Michael Yon jumps the shark?

Seems so. (H/T Ace)

…and the MilBloggers are not happy….

Those talking about are…:

Greyhawk I & II

McChrystal’s crew has declared an information war on me. No complaints here. McChrystal’s attention is welcome. It indicates that my posts have hit steel further underlines that McChrystal is over his head. If McChrystal knew what he was doing, he would not be drawing attention to his staff. Will provide compelling… evidence in due course. Some of the officers on McChrystal’s staff are my biggest helpers.

Moonbat disorder, such a tragic illness. 🙄

Is that taliban ready for peace? Not so fast.

Oops.

Via the Times of London:

The supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, has indicated that he and his followers may be willing to hold peace talks with western politicians.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, two of the movement’s senior Islamic scholars have relayed a message from the Quetta shura, the Taliban’s ruling council, that Mullah Omar no longer aims to rule Afghanistan. They said he was prepared to engage in “sincere and honest” talks.

A senior US military source said the remarks reflected a growing belief that a “breakthrough” was possible. “There is evidence from many intelligence sources [that] the Taliban are ready for some kind of peace process,” the source said.

At a meeting held at night deep inside Taliban-controlled territory, the Taliban leaders told this newspaper that their military campaign had only three objectives: the return of sharia (Islamic law), the expulsion of foreigners and the restoration of security.

“[Mullah Omar] is no longer interested in being involved in politics or government,” said Mullah “Abdul Rashid”, the elder of the two commanders, who used a pseudonym to protect his identity.

“All the mujaheddin seek is to expel the foreigners, these invaders, from our country and then to repair the country’s constitution. We are not interested in running the country as long as these things are achieved.”

There’s only one little problem, the Taliban’s big cheese says, “Not so fast….”

Via The Long War Journal: (H/T Jawa Report) (Original Here)

(Theunjustmedia:) My question is did this interview with The Sunday Times and The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan senior Islamic scholars took place?

Zabihullah Mujahid: No, no interview has been conducted with the The Sunday Times and The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan senior Islamic scholars, this interview is a lie.

Theunjustmedia: How do you comment on the content of this fake propaganda interview, what objectives could the invaders have in propagating this type of disinformation among the masses.

Zabihullah Mujahid: This is a good question, and I think that the concern citizens of the world should be asking this question from those who are behind this propaganda, what benefits are they trying to seek by lying to world about The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. I think people should contact The Sunday Times and ask them why are they spreading disinformation, also other media outlets should bring to light The Sunday Times deception to its reads.

It is obvious that the Taliban is not interested in working with the United States and is still interested in protecting, supporting and bringing comfort to Al-Qaeda. Nothing has changed and because of that, the United States will continue to hunt them down and kill them. This should be a glaring example to ALL Democrats and those on the far left, that you cannot negotiate with terrorists, ever. The only solution is to hunt them down and get rid of them, by the end of a gun or other such piece of artillery.

Until the Libertarians, Far leftists, and Democratic Party supporting liberals figure that out. We will have nothing to discuss.

NEXT!

UPDATED: Once again, AllahPundit is the voice of sanity on the right

First off, what AllahPundit is griping about is this:

In response to this, AllahPundit politely objects:

“When conflicts break out, one way or another, we get pulled into them.” True enough, and I don’t always “like” that we’re pulled into them. For example, I don’t “like” the fact that we have 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as cannon fodder in case the lunatic to the north ever attacks Seoul. But I accept it because I understand it’s an effective deterrent that saves millions of lives. I don’t “like” the fact that we’re forced to take the lead on Iran even though their military capabilities are more of an immediate threat to Europe and the Sunnis, but I accept it because the stick we wield is so much bigger than everyone else’s that we’re most likely to bring them to heel. I don’t “like” the fact that American troops have spent the past seven years dodging — and, sometimes, not dodging — IEDs in Iraq, but I accept it because I think having a democracy in the region will eventually put pressure on local autocrats to liberalize and held deflate jihadism. Disagree with my position on any or all of those if you like, but I don’t see how it’s controversial or demeaning to suggest that the world’s policeman, like any policeman, doesn’t always enjoy his job. In fact, less than six months ago, Pew found for the first time in 45 years that those who believe the U.S. should mind its own business abroad outnumber those who don’t. I think that isolationist impulse is nutty and a de facto invitation to malign powers to expand their influence, but then so does The One — which, I take it, is why he ordered the surge in Afghanistan, is going slow on withdrawal from Iraq, is stepping up drone attacks in Pakistan, and is keeping the troops in Korea and elsewhere in place.

via Hot Air » Blog Archive » Obama’s getting a bad rap on the “superpower” comment.

I give AP credit; he is absolutely right. Sometimes, it just sucks to have to be the leader of the free world. I mean, the United States, not Obama. This is filed under the “Stuck on Stupid” business, that my Blog’s subtitle refers to. Unfortunately, on the far right; there is this effort, a foolhardy one, but none the less, an effort; to castigate President Obama —- No matter what he does. I refer to it as that “Sean Hannity bullcrap.” I mean, I respect Hannity, most of the time. But I cannot stand watching that show; because all his show is about — is bashing Obama, no matter what he does.

I mean, say what you want, but, Obama might be a socialist, Obama might be a wealth redistributor; but, like it or not, Obama does have his rather pointed head on straight when it comes to Foreign Policy and when it comes to Islamic Terrorism. I mean, as AP alluded to in his article, the President could be like Ron Paul. (Shudder!) I am; as I am sure AP is, very grateful that President Obama has his head on straight about the middle east and the danger that Islamic Terrorism poses for this Nation. President Obama might not handle things the way that Bush did; but this does not mean that he does not see and want to deal with the danger.

For this, I am willing to give President Obama a pass in this department. But, only in this department.

Another thing I will say is this; where I see the most Anti-Obama rhetoric, when it comes to terrorism, is from certain protected ethnic classes on the right. (I think you can figure out, what I mean….) This, I believe is fueled by this idiotic notion, that Obama is some sort of secret Muslim. This sort of thing is, in this white man’s opinion, absolutely idiotic. I mean, how ironic is it, that the same class of people, who were subjected to horrific atrocities by a German madman, are now themselves engaging in the same bigoted behavior? Quite, I would say. I will not mention any names, but I think you can guess to which players I allude.

Again, just more of that stuck on stupid, that I refer to…

Thanks to AP for, once again, being “The skinny guy, at fat camp.”

Update: There’s always a smart ass in the crowd. 😉

Movie: Just in case anyone has forgotten

Just remember, Ron Paul believes in negotiating with these bastards. Therefore, he is a terrorist supporter. So are Democrats.

President Limits Nuke Usage

I have mixed feelings about this, I will explain after the quote:

Via the NYT:

President Obama said Monday that he was revamping American nuclear strategy to substantially narrow the conditions under which the United States would use nuclear weapons.

But the president said in an interview that he was carving out an exception for “outliers like Iran and North Korea” that have violated or renounced the main treaty to halt nuclear proliferation.

Discussing his approach to nuclear security the day before formally releasing his new strategy, Mr. Obama described his policy as part of a broader effort to edge the world toward making nuclear weapons obsolete, and to create incentives for countries to give up any nuclear ambitions. To set an example, the new strategy renounces the development of any new nuclear weapons, overruling the initial position of his own defense secretary.

Mr. Obama’s strategy is a sharp shift from those of his predecessors and seeks to revamp the nation’s nuclear posture for a new age in which rogue states and terrorist organizations are greater threats than traditional powers like Russia and China.

It eliminates much of the ambiguity that has deliberately existed in American nuclear policy since the opening days of the cold war. For the first time, the United States is explicitly committing not to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons or launched a crippling cyberattack.

Those threats, Mr. Obama argued, could be deterred with “a series of graded options,” a combination of old and new conventional weapons. “I’m going to preserve all the tools that are necessary in order to make sure that the American people are safe and secure,” he said in the interview in the Oval Office.

As I said above, I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, the idea of America being stoked to the hilt with Nukes on a hair trigger is not my idea of a good time. On the other hand, the idea of the United States not being able to defend itself is not a very comforting thought. Because I am not a partisan blogger, I will simply say this; I believe Obama is trying to strike a balance and trying to keep all parties happy. Which is not easy, when the people you are trying to make happy are not your biggest fans. Either way, it has to be a tough order.

Other Bloggers from ALL sides on this: Political Punch, CBS News, Ben Smith’s Blog, Power Line, The Corner on National …, Beltway Confidential, The Caucus, PoliBlog, Commentary, ATTACKERMAN, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Jihad Watch, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Independent, Fausta’s Blog, Hot Air, Pajamas Media, Scared Monkeys, Atlas Shrugs, Liberty Pundits dot net, Another Black Conservative, The Confluence, The Moderate Voice, The Atlantic Online, Israel Matzav, Guardian, News Hounds, Don Surber, YID With LID, Pundit & Pundette, The American Pundit, Alan Colmes’ Liberaland, The Page, And So it Goes in Shreveport, The Anchoress, The Lonely Conservative, JammieWearingFool, Gawker and Riehl World View

Is the Afghanistan/Pakistan mission unraveling?

It seems that way. 🙁

The Story via Stratfor.com:

Three explosions, two rocket attacks and subsequent gunfire have been reported in the near vicinity of the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 5. The attack occurred early afternoon local time when the consulate would have been full of both American and local employees. The death toll is reported at 36 but is expected to rise.

There are no assessments yet of the damage that the consulate building has sustained, but reports indicate that the explosions led to the collapse of other, adjacent buildings. Pakistani soldiers are also reported to be engaging militants in gunfire, indicating that militants are actively engaged in an attack near the area — possibly with the intention of breaching the U.S. Consulate.

[….]

UPDATE:

One attacker was able to blow up in the U.S. Consulate premises, AAJ TV reported April 5. The front side of the U.S. Consulate has been totally destroyed. Reports indicate that seven or eight security personnel in the consulate are dead. The consulate’s communication system is down.

Many people are wondering why this has happened. I think I know why. It could very well be because of this here:

The Story via Washington Post:

KABUL — President Obama’s visit to Kabul last week, intended in part to forge a closer working relationship with President Hamid Karzai, has helped produce the opposite: an angry Afghan leader now attacking the West for what he perceives as an effort to manipulate him and weaken his rule.

Karzai’s relationship with his U.S. backers in the past week has taken a sharp turn for the worse after his two anti-Western speeches in three days, remarks that some officials see as a rehearsed, intentional move away from the United States.

In remarks to parliament members Saturday, Karzai said that if foreign interference in his government continues, the Taliban would become a legitimate resistance — one that he might even join, according to lawmakers present.

“When I heard Karzai’s remarks, it really shocked me. It scared me,” a senior Afghan official who works closely with Karzai said. “We should not take this lightly. This is a golden opportunity to have the West here; we can’t squander it.”

Karzai’s comments have angered U.S. officials and some of his prominent Afghan colleagues in the government, who fear he is jeopardizing international funding and military support because his pride has been injured.

“That guy’s erratic, he’s unpredictable. I don’t get him,” said a senior U.S. military official in Kabul.

However, if you read a little deeper, you will see this:

But the next day, Karzai told a gathering of lawmakers that foreign interference fuels the insurgency. One lawmaker said Karzai made the point that if he is compelled to obey foreigners, “I’ll join the Taliban.”

“I know he’s cooperating with the U.S., but he just wants to give us a wrong perception. He’s trying to prove himself as a hero, a nationalist,” the lawmaker said.

Some of the presidents’ supporters said that people overreacted to the statements, and that Karzai is well aware of how reliant he is on the United States and other countries fighting in Afghanistan. The United States pours billions of dollars monthly into Afghanistan, and 30,000 new troops are arriving to fight the Taliban.

Speaking at a meeting of about 1,200 tribal leaders and local officials in the southern city of Kandahar on Sunday, Karzai again suggested that U.S. pressure is counterproductive.

“Afghanistan will be fixed when its people trust that their president is independent and not a puppet,” he said. “We have to demonstrate our sovereignty. We have to demonstrate that we are standing up for our values.”

I think this guy needs to make up his mind. Trying to play to his people and be friends with the west is not going to work. The United States of America is NOT interested in owning that Country, no more than it is interested in owning Iraq. We are, or at least we were, there to get rid of Al-Qaeda terrorists who wanted to attack and destroy America. It seems that our focus is shifting and we are now trying to play “Paddy Cake” with Afgan Leaders who want to be friendly with the the U.S. and the Taliban. The President of the United States needs to firm with Karzai, and tell him either choose the Taliban and possibly being killed by the United States in military action or choose true freedom and democracy. You cannot have it both ways, terrorism and democracy cannot co-exist.

Just a personal aside, I had a sinking feeling that this sort of a thing would happen, if we elected a Democrat for a President. For all of his failings, for all of the stuff that I did not like about him; George W. Bush knew exactly how to deal with these sorts of things. He was seen by the Afghan people and the Iraqis as a firm strong leader, who was willing to risk it all to stand against terrorism, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. President Obama just does not have that same stance. President Obama and by default, the Democrats see terrorism as a juvenile criminal behavior; and it is not; it is a war against freedom and democracy in the name of a backward and dangerous religion.

I guess the only hope at this point is that Obama realizes what he is dealing with here and changes his focus. However, I just do not see that happening at all. Needless to say, the next year few years is going to be interesting, when it comes to the war on terror and this entire situation.

UPDATED – Local News: FBI Raids Christian Militia-related group in MI, OH and IN

I am sure you all know about the story, that the FBI has conducted some raids on a Militia-related group here in Michigan and also in Indiana, and Ohio.

Here is what I know so far. It is not the Michigan Militia, as it was reported by the Lame Stream Media in Detroit. However, it was a group by the name of Hutaree; here is their website and their forum.

I should be clear here; from what I have been able to figure out, Hutaree and the Michigan Militia are simply friends and have worked together on projects. There is no formal relationship between the two groups. Something that the Main Stream Liberal media here has not attempted to figure out.

Fox News is reporting that the raids were related to the making and selling of pipe bombs; which are very highly illegal.

I have reached out to the members of Hutaree via their forum, for their side of the story and I have also contacted the Michigan Militia via e-mail to see what is going on. I believe as a citizen journalist, that it is my responsibility to get the facts and not stick to the stupid liberal narrative parroted by the lame stream media; like those at WXYZ-TV.

If and when I hear back from either group, I will update this posting.

Stay Tuned.

Update:

I just got off the phone a very well placed source within the Michigan Militia. There is much more to this story than is being reported. First off, the pipe bomb story, is basically either false or only a small part of the story.

The group Hutaree, which has absolutely no connection to the Michigan Militia at all, has gotten into some serious trouble. From what my source has told me, this group was supposedly making threats towards Islamic groups. How they were being made was not told to me. But from what I have been told, Hutaree was, from what my source described, as “on a mission from God”. The beliefs of this group, which are on its website, are pretty radical. What brought the Federal Government action was unspecified to me, but supposedly specific terrorist threats towards Muslims were reported. Update: This info is now known as being wrong. See here for what really is going down

I also was told by this source, that the leader of this group was, in fact, arrested by the feds. I also was told, that his Son came to the home of the Militia leader in Michigan, seeking asylum from the feds, and he was basically refused. What became of him after that, is unknown.

I also spoke with Mike, who is the “SWVN”, whatever that is, of the Michigan Militia, and he wanted me to convey the following message to the rest of the Militia groups across the United States of America:

THE MICHIGAN MILITIA IS NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT BEING TARGETED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM!

Mike also is pleading with the rest of the Militia groups around the United States and the other Militia groups around Michigan for remain calm and know that this is not an attempt to stifle our freedoms! This group Hutaree committed a federal crime and for that is being indicted. It is not an attempt to get at the Michigan Militia or any other Militia group. Please, for the sake of liberty, remain calm!

Update: InstaPundit Links in! Thanks Glenn!

Update #2: (shamelessly stolen from someone who’s farking off in Vegas!)

I want to know what is going on down there. I would even rent a car, if I have to. IYKWIMAITYD.

Update: #3 I guess I should also point out that everyone, including these guys, are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. An indictment is NOT proof of guilt, just an accusation by the United States Government against a person or persons. I have changed the wording of this article to reflect that thought. My apologies to those who might have thought that I was attempting to convict them on this blog. That’s the liberal media’s job, not mine.

Update #4: I guess my supposed exclusive was not so exclusive after all. Hmph. 😡

Update #5: Something seen at the Hutaree Forum:

The Federal Authorities have raided not only our group but also the Michigan Militia. They have hijacked their website and placed word there that they were not raided.
We need some help please. This has to stop. I am enroute south with my children using the wifi’s as I can.
They were catching others as they came to their rallying points, they broke into homes and took children and used the tasers on wives, my son who is 12 and I got out by crawling through the creeks behind our house.
My husband and others are taken, please call the press and tell them, if any in the Michigan Militia is still free please rally with them.
Please help.

Possibly bogus, possibly not. I need to find out. My getting to Adrian and speaking with the locals is about 8-10 donations of $100 away. IYKWIMAITYD

Update #6: For the latest on this Story, Click here

Video: America's Comeback

This Comes via The Other McCain:

RGA 2009 Chairman’s Report

View more documents from Republican Governors Association.

Republican Governor’s Association HQ

The revolution starts today. What are you doing?

President Barack Obama and Fox News's Bret Baier politely spar over Healthcare and Foreign Policy

Here’s Part 1 and 2 of that:

You can go read the entire transcript of this interview by going here and reading it.

I have to give President Obama credit, after bashing Fox News and calling it “nothing more than a propaganda outlet”; he did show some guts by going into the lion’s den and going head to head with Bret Baier. That took some serious guts. It could help his image too; not with those on the hard right, but the independents, who voted for the guy with the “spine of steel”, as Vice President Joe Biden called it. Truthfully, the President has not been showing that so-called “Spine of Steel” here as of late. Maybe the White House is trying to improve the President’s image a bit, seeing that his poll numbers are down. Hence the interview.

I saw the interview on T.V. myself; I would not call it “combative” as I have seen it called on other blogs. I would call it politely testy, at times. I mean, there was no swearing and no calling the President an out liar, when he was obviously lying. I mean, If I would been running that interview, and he would have started in on the talking points; I would have stopped him and told him he was flat out lying and full of shit and would have demanded short and straight answers out of him. I would have also demanded that he answered the question of just who the hell does he think he is, to just swagger into the White House and start changing the established Heathcare system in this Country. I would have said, “You can do this, why? because you are black and entitled to it?” Which is probably why the interview was not giving by me. It would have lasted all of about five minutes. The next thing I would have asked him, was why he will not produce his original birth certificate and I would have brought up the fact that EVERY last damned President since the United States started keeping birth records has produced a birth certificate; and I would have asked him why the hell he feels exempted from this practice. Again, I would have asked him if he felt it was because he was black that he could bypass such things. I would have also brought up the fact that the so-called document that his campaign produced was, in fact, a forgery, which was pointed out by several well-known bloggers and was proven to be by three different forensic experts. None of whom would publicly identify themselves, for fear of reprisal from Obama’s campaign and from the Government itself.

So, in closing, it was a decent interview, not nearly as tough as it should have been. But it was and still is worth watching.

The Reality Report #36

In this report:

Does Obama want your DNA?

How far will the IRS go to extract the peoples blood?

What the heck is Chris Dodd thinking about the FED’s monetary power? Gary answers those questions and
welcomes SpyChips co-author and RFID expert Katherine Albrecht to the show to discuss the latest in
RFID and implantable human tracking technology.