OK. this is not a good example of how to do the job...

I've often said don't rush to judgement when an officer uses force. Often people see only part of the story, don't understand that a man with a knife can be a serious threat to a man with a pistol, etc.

That being said if this an accurate report, I have to say the man should have been terminated.

A Tennessee police officer lost his job after he shot a squirrel inside a store last Thursday.

It happened in Mountain City -- northeast of Johnson City.

According to police documents, now-former Officer Jody Putnam was inside a Dollar General Store when employees noticed the squirrel. Putnam apparently shot his firearm at the squirrel inside the store. When that didn't work, he used another weapon; pepper spray.

"There was a lot of people that come out and just like me they came out and they were coughing and a hacking," Carl Duffield told WJHL-TV. "It was comical, but I'm sure they didn't feel that way - the customers that came out."

In Mountain City, when an officer fires their weapon, they have to report it to a supervisor and make a written statement.

Putnam refused to file the report. That is a violation of department policy and for that reason, the town's Board of Mayor and Alderman fired him.

The standard for the use of deadly force is do you have legitimate fear for the life or serious bodily injury of yourself or a third person. I can't see how this officer had legit fear of that. And any use of a firearm has to be documented. So what can I say man, you screwed up, again assuming this is the full story. I've learned to not take all in a news report at face value.

Officer Down

Special Agent Joseph M. Peters
United States Army Criminal Investigation Division
End of Watch: Sunday, October 6, 2013
Age: 24
Tour: 6 years
Incident Date: 10/6/2013

Special Agent Joseph Peters was killed by an improvised explosive device while accompanying soldiers during combat operations in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.

Three soldiers were also killed in the explosion.

Special Agent Peters had served in the U.S. Army for six years and was assigned to the 286th Military Police Detachment (CID), 5th Military Police Battalion (CID), Vicenza, Italy. He is survived by his wife and 20-month-old son.

Special Agent Peters was posthumously awarded the Combat Action Badge, Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Geopolitical Weekly: The U.S. Debt Crisis from the Founders' Perspective, October 15, 2013

By George Friedman

The U.S. government is paralyzed, and we now face the possibility that the United States will default on its debt. Congress is unable to resolve the issue, and President Obama is as obstinate as the legislators who oppose him. To some extent, our political system is functioning as intended -- the Founding Fathers meant for it to be cumbersome. But as they set out to form a more perfect union, they probably did not anticipate the extent to which we have been able to cripple ourselves.

Striving for ineffectiveness seems counterintuitive. But there was a method to the founders' madness, and we first need to consider their rationale before we apply it to the current dilemma afflicting Washington.

Fear and Moderation

The founders did not want an efficient government. They feared tyranny and created a regime that made governance difficult. Power was diffused among local, state and federal governments, each with their own rights and privileges. Even the legislative branch was divided into two houses. It was a government created to do little, and what little it could do was meant to be done slowly.

The founders' fear was simple: Humans are by nature self-serving and prone to corruption. Thus the first purpose of the regime was to pit those who wished to govern against one other in order to thwart their designs. Except for times of emergency or of overwhelming consensus, the founders liked what we today call gridlock.

At the same time, the founders believed in government. The U.S. Constitution is a framework for inefficiency, but its preamble denotes an extraordinary agenda: unity, justice, domestic tranquility, defense, general welfare and liberty. So while they feared government, they saw government as a means to staggeringly ambitious ends -- even if those ends were never fully defined.

Indeed, the founders knew how ambiguous their goals were, and this ambiguity conferred on them a sense of moderation. They were revolutionaries, yet they were inherently reasonable men. They sought a Novus Ordo Seclorum, a "New Order of the Ages," a term that was later put on the Great Seal of the United States, yet they were not fanatical. The murders and purges that would occur under Robespierre or Lenin were foreign to their nature.

The founders' moderation left many things unanswered. For example, they did not agree on what justice was, as can be seen in their divided stance on slavery. (Notably, they were prepared to compromise even on something as terrible as slavery so long as the Constitution and regime could be created.) But if the purpose of the Constitution was to secure the "general welfare," what was the government's role in creating the circumstances that would help individuals pursue their own interests?

There is little in the Constitution that answered such questions, despite how meticulously it was crafted, and the founders knew it. It was not that they couldn't agree on what "general welfare" meant. Instead, they understood, I think, that general welfare would vary over time, much as "common defense" would vary. They laid down a principle to be pursued but left it to their heirs to pursue it as their wisdom dictated.

In a sense, they left an enigma for the public to quarrel over. This was partly intentional. Subsequent arguments would involve the meaning of the Constitution rather than the possibility of creating a new one, so while we would disagree on fundamental issues, we would not constantly try to re-establish the regime. It may not have been a coincidence that Thomas Jefferson, who hinted at continual revolution, did not participate in the Constitutional Convention.

The founders needed to bridge the gaps between the need to govern, the fear of tyranny and the uncertainty of the future. Their solution was not in law but in personal virtue. The founders were fascinated by Rome and its notion of governance. Their Senate was both a Roman name and venue for the Roman vision of the statesman, particularly Cincinnatus, who left his farm to serve (not rule) and then returned to it when his service was over. The Romans, at least in the eyes of the founders if not always in reality, did not see government as a profession but rather as a burden and obligation. The founders wanted reluctant rulers.

They also wanted virtuous rulers. Specifically they lauded Roman virtue. It is the virtue that most reasonable men would see as praiseworthy: courage, prudence, kindness to the weak, honoring friendship, resolution with enemies. These were not virtues that were greatly respected by intellectuals, since they knew that life was more complicated than this. But the founders knew that the virtues of common sense ought not be analyzed until they lose their vigor and die. They did not want philosopher-kings; they wanted citizens of simple, clear virtues, who served reluctantly and left gladly, pursued their passions but were blocked by the system from imposing their idiosyncratic vision, pursued the ends of the preamble, and were contained in their occasional bitterness by the checks and balances that would frustrate the personal and ideological ambitions of others.

The Founding Father who best reflects these values is, of course, George Washington. Among the founders, it is he whom we should heed as we ponder the paralysis-by-design of the founders' system and the current conundrum threatening an American debt default. He understood that the public would be reluctant to repay debt and that the federal government would lack the will to tax the public to pay debt on its behalf. He stressed the importance of redeeming and discharging public debt. He discouraged accruing additional debt and warned against overusing debt.

However, Washington understood there would be instances in which debt had to be incurred. He saw public credit as vital and therefore something that ought to be used sparingly -- particularly in the event of war -- and then aggressively repaid. This is not a technical argument for those who see debt as a way to manage the economy. It is a moral argument built around the virtue of prudence.

Of course, he made this argument at a time when the American dollar was not the world's reserve currency, and when there was no Federal Reserve Bank able to issue money at will. It was a time when the United States borrowed in gold and silver and had to repay in the same. Therefore in a technical sense, both the meaning and uses of debt have changed. From a purely economic standpoint, a good argument can be made that Washington's views no longer apply.

But Washington was making a moral argument, not an argument for economists. From the founders' perspective, debt was not simply a technical issue; it was a moral issue. What was borrowed had to be repaid. Easing debt may power the economy, but the founders would have argued that the well-being of the polity does not make economic growth the sole consideration. The moral consequences are there, too.

The Republic of the Mind

Consequently, I think the founders would have questioned the prudence of our current debt. They would ask if it were necessary to incur, and how and whether it would be paid back. They would also question whether economic growth driven by debt actually strengthens the nation. In any case, I think there is little doubt they would be appalled by our debt levels, not necessarily because of what it might do to the economy, but because of what it does to the national character. However, because they were moderate men they would not demand an immediate solution. Nor would they ask for a solution that undermines national power.

As for federally mandated health care, I think they would be wary of entrusting such an important service to an entity they feared viscerally. But they wouldn't have been fanatical in their resistance to it. As much as federally mandated health care would frighten them, I believe fanaticism would have frightened them even more.

The question of a default would have been simple. They would have been disgusted by any failure to pay a debt unless it was simply impossible to do so. They would have regarded self-inflicted default -- regardless of the imprudence of the debt, or health care reform or any such subject -- as something moderate people do not contemplate, let alone do.

There is a perfectly valid argument that says nothing the founders believe really affects the current situation. This is a discussion reasonable and thoughtful people ought to have without raised voices or suspicion that their opponent is vile. But in my opinion, we have to remember that our political and even private life has been framed by our regime and therefore by its founders. The concept of limited government, of the distinction between public and private life, of obligation and rights, all flow from the founders.

The three branches of government, the great hopes of the preamble and the moral character needed to navigate the course continue to define us. The moral character was always problematic from the beginning. Washington was unique, but America's early political parties fought viciously -- with Aaron Burr even shooting Alexander Hamilton. The republic of the mind was always greater than the republic itself. Still, when we come to moments such as these, it is useful to contemplate what the founders had in mind and measure ourselves against that.

The U.S. Debt Crisis from the Founders' Perspective is republished with permission of Stratfor.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Billy "Bubba" Kennedy
Upton County Texas Sheriff's Department
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Age: 38
Tour: 14 years
Incident Date: 10/2/2013

Deputy Sheriff Billy Kennedy was shot and killed after responding to a call at a convenience store on South Burleson Avenue, in McCamey, at approximately 11:15 pm.

After he arrived at the scene he encountered a male subject. During the encounter the two exchanged gunfire. Despite being mortally wounded, Deputy Kennedy was able to return fire and wounded the suspect.

Deputy Kennedy had served in law enforcement for 14 years. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Obamacare. Does anyone else think the screwups are not planned?

One thing I thank God for is (for now) I have affordable insurance for my family and I don't have to go through this crap on the exchange. For the moment. I'm scared my department will do that soon enough, but if I was a retiree I would be scared as hell. But I digress.

I heard of this blog listening to Michael Berry this morning and had to check the post out. This is what one woman had to endure on the exchange. From Menopause Express this morning.

My Healthcare.gov Experience This Morning

A little history…

After multiple attempts last week, I successfully created an account on healthcare.gov. I had to wake up at 5:15am in order to do so. The process still took me two hours, and at the end of those two hours, when I hit “Submit”, I waited and the screen flickered, then I was left on the same page as though nothing happened. I was never taken to a page confirming the process was complete.

I tried about 6 or 7 times. I even tried logging out and logging back in. Finally, I tried their chat support. They have this handy link at the lower right corner of the page that says, “Live Chat”. I figured their phone lines would be swamped, so I went that route. There was no disclaimer on what their chat did or did not support. Usually, when there is a chat link on such a page, it is level one support and they can help you with at least part of your problem. They can, at least, access your account.

Nope.

The agent informed me they could not access any account information or help with the application process on chat support. Although I just needed to know if my application completed, the agent could not even answer that question. I had to call phone support.

The agent on phone support informed was friendly enough and asked me if I had an account number. I said, “No. I have an application number. I’m in the very last phase of the application process and that’s where things timed out. I clicked submit but I’m not sure if it worked. I just need to know.” I was told that without an account number she could not pull up my in-process application. She could not pull it up with the application number I had, nor could she pull it up with any of my personal information. My only option was to go through the application all over again on the phone (the same application I just spent two-hours completing and had no desire to go through again). If she took me through it by phone it would take 2-6 weeks for a confirmation; whereas, if I completed it online I got an immediate response.

WTF? Why the difference? Why couldn’t she get the same immediate confirmation? But that’s another rant for another day.

I didn’t want to dig up all the information again, so I logged out and logged in again so I could read through the in-process application and give her the responses she needed. Lo and behold! I received a new message! I had some file I had to download, indicating I’d been approved! I read the message to her and she confirmed this meant I’d receive an email shortly with my coverage options.

I never received it.

Fast forward to today…

I tried logging back in this morning. My username and password did not work. I thought, “Perhaps I forgot one or the other.” So I clicked on the link that said “Forgot Username”. I populated my name and my email address associated with my account. I did not receive an email. I checked my spam folder to be sure.

I contacted their chat support again. Surely, they can at least assist in resetting usernames and passwords.

Nope.

Now, before I go on, here’s a screenshot of the chat window you see while you’re chatting with the agent. Note the misleading phrase at the top, “Chat with someone who can help”.



Alas, I had no method of emailing the transcript from the chat window. I had to copy/paste. I wish I had something more … credible. Regardless, here is the text from the chat, because they have no method of sending the transcript:

[0 6:49:51 am]: Thanks for contacting Health Insurance Marketplace Live Chat. Please wait while we connect you to someone who can help.
[0 6:49:55 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[0 6:50:29 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[0 6:50:59 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[0 6:51:05 am]: Welcome! You’re now connected to Health Insurance Marketplace Live Chat.

Thanks for contacting us. My name is Ada. To protect your privacy, please don’t provide any personal information, like Social Security Number, or any other sensitive medical or personal information.

[0 6:51:44 am]: (me)
Hello Ada. I’m trying to log back into the website but it isn’t accepting my username or password (I’m not sure which is incorrect).

[0 6:52:23 am]: (me)

I may have forgotten my username. I’ve been waiting for the email but nothing is coming through. I *know* I’m using the correct email address. Is this something you can help me with?

[0 6:54:25 am]: Ada
have you attempted to reset your username and password? If you need to reset your username or password, please use the “Forgot your username?” or “Forgot your password” links on the account login page.

[0 6:54:45 am]: (me)
Did you not read the description of my problem?

[0 6:55:03 am]: (me)
I tried that. I haven’t received the subsequent email from healthcare.gov

[0 6:55:31 am]: (me)
and I KNOW I’m using the correct email address for you to send me the information.

[0 6:56:09 am]: Ada
Thanks for your interest in the Health Insurance Marketplace. We have a lot of visitors trying to use our website right now. This is causing some glitches for some people trying to create accounts or log in. Keep trying, and thanks for your patience. You might have better success during off-peak hours, like later at night or early in the morning. We’ll continue working to improve the site so you can get covered!

[0 6:56:42 am]: (me)
Ok. So basically the chat agents are only good for sending scripted responses and not for actual assistance. Correct?

[0 6:57:01 am]: (me)
I’ll stop bothering you.

[0 6:57:16 am]: (me)
You should take this link off of your website.

[0 6:58:35 am]: (me)
the chat window even says “Chat with someone who can help”

[0 6:58:46 am]: (me)
You aren’t helping me.

[0 7:00:28 am]: Ada
I apologize. We are available to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-318-2596.

[0 7:00:50 am]: (me)
Yeah… because your chat support is useless.

[0 7:01:09 am]: (me)
I want this forwarded to a manager for a callback.

[0 7:01:21 am]: (me)
This is not the first time I’ve contacted chat support for assistance.

[0 7:02:58 am]: Ada
I apologize for the inconvenience.Is there anything else I can assist you with?

[0 7:03:22 am]: (me)
I want a manager to call me back regarding the problems I’ve had with chat support, overall.

[0 7:03:49 am]: (me)
Every time I’ve tried to get help through chat all I get are “scripted responses” followed by “call tech support”.

[0 7:04:08 am]: (me)
If I wanted to call and wait on hold, I would have done that in the first place.

[0 7:04:26 am]: (me)
If you have chat support, use it. If you don’t have chat support, don’t put the link up on your website.

[0 7:05:16 am]: Ada
You can reach us toll free at 1-800-318-2596.

[0 7:06:27 am]: (me)
… wow. When I was over an outsourcing call center, making sure their chat support was functioning properly and our customers were satisfied, THIS kind of thing would never happen.

[0 7:06:47 am]: (me)
Live chat… more like warm bodies in a chair.

[0 7:07:25 am]: (me)
Can you send me a transcript of this chat so I can forward it to a manager I reach by phone?

[0 7:09:35 am]: Ada
I apologize, but we do not have that ability.

[0 7:09:50 am]: (me)
Of course.

[0 7:10:50 am]: Ada
I apologize, but if there is nothing else I can help you with I am going to have to disconnect from this chat.

[0 7:11:05 am]: (me)
Unless you can give me a survey link, I think we’re done here.

[0 7:11:18 am]: Ada
Thank you for contacting Health Insurance Marketplace Live Chat. We are here to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

And she ends the chat with the sentence, “We are here to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” Just how are they there to help?? As far as I can tell, they’re serving as a bottleneck for phone support. Can you imagine how many calls they’d be getting if the chat link wasn’t on the page?

A point I've made more than once is none of this bad news is unintentional. Now this was approved in 2010, the contracting was screwed up from the start, HHS kept changing the requirements and it failed the little testing it got. But that did't stop the Obama regime from going forward.

The administration has refused to say how many people have been enrolled, but they have said how many people have checked out the web site and said it crashed due to overload. As of today, the numbers are twenty million have logged on and half a million have signed up. Twenty million in three weeks. Amazon.com has over seventy-eight million visitors a month and they haven't had an outage like this.

I've been in government long enough to know that if the boss wanted this to be successful , he would have known about it. But for some reason he's "Going to get to the bottom of this.", as if he has nothing to do with his signature legislation. Could it be he is waiting for this to all crash down so he can say, "We'll we tried and it's all screwed up...sorry you we're bankrupted by lack of health care insurance and then you got cancer...but I'll do this, let's just eliminate the middle man and we'll set up single payer for the entire country."

Far fetched? Remember a quote from B Hussein Obama's mentor, Saul Alinsky. One of his more famous quotes, "The despair is there; now it's up to us to go in and rub raw the sores of discontent, galvanize them for radical social change." So just make everyone desperate by means out of their control, like having the federal government deliberately destroy the private health care system and leave them with no hope so they will settle for third rate care at twice the cost. No way you answer? Look at that son of a bitch from earlier this month. He deliberately made his government shutdown as painful as possible to insure distress for the American people. Why do you spend money to put up barricades on walking paths?

B Hussein Obama is as cold and unfeeling a son of a bitch there is and if people get hurt in his desire for power, so be it. He doesn't care. I only pray the conservatives in the Congress can limit the damage and a conservative president elected in 2016 can start to undo the damage. If Hillary is elected, put a fork in the United States.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Dustin Blake Hamilton
East Baton Rouge Louisiana Parish Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Friday, September 27, 2013
Age: 24
Tour: 2 years
Cause: Automobile accident
Incident Date: 9/27/2013

Deputy Sheriff Dustin Hamilton was killed in a vehicle collision on Joor Road, between Mickens Road and Lovette Road, at approximately 7:10 pm.

He had just completed an overtime detail when his patrol car collided with another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction.

Deputy Hamilton had served with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office for two years.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Once More Unto the Breech...means Attack the breach in the city wall once more...pardon me while I puke!

I have always loved The Bard and his writings, and seeing it live is great. I remember seeing Lawrence Olivier as Hamlet in high school and the rest is history. This famous quote, Henry V's speech at Agincourt is arguably the greatest rousing speech in the English language.

WESTMORELAND
Oh, that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work today.

KING HENRY
What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin.
If we are marked to die, we are enough
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honor.
God’s will, I pray thee wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honor,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God’s peace, I would not lose so great an honor
As one man more, methinks, would share from me,
For the best hope I have. Oh, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart. His passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse.
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day and comes safe home,
Will stand o' tiptoe when the day is named
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall see this day, and live old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors
And say, “Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.”
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say, “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.”
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words,
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.
This story shall the good man teach his son,
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be rememberèd—
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

You can argue who did it better, Sir Lawrence Olivier or Sir Kenneth Branagh, but both men are awesome.






Not to let excellence stand on it's own and insure our children know great literature, the Common Core dopes have rewritten it and given us No Fear Shakespeare. No Fear Shakespeare has the original (aka real) and a version in modern English. Read it if you want to have your intelligence lowered.

WESTMORELAND
Oh, if only we had with us here ten thousand of those men back home in England who aren’t working today.

KING HENRY
Who wishes that? My cousin Westmoreland? No, my dear cousin. If we are slated to die, the fewer, the better for our country, and if we’re slated to live, the fewer men, the greater the share of honor for each of us. In God’s name, I beg you not to wish for one more man. By God, I am not selfish when it comes to money: I don’t care who eats at my expense. It doesn’t bother me when people borrow my clothing—I don’t care about these concrete things. But if it is a sin to be selfish about honor, I am the most guilty soul alive. No, my cousin, don’t wish that even one man who is now in England were here instead. By God, I wouldn’t lose as much honor as a single man more would cost me, I think—not even if it meant giving up my best hope for victory. Oh, do not wish one more! Instead, make this known throughout the army: whoever has no spirit for this fight, let him depart. He will be given safe conduct and money for his passage home. We would not want to die in the company of a man who fears to die with us. This day is called the Feast of Saint Crispian: he who lives to see this day out and comes home safe will stand tall when this day is named and raise himself up at the mention of Crispian. He who survives this day and lives to see old age shall yearly entertain his neighbors on the eve, saying, “Tomorrow is SAINT CRISPIN’S DAY
Saint Crispin’s Day.” He’ll roll up his sleeve and show his scars, saying, “I got these wounds on St. Crispin’s Day.” Old men forget. But these men will remember every detail of what they did today long after they’ve forgotten everything else. And as the wine flows, our names, familiar as household words, will be invoked again: Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester. Good men will tell their sons this story and the Feast of St. Crispin will nevergo by, from this day to the end of time, without our being remembered: we few, we happy few, we band of brothers—for whoever sheds his blood with me today shall be my brother. However humble his birth, this day shall grant him nobility. And men back in English now safe in their beds will curse themselves for not having been here, and think less of their own manhood when they listen to the stories of those who fought with us here on St. Crispin’s Day.

OK, if you want to have betted education for our children, why are you lowering the standards. Or is this a rhetorical question?

Thanks Pat at And So it Goes in Shreveport for the info on this latest lowering of English education. Why do we have a federal department of education?

Officer Down

Detective Sergeant Frank J. Lema, Sr.
United States Department of Defense - Naval Station Newport Police Department, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Thursday, September 26, 2013
Age: 70
Tour: 47 years
Badge # D10

Detective Sergeant Frank Lema was struck and killed by a government truck on-board the base at approximately 1:30 pm.

He was transported to a local hospital before being transferred to Rhode Island Hospital. He succumbed to his injuries approximately nine hours after being struck.

Sergeant Lema was a U.S. Air Force veteran. He had served with the Naval Station Newport Police Department for 21 years and had previously served with the Middletown Police Department for 26 years. He is survived by his five children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.

Security Weekly: Mexico's Drug War: Stability Ahead of Fourth Quarter Turmoil, October 10, 2013

By Tristan Reed

Mexico Security Analyst

Despite the high-profile arrests of Los Zetas' top leader, Miguel "Z-40" Trevino Morales, on July 15 and Gulf cartel leader Mario "El Pelon" Ramirez Trevino on Aug. 17, the third quarter much like the second quarter experienced a continuation of existing trends in organized crime. Tit-for-tat cartel conflicts continued, but Mexico's various organized criminal groups largely controlled the same territory they did at the beginning of the quarter. The third quarter did see intermittent periods of escalated violence by rival groups seeking territory. These included the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion's conflict with the Knights Templar in Michoacan, Guerrero, Guanajuato and Jalisco states and the Velazquez faction of the Gulf cartel's conflict with Los Zetas in northern and central Mexico.

While no criminal organization in Mexico suffered any substantial losses in capabilities or territory in the third quarter, the fourth quarter will likely see variations in this trend, particularly as cartels adjust to the arrest of Mario Ramirez Trevino. The Velazquez faction will become the widest-operating branch of the Gulf cartel and the most active challenger to Los Zetas for control of the northeast. As Stratfor noted during our first quarterly update, the Velazquez faction was formerly led by the now-captured Ivan "El Taliban" Velazquez Caballero, a former regional boss for Los Zetas, which split from Los Zetas around March 2012 and later returned to operating under the Gulf cartel name. The Velazquez faction continues to operate unhindered by the arrest of Ivan Velazquez on Sept. 26, 2012.

There are a variety of reasons for the relatively stable cartel dynamics in Mexico during the third quarter. For one, it has been less than three months since Miguel Trevino was detained by the Mexican navy and less than two since Mario Ramirez's detention. Miguel Trevino's brother, Omar Trevino, appears to have assumed leadership over Los Zetas, and -- notably -- there has been no significant challenge to his new role. Mario Ramirez's arrest will certainly alter the dynamic within the umbrella of the Gulf cartel, particularly as it relates to Gulf allies such as the Knights Templar and the Sinaloa Federation, and Gulf rivals, such as Los Zetas. Any changes related to dynamics within the Gulf cartel have yet to be reflected in open source reporting.

Also, the balkanization of Mexican organized crime has shifted the focus of all criminal organizations from planning new incursions to addressing existing challenges within their territory. The Sinaloa Federation continues to combat regional rivals in northwestern Mexico, including northern Sinaloa, southwestern Chihuahua, and northern Sonora state. Los Zetas continue their fight to regain complete control over much of Zacatecas state after Velazquez Caballero's split in 2012. Los Zetas also continued to engage in violent attacks against the Gulf cartel in the rest of northeastern Mexico and against the Knights Templar (and possibly Gulf cartel) in Tabasco state, although these offensives have not accomplished any real gains. The Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and the Knights Templar continued to focus on their traditional strongholds in southwestern Mexico, trading tit-for-tat incursions into one another's territories.

Moreover, many of the changes in cartel dynamics reported in the third quarter actually occurred during the first quarter. For example, Stratfor first identified the arrival of a new challenger to Los Zetas into Tabasco state operating under the name People United Against Crime (commonly referred to by its Spanish acronym, PUCD), but during the second and particularly third quarter it became apparent that People United Against Crime are really just pre-existing Zetas rivals operating under a new label (most likely the Knights Templar or its allies, the Velazquez faction of the Gulf cartel). And it came to light in the third quarter that Los Zetas have entered the Ciudad Juarez area in northern Chihuahua, though they actually began building their presence at least as far back as the first quarter.

In contrast to the minimal disruptions in the overall cartel landscape in Mexico in the past two quarters, the fourth quarter will likely see substantial changes. The Gulf cartel will likely feel the effects of Mario Ramirez's capture, which will shift the balance of power in Tamaulipas state and thus invite another offensive by Los Zetas or further control by Gulf allies, particularly the Knights Templar. Meanwhile, should Omar Trevino be capable of retaining the organization's ability to stage significant incursions into Sinaloa Federation territory, Los Zetas efforts in Ciudad Juarez could spark a new turf war in Chihuahua state.

Overall Violence

Los Zetas

After the July 15 capture by the Mexican navy of top Zeta leader Miguel "Z-40" Trevino Morales, his brother Omar "Z-42" Trevino ascended to the top position within the criminal organization. Thus far, it does not appear that anyone within Los Zetas has publicly challenged Omar Trevino.

Many of the challenges to Los Zetas by rivals during the second quarter continued into the third quarter. While efforts by the Velazquez faction of the Gulf cartel to seize Zetas territory were renewed in part because of Miguel Trevino's capture, primarily affecting Zacatecas state and southern Tamaulipas state, the renewed fighting is only a continuation of the dispute that began after the former leader of the Velazquez faction, Ivan "El Taliban" Velazquez Caballero, split from Los Zetas around March 2012. Elsewhere, Los Zetas have been unable to mitigate challenges for territorial control in some regions, a trend that emerged before Miguel Trevino's arrest.

Tamaulipas and Zacatecas states remain the most critical areas to follow in assessing the integrity and capability of Los Zetas, particularly Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas state. This is due to the value of Nuevo Laredo to Los Zetas' operational capabilities and to the Velazquez faction of the Gulf cartel being the most active and closest rival of Los Zetas in geographic proximity to Nuevo Laredo. While the Velazquez network operates along the entire eastern coast of Mexico, its center of operations remains in northern and central Mexico, including Zacatecas, Coahuila and San Luis Potosi states; its reach extends into southern Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon states (specifically Monterrey) thanks to its ties to other Gulf cartel factions.

With the exception of Zacatecas during September, however, there have been no indications that such violence has yet posed a substantial threat to Los Zetas operations in the aforementioned states. The lack of change in criminal activities in Nuevo Laredo, including inter-cartel violence, has been most notable in the Los Zetas-Gulf cartel competition. This suggests Los Zetas' rivals have yet to find the opportunity to mount another incursion against them.

Los Zetas have thus far maintained their capabilities in terms of drug smuggling and other criminal activity plus the ability to defend against their rivals despite the loss of their top leader, and the organization continues to operate deep into rival territory. During the third quarter of 2013, it became apparent that Los Zetas have been operating in the Sinaloa Federation-controlled territory of northern Chihuahua state, most notably in Ciudad Juarez, via its allies La Linea and Los Aztecas (both former enforcer groups of the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes organization, better known as the Juarez cartel). Los Zetas are funding and training both groups, but they have yet to operate in an offensive manner in Ciudad Juarez at present.

However, Los Zetas have been using the area for their trafficking operations into the United States, particularly southeastern Ciudad Juarez. In exchange for support, Los Zetas can operate in areas still controlled by La Linea around Ciudad Juarez, helping to avoid an overt conflict with the Sinaloa Federation. Stratfor has received reports that Los Zetas have attempted to avoid drawing attention to their presence by eschewing violent acts. Although Los Zetas' presence in the area only became apparent in the third quarter, it had begun prior to the arrest of Miguel Trevino.

Although Los Zetas do not overtly appear to have suffered any substantial losses in operational capabilities since Miguel Trevino's arrest, uncertainties persist about whether his brother, Omar Trevino, can successfully manage one of the two largest criminal organizations in Mexico. These uncertainties make it difficult to forecast Los Zetas' strategy and the potential challenges that could lead to a degraded security climate in its own and rival territories. Should the Gulf cartel in Zacatecas state make progress in its territorial dispute with Los Zetas, rivals to Los Zetas would likely vie for territory closer to Nuevo Laredo, probably leading to an increase in violence. Additionally, should Los Zetas try to use their established presence in Ciudad Juarez to attempt a takeover from the Sinaloa Federation, violence in Chihuahua would likely increase drastically.

Gulf Cartel

The Gulf cartel suffered yet another substantial blow to its leadership during the third quarter with the capture of its most powerful leader, Mario "El Pelon" Ramirez Trevino, on Aug. 17. This arrest will likely lead to further tumult within the Gulf cartel, which had already devolved from a cohesive criminal organization into an umbrella group with factions loyal to individual leaders but operating on a transnational level.

The fall of Ramirez will likely propel the Velazquez faction of the Gulf cartel to become one of the most powerful Gulf cartel factions in the northeast during the fourth quarter, barring any unforeseen captures or deaths at the hands of Mexican authorities. This is because the Velazquez faction maintains the widest geographic reach in Mexico under a cohesive network. The leadership of the Velazquez faction since the arrest of Ivan Velazquez in September 2012 remains something of a mystery, though likely successors include two of his brothers, Daniel "El Talibancillo" Velazquez Caballero and Rolando "El Rolys" Velazquez Caballero.

The most significant change resulting from Ramirez's capture during the fourth quarter will likely be yet another reshuffle of allegiances and roles among Gulf cartel factions in addition to Ramirez's replacement. This will include another split within the Gulf cartel umbrella, assimilation at some level of Gulf cartel cells into existing factions or an external organization such as the Knights Templar and even Los Zetas, and an increased presence of the Knights Templar or the Sinaloa Federation in Tamaulipas state, both of which have thus far propped up the Gulf cartel in its conflict with Los Zetas. Of the current Gulf cartel factions, the Velazquez faction will become the most formidable rival of Los Zetas in the northeast.

Knights Templar and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion

While the northeastern states of Mexico are typically the most fluid in terms of cartel dynamics and security due to the Zetas-Gulf cartel conflict, violence as a result of the ongoing dispute between the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and the Knights Templar turned southwestern Mexico, particularly Guerrero, Michoacan and Jalisco states, into the most active in terms of inter-cartel violence.

As stated during our first quarterly update of 2013, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion has made a substantial bid to wrest control of the Knights Templar stronghold of Michoacan state. With community police in southwestern and northern Michoacan state a contributing factor, inter-cartel violence escalated dramatically during the third quarter and will likely continue at present levels or even escalate further during the fourth quarter.

This has placed the Knights Templar on the defensive, something made apparent by their escalated aggression against authorities during the third quarter and the shifting of the focus of their propaganda from Los Zetas to both the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and the community police. Despite this, the Knights Templar probably will not lose substantial territory in Michoacan state nor lose their ability to resist the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion incursion during the fourth quarter. The Knights Templar are simply firmly planted in Michoacan. The conflict will continue to pose a substantial security threat throughout the state.

Sinaloa Federation

With the exception of Los Zetas in Ciudad Juarez, little has changed during the third quarter regarding the Sinaloa Federation. As Stratfor has noted, the Sinaloa Federation has been dealing with regional conflicts within its territory in the northwest. This includes the golden triangle region (encompassing northern Sinaloa, northwestern Durango and southwestern Chihuahua), northern Sonora state and southern Chihuahua state. These conflicts continued over the third quarter and will likely remain on course throughout the fourth quarter. None of the existing conflicts will present any serious challenge to the Sinaloa Federation's territorial control or criminal operations during the fourth quarter.

As mentioned above, Los Zetas have built up a presence around Ciudad Juarez during 2013, potentially marking a new criminal aggressor in Ciudad Juarez. The city already has seen a turf war between the Sinaloa Federation and the Juarez cartel and its allies, La Linea and Los Aztecas, since 2008. Thus far, Los Zetas' presence in Ciudad Juarez has largely been nonaggressive, and they have apparently limited their operations to trafficking drugs into far western Texas.

The Sinaloa Federation lost a prominent lieutenant overseeing the region, Gabino "El Ingeniero" Salas Valenciano, on Aug. 8 when Salas died in a firefight with the Mexican army. While no public reports suggest that Los Zetas are attempting to take advantage of his death by striking against Sinaloa interests, it is clear that Salas' death has triggered some conflict between La Linea and the Sinaloa Federation. On Sept. 22, gunmen opened fire on a family celebrating a local baseball game in Loma Blanca, a community located in southeastern Ciudad Juarez. Ten people died in the attack. While the identity and motive of the shooters remain unknown, some Mexican news agencies have attributed the killing to La Linea. Soon after the shooting, authorities discovered messages in at least eight locations in Ciudad Juarez attributing the shooting to La Linea. Notably, the messages were signed "the people of Gavino (sic) Salas."

While such messages cannot alone confirm the identity of the attackers or suggest a motivation, they do suggest at least a momentary escalation of violence between the Sinaloa Federation and La Linea. Such a renewed violent campaign could present a moment of opportunity to persuade their allies to attempt to wrest Ciudad Juarez from the Sinaloa Federation -- a scenario that would certainly lead to a sharp uptick in violence through Ciudad Juarez and possibly much of northern Chihuahua.

Security Weekly: Mexico's Drug War: Stability Ahead of Fourth Quarter Turmoil Copyright STRATFOR.COM

Good news from Colorado....

A formerly solid red state, Colorado has been turning slightly purple lately. But the recall of the two state senators last month gave me a warm and fuzzy, telling those leeches they serve at the pleasure of the people. Now some more news from my former home, showing the libtards may have awoken a sleeping giant.

Colorado gun-rights advocates plan another recall effort

Gun-rights advocates in Colorado have started gathering signatures in support of another recall effort against a Democratic state senator following two successful recalls of lawmakers over votes in support of gun control laws.

Recall organizers received certification Friday from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office to gather signatures in the effort to recall Sen. Evie Hudak, a Democrat from Westminster, Colo., who backed the controversial gun measures, the Denver Post reported.

“She has infringed upon our constitutional right to keep and bear arms. She has voted to make all citizens less safe and to drive hundreds of jobs from Colorado,” Mike McAlpine, a spokesman for the group behind the recall effort, said in a statement emailed to the Denver Post.

In May, a different group suspended a separate recall effort targeting Hudak after they were unable to collect enough signatures. The group must gather 18,900 valid signatures within a 60-day time frame to force the recall question onto the ballot, the newspaper reported.

Hudak received criticism from gun-rights activists earlier this year over remarks she made to a rape victim at a committee hearing on a bill that would ban concealed weapons on public college campuses.

The legislator told Amanda Collins, testified that she may have been able to defend herself during the attack at University of Nevada, Reno, if she had been carrying her gun.

Hudak responded, "I just want to say that, actually, statistics are not on your side even if you had a gun...And chances are that if you would have had a gun, then he would have been able to get that from you and possibly use it against you."...

Now we know NOW and other "feminist" groups will scream from their hind legs over this flippant remark over rape....oh yea, this is a Democrat so that don't count!

Two Republicans were sworn in last week to replace Sens. John Morse and Angela Giron, the defeated Democrats who remained firm over their support for the new gun laws. The limits on ammunition magazines and expanding background checks to private and online firearm sales were reactions to mass shootings at a suburban Denver movie theater and a Connecticut elementary school last year.

Former Colorado Springs Councilman Bernie Herpin and retired Pueblo police officer George Rivera took the oath of office Oct. 3 in front of a Senate packed with Republican lawmakers and other supporters in the gallery.

The recalls last month marked the first time in state history legislators were ousted from office and reflected the continued debate over what gun restrictions, if any, are needed...

I've mentioned multiple times that Reagan said his greatest error as Governor of California was in approving full time state legislators. These people have to be grounded in reality and reminded often they are only in office because of the consent of the governed. Hopefully the people in the Colorado legislature are being reminded of that. Hopefully Mrs. Hudak will soon be on the unemployed list in this great Obama economy.

Officer Down

Police Officer Jon Coutchie
Laguna Beach California Police Department
End of Watch: Saturday, September 21, 2013
Age: 42
Tour: 6 years
Military veteran

Police Officer Jon Coutchie was killed in a motorcycle accident at the intersection of South Coast Highway and Cleo Street while looking for a speeding vehicle that had evaded other officers.

His motorcycle was involved in a collision with a pickup truck in the intersection.

Officer Coutchie was a U.S. Army veteran. He had served with the Laguna Beach Police Department as a police officer for four years and had previously served with the agency as a part-time jailer for two years.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.

Weiner pops up in the most unexpected places!

In all seriousness, I am sorry to see Carlos Danger, aka Anthony Weiner didn't make it past of the first round in the NY Democratic primary. I've said many times, of all the Democrats on the ballot, he sucks the least.

Now this joke of a has been is arisen. He's come back. You can't make this up...and it can't be any more appropriate.

Weiner's sexts take center stage on Broadway

'The Weiner Monologues' looks at what's public and what's private in modern era

Even well after his epic primary loss, Anthony Weiner still can't escape the headlines, and now the trials and tribulations of being Weiner are headed to the stage.

The ex-congressman is making his off-off Broadway debut, or at least the saga of his downfall is.

"The Weiner Monologues" -- the brainchild of two Hunter College alums -- comes together with transcripts from press conferences, interviews and of course, the now-infamous, sexually-explicit messages that made Weiner a hard name to forget.

"I think what we tried to do was to present what happened in the course of events as faithfully and weirdly we could, just to make this larger point of what's public and private," director and co-creator Jonathan Harper Schlieman told WPIX.

Schlieman along with co-creator John Oros say they had a bigger story to tell outside of the Weiner scandal.

"It kind of plays with the question of how we have Facebook and Twitter, and now with the NSA scandal -- [among the things] online, what's actually private?" Oros said. "Probably nothing."

It's a reality that Weiner himself is still learning. One thing many credit to the embattled politician was his handle -- or lack thereof -- of his smartphone, an element that will be incorporated in the Weiner Monologues.

"Instead of telling the audience to turn off their phone, we're going to tell [them] to keep the phone on," Schlieman revealed. "We'll be transmitting the pics that Weiner sent out… completely uncensored."

The big question on everyone's mind -- will Weiner himself rise to the occasion for opening night of the play?

"It would be great if Weiner would reach out and touch us," Schlieman joked. "He was asked earlier if he heard about us … and he said he never heard of us. So that's going to be one of our major reviews for us before we go up."

"Right on the poster."

The Weiner Monologues hits the stage next month at the Access Theater in lower Manhattan and it's safe to say, this play is for adults and adults only.

I would be careful who you ask to touch you, Mr Schliieman. You don't know where that hand has been man! :<) A seak peak of what Anthony's weiner can get him into!
The Weiner Monologues Trailer from Weiner Monologues on Vimeo.
As I've said, this is so stupid you can't tmake it up. But you knew Weiner wouild come back up somehow!

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Daniel Rivera
Broward County Florida Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Saturday, September 21, 2013
Age: 32
Tour: 10 years
Badge # 12278

Deputy Sheriff Daniel Rivera succumbed to injuries sustained 10 days earlier when he was involved in a single-vehicle crash along I-95, near Copans Road, in Pompano Beach.

He was en route to the police station at approximately 6:15 am when his patrol car left the roadway during a period of rain. The vehicle struck a tree on the passenger side, causing Deputy Rivera to suffer severe head injuries. He was transported to Broward Health North where he remained in critical condition until passing away on the night of September 21st, 2013.

Deputy Rivera had served with the Broward County Sheriff's Office for 10 years and was assigned to the Pompano Beach District Office. He is survived by his parents and siblings.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.

Security Weekly: 'White Widows' and Knickers: Diversions from Real Threats, October 3, 2013

By Scott Stewart

In the wake of the assault on Nairobi's Westgate Mall, one of the media narratives that has fascinated me has been the focus on Samantha Lewthwaite, the so-called "white widow" of deceased suicide bomber Germaine Lindsay, who was one of the men responsible for the London Subway bombings on July 7, 2005. Really, the press coverage of Lewthwaite following the Westgate attack has been more like a media storm than a narrative, especially in Lewthwaite's home country, the United Kingdom. A British newspaper even published an article about the style of knickers she prefers.

The nonsensical media coverage of Lewthwaite (and her knickers) typifies an issue that has bothered me for some time. The press, and indeed even some analysts, tend to overstate the importance of some jihadists merely because they speak English, or were born in an English-speaking country.

The Lewthwaite Case

Despite some witness reports from Nairobi claiming that an English-speaking woman was involved and perhaps led the Westgate attack, no evidence has corroborated claims of her involvement. Al Shabaab, the group that conducted the attack, even denied Lewthwaite's participation, saying it would never permit a woman to be involved in a military operation. While al Shabaab should not necessarily be automatically trusted for obvious reasons, the group tends to be truthful about its operations -- and in any case, it has little reason to lie in this particular instance. Moreover, al Shabaab has never been known to use a female operative (Western or Somali) in a meaningful attack.

There are also strong theological reasons for a jihadist group like al Shabaab to exclude women from the battlefield. Unlike Hamas and Chechen groups who have used female suicide bombers, most jihadists do not believe women belong in battle. For example, the the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has condemned the Kurdish People's Defense Units, which have employed female fighters to defend Kurdish areas against jihadist aggression in northern Syria. Notably, Iraqi jihadists have recruited and even employed female suicide bombers in the past out of tactical necessity. However, these efforts ultimately hindered recruitment and fundraising operations, and the practice did not become widespread.

What we do know is that Lewthwaite and a man believed to be her current husband, British citizen Habib Saleh Ghani, have spent time in Kenya. In fact, the two currently are wanted by Kenyan authorities for allegedly plotting to stage attacks in Mombasa, Kenya, during the Christmas holiday in 2011. Jermaine Grant, a British citizen allegedly associated with Lewthwaite and Ghani, is currently on trial in connection with the Mombasa plot, and according to testimony offered in court during the trial, the plotters were linked to al Shabaab. Still, despite Lewthwaite's links to Kenya and al Shabaab, there is no real proof that she has been involved in any militant or terrorist operations. Furthermore, while Lewthwaite has become something of a media "terrorist legend," there is certainly no indication that she is more dangerous than the lesser known Ghani or even Jermaine Grant, both of whom are fluent English speakers but do not happen to be Caucasian women and thus generate less press coverage.

A Premium on English Speakers

The situation with Lewthwaite is somewhat reminiscent of that involving another al Shabaab-linked Westerner, U.S. citizen Omar Hammami, also known as Abu Mansur al-Amriki. Hammami, who served as an English-speaking spokesman and recruiter for the group prior to being executed by his colleagues, rose to infamy after releasing a few laughably bad jihadi rap videos and because of his frequent activity on Twitter.

While Hammami did help recruit some foreign fighters and raise some funds for al Shabaab, he was never a significant battlefield commander for the group. He was always a marginal figure at best. Yet despite this, he enjoyed a far larger media profile than important al Shabaab figures including group leader Ahmad Abdi Godane, also known as Abu Zubayr, who maintains very strict operational security; Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, an important al Shabaab leader from the Rahanweyn clan; and the now-deceased Ibrahim Haji Mead, also known as Ibrahim al-Afghani, who had vied with Godane for leadership of the group.

But it is not just the media that tend to confer a celebrity status on English speakers. The U.S. government's Rewards for Justice program, for example, offered a reward of $5 million for information leading to the capture or death of Hammami. This is the same amount offered for Robow, Mead and several other significant militant leaders such as Mokhtar Belmokhtar, Sirajuddin Haqqani and Hakeemullah Mehsud.

This bias in the Rewards for Justice program applies to another American-born jihadist in Somalia, Jehad Serwan Mostafa, for whom the U.S. government is currently offering $5 million. Mostafa has an even lower profile than Hammami and yet there are only eight terrorist suspects in the entire world that have higher rewards offered for their death or capture by the U.S. program. Clearly his importance is inflated, given that Washington did not offer such rewards for the operational leadership of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- namely, Nasir al-Wahayshi (aka Abu Basir), Qasim al-Raymi and Ibrahim al-Asiri, all of whom have directly planned and executed attacks against the United States.

While these "native" members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula were deemed less important by the Rewards for Justice program, the United States placed a higher premium on the group's English-speaking members, including Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, who drew attention away from operational militants like al-Wahayshi and his staff. As we forecast in 2011, al-Awlaki's death would not be the end of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's ideological efforts, much less its physical struggle, despite the hype al-Awlaki and his death had received in the media. That forecast has proved true.

The premium on English speakers is a natural reaction for English-speaking agents and analysts, who can read written statements or listen to audio or video recordings from English-speaking jihadists without any need for translation. I can personally relate to this, because although I speak Spanish, I have to rely on our Arabic or Somali-speaking analysts and area specialists for translations before I can begin my analysis. It was much quicker and easier for me to subscribe to Hammami's Twitter feed than to read translations of Arabic-language message boards. It is also easier for me to read Inspire than al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's Arabic language Sada al-Malahim magazine. Even in the U.S. government, there are very few agents and analysts who speak Arabic, much less Somali or Hausa, and translation takes a lot of time and effort.

This does not apply only to American and British press and authorities. We have also seen the German press and authorities focus heavily on individuals such as Yassin and Monour Chouka, two German-born jihadists associated with the Islamic Jihad Union who posted German-language videos threatening attacks against Germany. The French-speaking world has its own version of the "white widow," a woman named Malika el-Aroud, (aka Oum Obeyda), the Moroccan-born Belgian citizen whose first husband was involved in the assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud two days before the 9/11 attacks. She has been investigated several times (and convicted in Switzerland) for raising funds and recruiting fighters for al Qaeda and the wider jihadist movement.

Real Threats

For the most part, these high-profile English-speaking militants do not pose direct physical threats. They are too well known to travel back to their native countries to conduct attacks, and they generally are not operationally active. This means that they are far more significant as propagandists, fundraisers and recruiters. In the case of al Shabaab, they have used figures like Hammami to raise money and recruit fighters to travel to Somalia.

On the other hand, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, has used its English-language propaganda to attempt to "inspire" jihadists living in the West to conduct terrorist attacks where they live. To date, these efforts have been largely unsuccessful. As we noted when Inspire Magazine's 10th edition was published, there have been a number of thwarted plots in which the organizers were informed by the magazine, but there has not been the type of massive global grassroots uprising al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has sought to foment. Instead, such incidents -- the Boston Marathon bombing, for example -- have been few and far between.

This is not to suggest that such people should be ignored. Certainly, intelligence and law enforcement efforts to locate and apprehend them should continue, as should the monitoring of their English-language communications despite the very real risk of disinformation. But these efforts must be kept in the proper context, and these English speakers should not divert attention from non-English speakers who pose more acute and deadly threats.

Copyright:  STRATFOR.COM

Officer Down

Police Officer Rod Bradway
Indianapolis Indiana Metropolitan Police Department
End of Watch: Friday, September 20, 2013
Age: 41
Tour: 5 years

Officer Rod Bradway was shot and killed while responding to a domestic dispute call in a northwest Indianapolis apartment complex. Upon arrival, Officer Bradway heard cries for help and made entry into an apartment where he came under fire and was mortally wounded.

Officer Bradway was able to return fire on the subject and is credited with saving the life of the domestic dispute victim. Officer Bradway was transported to Wishard Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds several hours later.

Officer Bradway was a five-year veteran of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and is survived by his wife and two children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

RIP Thomas Leo Clancy, Jr.

I got home this morning after my tenth day on night shift (have I said I really hate night shift!) and made it in just before my beautiful wife (and got the best parking spot! ;<) ). As I was heading to the bedroom she gave me this bad news. RIP Tom.

Tom Clancy, Best-Selling Novelist of Military Thrillers, Dies at 66Tom Clancy, whose complex, adrenaline-fueled military novels spawned a new genre of thrillers and made him one of the world’s best-selling and best-known authors, died on Tuesday in a hospital in Baltimore. He was 66... 

...Mr. Clancy’s books were successfully transformed into blockbuster Hollywood films, including “Patriot Games,” “The Hunt for Red October“ and “Clear and Present Danger.” 

His next book, “Command Authority,” is planned for publication on Dec. 3.
Seventeen of his novels were No. 1 New York Times best sellers, including his most recent, “Threat Vector,” which was released in December 2012. More than 100 million copies of his books are in print... 

...Mr. Clancy was an insurance salesman when he sold his first novel, “The Hunt for Red October,” to the Naval Institute Press for only $5,000.That publisher had never released a novel before, but the editors were taken with Mr. Clancy’s manuscript. They were concerned, however, that there were too many technical descriptions, so they asked him to make cuts. Mr. Clancy made revisions and cut at least 100 pages. 

The book took off when President Ronald Reagan, who had received a copy, called it “my kind of yarn” and said that he couldn’t put it down. 

After the book’s publication in 1985, Mr. Clancy was praised for his mastery of technical details about Soviet submarines and weaponry. Even high-ranking members of the military took notice of the book’s apparent inside knowledge. 

In an interview in 1986, Mr. Clancy said, “When I met Navy Secretary John Lehman last year, the first thing he asked me about the book was, ‘Who the hell cleared it?’ “
David Shanks, a Penguin executive who worked with Mr. Clancy for decades, called him “a consummate author, creating the modern-day thriller, and one of the most visionary storytellers of our time.” 

Born to a middle-class family in Baltimore on April 12, 1947, Mr. Clancy skipped over the usual children’s literature and became obsessed by naval history from a young age, reading journals and books whose intended audience was career military officers and engineering experts. 

He absorbed details of submarine warfare, espionage, missile systems and covert plots between superpowers. 

He attended Loyola College in Baltimore, where he majored in English, and graduated in 1969. While Mr. Clancy harbored ambitions to join the military, even joining the Army R.O.T.C., he was told that he was too nearsighted to qualify. 

Mr. Clancy began working at a small insurance agency in rural Maryland that was founded by his wife’s grandfather. 

After “The Hunt for Red October” was published, Mr. Clancy’s fame was fairly instant. Frequently posing for photographs in darkened aviator sunglasses, jeans and holding a cigarette, Mr. Clancy spoke of the laserlike focus required to succeed. 

“I tell them you learn to write the same way you learn to play golf,” he said.  

“You do it, and keep doing it until you get it right. A lot of people think something mystical happens to you, that maybe the muse kisses you on the ear. But writing isn’t divinely inspired — it’s hard work.” 

He followed “The Hunt for Red October” with “Red Storm Rising“ in 1986, “Patriot Games” in 1987, “The Cardinal of the Kremlin“ in 1988 and “Clear and Present Danger” in 1989. 

War Story:  No s$%^, there I was.  In the summer of 1988 I was a 23 year old Army Lieutenant about the leave for my first assignment in Korea.  And like many a young man with a credit card I had charged too much and promised myself I would not use it again.  Well I was walking in Lakeside Mall in Metairie LA when I just happened to look at Barnes and Noble and there it was, “The Cardinal of the Kremlin“ calling out "Buy me Mike!"  Oh well, that was another promise out the window.

Well, I few to Korea the next day, I was in my new unit (1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (The Iron Brigade!) and I happened to have the book at my new desk.  Within ten minutes I had the brigade master gunner asked to borrow it and five minutes later the brigade engineer and fire support officer asked.  I got popular quick.

I handed the book SFC Peters at the close of business the next day and he killed it in one evening.  That's how great it was.

...The critical reception to his novels was gushing from the start. Reviewing “Red Storm Rising” in The New York Times in 1986, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote that the book “far surpassed” Mr. Clancy’s debut novel. 

“Red Storm Rising” is a “superpower thriller,” he wrote, “the verbal equivalent of a high-tech video game.” (Mr. Clancy would eventually venture into video games, which were easily adapted from his novels.)... 

I've often said this was his finest work and my favorite.  In "Red Storm Rising” Mr Clancy went out of his  grove.  There was no Tom Clancy and he brought in dozens of new characters to life.  I remember killing off that 700 page plus book in three days.  Reading until the eyes were worn out, screaming "No More!" and still reading.  This man knew how to write.

...Mr. Clancy is survived by his wife, Alexandra; their daughter, Alexis; and four children from a previous marriage to Wanda King: Michelle Bandy, Christine Blocksidge, Kathleen Clancy and Thomas Clancy III. 

Deborah Grosvenor, the editor who acquired Mr. Clancy’s first novel, said she initially had a hard time persuading her boss at the Naval Institute Press, to read it, since Mr. Clancy was an unknown and the publisher had no experience with fiction. 

“I said, ‘I think we have a potential best seller here, and if we don’t grab this thing, somebody else would,’ ” Ms. Grosvenor, who is now a literary agent, said in an interview. “But he had this innate storytelling ability, and his characters had this very witty dialogue. The gift of the Irish or whatever it was, the man could tell a story.” 

Mr. Clancy was frequently accused of using classified information in his novels, a claim that amused him. While he spent time on military bases, visited the Pentagon and dined with high-level military officials, he insisted that he didn’t want to know any classified information. 

“I hang my hat on getting as many things right as I can,” Mr. Clancy once said in an interview. “I’ve made up stuff that’s turned out to be real — that’s the spooky part.”

When looking today on the news of Mr. Clancy's death I found this and it shows how much his novels entered the American mindset.

‘Like a Tom Clancy Novel’ 

Tom Clancy, who died on Tuesday, was so popular — 17 of his novels were No. 1 New York Times best sellers—that his name meant something even to people who had never read a word of his work, a rare achievement for a contemporary writer. His name was a byword signifying spies, military equipment and covert plots against the American government. 

Which is probably why so many Times writers invoked Mr. Clancy over the years, without introduction, to give their stories a little color. He was handy in a simile. 

A few examples: 

Anna Quindlen, “Informed Opinion,” Jan. 10, 1991: “We’ve played out military scenarios, analyzed polls and plumbed history, more like folks researching a Tom Clancy novel than plunging headlong into war.” 

Maureen Dowd, “West Wing Chaperone,” Oct. 8, 2000: “If Dick Cheney were in a Tom Clancy-style thriller, he’d be the White House official who blends into the woodwork in the first act, only to quietly usurp the president in the second — the bespectacled puppetmaster who blackmails uncooperative congressmen, fakes authorizations for C.I.A. covert operations and makes deals with cartels.” 

Joe Goldiamond, “Meanwhile: A powerless pawn in Colombia’s war,” Nov. 26, 2002: “Your name is Juan Carlos Lecompte. And this is not the movie adaptation of a Tom Clancy novel; it is your life.” 

David Ignatius, “America’s Blessed Isolation Has Gone Up in Flames,” Sept. 12, 2001: “New Yorkers were reported to be moving up the streets of Manhattan in fear of further attacks; Washingtonians were said to be gazing into the skies, watching for airplanes that might next attack the Capitol or the White House. It was like one of those improbable Tom Clancy novels come horribly to life.” 

Nicholas D. Kristof, “Why Didn’t We Stop 9/11?” April 17, 2004: “Bush: What about the Tom Clancy novel where the pilot crashes a plane into the Capitol during a joint session of Congress? Could Big Beard be planning something like that?” 

Maureen Dowd, “We Need Chloe!” June 24, 2006: “Lulled by our spy thrillers and Tom Clancy novels, we used to take for granted that our intelligence agencies were just as capable as heroes on the screen. Jack Ryan, either the Harrison Ford, the Alec Baldwin or even the Ben Affleck version, could have gotten Osama single-handedly in the two hours allotted.” 

Tobin Harshaw, “About Those Assassination Squads…” July 17, 2009: “Hmmm, that last name alone is enough to set off a blogswarm, and combined with all the elements of a bad Tom Clancy book (Congress out of the loop, swooping global hit teams, shaky foreign allies) and everything everybody hates about Washington (bureaucratic inertia, legal hurdles, the triumph of vagueness) it garnered a lot of heated and relatively intelligent debate among the twittering classes.”

I remember talking to friends about Clancy's latest novel and one said "Mike, I woke up at three in the morning because I had to take a leak.  After that I saw the book by my bed stand and it was just calling to me."  That is a complement to an author!

RIP Tom Clancy.  A life well lived and too damned short.  I think I hear “The Hunt for Red October“ calling me!

Officer Down

Investigator Michael Dale Stockwell
Orange Beach Alabama Police Department
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Age: 45
Tour: 20 years

Investigator Mike Stockwell was killed in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of the Foley Beach Expressway and County Road 12, in Foley, at approximately 9:00 pm.

His unmarked department vehicle collided with another vehicle in the intersection. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured.

Investigator Stockwell had served in law enforcement for 20 years.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Wow! Everything is so green!

Saw this from FB and it's kinda amusing...


Thanks Butch A for the picture.