Totally agreed. However the sickening display by many Republican Senators was nothing more than theater and bullshit. Hagel never recanted anything and that includes the Jewish Lobby. Pro-Israel Lobby is the same thing as saying Jewish Lobby. Who the hell is anyone kidding and if anyone doubts that AIPAC is not influencial and intimintating they are being totally dishonest. By the way, Israel. I believe Israel has the right to its security and statehood. I also believe that if Israel was a true ally it would sign a Defense Pac and Treaty. But even at that Israel get more than any formal ally we have signed, sealed and delivered. So gag me with a shovel. On the nuclear side. So we attack Hagle when Sam Nunn is sitting there? OK so when are we going to press Israel to sign the NPT?
As far as Senator McCain is concerned. Its time for John to go home and retire. The surge was a absolute flop and we lost a ton of american blood over a surge that should have never happened and a war that should have never happened. I suppose it just dandy that McCain puffs out his chest over a lie that has taken many to the grave. I want anyone to tell me what success was achieved by any surge? Admiral McCain has to be rolling over in his grave…
As far as Senator Lindsey Graham is concerned? Another pompous chickenhawk…
@J7915....
Well it depends on how you take advantage of possible door openers. Yes duringbthe late 90s DIA opened a good intel door under President Amadou Toumani Touré and 10th Special Forces did some MTT work in theater. Of course you understand that the country is basically split in two.
Matter of fact the coup leader Captain Amadou Sanogo knows the US very well. He took part in our IMET (International Military Education and Training) program here in the States.
Now it is possible that the MNLA is positioning itself to take on Salafists of Ansar Dine and AQIM. That is an potential interesting door opener.
Lets face facts we have vital interests in this region and while the coup was and is never a good thing it happened because the GOM besides not paying its soldiers was as corrupt as they get in Africa.
Of course we and I mean we the US have got to get real and stop the new election nonsense before we do anything. If we wait that long who knows who will be controlling Bamako??
By the way Professor Cole....
Most in the CT business understand that AQ as a organization is dead. But lets remember Professor groups like AQIM and MUJAO which are off shoots of AQ are not to be underestimated. While restoring democracy to Mali will not be easy either. We could be very well looking at a future new type of AQ formation underway. Now is the time to kill it... NATO with enough US pushing will be needed to support the French.
Now read in between the lines... State thought that CIA would shoulder the burden for security at the mission.... That was the mistake State made... nothing more....
Blowback? You mean like Mali? Right now the entire MENA situation is so fluid that no one and that means even the IC can make any predictions what so ever. Yes analyze. Predict? Not at the moment with so many internal fraction at play along with the various outside influences pulling at their own special interest... Right now its a day by day crap shoot... No way to run anyone's FP machine...
Pure speculation? How much money you got? Been there and done that. Try 28 years of playing the CT and Hill game and I don't give a rats behind who is in the WH. In case your interested I voted for Obama. But I really do not care for his NSC picks, especially Sam Powers nor do I care for how the IC is managed. I am also disappointed with the Bush FP carry overs.
Now I never said we should try and control anything such as the Arab Spring. Try that line with John McCain and Lindsey Graham. Matter of fact we suffer from an acute case of cranial rectal inversion for even getting involved without a good understanding of the local ground truth. By the way, I am also no fan of the Brotherhood and there are times where dictatorships are a necessary evil and easier to deal with.
Now I also do not care what faction is complaining about what we do or do not supply them with. Only a tenderfoot would make the statement you made on supplying arms during a rebellion. Understand how things work...
Al Sharpton is just as big an idiot as Glen Beck. But if anyone thinks the Turks are not involved in supporting there interests in Syria then that person needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
First... Benghazi was not a formal Consulate. There were no consulate officials present nor was there an assigned Consul General. At best the compound had either Mission status or Special Mission status.
Second, since when have we ever allowed CIA to use a DIP facility as a base of operations using green badgers?
Third, and here is where I disagree with Professor Cole. Yes it has been reported that the agency was not shipping weapons directly to rebel forces inside Syria. Of course none of that as been independently confirmed and there is no mention of third party "Turkey" transmission of those weapons into Syria.
Fourth, the question remains, was there even a presidential finding here or do we have another Iran/Contra developing?
Fifth, our ME policy regarding the Arab Spring; which includes both republican and democratic support, is so screwed up that it would take a cement vault to reseal Pandora's box that both parties have opened.
Sixth, you can make bet that the Gang of 8 knew what was going on long before the attack.
Seventh and lastly the attack... I do not care if an entire SST was available or not. The attack was focused at the Annex (CIA operation) and it got hit with a reinforced company size in strength with heavy weapons. To repel this size attack would have taken equal if not an overwhelming force.
The real problem is here is.... We have met the enemy and he is us.......!!
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Totally agreed. However the sickening display by many Republican Senators was nothing more than theater and bullshit. Hagel never recanted anything and that includes the Jewish Lobby. Pro-Israel Lobby is the same thing as saying Jewish Lobby. Who the hell is anyone kidding and if anyone doubts that AIPAC is not influencial and intimintating they are being totally dishonest. By the way, Israel. I believe Israel has the right to its security and statehood. I also believe that if Israel was a true ally it would sign a Defense Pac and Treaty. But even at that Israel get more than any formal ally we have signed, sealed and delivered. So gag me with a shovel. On the nuclear side. So we attack Hagle when Sam Nunn is sitting there? OK so when are we going to press Israel to sign the NPT?
As far as Senator McCain is concerned. Its time for John to go home and retire. The surge was a absolute flop and we lost a ton of american blood over a surge that should have never happened and a war that should have never happened. I suppose it just dandy that McCain puffs out his chest over a lie that has taken many to the grave. I want anyone to tell me what success was achieved by any surge? Admiral McCain has to be rolling over in his grave…
As far as Senator Lindsey Graham is concerned? Another pompous chickenhawk…
Enjoy the read...
link to americansecurityproject.org
@J7915....
Well it depends on how you take advantage of possible door openers. Yes duringbthe late 90s DIA opened a good intel door under President Amadou Toumani Touré and 10th Special Forces did some MTT work in theater. Of course you understand that the country is basically split in two.
Matter of fact the coup leader Captain Amadou Sanogo knows the US very well. He took part in our IMET (International Military Education and Training) program here in the States.
Now it is possible that the MNLA is positioning itself to take on Salafists of Ansar Dine and AQIM. That is an potential interesting door opener.
Lets face facts we have vital interests in this region and while the coup was and is never a good thing it happened because the GOM besides not paying its soldiers was as corrupt as they get in Africa.
Of course we and I mean we the US have got to get real and stop the new election nonsense before we do anything. If we wait that long who knows who will be controlling Bamako??
By the way Professor Cole....
Most in the CT business understand that AQ as a organization is dead. But lets remember Professor groups like AQIM and MUJAO which are off shoots of AQ are not to be underestimated. While restoring democracy to Mali will not be easy either. We could be very well looking at a future new type of AQ formation underway. Now is the time to kill it... NATO with enough US pushing will be needed to support the French.
Here is another good read... State's brief on the Algerian attack...
link to turcopolier.typepad.com
For those interested... This is the Unclassed ARB on Benghazi...
link to cfr.org
Now read in between the lines... State thought that CIA would shoulder the burden for security at the mission.... That was the mistake State made... nothing more....
Blowback? You mean like Mali? Right now the entire MENA situation is so fluid that no one and that means even the IC can make any predictions what so ever. Yes analyze. Predict? Not at the moment with so many internal fraction at play along with the various outside influences pulling at their own special interest... Right now its a day by day crap shoot... No way to run anyone's FP machine...
@Glary...
Here is the school of thought I come from....
link to foreignpolicy.com
Pure speculation? How much money you got? Been there and done that. Try 28 years of playing the CT and Hill game and I don't give a rats behind who is in the WH. In case your interested I voted for Obama. But I really do not care for his NSC picks, especially Sam Powers nor do I care for how the IC is managed. I am also disappointed with the Bush FP carry overs.
Now I never said we should try and control anything such as the Arab Spring. Try that line with John McCain and Lindsey Graham. Matter of fact we suffer from an acute case of cranial rectal inversion for even getting involved without a good understanding of the local ground truth. By the way, I am also no fan of the Brotherhood and there are times where dictatorships are a necessary evil and easier to deal with.
Now I also do not care what faction is complaining about what we do or do not supply them with. Only a tenderfoot would make the statement you made on supplying arms during a rebellion. Understand how things work...
Al Sharpton is just as big an idiot as Glen Beck. But if anyone thinks the Turks are not involved in supporting there interests in Syria then that person needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
First... Benghazi was not a formal Consulate. There were no consulate officials present nor was there an assigned Consul General. At best the compound had either Mission status or Special Mission status.
Second, since when have we ever allowed CIA to use a DIP facility as a base of operations using green badgers?
Third, and here is where I disagree with Professor Cole. Yes it has been reported that the agency was not shipping weapons directly to rebel forces inside Syria. Of course none of that as been independently confirmed and there is no mention of third party "Turkey" transmission of those weapons into Syria.
Fourth, the question remains, was there even a presidential finding here or do we have another Iran/Contra developing?
Fifth, our ME policy regarding the Arab Spring; which includes both republican and democratic support, is so screwed up that it would take a cement vault to reseal Pandora's box that both parties have opened.
Sixth, you can make bet that the Gang of 8 knew what was going on long before the attack.
Seventh and lastly the attack... I do not care if an entire SST was available or not. The attack was focused at the Annex (CIA operation) and it got hit with a reinforced company size in strength with heavy weapons. To repel this size attack would have taken equal if not an overwhelming force.
The real problem is here is.... We have met the enemy and he is us.......!!