President Obama on Thursday defended his administration‘s aggressive use of drone strikes in the war on terror, even as he announced steps that could reduce reliance on the program.
In a speech at the National Defense University in Washington, Obama said the U.S. drones program was legal and argued strikes had been effective in fighting extremists who launched the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.
“We are at war with an organization that right now would kill as many Americans as they could if we did not stop them first,” Obama said. “So this is a just war – a war waged proportionally, in last resort, and in self-defense.”
But Obama also announced he had approved and declassified a set of guidelines governing the use of drone strikes that would authorize a strike only when there is a “continuing and imminent threat” that other governments cannot address.
And he said the end of the war in Afghanistan and U.S. success in the fight against al Queda was likely to reduce the use of drones.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – With debate intensifying in the United States over the use of drone aircraft, the U.S. military said on Sunday that it had removed data about air strikes carried out by unmanned planes in Afghanistan from its monthly air power summaries.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Afghanistan war, said in a statement the data had been removed because it was “disproportionately focused” on the use of weapons by the remotely piloted aircraft as it was published only when strikes were carried out – which happened during only 3 percent of sorties. Most missions were for reconnaissance, it said.
U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration has increasingly used drones to target against al Qaeda-linked militants overseas.
Civilian casualties from drone strikes have raised ethical concerns and angered local populations, creating tension between the United States and Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Some U.S. lawmakers have also questioned the legality of targeted killings and whether drones would allow the killing of American citizens inside the United States.
Just when you thought this Drone debate couldn’t take any more twist and turns, you haven’t been paying attention to your United States Congress lately.
For 13-hours, Sen. Rand Paul babbled on and on about the Obama Administrations position on the Drone Program and its possible effects on the American citizens rights. Sen. Paul even placed actress Jane Fonda into the mix by stating Obama could even target her, given the fact that she once spoke out against the United States in the 1960’s during the Vietnam War. His publicity stunt was received glowingly by many of his Republican brothers and has been on every television news outlet, both cable and local.
But two of his colleagues were not amused.
Sen. John McCain and his tag team partner, Sen. Lindsey Graham weighed in on their fellow Senator’s Filibustering act in their session today, with not so flattering and outright disapproval of Paul’s ranting. Sen. McCain said;
“If Mr. Paul wants to be taken seriously, he needs to do more than pull political stunts that fire up impressionable libertarian kids in college dorms.”
McCain even called Paul’s assertions of the Drone Program, “unfounded”. Continuing, McCain added;
“To somehow say that someone who disagrees with American policy and even may demonstrate against it, is somehow a member of an organization which makes that individual an enemy combatant is simply false.”
Jane Fonda is now off the hit list. (Sign of relief from Ms. Fonda).
As Sen. McCain yielded to his partner, Sen. Graham took on Sen. Paul with an awesome display of, well, let’s just say, verbal corporal punishment. He began his speech with the normal rhetoric of downing the Presidents agendas including Obamacare but then, he did a complete 180 degree turn, comparing of all people, President Bush’s drone program in taking out the ‘enemy’. He stated that President Obama’s approach is completely parallel to his predecessor. Graham politely challenged the room by stating, “To my Republican colleagues, I don’t remember any of you coming down here suggesting that President Bush was going to kill anybody with a drone, do you?” Graham said. “They had a drone program back then, all of a sudden this drone program has gotten every Republican so spun up. What are we up to here?”
Ok, after I picked myself up from off the floor, shook my head to get the cobwebs out and did a double-take to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, I actually applauded Sen. Graham for his boldness in setting Paul and the rest of his Party straight. For a brief moment, we actually witnessed bipartisanship and it was beautiful.
Senator Paul has been on Fox News often, spreading so much far-right wing stench, that it was nauseating. And yesterday, for 13-hours, I believe he thought he was going to score party points and justify his ‘position’ in the Grand Old Party. Well this time, it may have backfired. It was great to see Senior Senators of his party stand up in support of the President for once, and gave Paul a Public Butt Kicking.
Well deserved, well said and long overdue. Oh, and Sen. Paul, this Too will be Televised.
Stand by Ted Cruz. After Paul shellacking, you’re on notice.
It appears the debate on Drone attacks are really beginning to heat up, but not where you’d expect. No, not internationally, but domestically… right here in the Good ol’ US of A. Now before you get all flustered and began pulling out the ‘registered’ Oozy’s you just purchased at your friendly neighborhood gun show, listen to what the Attorney General of the United States had to say.
Eric Holder
Attorney General Eric Holder said in a press conference on Tuesday that he could see Drone attacks taking place on U.S. soil one day. In fact, he said;
“It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States, for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States. For example, the President could conceivably have no choice but to authorize the military to use such force if necessary to protect the homeland in the circumstances of a catastrophic attack like the ones suffered on December 7, 1941, and September 11, 2001. The question you have posed is entirely hypothetical, unlikely to occur, and one we hope no President will ever have to confront.”
Rand Paul
Of course, this has riled some feathers, especially from Tea Party Extraordinaire, Rep. Rand Paul. In an interview with the beloved, Fox News, Paul stated;
“The thing about the drone strike program is we’re not talking about someone’s actively attacking America — we’re not talking about planes flying into the World Trade Center. What we’re talking about is you’re eating dinner in your house, you’re eating at a café or you’re walking down the road.”
The two instances Attorney General Holder spoke of were the most dastardly and atrocious attacks on the United States. And let’s not forget about the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma that took place in April of 1995 where 168 innocent people were killed. That was a homegrown attack, cowardly planned and executed by an American. An unimaginable crime against our own people, American citizens. Americans who went to work as they always did on a seemingly, routine day. Some dropped off their kids in a daycare in the same building that was attacked. A routine, uneventful day that was just like a day in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 or in New York City on September 11, 2001. They all turned out to be anything but routine.
Here’s my take.
The dynamics have changed. The game has changed. Warfare has changed. I know we are Americans and living on American soil but, as an American, don’t we and shouldn’t we have the right to live in our own country, free from fear? A fear that may one day be generated by one of our very own Citizens that have nothing but terror and terrorism in their heart, like the cowards that attacked the Federal Building in Oklahoma.
The last thing I’d want is for Drones to be used here in America, BUT, if there is a known threat to my family, friends and loved ones, “Drone the H*ll out of Them!”
This shouldn’t be a Debate. IF the public is at risk from a “known” terrorist – American or otherwise – I believe the Government, the President, the Military should use any means necessary to eliminate that threat. So, if that means drones in the United States, So Be It.
What can possibly be behind college kids giving up pizzas and bagels? A gluten intolerance. Gluten is a protein that’s found in wheat, rye and barley and used in baked goods like bread and pastries to give them strength and consistency. More than 110,000 Americans a year are diagnosed with the intolerance, marching alongside the legions of the lactose intolerant. I’ve been inducted into both armies. Back in the day I was a milk and cereal eating, whole wheat bread sandwich making machine until I began suffering from the bloating and cramps from cow’s milk and the itchies from eating wheat products. I had to look for alternatives to my two favorite, and previously considered healthful, food staples. I’ve heard Ms. Diet herself, Oprah Winfrey often goes on a 21-day colon cleansing eliminating, among other evils — glutens from her diet. And I would too if I had gourmet chefs stockpiling my pantry with delicious gluten-free cakes and cookies! To replace milk, I’ve opted for soy milk (Silk is my favorite!) But my search for a sandwich bread replacement hasn’t been as fruitful. Right now I’m trying Udi’s Gluten Free Millet-Chia Bread. Millet is a good grain because its packed with protein, fiber and B Vitamins. However this bread is a bit dry, hard and crunchy for me, so the search continues. Gluten is also trigger for the disease celiac, which wreaks havoc on your digestive system. Some of the symptoms of celiac are listed below, so If you do eat a lot of gluten rich foods and have these symptoms, please check with your doctor:
Anaemia
Abnormal stools
Bloating
Muscle wasting
Poor muscle tone
Low appetite
Irritability
weight loss
Diarrhea ♦
An Open Letter to Chris Brown & Rhianna: Is there such a thing as glamorizing physical abuse? I think so, especially when you have two beautiful, young and talented recording artists, who say they’re in love, while re-enacting scenes from ‘Fight Club’in the front seat of your Lamborghini. Yeah, I’m talking to you two, Rhianna and Chris, and I’ll keep this short and sweet because nobody likes a lecture. Both of you are so young, impressionable and malleable and we worry about what will happen to you in that all-encompassing Land of Oz Music Industry you’ve both decided to be in. And hey, we realize you both believe that its nobody’s business but your own if the two of you wish to remain together. And you’d be absolutely right, if it weren’t for the fact that you two shine bright like diamonds in the eyes of hundreds of thousands of young, impressionable and malleable boys and girls out here who want nothing more in Life than to be…Just…Like…You. I’m just saying. Love, Your Auntie, Miss Amy♦
On Wednesday police arrested a Bronx man and his friend in connection with the death of his mother, whose dismembered body was found in trash bags the day before. Investigators believe the woman was dismembered inside her East 158th Street apartment in the St. Mary’s Park Houses complex. The woman’s name was Tanya Bird. She was 45 y.o. and a mother of three. One of those three children, her son who stabbed and dismembered her, is Bashid McLean, 23, y. o. He is being charged with second-degree murder.
“They say that heaven is 10 zillion light years away. And just the pure at heart will walk her righteous streets someday. They say that heaven is 10 zillion light years away. But if there is a God, we need Him now. “Where is your God?” That’s what my friends ask me. And I say it’s taken Him so long, ’cause we’ve got so far to come”‘Heaven Is One Zillion Light Years Away’ by Stevie Wonder...♦
Everything you may need to start knowing about Drones: Part 3 (One more after this because quite frankly, I’m tired of blogging about killing.) In Battle The only thing better than having a robotic airplane assist forces in making decisions about how to fight a battle is to have a robotic airplane actually fight the battle for you. That is where the Predator UAV MQ-1 Hunter/Killer comes into play. Replacing the camera array with the Multispectral Targeting System (MTS) and loading the Predator with two Hellfire missiles transforms this battlefield spotter into a deadly automated combatant. The ‘M’ in MQ-1 is the Defense Department designation for multipurpose aircraft; by adding the MTS and Hellfire missiles to the Predator, it truly becomes a multifunctional battle aircraft. The MTS includes the AGM-114 Hellfire missile targeting system, electro-optical infrared system, laser designator, and laser illuminator. All of these components give the Predator and its operators multiple ways to acquire a target in any combat environment. The Predator fires a laser or infrared beam from the MTS ball located near the nose of the plane. This laser can be used in two ways:
The beam lands on the target and pulses to attract the laser seekers at the end of each Hellfire missile.
The on-board computer uses the beam to makes calculations about trajectory and distance.
Sensors bundled in the MTS also calculate wind speed, direction, and other battlefield variables to gather all of this data into a firing solution. This process is known as “painting the target.” Once a target is painted, the MQ-1 can unleash its own missiles to destroy the target or send the firing solution to other aircraft or ground forces so they can destroy it. ♦ h/t HowStuffWorks
Former U.S. Surgeon General under Ronald Reagan, C. Everett Koop passed away Monday at 96 y.o. I always felt he was one of the most vocal, concerned SGs this country has had in a while. Bet you can’t even name our present SG. Me either. I’ll google it after I finish this little memorial…I remember when Mr.Koop first got my attention as he began regularly sporting that immaculate, crisp, white uniform and the gold-braided dark-blue uniform of a vice admiral, a practice he himself revived (I’ve always loved a man in uniform lol). I was transfixed as I watched his salt and pepper, biblical beard rapidly moving up and down as he raged against the tobacco industry during news interviews regarding his anti-smoking campaign “A Smoke-Free Society by the Year 2000″. He didn’t make any friends of the lawmakers who made big money catering to the tobacco lobbyists. He was an advocate for a strong Aids Awareness program and privacy for Aids victims, and although personally against abortion, Koop did not use his office to dictate to women, what should be their choice as to whether or not to have one. Lost a lot of Repub allies over that one too! God Speed C. Everett Koop, a man of conscience, courage and conviction. Don’t see that too much these days in political figures. ♦
The Cannibal Cop‘s got his wife crying in court over the fact that she found out he had intentions of eating her too!–and not in the fun way either. The attorneys for Gilberto Valle, 28, a New York City policeman accused of conspiring to kidnap and eventually eat women, argued in his defense saying Valle just has a little fetish and was only fantasizing, nothing to take seriously, although investigators turned up a shopping list of 100 women who he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into. Valle’s estranged wife, Kathleen Mangan testified to fleeing from their home last year after finding “disturbing material” on her hubby’s computer. I’m sure disturbing was putting it mildly. ♦
Will we begin to hear talk from the White House once again on the prosecution of Dick Cheney and GW Bush, now that’s its been proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were in involved in the fabrication of the whole WOMD-War-On-Terrorism-Saddam-Hussein-was-involved-with-911-search-and-capture-of-Osama-Bin-Laden thing, thanks to Rachel Maddow‘s excellent documentary ‘Hubris’? I know one thing’s for sure. All the conspiratorial inferences and cover-up accusations aimed at Hillary Clinton and Ambassador Susan Rice concerning the Benghazi incident, and the litany of bullshit condemnations, indignation and stonewalling on the part of the Republicans during Chuck Hagel‘s confirmation hearings, was just an attempt to get as much spin as possible on their ‘alternate universe conspiracies’ before ‘Hubris’ hit the fan. Guess they thought creating an atmosphere of doubt over President Obama‘s Administration would distract us from the dishonorable Bush presidency. I know the saying goes ‘nothing beats a failure but a try’…but not in this case boys. ♦
Everything you may need to start knowing about Drones: Part I
As an aircraft, the Predator UAV is little more than a super-fancy remote-controlled plane. But this simple design lends itself well to the Predator’s intended functions. Below you can see the placement of components:
According to this report, Drones are already being used to find former LAPD officer and accused killer, Christopher Dorner.
A senior police source said: “The thermal imaging cameras the drones use may be our only hope of finding him. On the ground, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Asked directly if drones have already been deployed, Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz, who is jointly leading the task force, said: “We are using all the tools at our disposal.”
The use of drones was later confirmed by Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Ralph DeSio, who revealed agents have been prepared for Dorner to make a dash for the Mexican border since his rampage began.
He said: “This agency has been at the forefront of domestic use of drones by law enforcement. That’s all I can say at the moment.”
Dorner, who was fired from the LAPD in 2008 for lying about a fellow officer he accused of misconduct, has vowed to wreak revenge by “killing officers and their families”.
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