Overkill

Brainwashing US senators, isn't that an oxymoron?

The U.S. Army illegally ordered a team of soldiers specializing in "psychological operations" to manipulate visiting American senators into providing more troops and funding for the war, Rolling Stone has learned – and when an officer tried to stop the operation, he was railroaded by military investigators.

This guy's brain was already so clean it could have been washed with Tide:

Eek! A Saudi!

Obviously, a fiendish mastermind of terror:

Frustrated by his inability to obtain the chemicals, Aldawsari canceled the order and later e-mailed himself instructions for producing phenol.
The affidavit alleges that Aldawsari also e-mailed himself instructions on how to convert a cellular phone into a remote detonator and how to prepare a booby-trapped vehicle using items available in every home. One email allegedly contained a message stating that "one operation in the land of the infidels is equal to 10 operations against occupying forces in the land of the Muslims."
During December 2010 and January 2011, Aldawsari allegedly purchased many other items, including a gas mask, a hazardous materials suit, a soldering iron kit, glass beakers and flasks, wiring, a stun gun, clocks and a battery tester.
Authorities said Aldawsari described his desire for violent jihad and martyrdom in blog postings, using the online user name "fromfaraway90." He expressed dissatisfaction with the current condition of Muslims, lamenting what he viewed as their passivity and pacifism, according to the affidavit.

 Why didn't he just walk up to the White House with an 'I am a terrorist' t-shirt on and a gun in his waistband?

Note also, with all the high-tech spying stuff that costs billions, how he came to the attention of the FBI:

Aldawsari's alleged plan first came to the attention of authorities only three weeks ago, on January 30, when a chemical supplier in Burlington, North Carolina, reported to police that Aldawsari had attempted the "suspicious" purchase of a chemical, according to the affidavit. The toxic chemical -- phenol -- can be used in making the explosive trinitrophenol, also known as TNP or picric acid.

Quite a fairy tale they're spinning here.

UPDATE: emptywheel points out that Aldawsari fits in perfectly with the 'lone wolf' part of the PATRIOT act that is due for debate in Congress.

More good friends

(h/t China Matters)

Blast from the past

Berlusconi and Gaddafi, June 2009

Gotta love it

From Mother Jones:

One World, One Pain.
Amen, brother.
(h/t Lenin's Tomb)

Droning on Pakistan

MK Bhadrakumar at the Asia Times, and b at Moon of Alabama do some speculating about just who Raymond Davis is. If you've been obsessing on Egypt, you might have missed the curious case where Davis, a US 'diplomat', gunned down two men on a motorcycle, and claimed they were robbers. He was arrested and is in a jail in Pakistan.

As Bhadrakumar points out, the normal path in resolving issues of diplomatic immunity is quiet negotiation, instead the US, led by Hillary Clinton, proceeded immediately to snubs and threats, all done in the most public way. It would be logical to attribute that to the arrogant stupidity that has become the hallmark of the Clinton State Department, but this case might have other motives.

Bhadrakumar speculates:

So, what did Davis do for a living? From the adamant fashion in which Islamabad (despite being highly vulnerable to US aid cutoff) is reacting, it seems it has no real choices in the matter. This seems to be a situation in which, as someone once said, you only live once.

The heart of the matter is that Pakistan has been wondering for a long time who it is who could be instigating the so-called "Pakistani Taliban" to inflict such bloody wounds on the Pakistani military and weaken and incrementally destabilize the Pakistani state.

On the other hand, b points out that since Davis's arrest, there have been no drone strikes in Pakistan. That's a very interesting fact, and one that doesn't necessarily contradict the other supposition.


Senator Kerry is now on the case, and even Obama is issuing public statements so it's fair to say that Davis and what he knows and might say are of grave concern.

It's hard to believe that Pakistan will not end up releasing Davis, but the delaying tactics are undoubtedly useful in completing his interrogation and in verifying what he says. Once he's squeezed dry, he might be exchanged for Aafia Siddiqui, so then everyone will be happy.

UPDATE: Obama's comment:

“For those who aren’t familiar with the background on this, a couple of Pakistanis were killed in an incident between Mr. Davis within Pakistan,” Obama said. “So, obviously, we’re concerned about the loss of life. You know, we’re not callous about that. But there’s a broader principle at stake that I think we have to uphold.”

What a vile little man.

Arizona

Too dumb for that job

Sometimes saying true things makes you sound like a fool:

Why can't the US legalize drugs? There’s ‘too much money in it,’ Clinton says

She has no business being the Secretary of State. Better make her the President!

The mind boggles

They are at it again, that merry crew of Obama, Biden, Clinton, et. al.

There is no level of incompetence, it seems, that will not be yet again surpassed by the Obama administration.

They send a 'special envoy', Frank Wisner, to Cairo to meet with Mubarak. After Obama says Mubarak must go, Wisner says he must stay. After that, an official claim that Wisner was speaking as a 'private citizen'.

Do you think the Egyptians are confused?
(h/t Friday Lunch Club)

UPDATE: more mind boggling...

A spokesman for the State Department said he "presumed" Mrs Clinton knew of Mr Wisner's employment by Patton Boggs and the firm's links with the Mubarak government, but refused to comment on any conflict of interest for the envoy. A spokesman for Patton Boggs could not be reached yesterday.

 (once again h/t Friday Lunch Club)

Winds of change

Mubarak is toast, unless he is willing to defy his supreme lord poobah, Barack Hussein Obama. And with a middle name like that, how could he dare?

The VP just put in place, a CIA stooge, is ready to take up the helm and look out for his bosses interests if the Rais starts acting uppity. That is possible, thirty years of being a dictator might twist one's sense of reality enough to make some bad decisions seem attractive.

VP Suleiman just might have to take Mubarak out if that's the case.

The US now has two big problems:
1. Calm down Egypt before civil war erupts
2. Stop the bleeding in the Middle East, Jordan is as shaky as Egypt.

After Stonewall Bush, Little Miss Bo Peep Obama must really mystify US allies and enemies. A hegemon that doesn't know its ass from a hole in the ground is a big danger, and we can expect shit to be flying from all quarters.