemy law, one particular case made August headlines: a 14-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan, Rimsha Masih, was arrested, accused of burning pages of a Quran. Rioting Muslims destroyed Christian homes and churches, tore Bibles to pieces and broke crosses, while calling for the death penalty against her. Because this story made it to the mainstream media, widespread international condemnation caused Pakistani authorities to release her recently, not by annulling Pakistan's blasphemy law, but by finding loopholes, from characterizing the girl as retarded—Islamic law does not mandate punishment for blasphemers if they are retarded—to the unprecedented exposure of a Muslim cleric who framed her.

Because this incident prompted a widespread rampage against Pakistan's Christians, thousands have deserted their homes and are dispossessed. The Christians from Rimsha's neighborhood, including women and children, fled into the woods in fear of Muslim retribution, while others were evicted by their Muslim landlords. A few Christians sleeping overnight on the ground just miles away from Pakistani government buildings decided to build a church there and make it their permanent dwelling place. "Here it is not anybody's home, nobody's land. Let us live here in safety," said one. Another said: "We have cleared this place with our hands, and we have laid the first foundation of a small church here. Although this is a mere skeleton made of tree branches, this is the holy home of God. This should be respected."

Categorized by theme, August's batch of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed by theme and in country alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity.

Jihad Killings and Christian Displacement

Iraq: What Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors, characterized as "religicide," continues unabated in the nation that was liberated by U.S. forces a decade ago: "Christians in cities like Baghdad and Mosul are gripped by terrorism. They are fleeing in droves. Today [August 16] it was reported that at least 20 people died in blasts and shootings across the country." Before the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Mosul was home to some 75,000 Christians, but now the number has dropped to around 25,000. Christian homes are set on fire, bombs placed in their cars; other Christian families are receiving letters threatening them to leave Iraq or be kidnapped or killed.
Ivory Coast: As part of the civil war, Muslim rebels "massacred hundreds and displaced tens of thousands" of predominantly Christian supporters of Laurent Gbagbo. Since the attack, when their homes were taken by rebels, some 5,000 predominantly Christian ethnic Guere have been forced to flee into the ungoverned, inhospitable bush, or to the Catholic mission in Duekoue. The priest there reported that the mission has also been threatened by "crowds of angry youths."
Mali: As many as 200,000 Christians are fleeing to Algeria and Mauritania, where they are seeking a safe haven from Islamic terrorists linked to al-Qaeda, who have become increasingly active in the northern regions of the nation.
Nigeria: The Islamic terrorist organization Boko Haram [Western Education is a Sin] continued its jihad [holy war] to purge north Nigeria of all Christians. In one instance, gunmen murdered a 57-year-old evangelist of a Pentecostal church. When threatened earlier, he had said "I leave everything in the hands of God."
Syria: Some 12,000 people were blockaded in the predominantly Christian town of Rableh by anti-government forces; they killed several people trying to leave and refused the entry of food and medical supplies. Government forces had reportedly driven out the opposition by August 24. Christians were also given an ultimatum to leave the nearby cities of Qusayr and Homs, which has been almost entirely cleansed of its 50,000-60,000 Christian population. The predominantly Christian part of Aleppo was also hit by heavy fighting earlier this month; and a car bomb was detonated in the predominantly Christian area of Jaramana, a suburb of Damascus, as "a crowd of faithful, families, elderly people, women and children, were heading to the cemetery to bury two young people who had died a day earlier, on August 27, also victims of an IED. Twelve died (other sources say as many as 27), including five children, and injuring more than 50 people." Further, "a family of Armenian Christians was found murdered, and all members of the family horribly decapitated."

Church Attacks

Azerbaijan: The highest appeals court upheld the decision to close Greater Grace Church, "the first religious community to be liquidated by a court since the country's harsh new religion law came into force in 2009." The church, registered since 1993, had provided a place for Christian worship and teaching for almost 20 years; and with a congregation of nearly 500, was one of the larger Protestant churches in the country.
Indonesia: Two churches were the latest to be forcibly closed in West Java: First, a "large tent" used for services by St. Johannes Baptista Church in Bogor was sealed off by authorities on August 7. The congregation had been using the tent since 2006 as a temporary location while they awaited a permit for a proper building, for which it had applied in 2000. Police threatened to "tear down" the tent if the Christians continued to use it; the church leader suspects the hostility is linked to the growth of the congregation, which now numbers around 500. Second, Batak Karo Protestant Church in Bandung was sealed off by protesters who claimed that the congregation had earlier agreed not to use the building, even though it now has all necessary permits to hold service.
Kenya: After a fight ensued between the supporters of a Muslim cleric who had died and the police, a church near the mosque where the funeral was being held was set on fire, and another church was attacked. Separately, another church was attacked and looted "by an armed mob," believed to be sympathizers of the al-Shabaab terrorist organization. In the words of the pastor who witnessed the pillage, "attackers armed with guns stormed the compound and immediately began pulling down one iron sheet after another, and soon 60 iron sheets were gone. It was a terrible sight to watch the walls of the church come down, [but] I could not shout for help because the attackers could gun me down. Shocked and dismayed, the church's 60 congregants arrived for worship the next day to find their church building in ruins." Police were told that there were threats of an attack and that local Muslims were saying things such as "we do not want infidels in this area," but did nothing. These latest attacks "came only one week after al-Shabab militants hurled grenades into the African Inland Church of Garissa, in eastern Kenya, and opened fire on congregants, killing 17 people, including 15 worshipers. Grenades were also thrown at the local Catholic church." More than 14 churches have been attacked in Kenya since April.
Nigeria: Gunmen, probably connected with the jihadi organization Boko Haram, "stormed the Deeper Life Church, where Christian worshippers were gathered in prayer, and surrounded the church in the middle of a worship service and opened fire with AK-47 assault rifles on the worshippers." At least 19 of them were killed, including the pastor. The following day, an unexploded bomb was discovered at Revival Church.
Syria: Gunmen attacked the Catholic monastery of Mar Musa, which dates from the 4^th century, and is located north of Damascus. None of the monks was hurt, although the monastery was, in the words of Father Dall'Oglio, "sacked," and "gunmen stole everything they could steal," including tractors and other agricultural tools.

Apostasy, Blasphemy, Proselytism

Egypt: A Christian man accused of defaming Islam was arrested after a complaint in which he was accused of posting opinions in Facebook which insulted Muhammad. Insults to Islam and the prophet are considered crimes in Egypt under Article 98(f) of the Penal Code, which states: "Confinement for a period of not less than six months and not exceeding five years… shall be the penalty inflicted on whoever makes use of religion in propagating, either by words, in writing, or in any other means, extreme ideas for the purpose of inciting strife, ridiculing or insulting a heavenly religion or a sect following it, or damaging national unity."
Pakistan: After a Pakistani flag with the name of "Allah" on it accidentally blew from a Christian's property to a Muslim's, the Muslim accused the Christian of deliberately trying to blaspheme the name of Allah. This accusation was advertised in the local mosques, and prompted enraged Muslims to threaten to burn down the homes of the 15 Christian families in the area. Also, a Christian pastor, who had preached among Muslims, some of whom showed interest in converting, was threatened and subsequently kidnapped.
Tanzania: A 17-year-old girl, Eva Abdullah, who had abandoned Islam three years ago to convert to Christianity, was sentenced to two years in prison after being accused of desecrating the Quran. Her parents had disowned her and "a group of radicals" tried to "persuade" her to renounce her Christian faith. When she refused, they falsely accused her of desecrating a Quran.
Tunisia: The nation's ruling Islamist party filed a bill to criminalize offenses against "sacred values." "Crimes" would mandate prison terms and fines for broadly worded offenses, such as insulting or mocking the "sanctity of religion." Among other things, the bill also codifies the levels of offense to religious feelings, including "insults, profanity, derision and representation of Allah and Mohammed."

Dhimmitude

[General Abuse, Debasement, and Suppression of Non-Muslims as "Tolerated" Citizens]

Egypt: The nation's jihad organizations dropped leaflets calling on Muslims to kill Christians wherever they found them. Coptic shop owners who sell Christian icons and statues received threatening letters. Muslim "gangs" plundered and kidnapped for ransom Christians. Islamists in the Constituent Assembly demanded that the Coptic Church's funds be placed under state financial control, a measure categorically rejected by Copts: the state in no way funds the Church, even though mosques are funded by taxpayers, including Christians. Condemning the proposal, the acting Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church said the demand has only one meaning: "that Copts are clearly persecuted." Despite promising greater representation for Egypt's Copts, President Morsi broke his word and allowed only one Copt, a female, to represent the nation's 10-14% Christians in the newly formed Cabinet: "We had expected an increase in the representation of Copts especially after the number of ministries increased to 35. But the formation ignored all the known rights and concepts of citizenship," said the acting Patriarch: "It is not right that Copts get treated in this way." When Egypt's Constituent Assembly proposed a law to criminalize "forced labor, slavery, the trafficking of women and children, human organs, and the sex trade," from which Christians, especially females, would benefit, the Islamist party complained.
Iran: According to Mohabat News, authorities "raise[d] unsubstantiated charges" against five arrested converts to Christianity to "pressure" and "intimidate" them, including by falsely accusing them of desecrating the Quran, and holding them for indefinite periods. "Although their situation is still unclear six months after their arrest, there is no doubt that the Christians' only crime is related to their faith in Jesus Christ."
Pakistan: Eleven Christian student nurses were poisoned with mercury in their tea. It is believed that the Christian women were targeted as punishment for drinking tea while their Muslim colleagues were fasting during the month of Ramadan. And a 56-year-old Christian woman at the Karachi Press Club recounted how she and her family were enslaved and forced to work without pay, and tortured and beaten. Muslim "feudal lords" are threatening her and her extended family, with, among other charges, accusations of blasphemy: "Please protect us," they said. "We don't want to go back."
Saudi Arabia: The last of the 35 Ethiopian Christians held in detention since December after being arrested for holding a prayer meeting in a private home was deported home: "We have arrived home safe," one of the released said: "We believe that we are released as the result of the pressure exerted by ICC and others. The Saudi officials do not tolerate any religions other than Islam. They consider non-Muslims unbelievers. They are full of hatred towards non-Muslims."
Syria: A number of Melchite Greek Catholic priests, including the archbishop, fled to Lebanon after their offices were ransacked. According to Fides, "unidentified groups who want to feed a religious war and drag the Syrian population into sectarian conflicts" attacked the Christian area in the old quarter of Aleppo. A Byzantine Christian museum and an office of the Maronite Christian faith were also damaged.
Turkey: The chairman of Parliament's education committee is accusing the French government of "planting seeds of hate" with its move to include the Armenian genocide in history and geography books used in French secondary schools. Armenia, backed by many historians, says that about 1.5 million Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during World War I in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman government.
Uzbekistan: A 26-year-old Christian woman, paralyzed from youth, and her mother were violently attacked by six men with sticks who broke into their home at 4 a.m. The men ransacked the home, confiscating icons, bibles, religious calendars and prayer books. When the paralyzed woman furtively tried to phone for help, she was beaten again. They were all taken to the police department, where the woman was "offered to convert to Islam." She refused, and the judge eventually "decided that the women had resisted police and had stored the banned religious literature at home and conducted missionary activities. He fined them 20 minimum monthly wages each."

About this Series

Because the persecution of Christians in the Islamic world is on its way to reaching epidemic proportions, "Muslim Persecution of Christians" was developed to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that surface each month. It serves two purposes:

1. To document that which the mainstream media does not: the habitual, if not chronic, Muslim persecution of Christians.
2. To show that such persecution is not "random," but systematic and interrelated—that it is rooted in a worldview inspired by Sharia.

Accordingly, whatever the anecdote of persecution, it typically fits under a specific theme, including hatred for churches and other Christian symbols; sexual abuse of Christian women; forced conversions to Islam; apostasy and blasphemy laws that criminalize and punish with death those who "offend" Islam; theft and plunder in lieu of jizya (financial tribute expected from non-Muslims); overall expectations for Christians to behave like dhimmis, or second-class, "tolerated" citizens; and simple violence and murder. Sometimes it is a combination.
Because these accounts of persecution span different ethnicities, languages, and locales—from Morocco in the West, to India in the East, and throughout the West wherever there are Muslims—it should be clear that one thing alone binds them: Islam—whether the strict application of Islamic Sharia law, or the supremacist culture born of it.