My Fellow Patriots, Be Warned!

My friend over in Pasadena sent me this message today, and they're on to us. Yup, they found out that we're bought and paid for cuz no one could really think the way we do. Dang, it was good while we fooled them...NOT!

This is a funny video, and here is what Jonathan wrote on Facebook:

Subject: Premiere: Exposing the American Tea Party

(DISCLAIMER: "Chase Peterson" is a completely fictional character created to lampoon certain unnamed "journalists" in the mainstream media. Please enjoy and pass along at your own discretion ;)

As many of you know, the Pasadena Patriots were approached last month by veteran news correspondent Chase Peterson about participating in a documentary series called "Exposing the American Tea Party". Concerned that Mr Peterson had his own agenda, we politely declined. However, his producer came back with an irresistible offer - they would grant us FINAL APPROVAL and ALLOW US TO EDIT THE PIECE. Now granted - none of us are professional filmmakers, but this opportunity was simply too good to pass up. On December 29th, Chase Peterson came to our holiday party at Riley's Farm. Even though we were extremely gracious and cooperative, Mr Peterson's attitude soured throughout the afternoon and upon leaving he refused to give us the video tapes. As you can imagine - this didn't go over well with our group. With the help of Mr Peterson's cameraman, we finally took possession of the video footage. And now - Riley's Farm and the Pasadena Patriots are excited to present our first crack at mockumentary filmmaking "FRONT MAN: Who pays for the party?". Thanks to everyone who participated. It was a total blast and we're already talking to Chase about the next episode. Stay tuned!

Here is Part 1 of the video. Enjoy.

If this video does not work properly, here's the link to YouTube.

Here is part 2.

If this video isn't working properly, here is the link to the YouTube. Have a great day.

Hat tip: Pasadena Tea Party-Jonathan.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

America Rising

This video says it all. Yesterday we took back Massachusetts with Sen. Scott Brown (great job!), November 2, we are coming after the whole lot of you. Republicans, that includes you, too.

If this video does not work properly, here is the link to YouTube.

Hat tip: GM's Place.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Quotes On Brown's Victory

Project 21 is a remarkable group that I've been following for several years now, and they are astutely aware of the political consequenses and/or gains in these days. Here is the email I received today dealing with Sen. Scott Brown:

Black Conservatives Comment on Brown Victory in Massachusetts

Washington, D.C.: Black conservatives affiliated with the Project 21 leadership network are speaking out about the stunning victory of Republican state senator Scott Brown over Democrat state attorney general Martha Coakley in Massachusetts.

Kevin L. Martin: "Scott Brown's victory in the bluest of traditionally blue states can only be viewed as a complete loss of confidence in the policies of the Obama White House and its allies in Congress. People have tasted the fruits of a government dominated by liberal ideologues and they've not found it to their liking. What remains to be seen is if this repudiation has been heard and understood. Will Obama, Pelosi and Reid see the writing on the wall, or will they continue their heavy-handed attempts to ram through their agenda against the will of the people?"

Horace Cooper: "Yesterday's victory by State Senator Brown is reminiscent of the upset off-year elections of 1994. Then, the Democrats could have seen the results for what they were - a repudiation of big government liberalism - but they refused. As someone who worked on the Hill while these races were happening, you have to wonder if this time they'll get the message before it's too late."

Bob Parks: "As someone who ran - and lost - in Massachusetts, it's great to see a conservative win there. While Massachusetts Republicans and independents can enjoy their well-earned opportunity to gloat, they can also revel in the fact they did the impossible in an impossible state. And let's hope leaders in Washington realize that the people responded to a conservative message - not one of moderation."

Ellis Washington: "In Massachusetts, the site of the first tea party in 1773 and the renewed tax revolts of 2009, citizen defiance may have saved our republic. The stakes could not have been higher for the Obama Administration and congressional liberals in this special election. This may be the day in which it is guaranteed that Barack Obama will be a one-term president. Scott Brown's election will help America take a giant step toward renewed freedom and liberty. It bodes well for renewing American exceptionalism, market capitalism and the protection of personal property and sacred inalienable rights."

Project 21, established in 1992, is sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research (www.nationalcenter.org).

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Soldiers give poor Iraqis economic alternatives

by Ben Hutto
367th MPAD

PB HAMIYAH (Jan. 20, 2010) – One-by-one, they filtered into the small room, Jan. 12, filled with hope and carrying sad stories in their hearts.

A 20-year-old widow with five children told how her husband was taken in the middle of the night, three years ago, by "bad men." She told how his body was found a week later and how hard it has been to support her family.

A 17-year-old boy came in wearing a tattered pink jacket. He said he was forced to drop out of school to support his brother's children. When asked why he had to do that, he explained in a sad voice that his older brother and father were both killed by terrorists a few years ago.

The list of the needy went on and on that morning.

Life in Khidr, Iraq, a small village in an area once dubbed "the Triangle of Death" by the American media at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, can be hard. The area still doesn't have a local police force, although a police station is under construction.

The 8th Iraqi Army Division maintains security as best they can, but a local shaykh says that financial help from the Iraqi government is slow in making its way to the area.

"All farmers in Iraq have a right to go to the government and ask for help," he said, "but it is never enough for the farmers here, if they get anything at all."

So far, the Americans have been key to taking up the slack, he said.

"The U.S. Forces have been very helpful giving us projects," he said. "If the Americans don't help us, who will? I honestly don't know."

On Oct. 12, the Soldiers of "B" Company, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, working out of Patrol Base Hamiyah, were there to provide much-needed help for the widows and poor of the area.

The battalion brought contracts that will help 70 poor widows and farmers establish turkey farms, bee keeping houses and irrigation wells.

As the applicants signed their names to the contracts, Staff Sgt. Jon Kirkendall, a squad leader in "B" Company, from Portsmouth, Ohio, said he could see many of them finally feeling a glimmer of hope.

"These people are exactly who these programs are designed for," he said. "You can see many of them are desperate for a way to take care of their families. Hopefully, these projects can help them find a way to become self-sufficient."

According to Sgt. Brian Wilson, a Soldier from Fort Lewis attached to "B" Company, the three programs are perfect for the people they are helping, because they are designed to be self-sufficient enterprises that require very little work on the part of the applicants.

"Honey bees thrive in this area," said Wilson, a native of Elk Grove, Calif. "It will really just be a matter of the widows waiting for them to make honey and draining it off. The turkey applicants will receive 30 turkeys that will start reproducing a few months after they arrive. With the feed we will provide for the birds, all the applicants really have to do is feed their animals and wait."

While the cost of starting these projects isn't that high, Wilson said, the benefit of them could potentially be enormous.

"As long as the applicants are allowed to do what the program is designed for, I think they can all be self-sufficient," he said. "Obviously, not all 70 applicants will be successful, but even if ten make it, it will have been worthwhile."

Those ten may not have had much hope outside for the program, Wilson said.

"These programs are reaching a segment of Iraq that, traditionally, has had very few opportunities to support themselves and their families," he said.

As the applicants filed out of the small room, Wilson and Kirkendall gave each a handshake and wished them luck. Wilson told every applicant that they would be contacted around the first of next month to begin the delivery of their animals and equipment.

"It feels good to help folks," said Kirkendall. "You just hope that they all find a way to make it last and take care of their families."

PHOTO: Sgt. Brian Wilson congratulates a farmer in Khidr after he signs an economic project contract that will provide him with 30 turkeys and feed to support them. The contracts, aimed at helping the needy in northern Babil province, will give struggling families a way to support their families without having to turn to terrorist cells for support.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

The Harmonica Man

This is an awesome story of inner peace and love of music, children and life. Enjoy.

If this video doesn't work for some reason, you can find it here.

Hat tip: The World According To Carl.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Get Well Soon Charlie Daniels

This is breaking news from Yahoo News:

U.S. country star Charlie Daniels recovering after stroke, Reuters.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – American country music performer Charlie Daniel, whose hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" won him a Grammy in 1979, is recovering at home after suffering a mild stroke, his agent said on Tuesday.

Daniels, 73, was snowmobiling in Colorado on Friday when he suffered the stroke and was released from hospital two days later. He has no plans to cancel any upcoming concert dates.

"Charlie is doing well and looking forward to beginning The Charlie Daniels Band 2010 concert dates on February 27th in Ft. Pierce, Florida and February 28th in Brooksville, Florida," his agent said in a statement.

Daniels is behind a string of country and pop music hits that include "Simple Man," "In America" and "The Legend of Wooley Swamp."

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" was included in the soundtrack of the 1980 movie "Urban Cowboy," which starred John Travolta and Debra Winger and in which Daniels also made an appearance.

(Writing by Miral Fahmy, editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

Source: Yahoo News from Stix.

Charlie, we all love you. We are praying for your health, your family and friends, and you. Please rest. I know you feel like a spring chicken, but please listen to your doctors! Get well soon dear. God bless you.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Time To Get To Work

Today is a good day. There was an election that did not end up in court and there was no mention of any injuries. It is sad when one has come to expect this behavior, but it was not that way this day. I am grateful for this. Mrs. Coakley was kind enough to concede shortly after the polls closed. That was classy.

I'm also happy because I live in a country where the people WILL rise up when the politicians go too far in either direction. Yes, all of those Tea Parties were not just a bunch of misfits who didn't like President Obama.

While it is true I do not like his policies or the way they keep Republicans out of all the writing of any bills, I do not know him. Therefore I cannot determine whether or not I like him personally.

I am not a Lefty. I do not hate people because they differ with me. If people didn't differ with me, how would I know if my ideas stood the test of scrutiny? It is good to debate. That is how we learn and grow. Staying convinced of that which is not true is only detrimental to ones self until you try pass bad law because of your belief.

Take for example cap and tax. Global cooling global warming climate change could mean anything. What happened? Why did they change from cooling to warming to climate change?

The climate has always changed. This is obvious. We call it winter, spring, summer and fall! Ah, but this is not what they mean. They are trying to use words that sounds politically correct but mean something quite different.

The so-called scientists who worked on the computer model have been proven frauds, and the Leftist Democrats are trying to move forward with this cap and tax bill anyway. Not so fast! Scott Brown won his election today, and he will help us to defeat this nonsense.

I don't mind if you believe in this. Do everything you can to help stop using carbon dioxide. While you're at it, stop breathing. Every time you exhale, you are spewing carbon dioxide. (CO2=1 carbon element+2 oxygen elements.)

This is what plants need to grow and expel OXYGEN into the air so we may breathe. But you go ahead and kill the trees and all our vegetation. That'll do us a whole lot of good. Feel a little silly do ya? No, I didn't think you would. *sigh*

How did I get onto this topic? Hmm. Anyway, I do feel joy and peace. I am encouraged to know that even in Massachusetts you cannot pull the wool over the people's eyes anymore. Thank God. If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere. There is hope, and the change is a'comin in November.

Please contribute to my campaign for US Congress CA-37. Ms. Richardson has ignored our petitions. She has ignored our calls. She has ignored our e-mails. She has ignored our visits to her office. Well she won't ignore us much longer. Not with your support and our message.

NO to their form of healthcare insurance taxation. NO to forcing us to purchase from private companies something we have the inalienable right upon which to decide to purchase or not. She is not our dictator. She is not representing us.

Yes, we can change this. We are going to bring balance and common sense back to Washington. There is no reason why we should stay there all year and fly back and forth on the weekends on the taxpayers dime. That is criminally immoral.

There are limits in our constitution, and they shall be enforced. Finally. What belongs to us and/or our state, the federal government can no longer take and has no say about how we run our Sovereign states.

There are many ideas that you have shared with me, and I have heard you. So have many of us Tea Partiers. Now it is time to put it into action. You asked us, "What do we do now?", "Where do we go from here?". We get rid of those who are not keeping their oaths by replacing them with us. Woohoo! It's gonna be a hot time in the old town in November! Have a great day.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Sen. Scott Brown Has Won!

Great job, Scott. Scott will now be the 41st Senator from Massachusetts, and he will take his rightful seat in the US Senate within the next couple of days because Coakley gave her consession speech. This means that there is no reason for anyone to contest the election results, so kiss it Reid and Pelosi!

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Massachusetts Election News Update

Today is the day and there is much news. As you know, we have reporters over there watching this election. We want to avoid fraud, illegalities, etc. This is what has been reported so far.

Washington News Alert.

Martha Coakley’s Office Calls Reporters “Nazis”, Throws Them Out.
By Robert Romano

January 19th, 2010, Springfield, MA–An Americans for Limited Government Foundation reporter was blocked from entering a Martha Coakley campaign office, and the guards called her and her crew “Nazis.”

[Video]

Said ALGF reporter Nancy Neale about the incident, “We went back to the Coakley volunteer center at 640 Page Blvd., one of the phone bank volunteer centers.

“We identified ourselves as journalists for Washington News Alert and Watchdog. They asked us politely to stop filming, and we did. However, two other men made phone calls and after they finished the calls, came over, grabbed my arm and told us to get out. Read the rest of this entry »

Coakley Campaigners Posting Signs Near Polling Locations Busted in Lawrence.
by Robert Romano

[Video 1] Part 1: A van that we have seen previously today shows up again planting signs. A guy got out of it. He blindsides our cameraman, he curses, and bumps him. In the bump his finger hits the stop record. He realizes and records again.

[Video 2] Part 2: The van is documented, and they explain what happened.

[Video 3] Part 3: They explain to the offenders the violation.

[Video 4] Part 4: The offenders move the signs.

Read more about election day in Massachusetts at Washington News Alert.

Warden a no-show, police open machine
Posted on January 19th, 2010 by Robert Romano

By Andrew W. Griffin, Oklahoma Watchdog, editor

LAWRENCE, Mass. — At the Essex Towers senior public housing, voters are being allowed to vote despite the poll warden not showing up. According to a poll watcher for Republican candidate Scott Brown, a Lawrence Police Department officer unlocked the ballot box. This was observed by Americans for Limited Government, and Brown and Martha Coakley poll watchers.

The poll warden had taken a child to school, according to one observer. The police later opened a polling machine for a handicapped man. There was still no evidence of a poll warden one hour after the polls opened.

Andrew W. Griffin is the editor of Oklahoma Watchdog.

As I wrote yesterday about dead people voting, the Secretary of State William Galvin has refused to take this issue seriously. Apparently, the DoJ has found him guilty of not reporting how many absentee ballots went overseas and how many were returned. Our Military men and women along with others didn't get to vote in Massachusetts possibly. This is unconscionable.

Hat tip: Americans for Limited Government.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Massachusetts Election News

Tomorrow there will be some live-blogging for this desicive election along with just about everyone moving to Massachusetts for a day. Here are the links to some of the sites.

Live-blogging, RightPundits. They are also having a live-chat.

Next I have some news about some cameramen.

Breaking News: Washington News Observer Sends Six Camera Crews to MA to Cover Special Senatorial Election.

Jan. 15 2010, Fairfax , VA--The Washington News Observer has dispatched six camera crews to the cities of Boston , Lawrence , and Springfield , MA to provide up-to-the-minute coverage and analysis of the Senatorial Special Election. The WNO teams will be covering voting centers, rallies, community meetings, and other local events in order to gauge each community's political attitude. The footage will be broadcast quality.

If you are in any of the areas listed above, or if you have any breaking news, tips, or information on a developing story, please contact our field coordinator: Robert Lockwood (978-729-6711).

WNO footage will be published in real-time from the field. It will be available on the WNO website (www.washingtonnewsobserver.com). Consistent with WNO's Broadcast Content Portal Policy, we will not charge for our services.

Check out this little tidbit from Washington News Alert. They found this at More than 3 Million Registered Voters are Dead, 12 Million More Ineligible, Analysis Finds.

(CNSNews.com) – Regardless of how lively an election season might be, a new study shows that more 3.3 million voters on current registration rolls across the country are dead.

Another 12.9 million remain on voter registration lists in an area where they no longer live.

The analysis was conducted by the Aristotle International Inc., a technology company specializing in political campaigns, developing software and databases for politicians.
...
In Massachusetts, 116,483 registered voters are dead, 3.38 percent of the state’s total of registered voters. Another 538,567, or 15.6 percent, had moved to an area outside of where they are registered to vote.

I will be busy gathering signatures, calling the registrar, listening to the radio, and I may even be on that live-chat. It sounds very exciting. Now if only I could make mine that exciting. *heh*

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day

Today as the rain pours down in California, let us take some time to remember and celebrate one of our own. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was a fascinating man to the millions of people, me included. It is a sad and cruel thing that he was assassinated in 1968, but let's look at all the good he did.

He was a very articulate speaker. He spoke as he saw things, and he knew much about our constitution. This worried many white people as they were still ignorant to the fact that black people have minds just as great and creative as theirs. Many white people, however, understood this in a good way and stood up for him and believe in his speeches, his religious teachings, his approach of non-violence, and much more.

These white people were Christians. We must, however, understand that the KK used religion as al Qaida is doing today. I don't want to make this into anything political, but the truth must be told. Most KKK members were Democrats, while Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican.

If the video is not working properly, here is the YouTube link. Hat tip: superjsuh.

Many things have changed since the time of his murder, so let us not dwell on which party did what. I do not believe he would have wanted it that way. I know he certainly would Not have wanted all of his brothers and sisters to flock to one party or the other. He would want us to think and speak for ourselves and also to dialogue with each other.

He was a great man in my mind, and America is a better country for having Martin Luther King Jr. amongst us. Even if it were only for short while. Thank you, Rev. King, for opening up all those doors. Thank you for your persistence and knowledge and kindness and belief that one day, we would be able to stand together-hand in hand-and praise God for such a beautiful country and all of our blessings. Thank you for all of this.

Thank you for braving that frontier. Your work has been very successful. We still have a way to go, however. Some of the people who were with you have forgotten or have become bitter because of your assassination. Please do not be too disappointed. They loved you and your message. Have mercy on them.

When they realize the truth, when the scales off their eyes, we can once again climb to the top of that mountain and reach out to touch the Hand of God together. Until that time, I shall do my best to help restore your dream, our dream. God bless you, and I pray you are resting peacefully with God.

Happy Reverend Martin Luther King Day everyone. This is everyone's day of celebration, and don't let anyone tell you different. God bless.

Biographies: Martin Luther King - Biography, NobelPrize.org.
Martin Luther King Jr. Biography, Biography.com.
Martin Luther King, Jr: Biography from Answers.org, Answers.com.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Founders' Daily Quote(s): 1/11-15/10

Monday, January 11, 2010.
"No pecuniary consideration is more urgent, than the regular redemption and discharge of the public debt: on none can delay be more injurious, or an economy of time more valuable." --George Washington, Message to the House of Representatives, 1793

Tue. 1/12.
"It is a wise rule and should be fundamental in a government disposed to cherish its credit, and at the same time to restrain the use of it within the limits of its faculties, never to borrow a dollar without laying a tax in the same instant for paying the interest annually, and the principal within a given term; and to consider that tax as pledged to the creditors on the public faith." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Wayles Eppes, 1813

Wed. 1/13.
"But with respect to future debt; would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare in the constitution they are forming that neither the legislature, nor the nation itself can validly contract more debt, than they may pay within their own age, or within the term of 19 years." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison, 1789

Thu. 1/14.
"There is not a more important and fundamental principle in legislation, than that the ways and means ought always to face the public engagements; that our appropriations should ever go hand in hand with our promises. To say that the United States should be answerable for twenty-five millions of dollars without knowing whether the ways and means can be provided, and without knowing whether those who are to succeed us will think with us on the subject, would be rash and unjustifiable. Sir, in my opinion, it would be hazarding the public faith in a manner contrary to every idea of prudence." --James Madison, Speech in Congress, 1790

Fri. 1/15.
"There is not a more important and fundamental principle in legislation, than that the ways and means ought always to face the public engagements; that our appropriations should ever go hand in hand with our promises. To say that the United States should be answerable for twenty-five millions of dollars without knowing whether the ways and means can be provided, and without knowing whether those who are to succeed us will think with us on the subject, would be rash and unjustifiable. Sir, in my opinion, it would be hazarding the public faith in a manner contrary to every idea of prudence." --James Madison, Speech in Congress, 1790

{Who knew? I just found another one for Friday.}

"The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Taylor, 1816

These are all keepers. How can I write Amen on each of them without being redundant?

Essay by Mark Alexander: Climate Change: Back to the Future?

Source: Patriot Post.us.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Coakley: What Is Your Opinion On Free Speech?

This needs to be brought to your attention if you care about freedom of the press. Last night Mr. John McCormack was shoved to the ground by someone who may have been the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee's Michael Meehan. He was trying to prevent him from asking Coakley any questions after she had answered questions from other media personnel.

He writes for the Weekly Standard, and his article is, "We Report, We Get Pushed". So are we to believe there is only voice, one train of thought in America? NO, we are not.

Please watch this short video of the incident and make up your own mind. Would you prefer to live in this world where your point of view is not as important as the next persons? I know I wouldn't. This has got to called out and condemned.

If this video isn't working properly, here is the link to YouTube.

I condemn this action Mrs. Coakley. We demand an apology. I condemn it no matter who is speaking. While there are some people I wish would never speak, they have to do so. If you cannot answer a simple question, how do you expect to be a United States Senator?

Hat tip: NewsMax.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Prayers for Haiti

There has been an awful earthquake located 10 miles SW of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 4:53 pm. The electricity is out, there's no phone service, and this is a human disaster. (Data from USGS.)

The earthquake was 7.0 and the after shocks were magnitudes 5.9 and 5.2. There are many houses totalled, a hospital is destroyed, the UN building is destroyed, the castle is partially destroyed. It is a human disaster.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people, their families, and their loved ones. Many people live outside of Haiti and are worried about their families. They have no way of contacting of them because the phone lines are down.

Aid is on the way, and our Military is on the way to help. God bless everyone involved. If you would like to help, call 1-866-714-3663 for more information. (Courtesy of Bill Bennett.) Please keep these people in your prayers today as you go about your day. Thank you.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Decision 2010: CA District 37

I see I've forgotten to keep you up-to-date. Shame on me. I've been running all over the town opening up the wrong bank account, filling out the wrong papers, and finally making it to the registrars office. After that I had to go to some office to get DBA (doing business as...) so the checks and credit cards will say the same thing as my new site, Welch for Congress 2010.

Now it's time to collect 1000 signatures from supporters who believe that Washington needs a good shaking up. Did I mention that I'm running for Congress CD 37? Everything is over at the other site since there will probably be a good amount of time spent there. Of course there will also be the time spent walking the beat.

Do you think PayPal is better than the others to collect contributions? VeriSign costs over $1400, so that's out. Too bad. I like them. If you have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. Ideas on everything! If you would like to help me on this campaign, please get in touch with me. I hope you can work as a volunteer at first. Remember this is grassroots and there hasn't been much rain around these parts. haha.

My platform?

Strong defense. Fiscal responsibility which includes only those things that the people ratified in the constitution to be delegated to the federal government, free and fair markets, life, Liberty, and leave us alone so we can achieve our dreams without yours or anyone elses permmission.

Thanks you guys. You're the tops. God bless your families and you.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Petraeus: Aid to Yemen likely to double in 2010

by John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (Jan. 11, 2010) – The U.S. counterterrorism approach to Yemen likely will entail doubling the amount of aid there, but does not include deploying American troops, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said.

The general’s remarks on CNN’s “Amanpour” show yesterday come as focus on al-Qaida’s presence in Yemen has increased after the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Detroit-bound U.S. flight allegedly by a Nigerian who received training and explosives from terrorists in Yemen.

“Last year, it was somewhere around $70 million,” the commander of U.S. Central Command said of U.S. counterterrorism funding to Yemen. “Over the course of this fiscal year, it should be somewhere around $150 million or more.”

Following the alleged botched attack by Farouk Abdulmutallab on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, the Transportation Security Agency cited Yemen, which began receiving U.S. counterterrorism funding in 2006, as one of 14 “countries of interest.” The identification places passengers with links to the country under greater scrutiny as the United States ratchets up security at domestic and partnering airports.

On the heels of a recent trip to Yemen, Petraeus said the United States does not intend to deploy military forces there, adding that Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has made clear that Yemen does not want American troops on the ground.

“We would always want a host nation to deal with a problem itself,” Petraeus said of the intended U.S. approach. “We want to help. We're providing assistance.”

In a separate interview that aired on CNN’s "Fareed Zakaria GPS" yesterday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff echoed the message that the United States does not intend to deploy troops to Yemen.

“Right now, as far as any kind of boots on the ground there, with respect to the United States, that’s just not a possibility,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said.

Yemen has long been considered a refuge for jihadists, providing a home to Mujahidin fighters returning from fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Site of the USS Cole bombing that killed 17 Americans in 2000, Yemen’s radical Islamic presence returned to the spotlight earlier last year when it was revealed that Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, the alleged perpetrator of the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, that killed 13, had links to a firebrand cleric residing in Yemen.

The United States increased so-called 1206 funding to Yemen from $4.6 million in fiscal 2006 to $26 million the following year; no such counterterrorism assistance was allocated in 2008. American aid last year provided Yemen with radios, helicopter spare parts, trucks, patrol boats, and maintenance training, military officials said.

Despite internal challenges that include a rebellion in the north and a secessionist movement in the south, Yemen has made security improvements with regard to combating terrorism, both Petraeus and Mullen said.

Asked whether the Yemeni government is as committed to fighting al-Qaida as it is to the other problems within its borders, Petraeus said, “Time will tell, but we have certainly seen significant commitment over the course of recent months, in particular.”

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Afghan ministers accept responsibility of Parwan detention facility

JTF 435

KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 10, 2009) – Afghan government officials signed a memorandum of understanding recently that will guide the process for the Ministry of Defense to take the lead on assuming responsibility for the newly-completed U.S. Detention Facility in Parwan.

As stated in the memorandum, signed Jan. 9. the Ministry of Defense will perform the custodial role and management functions for the transition of the detention facility. The Ministry of Defense will eventually transfer its role as custodian and manager of the facility to the Ministry of Justice, Central Prisons Directorate at a time to be determined by the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

The memo has the key ministries agreeing to identify and assign personnel to staff the facility, working alongside American personnel through the transition process. The Afghan National Army will train, equip and assign the bulk of necessary personnel for the guard force and headquarters staff, with the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s Office, the National Directorate of Security and the Ministry of Interior assigning key staff to support the facility.

Those signing the memo included Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak, Minister of Defense, M. Ishaq Aloko, Attorney General; Abdul Malik Kamawi, General Chief Administrator of the Supreme Court; Dr. Mohammad Qasim Hashimzai, Deputy Minister of Justice, Qaseem Ludin of the High Office of Oversight, and representatives from the National Directorate of Security and Ministry of Interior.

Also on hand for the signing were Francis J. Ricciardone Jr., Deputy U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and Vice Admiral Robert S. Harward, Commander of Joint Task Force 435.

Joint Task Force 435 was established by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates last September to assume responsibility for detention operations in Afghanistan, including the care and custody of detainees at the new detention facility, oversight of detainee review processes, programs for the peaceful reintegration of detainees into society, and coordination with other agencies and partners for the promotion of the rule of law in Afghanistan.

The commitment, according to Afghan and U.S. officials, also reinforces the Case Management System for Criminal Justice Institutions, agreed upon by Afghan ministries on Oct. 17, 2009, thus strengthening the rule of law in Afghanistan.

PHOTO: Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak, Afghan Minister of Defense, signs a memorandum of understanding that will guide the process for the Ministry of Defense to take the lead on assuming responsibility for the newly-completed detention facility in Parwan.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

News from Radio Free Asia 1/9/10

Below is a collection of articles and their links from Radio Free Asia. I like to learn and stay on top of the news behind the news across the ocean. I care about how other people are treated, especially when they are innocent. There is too much evil happening in this world because so few care to take a stand. This is despicable.

Two Get Death Sentences. 2010-01-08
Two Burmese defendants get death sentences for leaking news about a high-level visit to North Korea. [The rest of the story.]

Monk’s Followers Flee. 2010-01-07
Followers of an activist Vietnamese monk are forced underground. [The rest of the story.]

Returns Shock U.S. Hmong. 2010-01-07
Hmong abroad fear for relatives forcibly returned from Thailand to Laos. [The rest of the story.]

Filmmaker’s Family To Appeal. 2010-01-07
Relatives of a jailed Tibetan filmmaker hope they can afford a lawyer to appeal his sentence. [The rest of the story.]

China Jails Tibetan Filmmaker. 2010-01-06
The documentary 'Leaving Fear Behind' gets its producer a six-year prison term. [The rest of the story.]

Lead Pollution Harms Children. 2010-01-05
Villagers in southern China say authorities are trying to hide the effects of lead poisoning on their children. [The rest of the story.]

Questions on Burma Polls. 2010-01-05
Burma plans it first elections in 20 years, but will they be free? [The rest of the story.]

Jailed Dissident Appeals. 2010-01-04
A Chinese pro-democracy activist appeals his sentence for “subversion of state power.” [The rest of the story.]

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

New task force assumes control of detainee operations in Afghanistan

JTF 435

KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 8, 2010) – A new Joint Task Force created to assume control of detention operations in Afghanistan became operational this week. The new unit, based in Kabul, will play an important role in the counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan.

Joint Task Force 435 achieved Initial Operations Capability (IOC) Jan. 7 to assume command, oversight and responsibility for detainee operations in Afghanistan.

The task force is commanded by Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward Jr. and is part of U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A). Upon achieving IOC, the task force garnered the capability to conduct command and control of subordinate units and operate as a headquarters. Joint Task Force (JTF) 435 was established by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in September 2009. It assumed responsibility for U.S. detention operations from Combined Joint Task Force 82, including the care and custody of detainees at the Detention Facility in Parwan, oversight of detainee review processes, programs for the peaceful reintegration of detainees into society, and coordination with other agencies and partners for the promotion of the rule of law in Afghanistan.

As part of its mission, JTF 435 will train and mentor the Afghan government to help improve detention operations throughout Afghanistan so these operations can be transitioned back to the Afghan government in accordance with all applicable international and national laws.

JTF 435 will also coordinate with other agencies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and coalition partners.

Currently, there are about 750 detainees in U.S. custody in Afghanistan, of which about ten to twenty percent are considered hardened extremists. However, local insurgents, foreign fighters and al Qaeda also represent more than 2,500 of the 14,500 inmates in the Afghan corrections system – some of whom seek to radicalize non-insurgents.

JTF 435, along with Afghan partners, will essentially be conducting counterinsurgency behind the wire,” working with Afghan partners in deradicalization efforts, as well as reintegration – helping detainees who no longer pose a threat with reading and writing and vocational skills that will help them be peaceful and productive citizens upon release.

Harward stressed the importance of the vocational training programs currently being offered at the U.S. Detention Facility in Parwan.

“By providing an environment that’s conducive to rehabilitation and reintegration programs, as well as vocational training,” Harward said, “we are offering detainees a viable option other than returning to the insurgency.”

Besides overseeing U.S. detention operations, JTF 435 is preparing to have other partners join the command. Instead of being all U.S. military members, the goal is for the task force to include officials from Afghan and U.S. organizations, such as the Afghan Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Justice, the U.S. State Department, and the U.S.Department of Justice.

The official term of what leaders of the task force hope to become is a Combined Joint Interagency Task Force, or CJIATF. The task force will also help mentor and train Afghans to build greater capacity in rule of law and detention, creating a more professional Afghan system – from cops, to courts to corrections. The task force’s ultimate goal is to transition all detention operations over to the government of Afghanistan.

“We will transition detention operations here to our Afghan partners once they have developed the sustainable capacity,” Harward said. “We are committed to increasing the Afghan government’s capability by providing training, management and mentorship on lawful, humane and transparent detention operations, which will provide greater security for the people of Afghanistan.”

As part of the U.S. strategy for counter-insurgency, JTF 435 implemented a reintegration program to provide marketable skills to detainees prior to their release. JTF-435’s Deputy Commander is Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, who noted that the new unit is linking detention and rule of law with strategic objectives established by General Stanley McChrystal, Commander of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF).

“It’s strategy and counterinsurgency in the context of Afghanistan,” Martins said. “Detention, if not done properly, can actually harm the effort. We think transparency is certainly going to help the counterinsurgency effort and increase credibility of the whole process.”

Martins, an Army judge advocate and former infantryman, led the rule of law campaign in Iraq from 2006 to 2008 while serving with Army Gen. David Petraeus in Multi-National Force - Iraq. While in Iraq, Martins coordinated the work of United States and coalition investigative, corrections, and judicial experts and directed MNF-I support to Iraq’s courts and law enforcement institutions. Martins was also recently named Chief Judge of U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals before being selected to help lead JTF 435. Harward recently served as Deputy Commander United States Joint Forces Command. His experience comes from multiple combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. He assumed command of JTF 435 Nov. 28, 2009.

PHOTO: Navy Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Bertrand (left) and Air Force Capt. John Feldt gather information for responses to a Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX) battle drill scenario. JTF 435 successfully completed the MRX and reached Initial Operations Capability Jan. 7. Upon achieving IOC, JTF 435 gained the capability to conduct command and control of subordinate units and operate as a headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Founders' Daily Quote(s): 1/4-8/10

Monday, January 4, 2010.
"There is something so far-fetched and so extravagant in the idea of danger to liberty from the militia that one is at a loss whether to treat it with gravity or with raillery; whether to consider it as a mere trial of skill, like the paradoxes of rhetoricians; as a disingenuous artifice to instil prejudices at any price; or as the serious." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 29

Tue. 1/5.
"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Samuel Kercheval, 1816

Wed. 1/6.
"The multiplication of public offices, increase of expense beyond income, growth and entailment of a public debt, are indications soliciting the employment of the pruning knife." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Spencer Roane, 1821

Thu. 1/7.
"[A] rigid economy of the public contributions and absolute interdiction of all useless expenses will go far towards keeping the government honest and unoppressive." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Marquis de Lafayette, 1823

No wonder the Left hates our founding fathers and anyone who lived before them.

Fri. 1/8.
"As on the one hand, the necessity for borrowing in particular emergencies cannot be doubted, so on the other, it is equally evident that to be able to borrow upon good terms, it is essential that the credit of a nation should be well established." --Alexander Hamilton, Report on Public Credit, 1790

Source: Patriot Post.us.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Afghan soldiers join Marine infantry units

by Lance Cpl. James W. Clark
RCT-7

CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan (Jan. 7, 2010) – During mid-afternoon on New Year's Day, a sea of men in green, brown and black camouflage uniforms shuffled awkwardly inside a crowded beige tent here.

Men with thick, black beards and hard faces sat next to clean-shaven youths with full smiles. Each one wears the uniform of his nation's military, and each one carries a weapon.

The full company of Afghan National Army soldiers, fresh out of boot camp, was being integrated directly into Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.

Pairing the soldiers of a host nation with coalition forces is not a new practice; this time however, the soldiers will be integrated with Marines at the smallest operating level. Each infantry company will nearly double in size, and Afghan soldiers and Marines will work side by side.

"We've never worked this extensively with the [Afghan army] before," said squad leader Marine Corps Sgt. Neil Terranova.

Integrating the forces is designed to build up the strength of the Afghan army through mentoring and joint operations. It will start at the company level and move down, all the way through the platoons and on to the fire teams, explained Terranova, who is on his third deployment to Afghanistan.

Terranova acknowledged he was reluctant to take part in the training at first, but said he came around when he thought about the ultimate outcome of the war and its impact on future generations. "I have a son,” he said, “and I don't want him coming back here in 20 years. If we do this right and they do it right, we might not have to come back."

The development of the Afghan army's noncommissioned officers is the primary focus of the training and mentoring. Marine NCOs will work closely with their Afghan counterparts in the hope of developing their small-unit leadership, said Marine Corps Sgt. Ryan White, Alpha Company’s assault section leader.

"We'll be mentoring them on the fly, giving a crash course in basic Marine infantry training," White explained. "The goal is to see them grow and develop, see them stand on their own and defend their country for themselves."

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Stephen Vallejo Jr., an Alpha Company platoon sergeant, explained how the information flow will work. "Integrating the companies directly allows for information to be passed quickly since the two companies will be set up like mirror images of one another; with each platoon down to the squads and fire teams being paired with their Marine or Afghan counterpart," he said.

"The NCOs are our main focus,” said Vallejo, who is on his second deployment to Afghanistan and has worked with the Afghan security forces before. “All the [Afghan soldiers] graduated in the same class, and the most mature became their sergeants. We'll be starting with basic individual tasks, like weapons handling and cleaning, before moving on to team-level training, where we'll be giving the NCOs more leadership and responsibility."

Vallejo said the largest obstacle is neither language nor culture. It’s time.

"What we put into it is what we'll get out of it," he said. "This puts an Afghan face on everything that we're doing here. If they can grasp just a piece of what we're teaching, we'll be successful.

“Personally, I feel we should give full respect and trust from the get-go,” he continued. “Everyone makes mistakes, but it's all about respect and getting to know them, their families, and who they are."

As the Afghan soldiers listened to Marine Corps Lt. Col. Calvert Worth Jr., the battalion commander, welcome them through an interpreter, soldiers who had slumped on cots or leaned against the buttstocks of their weapons sat a little straighter, and their platoon commanders and sergeants stood at parade rest among their counterparts in Alpha Company.

"The main goal is getting these guys to take responsibility for their country," Vallejo said. "They want to do this. They want to be a part of this, and want to get out of it the same things that we want: to have it be Afghan-driven."

PHOTO: Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, attend a briefing with Afghan soldiers at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, Jan. 1.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Video Potpourri 1/7/10

These are today's new videos. Enjoy!

New Videos from ReasonTV.

We're the TSA and You Can Count on Us! (to overreact to tiny threats and ignore big ones).

Reason Senior Editor Michael C. Moynihan discusses new TSA restrictions on RT - January 4, 2010.

New Videos from viperBSG's Favorites.

Introducing American Special Fender® Guitars.

Orianthi This Girl Rocks Blues Festival Crossroads Eric Clapton (Orianthi Guitar).

Orianthi - According To You.

Kirk Cameron - Origin Into Schools.

E Ku'u Morning Dew - Keola Beamer (cover).

Hosanna- Hillsong United Cover.

ukulele- waterfalls.

New Videos from machosauceproduction.

A behind the scenes peek of Victicrat.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Report criticizes intelligence gathering practices in Afghanistan

by John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (Jan. 6, 2010) – A report this week from a top U.S. military intelligence official criticizing the state of intelligence in Afghanistan is a “candid self-assessment” that enriches debate on U.S. strategy, the Pentagon press secretary said Wednesay.

The need for a sweeping reform of intelligence practices in Afghanistan underlines proposals Army Maj. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, the deputy chief of staff for Intelligence in Afghanistan, and his advisors published this week through the Washington-based think tank Center for a New American Security.

Though Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates had not yet read the report, Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters it typified the kind of “candid, critical self-assessment that the secretary believes is a sign of a strong and healthy organization.”

“This kind of honest appraisal enriches what has been a very real and hearty and vigorous debate that, frankly, has been taking place within this building, within this department and within this government for years now,” Morrell said.

In the report, “Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan,” Flynn underscores the need to shift the focus of intelligence away from enemy insurgent groups and toward the people of Afghanistan, mirroring the philosophy of U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine.

“Because the United States has focused the overwhelming major¬ity of collection efforts and analytical brainpower on insurgent groups,” the authors write, “our intelligence apparatus still finds itself unable to answer fundamental ques¬tions about the environment in which we operate and the people we are try¬ing to protect and persuade.”

The authors recommend analysts be given more latitude to gather intelligence at the grassroots level in Afghanistan and divide their work based on geography instead of function. One analyst’s holistic assessment of a district’s governance, development and security is more practical than the current approach that yields multiple, separate reports, they argue.

“The alterna¬tive -- having all analysts study an entire province or region through the lens of a narrow, functional line (e.g. one analyst covers governance, another studies narcotics trafficking, a third looks at insurgent networks, etc) -- isn’t working,” the authors write.

Flynn and the other authors also advocate an overhaul of the way intelligence is organized and fed up the chain of command and to other key operatives.

For his part, the Pentagon spokesman today said the report reflects a central issue in the months-long national security debate that culminated in December in a new U.S. approach to Afghanistan that will deploy an additional 30,000 American forces there, bringing the total to roughly 100,000 by next summer.

“One of the fundamental discussions that took place was about the degree to which you balance counterterrorism versus [counterinsurgency], and how best do you pursue the threats that emanate from Afghanistan,” Morrell said. “I think that's at the root of what General Flynn was talking about, which is how you deploy intelligence assets to achieve your objectives.

“Intelligence is critical to our success there, and intelligence over the years has clearly been a challenge that we've had to deal with,” he added. “And I think we are all open to suggestions about how we can be doing this better and how we can be doing this better quickly.”

The critique of intelligence practices in Afghanistan this week comes as President Barack Obama pointed to flaws within the U.S. intelligence community that allowed an attempted terrorist attack aboard a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day.

“This was not a failure to collect intelligence,” Obama said in a news conference yesterday after meeting with senior national security and intelligence officials. “It was a failure to integrate and understand the intelligence that we already had. . . . That's not acceptable, and I will not tolerate it.”

But Obama also highlighted domestic successes the intelligence community netted last year, and underscored intelligence operators’ sacrifices as exemplified by a recent suicide bombing that killed seven CIA employees near the Afghan-Pakistan border.

“These successes have not come without a price,” he said, “as we saw last week in the loss of our courageous CIA officers in Afghanistan.”

PHOTO: Afghan soldiers and U.S. Marines speak to a village elder in Afghanistan. A recent report criticizes intelligence practices in Afghanistan.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Dems Try To Steal Tea Party's Name!

Below is an email I received informing of the bad behavior displayed by a democrat in the state of Florida. He is trying to start a third party in OUR name! Do not be fooled. Please read it, reprint it, tell the world. THEY ARE NOT US! Thanks.

TPP Statement on Tea Party Political Party

Dear Fellow Tea Party Patriots,

There is much talk of the formation of a third political party based on the tea party movement. In Florida, a Democratic operative with absolutely no connection to the tea party movement has filed papers to form a third party called the Florida Tea Party. He has issued legal threats against local tea parties demanding that they cease using the name "Florida Tea Party."

Tea Party Patriots is issuing this statement in order to make it clear that we are not associated with this, or any attempts to form a third party. Additionally, we believe that such efforts are unproductive and unwise at this time. The history of third party movements in this country is one of division and defeat. We believe that it is instead time for all Americans to rise up and demand appropriate reform within their own parties. The mechanisms exist for citizens to participate in their parties, and to drive their parties in the right direction.

The Tea Party Patriots encourage all citizens to get involved in the party process, and to reshape their parties into something in which they may once again believe. This country does not belong to any one party, nor does it belong to the career politicians. This country belongs to the citizens. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "We have given you a republic madam, if you can keep it." The founders knew that it would be our sacred obligation as citizens to get involved, and to work hard to hold on to this great nation. We have much work to do, and future generations will look back in judgment. We hope you will join us in preserving the republic.

Tea Party Patriots, Inc. is a social welfare organization organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Tea Party Patriots, Inc. are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

I Know I Have Two Identical Posts

The reason I have two "NRO: What Were Thinking?" posts is because I tried to link it someone else (Winston) and I messed up. I am still learning how to do that since I do not have haloscan anymore.

You can still trackback to me. This is how to do it.

1. Click on "Create a link".
2. There will be a pop-up. (I think.)
3. It will have my title, change this to your title.
4. Leave my permanent URL in the "Link" option.
5. Add my link (all of this comes with the 'create a link') to your post.
6. Publish.
7. You're done.

Don't forget to change to change the title to own or else the published link you've created will add my title as your URL. Weird, eh? Oh well. I didn't know this, so I had to do this again and I ended up with a new URL. Ugh.

I use Digg and a new person had one thing that he dugg on his site. Yup, my article. So I don't want it to disappear from him. I could let him know I changed URL's? I don't know. Sometimes they don't accept strangers comments. Oh what a web we weave when we try to please. haha. Have a great evening!

PS. I fix it so there's only one article now. I did leave a message with a link to the correct article. Wheh! ;)

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

U.S. Forces - Iraq stands up in Baghdad

US Forces - Iraq

BAGHDAD (Jan. 2, 2010) – A New Year's Day ceremony here marked another evolution of Operation Iraqi Freedom, as five major command groups merged into a single headquarters command, U.S. Forces - Iraq.

“This ceremony marks another significant transition here in Iraq,” said Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command. “It represents another important milestone in the continued drawdown of American forces.”

More than 300 U.S. and Iraqi servicemembers and civilians attended the new unit’s official activation ceremony at Al Faw Palace. Army Gen. Ray Odierno, Multinational Force Iraq commander, said goodbye to his unit, while subordinate commanders, Army Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, Jr., commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Barbero, commmander of Multinational Security and Transition Command Iraq, and Army Maj. Gen. David Quantcock, Task Force 134 commander, rendered their final honors and cased their colors, signifying the commands’ official inactivations.

Petraeus expressed his gratitude to the units’ troops for the hard work they performed.

“You, our troopers, have been the single element in all that we have done in Iraq with our Iraqi brothers,” General David H. Petraeus said. “You have been the ones who have translated concepts and ideas from leaders like General Odierno and me into reality on the ground, under body armor and rucksack, in tough conditions, against an often barbaric enemy.”

Petraeus noted the progress that has taken place in Iraq.

“We’ve made tremendous strides together since the dark days of 2006, 2007,” Petraeus said. “The number of attacks per day, including Iraqi data, has been reduced from well over 200 per day in 2007, to fewer than 15 per day in recent months.”

Petraeus also thanked the Iraqi leaders present for their “tremendous courage and determination in the face of innumerable challenges, continuous threats and periodic tragic losses.” He also commended members of the Iraqi Army. “To my Iraqi brothers in uniform, today’s ceremony would not have been possible without your extraordinary courage, devotion to duty and sheer hard work.”

Odierno will command the new unit. He said that though some units were going away, the Iraqis could continue to expect the same high level of cooperation and support from U.S. forces.

“Though we are activating a new headquarters today, the support we give our Iraqi partners will be no different than they received under MNF-I,” Odierno said.

Multinational Forces Iraq was established May 15, 2004, taking over command for Combined Joint Task Force 7 to handle all strategic-level operations for coalition forces contributing to OIF.

“Troops from 30 different countries served in the Multi-National Force Iraq,” U.S. Air Force Maj. Dennis Kruse, master of ceremonies, said at the ceremony.

Multinational Corps Iraq was also activated May 15, 2004 as the operational-level headquarters overseeing multi-national divisions and forces in Iraq, which included Multiational Divisions North, South, and Baghdad, as well as Multinational Force West, 13th Expeditionary Support Command and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force. In addition, it also oversaw 13 separate task forces, brigades and battalion-sized organizations.

To organize, train and equip Iraq’s military and police forces, Multinational Security and Transition Command Iraq was established on June 28, 2004. Working closely with the Iraqi Ministries of Defense and Interior, the unit assisted in forming more than 250 Army and police battalions throughout the country.

Task Force 134 was established on April 15, 2004, to oversee all aspects of the conduct of detainee operations within theater and to serve as the executive agent for execution of theater policy as well as military doctrine. Their mission was care and custody with dignity and respect.

“Over its history (TF 134) has helped cultivate a foundation of security and stability in this important region of the world,” Kruse said.

The respective commanders and command sergeant majors from each deactivating unit stood on either side of the colors. On the order from Multinational Forces Iraq Command Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Wilson, all rendered last honors to their colors.

“Order arms,” Wilson’s voice rang through the rotunda. The colors were then cased and retired. The U.S. Army 1st Corps, U.S. Forces Iraq, and NATO Training Mission Iraq guidons were then unfurled and posted.

PHOTO: Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commanding general, USF-I and Command Sgt. Maj. Lawrence K. Wilson command sergeant major, USF-I, uncase the USF-I colors during the USF-I Activation Ceremony at Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory Iraq, Jan. 1.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Petraeus puts Al-Qaida threat in Yemen in perspective

by Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (Jan. 1, 2010) – The U.S. Central Command chief put the Al-Qaida threat in Yemen in perspective during a news conference in Baghdad Friday.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus praised the Yemeni government for taking on the al-Qaida threat in the country.

“The Yemeni president and parliament take this threat very seriously,” he said. “And that is of enormous significance, especially in a country facing such challenges.”

Al-Qaida has moved into the area, because they have sustained defeats in other areas, he said. Al-Qaida had operated in Saudi Arabia, but the Saudis cracked down on the group and forced them out.

Petraeus said Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia is largely defeated and its presence in the Gulf states is largely reduced. Al-Qaida in Iraq has been significantly diminished. “Yes, it can still carry out horrific attacks as we have seen in Baghdad … but (it is) very significantly reduced,” he said.

Even in Pakistan there has been progress with about a dozen al-Qaida leaders killed and the rest under pressure.

“Al-Qaida is always on the lookout for places where they might put down roots,” Petraeus said. “Some years ago … we could see the development of cells of al-Qaida in Yemen. This past year, this was recognized by al-Qaida’s senior leadership by designating al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.”

But dating to 2008, the United States has been working with the Yemeni government and their security forces to counter the al-Qaida threat, he said. The effort grew in 2009 with Yemini special forces and armed forces taking significant actions.

Petraeus called the U.S. security assistance to Yemen, “very robust” and said the almost $70 million in security funds going to Yemen will almost double in fiscal 2010. He noted there has been sharing of information and intelligence between the United States and Yemen.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

NRO: What Were You Thinking?

I've waited a few days to gather my thoughts because I could not believe you would allow such an article to be published. Especially at such a time as this when there are brave Iranians being murdered, imprisoned, raped, sprayed with gas, etc just because they want the same rights you enjoy and I thought you cherished.

Rights such as freedom of speech, freedom to be left alone from the government, the right to tell your government when you don't like what they're doing (redress), the right to believe God however you choose (if you so choose), the right to not be molested in your own your own home, the right to be safe within your own person, the right not to be imprisoned for bogus charges which you sometimes don't get for many months, the right to have your lawyer with you during the 20 minute trial, etc.

If you do cherish these things, then why in God's name did you publish this?

Open Letter to NRO.

Dear Ms. Lopez, Mr. Lowry... et al at the National Review magazine.

I came across this shameful piece by your contributor M. Krikorian on NRO Corner today. [Screen shot of the post]

I'm an Iranian activist living in Canada. Moved to this country in [...] as a political activist since I couldn't operate in Iran any more and for as long as I can remember, I have read the National Review's great material online (at least since 2000-2001). I've been pro-America, Pro-Bush, Pro-US Military, anti-Islam, anti-Iran's regime, and I'd like to say your articles on Iran were illuminating and full of hope at a time when we felt the whole world had left us in the darkness of the jail also known as Iran. But tonight, I am very troubled by this shameful post, especially this statement:

"So, terrible as it is, it's actually in our interest for the Iranian regime to hold on as long as possible, and crack down as brutally as it can, so as to radicalize (i.e., de-Islamize) as much of the population as possible."

How dare you? To hold on to power as long as possible so you get a kick out of it? It shows the ignorance and silliness of the author. It shows the level of naivete of the author and goes to show how little he might know about the Iranian society. As far as I am concerned, the religion of Islam is a dead one in Iran. Hordes of people leave Islam and turn to other sources of spirituality, ie Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity or Baha'i faiths. Is your ignorant author happy that the innocent Iranians are being murdered on a daily basis? Does he not understand that every single day this regime holds to power means a day closer to having a nuclear armed Iran on our hands? [Continue reading The Spirit Of Man: Open Letter To NRO.]

Worse is better? What the hell does he think they are doing, throwing a party? THEY ARE BEING TORTURED, ASSASSINATED, and worse. The Chinese tanks are now there. Would he care to watch another Tiananmen Square? Would that be better for the world?

I don't get it. Maybe you can explain it to me since I'm so stupid. You wouldn't answer Winston's emails. He is my friend, and he has many more. I would rethink your policy of silence and answer him with an apology. Happy New Year. Yeah right...

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Hat tip: Winston: The Spirit of Man: Open Letter To NRO.

NRO: What Were You Thinking?

This article has not disappeared. Click here to read it. Sorry about the inconvenience. It does not usually happen. Thanks.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Founders' Daily Quote(s): 12/28/09-1/1/10

Monday, December 28, 2009.
"[W]hen the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British Parliament was advised by an artful man, - who was governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people; that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them; but that they should not do it openly, but weaken them, and let them sink gradually, by totally disusing and neglecting the militia." --George Mason, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788

THIS is how governments become tyrannies.

Tue. 12/29.
"[T]he people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them." --Zacharia Johnson, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788

Must be some kind of right-wing nutcase, eh? Me too. ;)

Wed. 12/30.
"The whole of that Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals... [I]t establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of." --Albert Gallatin, letter to Alexander Addison, 1789

Thu. 12/31.
"Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of." --James Madison, Federalist No. 46

Fri. January 1, 2010.
"If a well-regulated militia be the most natural defense of a free country, it ought certainly to be under the regulation and at the disposal of that body which is constituted the guardian of the national security. If standing armies are dangerous to liberty, an efficacious power over the militia in the same body ought, as far as possible, to take away the inducement and the pretext to such unfriendly institutions. If the federal government can command the aid of the militia in those emergencies which call for the military arm in support of the civil magistrate, it can the better dispense with the employment of a different kind of force. If it cannot avail itself of the former, it will be obliged to recur to the latter. To render an army unnecessary will be a more certain method of preventing its existence than a thousand prohibitions upon paper." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 29

Source: Patriot Post.us.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.