Groups Such As ISIS Cannot Be Allowed To Exist, Defense Secretary Mattis Says

Terri Moon Cronk at the DoD News offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2018 — While Iraq has liberated all of its territory once captured and held by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the U.S.-led military campaign against the rogue organization continues in Syria, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said at a meeting of the defeat-ISIS coalition at NATO headquarters in Brussels today.

Mattis attended a conference of the alliance’s defense ministers this week.

“A little over 100 hours ago, our [Syrian] partner forces began the first of several offensives to diminish ISIS’ physical caliphate,” the secretary said. “As operations ultimately draw to a close, we must avoid leaving a vacuum in Syria that can be exploited by the [Syrian President Bashar Assad] regime or its supporters.”

Despite the successes of the last year, the enduring defeat of ISIS is not over, Mattis said, noting that NATO approved a training mission yesterday and called it a step in the right direction. “We look forward to working with the new government of Iraq on this as we assist a key partner in denying our common terrorist enemy any chance to recover,” he said.

“Every battlefield is also a humanitarian field, even after the fighting stops. To ensure a lasting defeat and prevent an ISIS 2.0 requires all elements of our collective national power,” the secretary said. “Initiating and maintaining stabilization activities are essential, as citizens cannot return to normal life in communities cleared of explosives and debris, and those conditions that initially allowed ISIS to take root return.”

While coalition members have contributed generously, short-term shortfalls remain, and continued support on an urgent basis will augment local security in liberated areas, Mattis said.

Foreign-Fighter Detainees

“Each of us also has an urgent responsibility to address the foreign-fighter detainee problem,” he added. “We all must ensure captured terrorists remain off the battlefield and off our streets by taking custody of detainees from our countries or quickly coming up with suitable options.”

The United States faces the same problem and is working diligently to find a way to solve it, Mattis emphasized. “Abrogating this responsibility is not an option, as it plants the seeds for the next round of violence against innocents,” he said.

As the U.S.-led coalition has repeatedly demonstrated, its greatest weapon against the enemy and the coalition’s greatest strength remains unity, he said.

It is critical that the strong spirit of collaboration fostered by the 75-member coalition be preserved as the coalition transitions from combat to stabilization operations, so other locations do not suffer the consequences witnessed in Iraq, Syria, the Philippines and elsewhere, the secretary said.

Guiding Principles

In the guiding principles of the defeat-ISIS coalition, it is noted that “’ISIS remains a serious threat to the stability of the region and to our common security,’” Mattis said, noting that the guiding principles provide a vision for the coalition’s future and reinforce the whole-of-government approach. “Today, we plan to follow these guiding principles with a joint statement highlighting our commitment to coordinate efforts to confront ISIS globally,” he said.

While the coalition is nearing the defeat of ISIS’ so-called physical caliphate in Iraq and Syria, terrorist operations elsewhere have increased, Mattis said, adding he’s seeking insight to further discussions.

“The [United States] remains committed to the conditions-based approach, underpinned by our shared investment in shared security, and the approach is reinforced by, with and through assistance from local partners to help consolidate our hard-earned military gains,” the secretary said. “Groups like ISIS cannot be allowed to exist. Today’s meeting provides an opportunity to recommit ourselves to this mission.” 

ISIS Contained In Syria, Changing Tactics, OIR Spokesman Says

Jim Garamone at the DoD News offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2018 — Iraqi security forces and Syrian Democratic Forces continue to contain Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters in areas of the middle Euphrates River valley, an Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman said yesterday.

Army Col. Ryan Dillon briefed reporters at the Pentagon from Baghdad and said that SDF forces, with coalition support, “continue to look for opportunities to exploit ISIS weaknesses and conduct strikes and attacks against these remaining terrorists.”

Syrian forces are continuing to secure areas they have liberated, especially in and around Raqqa, which was the capital of the self-proclaimed ISIS caliphate. Syrian internal security forces are removing thousands of improvised explosive devices and weapons caches the terror group planted, Dillon said.

Some Territory Under ISIS Control

ISIS does continue to control some territory, the colonel said. “These are near Hajin, which is along the Euphrates River north of Al Bukamal, and in Dashisha, near the Syria-Iraq border,” he said.

In Iraq, security and stability operations continue, and Iraqi security forces continue to search for ISIS terrorists. While ISIS has gone underground in an attempt to regroup, it is still a threat in the country, Dillon said.

“The ISF know their enemy. They know that they are a threat,” he said. “And they are planning and implementing security measures with coalition support in this critical period leading up to parliamentary elections in May.”

More Work Remains

More work remains to be done in Iraq, Dillon said, noting that ISIS is an adaptive and determined enemy. “The coalition remains focused on enhancing our Iraqi partners' capacity to sustain their operations and protect their citizens against these terrorists,” he added.

While ISIS has been expelled from most areas in eastern Syria, the terror group is changing and attacking pro-regime forces in the West.

“ISIS is starting to conduct more attacks on the west side of the Euphrates River outside of Abu Kamal against pro-regime forces,” the colonel said. “And then we've also seen … the retaking of neighborhoods in southern Damascus.

ISIS has been defeated militarily, Dillon said, but the group hasn’t given up. “Many have run … back into the desert areas and into these vast rural areas to hide and attempt to regroup,” he told reporters. “But that doesn't mean that they're exclusively just in these desert areas. Others have attempted to go back into and blend back in with population centers as well.”

This is why there is still a residual presence of the group in northern Syria, and Iraqi security forces continue to search for and arrest ISIS operatives on their territory, the colonel said.

Note: In the above U.S. Army photo taken by PFC Anthony Zendejas IV a soldier scans a sector of fire from a military fighting vehicle while escorting the United Kingdom Bridge Training Team to a bridge being built in Mosul, Iraq on March 21, 2018. The soldier, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, is assigned to the 4th Infantry regiment’s 2nd Battalion.  

Tomahawk Missile

The U.S. Navy released the above photo taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert S. Price of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross firing a tomahawk land attack missile while conducting naval operations in the Mediterranean Sea, April 7, 2017. 

Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook On Precision Airstrike Targeting Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani

The U.S. Defense Department released the below statement:

Today coalition forces conducted a precision strike near Al Bab, Syria, targeting Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani (seen in the above photo), one of ISIL's most senior leaders. We are still assessing the results of the strike, but Al-Adnani's removal from the battlefield would mark another significant blow to ISIL. Al-Adnani has served as principal architect of ISIL's external operations and as ISIL's chief spokesman. He has coordinated the movement of ISIL fighters, directly encouraged lone-wolf attacks on civilians and members of the military and actively recruited new ISIL members. The U.S. military will continue to prioritize and relentlessly target ISIL leaders and external plotters in order to defend our homeland, our allies and our partners, while we continue to gather momentum in destroying ISIL's parent tumor in Iraq and Syria and combat its metastases around the world. 

Information From Captured ISIL Leader Enables Counter-Chemical Strikes

Karen Parrish at the DoD News offers the below report:

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2016 — The U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has launched multiple airstrikes against the terrorist group’s chemical weapons capabilities, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook (seen in the above DoD photo) told reporters today.

Cook said the strikes were based, in part, on information provided by an ISIL captive.

During an operation in Iraq in February, Cook said, coalition forces captured Sulayman Dawud al-Bakkar, also known as Abu Dawud, ISIL's “emir” of chemical and traditional weapons manufacturing.

His capture removed a key ISIL leader from the battlefield and provided the coalition with important information about ISIL's chemical weapons facilities, production, and the people involved, the press secretary noted. Dawud was transferred earlier today into the custody of Iraq’s government, Cook added.

“We’re confident that the strikes that have been conducted have disrupted and degraded [ISIL’s] chemical weapons capabilities,” he said.

Chemical Strikes ‘Another Component’ of Campaign

While the chemical program may not have been “knocked out in full,” Cook said, “we feel confident that we’ve made a difference … and this information was very helpful in conducting these strikes.”
The information collected “will continue to inform our operations in the future,” the press secretary added.

Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve airstrikes have targeted ISIL units, equipment, oil refining and transport operations, cash collection centers and now chemical sites, he said.

“We feel good about what’s been accomplished here,” Cook said. “And … we’re not done.”
ISIL has shown its willingness to use chemical weapons, the press secretary said.


“We’ve seen their use demonstrated in Syria and Iraq,” he said, “and we’re going to continue to do everything we can, working with our coalition partners, and of course the Iraqi government as well, to try and address the use of these agents.”

Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman Updates Iraq, Syria Operations

Cheryl Pellerin at the DoD News offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON October 21, 2015 — Since operations began against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant targets in Syria and Iraq, the coalition has conducted 7,603 airstrikes, an Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman in Baghdad told Pentagon reporters today via video teleconference.

Army Col. Steve Warren said 4,933 of the strikes have taken place in Iraq, and 2,670 have been conducted in Syria.

In Iraq, Iraqi forces have regained most of the Beiji oil refinery and are clearing small pockets of enemy resistance, Warren said, noting that coalition forces have conducted four airstrikes in Beiji over the last week. The Iraqi air force has been flying in direct support of ground forces at Beiji, flying more than 40 missions over the last three days, he added.

“The ability of the Iraqi air force to fly close air support missions and support their own ground forces marks a key milestone … in capability that we are helping the Iraqi security forces develop,” Warren said.

Clearing IEDs

In Ramadi, Iraq is consolidating and reorganizing its security forces in preparation for continued offensive operations, he added, and Iraqi forces on the northern, southern and western axes are clearing improvised explosive devices in populated areas.

ISIL forces in Ramadi have conducted unsuccessful counterattacks in recent days, Warren said, including an attempted counterattack last night along the western access using three vehicle-borne bombs, indirect fire and a ground assault.

“Aided by coalition airstrikes, Iraqi security forces fought off these attacks, and in the process destroyed a command-and-control node, struck a [vehicle bomb] before the enemy was able to use it, and killed several enemy [fighters],” Warren said.

Syria Airstrikes

In northern Syria, the coalition conducted 15 airstrikes over the past eight days, focused mainly in Raqqa, Manjeb and Aleppo, the colonel said.

“Yesterday … we signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia regarding measures to minimize the risk of in-flight incidents” Warren added, in the airspace over Syria. The memorandum includes only safety protocols for aircrews he said. “We continue to believe that Russia's strategy in Syria is counterproductive and will exacerbate the instability there,” he added.

Warren said the coalition assesses that the Russians have conducted about 140 airstrikes clustered around Hama, Homs and Latakia.

“According to open-source reports, these strikes have displaced about 7,000 households, or 35,000 people,” he said.” [Most] of these people are believed to be moving to areas where humanitarian support is already strained due to overwhelming numbers.”

Civilian leaders from around the globe have called on Russia to cease its attacks and seek a political solution to the Syrian civil war, Warren said.

Targeting Infrastructure

Focusing on broader aspects of coalition air operations, Warren discussed airstrikes against ISIL munitions factories and the balance of activity on the battlefield.

Along with strikes against high-value targets, tactical operations in support of troops, and dynamic strikes when the coalition sees ISIL conducting operations, he said, “we’ve also got deliberate strikes targeting their infrastructure.”

During the last 45 days, the coalition has struck and destroyed 47 IED and vehicle-bomb factories and has struck 30 oil infrastructure targets, Warren said.

Enemy use of suicide vests and vehicle bombs is down 49 percent from a 12-week average, he added, and IED incidents are down 32 percent.

“The intent with the IED factory and oil targets is to pressure the funding and functioning of the ISIL war machine [by] getting at their industrial base,” Warren said.

Pressuring the Enemy

Warren also explained that the battlefield is more than individual fights.

“We've placed increased pressure on Beiji -- almost completed the Beiji operations … and continued pressure on Ramadi. Then we have pressure over in Syria from our Syrian-Arab coalition partners,” he said.

Such pressure on multiple points across the battlefield makes it necessary for the enemy to react and to move, Warren added.

“Because of the pressure we're placing in Ramadi and Beiji and Syria -- all that pressure is causing our enemy to have to move. And one of the places that we're seeing them move to is Sinjar,” he said, responding to a question about recent heavy airstrikes there.


“And as always,” Warren added, “when we see our enemy, we will kill them.”

Note: In the above U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephane Belcher an F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to the Red Rippers of Strike Fighter Squadron 11, prepares to launch off the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, Sept. 14, 2015. Theodore Roosevelt is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations supporting Operation Inherent Resolve strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed while conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the region.

You can click on the above photo to enlarge.

See Putin For Who He Is

Former secretary of state Condoleeza Rice and former secretary of defense Robert M. Gates offer a piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Russian leader Putin.

One can hear the disbelief in capitals from Washington to London to Berlin to Ankara and beyond. How can Vladimir Putin, with a sinking economy and a second-rate military, continually dictate the course of geopolitical events? Whether it's in Ukraine or Syria, the Russian president seems always to have the upper hand.

Sometimes the reaction is derision: This is a sign of weakness. Or smugness: He will regret the decision to intervene. Russia cannot possibly succeed. Or alarm: This will make an already bad situation worse. And, finally, resignation: Perhaps the Russians can be brought along to help stabilize the situation, and we could use help fighting the Islamic State.

The fact is that Putin is playing a weak hand extraordinarily well because he knows exactly what he wants to do. He is not stabilizing the situation according to our definition of stability. He is defending Russia's interests by keeping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power. This is not about the Islamic State. Any insurgent group that opposes Russian interests is a terrorist organization to Moscow. We saw this behavior in Ukraine, and now we're seeing it even more aggressively - with bombing runs and cruise missile strikes - in Syria. Putin is not a sentimental man, and if Assad becomes a liability, Putin will gladly move on to a substitute acceptable to Moscow. But for now, the Russians believe that they (and the Iranians) can save Assad.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20151015_See_Putin_for_who_he_is.html

Note: I covered the former defeense secretary for Counterterrorism magazine when he spoke at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.You can also read my piece on Robert Gates via the below link.

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2014/06/a-secretary-at-war-former-defense.html

The above photo of Putin was taken by www.kremlin.ru.

Good Shot: British SAS Sniper Took Out Islamic State Thug To Save Boy And Dad

Patrick Williams at the British newspaper The Daily Record offers a piece on a Brit SAS sniper saved a boy and his father from being executed by ISIS.

He killed the would-be executioner from a range of 1,000m with a head shot before taking out three other members of ISIS in Syria.

The father and his eight-year-old boy were just seconds from death after refusing to denounce their faith.

Both are Shia Muslims who ISIS regard as "infidels".

But the pair refused and were facing imminent death. 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/458253/SAS-sniper-kills-Isis-thug-executioner-save-boy-dad

Interpol: Islamic State Group Gains Support In Africa, Asia

Edith M. Lederer at the U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

United Nations (AP) -- A growing number of extremist groups from Africa to southeast Asia are shifting their allegiance to the Islamic State group, leading to greater risks for "cross-pollination" among conflicts beyond Syria and Iraq, the head of Interpol said Friday.

Jurgen Stock cited this shift as an emerging trend at a U.N. Security Council meeting along with changing travel methods being used by foreign fighters seeking to join groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida.

Stock was a keynote speaker at a meeting attended by half a dozen ministers including U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson to assess progress in implementing a U.S.-sponsored resolution adopted last September requiring all countries to prevent the recruitment and transport of would-be foreign fighters preparing to join extremist groups.

Johnson said the United States will be developing a new passenger data-screening and analysis system within the next 12 months which will be made available to the international community at no cost for both commercial and government organizations to use.

In a report obtained by The Associated Press on April 1, the panel of experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against al-Qaida said the number of fighters leaving home to join al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Iraq, Syria and other countries has spiked to more than 25,000 from over 100 nations. The panel said its analysis indicated the number of "foreign terrorist fighters" worldwide increased by 71 percent between mid-2014 and March 2015.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said most are young men motivated by extremist ideologies but he called for an examination of the reasons why more women and girls are joining the groups as well. He said he plans to present a plan of action to prevent violent extremism to the General Assembly later this year.

Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL Targets in Syria, Iraq

The U.S. Central Command released the below:

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 21, 2014 - U.S. military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria yesterday and today, using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct four airstrikes, U.S. Central Command officials reported.

Separately, officials added, U.S. and partner-nation forces conducted three airstrikes using fighter and attack aircraft against ISIL terrorists in Iraq. In Syria, four airstrikes near Kobani destroyed ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL building, and a large ISIL unit. In Iraq, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL fighting position south of the Bayji oil refinery.

Another airstrike southeast of Mosul Dam destroyed an ISIL fighting position, and an airstrike north of Fallujah suppressed an ISIL attack.

All aircraft exited the strike areas safely, officials said, and airstrike assessments are based on initial reports.

The U.S. strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the terrorist group ISIL and the threat they pose to Iraq, the region and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project power and conduct operations, Centcom officials said.

U.S. Military Conducts Airstrikes Against ISIL in Syria and Iraq

The U.S. Central Command released the below information:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2014 - U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria yesterday and today, using fighter aircraft to conduct three airstrikes.

Separately, in Iraq U.S. military forces used helicopters and attack, bomber, and fighter aircraft to conduct six airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq.

In Syria, one strike northwest of Al Mayadin destroyed an ISIL bulldozer, two ISIL tanks and destroyed another ISIL vehicle. Two strikes northwest of Ar Raqqah struck a large ISIL unit and destroyed six ISIL firing positions. To conduct these strikes, the U.S. employed fighter aircraft deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations. All aircraft departed the strike areas safely.

In Iraq, four strikes northeast of Fallujah struck two mortar teams, a large ISIL unit and two small ISIL units. One strike southeast of Hit destroyed two ISIL Humvees. One strike northeast of Sinjar destroyed an ISIL Humvee.

To conduct these strikes, the U.S. employed helicopters and attack, bomber, fighter aircraft deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations. All aircraft departed the strike areas safely.

Note: The above U.S. Air Force photo shows an Air Force KC-10 Extender in flight.

You can click on the photo to enlarge.

You can also read a Philadelphia Inquirer piece on the New Jersey base that supports the airstrikes in Iraq & Syria via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20141003_Massive_N_J__base_helps_Liberia_fight_Ebola__and_the_drive_against_ISIS.html

U.S. Faces Many Threats, Intelligence Chief Says

Claudette Roulo at the American Forces Press Service offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2014 - Never in his more than 50 years of intelligence experience has the nation been beset by more crises and threats from around the world than it now faces, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper (seen above in his official photo) said today during a House hearing on worldwide threats.

The long list of global threats includes terrorism, sectarian violence and radical extremism, Clapper said.

"And there are many other crises and threats around the globe," he added, "to include the spillover of the Syria conflict into neighboring Lebanon and Iraq, the destabilizing flood of refugees in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon — now about 2.5 million people, essentially one of the largest humanitarian disasters in a decade."

Adding to the list of threats, Clapper said, are the implications of the drawdown in Afghanistan, the deteriorating internal security posture in Iraq, the growth of foreign cyber capabilities, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, aggressive nation-state intelligence efforts against the United States, an assertive Russia, a competitive China, a dangerous and unpredictable North Korea, a challenging Iran, the lingering ethnic divisions in the Balkans, and perpetual conflict and extremism throughout Africa.

"I could go on with this litany, but suffice to say that we live in a complex, dangerous world," he said.

The intelligence community also is threatened by the fallout from leaks by former contract employee Edward Snowden, Clapper said. Though he didn't want to dwell on the debate about Snowden's motives, he added, he did want to address the damage caused by his disclosures.

"As a consequence, in my view, this nation is less safe and its people less secure," he said. "What Snowden has stolen and exposed has gone way, way beyond his professed concerns with so-called domestic surveillance programs. As a result, we've lost critical foreign intelligence collections sources, including some shared with us by valued partners."

The leaks have provided terrorists and other adversaries insight into U.S. intelligence sources, methods and tradecraft, Clapper said. "And the insights that they are gaining are making our jobs much, much harder," he added.

"The stark consequences of this perfect storm are plainly evident," he said. "The intelligence community is going to have less capacity to protect our nation and its allies than we've had."

But if it's necessary to operate with reduced capabilities to restore the faith and confidence of the American people and their elected representatives, Clapper said, "then we in the intelligence community will work as hard as we can to meet the expectations before us."

The major lesson for the intelligence community from the revelations by Snowden and other leakers is that the community must lean in the direction of transparency wherever and whenever it can, he said. "With greater transparency about these intelligence programs, the American people may be more likely to accept them," Clapper noted.

President Barack Obama described the way forward for the intelligence community in a speech Jan. 14, and a new presidential directive, Clapper said. The major characteristic of this new direction is transparency, he said.

Clapper and Attorney General Eric H. Holder were ordered to conduct further declassification, to develop special protections under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act governing collection of non-U.S. persons overseas, to modify how telephone metadata is collected under Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, and to ensure more oversight of sensitive collection activities, he said.

"Through all of this, we must, and we will, sustain our professional tradecraft and integrity. We must continue to protect our sources and methods so that we can accomplish what we've always been chartered to do; to protect the lives of American citizens here and abroad to a myriad of threats," Clapper said.

Clapper was joined at the hearing by Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, Defense Intelligence Agency director, and Matthew G. Olsen, National Counterterrorism Center director.

Jay Leno On Syria

Jay Leno told a good one on the Tonight Show:

Syrian President Assad says he is turning over his chemical weapons because Russia asked him to, "not because of the U.S. threatening to bomb him."

Yeah, and Osama bin Laden is at the bottom of the ocean right now because he enjoys scuba diving.

Note: NBC is making a serious mistake in firing the "King of Late Night." 

Krauthammer: Russia 'Playing' U.S. With Syrian Proposal

POLITICO reports that Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer says the Russians are playing the U.S.

Charles Krauthammer said the Obama Administration was being played by the Russians, who seized the chance by Secretary of State John Kerry’s gaffe of calling any Syrian action “unbelievably small.”

“I think the Russians were playing chess here with a set of rank amateurs, [they] understood that that gaffe gave them the opening they wanted,” Krauthammer said Monday on Fox News’s “Special Report.” “There are two issues here — chemicals and the retaining in power of [Syrian President Bashar] Assad and of the Iran-Hezbollah-Assad-Russian axis dominating the region.”

“The Russians clearly, immediately saw that this enabled them to achieve their two objectives: keep Assad in power, after all, if we’re going to have these negotiations we have to essentially recognize that Assad has to go. He’s the guy that’s going to have to provide the protection for any inspectors, locate the sites, he’s going to have to be in there,” he added.

You can read the rest of the piece via th below link:

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/charles-krauthammer-syria-russia-96507.html?hp=l9

WMDs In Syria And Iraqi Irony

Victor Davis Hanson wrote an intersting piece for National Review Online about the chemical weapons in Syria that may in part have come from Iraq before the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Amid all the stories about the ongoing violence in Syria, the most disturbing is the possibility that President Bashar Assad could either deploy the arsenal of chemical and biological weapons that his government claims it has, or provide it to terrorists.

There are suggestions that at least some of Assad’s supposed stockpile may have come from Saddam Hussein’s frantic, eleventh-hour efforts in 2002 to hide his own arsenals of weapons of mass destruction in neighboring Syria. Various retired Iraqi military officers have alleged as much. Although the story was met with general neglect or scorn from the American media, the present U.S. director of national intelligence, James Clapper, long ago asserted his belief in such a weapons transfer.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/312299/iraqi-irony-victor-davis-hanson

Syria Murders Legendary American Journalist

Marie Colvin is not the first war correspondent to die in combat. Covering wars can be a dangerous occupation.

But the legendary American journalist (seen in the above photo), who was covering the revolt in Syria for London's Sunday Times, was reportedly targeted by the Syrian military of dictator Bashar al-Assad. She was murdered by shells aimed at the make-shift press center where Colvin operated in the City of Homs.

In my view, the U.S. should be assisting the rebels with arms, medical equipment and other logistics in their fight against Assad

You can read the New York Post report about Marie Colvin's murder via the below link:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/syria_slays_ny_journo_legend_zgOQoT4dOc5ED3Jaol81nN