Syrian Air Force losses as of 15 October 2012

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Syrian Air Force Mi-17 (HIP H) downed over Damascus

According to a post on their Facebook page, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) claims to have downed or destroyed 71 military aircraft to date.

Here is the summary and breakdown:

Total number of aircraft downed and destroyed by the FSA as of 15 October 2012:

71 military aircraft, 57 of which are documented by video and photographs, 49 of which were shot down while bombing, 21 of which were destroyed on the ground at their bases, 27 of which were Sukhoi or MiG jets, and 44 of which were helicopters.

By governorate:
Idlib (in first place) - 34
Day al-Zawr - 11
Aleppo - 10
Damascus Suburbs* - 9
Hamah - 3
Dara' -2
Homs - 2

The FSA is very internet savvy, posting daily wrap-up reports as well as up-to-the-minute posts on current operations. Based on my review of many of these events, most of the shootdowns involve 14.5mm and 23mm anti-aircraft artillery weapons. The FSA does possess the SA-7 (GRAIL) shoulder fired surface-to-air missile system as well.

The Syrians may control the air, but they are paying a price for it.
______________
* Rif Dimashq is actually a governorate by itself - the area of Damascus minus the actual city.

Let's get past the sex and concentrate on Benghazi

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CNN - Piers Morgan Tonight - November 12, 2012

I appeared on CNN's Piers Morgan on November 12 to talk about the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus. Since it was a panel discussion, I only had limited time to make a few comments. Here are those points, with a bit of expansion. (Watch the segment here.)

I have been invited back to be on the November 13 show to discuss this issue more fully.

Iraq and Afghanistan
General Petraeus did a great job in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq, it was General Petraeus who convinced President Bush to commit additional combat forces for what is now called "the surge." That, combined with the Sunni Awakening, broke the back of al-Qa'idah in Iraq (AQI) and rendered them ineffective as a fighting force. The presence of additional American troops forced the Shi'a militias, particularly that of Iran's fair-haired child Muqtada al-Sadr, to back down.

Unfortunately, President Obama's decision to not pursue the option of keeping American forces in Iraq past the December 31, 2011 date specified in the Status of Forces Agreement undid many of those gains. There was a provision in the SOFA as negotiated by the Bush Administration to allow for troops to remain based on the security situation. The realization that American forces would still be in Iraq past 2011 kept al-Qa'idah and the militias in check.

In my analysis, the security situation in late 2011 was perilous enough to warrant talking to the Iraqis about continued American support. Unfortunately, President Obama chose to withdraw all of the troops. While "ending the war in Iraq" might have made a great campaign talking point, it was inaccurate. The war in Iraq continues and the situation continues to worsen. Quitting a war neither ends it nor wins it.

In Afghanistan, the general again convinced the President, this time Barack Obama, to deploy additional combat forces to increase the tempo of the fighting. It succeeded, but only for a short while, for two reasons. The President did not authorize the number of troops General Petraeus thought was required for the mission, and once deployed, the President announced the timetable for the withdrawal not only of the surge forces, but all American forces.

Announcing an arbitrary withdrawal schedule merely telegraphs the date of victory to the insurgents. This is not, as promised, "ending the war responsibly." It is, in essence, quitting. Again, quitting a war neither ends it nor wins it.

CIA Director
General Petraeus is remarkable military officer, trained at West Point and educated at some of America's finest universities. He has distinguished himself in several military leadership roles. However, none of those qualify him to be the nation's top spymaster.

The Central Intelligence Agency has two main functions. First is the collection and production of intelligence to support national-level decision makers - we are mainly speaking about the President, Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. Its second mission is the conduct of covert operations, those things that must be done in secret. That involves things like providing arms to insurgent groups - the Kurds, Libyans and hopefully the Syrians, come to mind. It also includes direct actions with Defense Department special operations forces, such as the killing of Usamah bin Ladin. CIA paramilitary officers also conduct drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen.

Much of this work is distasteful and requires thinking outside the generally accepted military box. It requires a different skill set to manage people who are taught to lie, cheat and steal, albeit for their government. Directing the CIA requires a professional intelligence officer - either a case officer who recruits and runs spies, or a special activities officer who understands covert operations.

Sex and Benghazi
The most important point I tried to make Monday night was the need to get past the sex scandal and focus on what happened in Benghazi. This resignation gives us that opportunity. Petraeus is the "go to guy" for what happened out there. Virtually everything that transpired that night in Benghazi was either in the Director's purview, or he had access to the information. The CIA base in Benghazi was much more involved in what was happening in that part of Libya than the consulate.

General Petraeus would also have had access to the decision-making process that resulted in no military response. The CIA operations center would have been involved with this crisis from its start to its finish.

Also of interest is the timing of the general's resignation. If there were political considerations involved - and I don't know one way or the other - I do not believe it was tied to the election, but rather to the upcoming testimony before Congressional committees about what transpired in Benghazi. The important point here is, that the American people finally have an opportunity to get the real story, since next to no one places any credibility in the ever-changing Administration account.

General Petraeus is no longer an active-duty military officer, nor is he any longer the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency - thus no longer part of the Executive Branch, no longer a part of the government. He has no official standing to prevent him from detailing exactly what happened in Benghazi, and possibly more importantly, what was happening in Washington. He is the "go to guy" - he can tell us who knew what, when did they know it, and what did they do about it.

General Petraeus is not scheduled to appear before any of the Congressional oversight committees. Despite President Obama's spokesman's words, "The president is confident that Acting Director [Michael] Morrell is fully informed and capable of representing the CIA in a hearing about the incidents in Benghazi," I would rather hear it from someone no longer answerable to the President. That someone is David Petraeus.

Quoted in an article - Syrian helicopter deliveries

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Over the past few weeks, I have been assisting ProPublica in its reporting of Syrian transport aircraft activity. I was quoted in their latest article - here it is in its entirety, my comment in bold.

To Retrieve Attack Helicopters from Russia, Syria Asks Iraq for Help, Documents Show

Syrian attack helicopters (SANA, via Agence France-Presse, Getty Images)

by Michael Grabell, Dafna Linzer, and Jeff Larson, Nov. 29, 2012, 5:17 p.m.

In late October, Syria asked Iraqi authorities to grant air access for a cargo plane transporting refurbished attack helicopters from Russia, according to flight records obtained by ProPublica. With Turkish and European airspace off limits to Syrian arms shipments, the regime of Bashar al-Assad needs Iraq’s air corridor to get the helicopters home, where the government is struggling to suppress an uprising.

Iraq regained control of its airspace from the U.S. military just a year ago and has been under intense diplomatic pressure from the United States to isolate the Syrian regime. Turkey says it has closed its airspace to Syrian flights, and if Iraq did so, Syria would be virtually cut off from transporting military equipment by plane. European Union sanctions have already constricted arms transport by sea and air.

But it is unclear whether Iraq permitted the fly-overs described in the documents. The Syrian cargo plane scheduled to pick up the helicopters did not land or take off from Moscow at the appointed times this month, suggesting that those flights did not happen.

Some of the flight request documents have been posted by hackers associated with the online collective Anonymous and formed the basis of a Time story Thursday. Other documents were obtained separately by ProPublica, which reported Monday that Syria appears to have flown 240 tons of bank notes from Moscow this summer. The authenticity of the documents in either cache could not be independently verified.

But taken together, the documents appear to contain new information. They show that Baghdad has requested several times to inspect other Syrian flights that were going to pass over Iraq from Iran and Russia, something that U.S. officials confirmed to ProPublica.

According to a cargo manifest dated Oct. 30, the helicopter the Syrians were going to pick up is an Mi-25, a Russian-made gunship that experts liken to a cross between an Apache and a Black Hawk helicopter because it can fire from the air and transport troops.

“Mi-25s are very important to the Syrian Air Force effort against the rebels,” said Jeffrey White, former chief of the Middle East intelligence division for the Defense Intelligence Agency and now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “It’s a heavily armored military helicopter, which makes it very difficult for the rebels to shoot down.”

Videos have been posted online that appear to show Syrian Mi-25s attacking rebels, and Syria has reportedly been struggling to maintain the helicopters.
Still, the documents leave many questions unanswered. Crucially, it is not known whether the overflights actually happened.

A U.S. diplomatic official told ProPublica that the United States has been working with the Iraqi government to stop such flights. “We have urged them directly to insist that the inspection of those flights occur or deny overflight rights,” the official said. “We have raised this concern and they have taken a couple steps in the right direction — either denying overflight rights if they believe arms are being shipped to Syria or insisting on an inspection.”

But, State Department and Pentagon officials have not provided information on the particular request made in the documents. Iraqi and Russian officials did not respond to questions.

The first two flights were scheduled for Nov. 21 and Nov. 28, but a photographer hired by ProPublica did not observe the cargo plane at the Moscow airport where it was supposed to land and then take off just three hours later. Nor could the flights be confirmed with international tracking services that have recorded the plane’s movements in the past.

Two more flights are scheduled for Dec. 3 and Dec. 6 , according to the records.

The Assad regime has been trying to suppress a popular uprising for almost two years. Tens of thousands of people have reportedly died in the fighting. On Thursday, dispatches described intense clashes on the main road to the Damascus International Airport, and at least one airline was reported to have canceled flights. Most of the Internet in the country was shut down as well.

Russia’s prime minister, Dmitri Medvedev, said this week in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro that arms shipments are part of a longstanding contract with the Syrian military to repair equipment for “defense against an external aggression.”

“We must fulfill the obligations connected to our contracts,” Medvedev said, noting that Russia has faced a legal conflict after suspending some arms deliveries to Iran.

Syria has found it increasingly difficult to transport helicopters. In June, a ship carrying three Mi-25 helicopters from Russia to Syria was forced to turn back after the ship’s insurer withdrew coverage in response to sanctions. A month later, a second attempt to deliver the helicopters by sea was aborted.

The newly obtained flight documents show that Syria planned to use its Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plan to pick up helicopters at Ramenskoye Airport, also known as Zhukovsky Airport, near Moscow. The manifest describes the cargo as an “old helicopter after overhaulling [sic].” A second document, sent to the Syrian embassy in Baghdad, identifies the helicopters as Mi-25s.

Officials at Russian Helicopters, which makes the Mi-25, and Ilyushin, which makes the IL-76, said one Mi-25 with its blades removed would fit into an IL-76. Such helicopters have been shipped this way all over the world, they said.

Rick Francona, who was the U.S. air attaché in Damascus in the 1990s, said that using a cargo plane instead of a ship suggested the Assad regime was getting desperate.

“If they’re willing to use an IL-76 to bring one or two helicopters back, that tells me they need these right now,” he said. “Rather than getting it there in 10 days, it gets there in five hours. You can pull it out, reattach the blades and have in the air the next day.”

U.S. officials have expressed particular frustration with Russia over the Syrian conflict, which began in March 2011.

“I think we’ve been very clear, both publicly and privately, how we feel about any country, Russia included, supporting the Assad regime in any way,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Wednesday. “And it doesn’t simply go to the question of military support; it also goes for any kind of economic or political support.”

In June, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Russian aid with Syria’s attack helicopters would escalate the civil war “quite dramatically.” But a week later, a Pentagon spokesman declined to answer whether the Defense Department would try to stop future helicopter shipments.

The records obtained by ProPublica list the Russian 150 Aircraft Repair Plant as the charterer of the flights to pick up the helicopters. The documents show the firm was operating under a contract dated Nov. 27, 2005. The address listed for the charterer is in Kaliningrad, a Russian territory between Poland and Lithuania that contains large Russian military installations.

As with the currency shipments, the flight records show the Syrian cargo plane would take a circuitous route back from Moscow, flying over Azerbaijan and Iran before crossing Iraq.

Iraqi airspace has largely been controlled by the U.S. Air Force since the American-led invasion in 2003. Indeed, the overflight request form used by Syria for the helicopters was created by the U.S. Air Force and still bears the old contact information for the regional air command, which is no longer in charge.

Last year, the United States began transferring air traffic control responsibilities to the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority. The Iraqis assumed control of the last sector, over Baghdad, in October 2011.

Abby's Wish

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When times are great, friends are there to rejoice with you. When times are tough, friends are there to help you get through it. When you have great friends in your life, it makes hours, days, weeks, months and years become fulfilled with great memories.

I remember when Kayleigh came in to this world and all of you, friends, would rejoice in the miracle that Kayleigh survived what the doctors felt was impossible. I remember when Kayleigh was sick, friends put their hands together and prayed for another miracle. I remember when Kayleigh went to Heaven, friends reached their arms out for comfort. I also remember when friends helped lift a financial burden when this crazy world came crashing down on us.

One friend in particular who put his words on the line to help start a chain reaction to bring friends and family to send donations, is now in need of a financial assistance. However, Brent Riggs may have been the one to lend a helping hand to me as a friend, but it is Abby who is requesting this financial wish.

I have come to know the Riggs family very well and they are the most amazing family I have ever met. It is a blessing what Brent does everyday to witness to the world and what he has done to be such a strong leader for his family of 7 while caring for his little girl who was stricken with cancer. It is Abby who wishes to gain this financial blessing as they are all raising money for another adopted brother or sister. After seeing how amazing this family has been to me, to others and to their children, they are so deserving of this blessing.

So, I am going to give what little I have in order to start the same chain reaction blessing that the Riggs Family has done for others.

Brent...here is a $100! May you be blessed with what you need to bring home another beautiful child who will be even more blessed to be called a "Riggs"

Everyone who wants to help donate, please click here: Abby's Wish

God Bless My Friend!!!

Adam

Kayleigh's Birthday

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I am so excited because next weekend, my Mom and Dad will be venturing out to Wilmington to spend the weekend with me and all my great friends. It will be their first time coming out here and we have some exciting events planned.
A good handful of us are all gonna go out to eat at a beautiful restaurant downtown on the waterway to enjoy the beautiful sunset and then dive in to a delicous "Healthy" home made cake made with love by my mom to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday. It is going to be wonderful and I am so looking forward to having my friends and family there with me.
Other events for the weekend are not yet set in stone, but here are some of the options we may be doing: Airlie Gardens, Battleship North Carolina, Fort Fisher Aquarium, Exercising at O2 Fitness, Walking the Loop and the beach in Wrightsville Beach, and other exciting times. We only have the weekend, so we will have to pick the best of the best this time around.
It will be a great weekend to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday with those who are close to my heart. I couldn't ask for better friends who have supported me through everything and are there on a daily basis to put a smile on my face and remind me how truly blessed I am. Kayleigh has touched so many hearts and is the reason for so many blessings in my life. If it weren't for Kayleigh and the awesome people she brought in to my life, I wouldn't be as incredibly happy where I am in my life. She is such an amazing girl who continues to do wonderful things for so many on a daily basis.
Thanks to all and God Bless!
Adam

Larry 'JR' Hagman, Dallas star, dies at 81 — in Dallas

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Larry Hagman has died at 81 in Dallas, Texas of complications from cancer, surrounded by family and friends, including Linda Gray, who played his wife on television, and Dallas costar Patrick Duffy.
     He was filming a second season of TNT's sequel to the CBS prime time soap which ran from 1978 to 1991, garnering 355 million viewers worldwide at its apex — the 1980 third season opener's reveal of Who Shot JR.

USA Today

     In the US, that episode got a 53.3 rating because an astounding 76% share of the nation's TV viewers — 83 million — watched CBS that night to find out that Bing Crosby's daughter Mary did the dirty deed.
     Hagman was born in Ft. Worth in 1931, the son of Broadway legend Mary Martin.
     In 1984, Cinema Canada republished an interview with famed Swedish director Ingmar Bergman who confessed his fascination with Dallas:

Cinema Canada: You can be harsh towards actors.
Ingmar Bergman: No! It's not like that! I only behave that way when they ask for it. When you're ill and the doctor says: 'We have to take it out,' you don't ask him to be nice, you ask him to use clean instruments, to be objective, not to be afraid, but to take it out, God, and quickly. With actors it's the same: I see there's something wrong, and I have to cut it out. Of course cutting out a rotten spot hurts. But it has to be done.
     The worst doctors I know are the people who make Dallas. Dallas is written badly, directed badly, acted badly and filmed badly. Dallas has no limits in its tastelessness, lack of talent and completely cynical way of handling people. (He sighs) All of it makes Dallas so incredibly fascinating.

     Larry Hagman first got famous as Tony Nelson, the astronaut in NBC's I Dream of Genie. Although he loved his Dallas character, he hated Sheldon Leonard's I Dream of Jeannie scripts and was so difficult to work with that the producers seriously considered getting rid of him and replacing him with another actor. Darren McGavin was at the top of the list for Hagman's replacement. They even worked out a story where Tony lost Jeannie and McGavin found her, but the studio execs loved Hagman and wouldn't consider a change.



     Jeannie trivia from the International Movie Database:

• Jeannie was born on 1 April 64 B.C.
• The fancy antique bottle in which Jeannie called home was actually a decorative Jim Beam liquor decanter, decorated and painted with gold leaf by the show's art department.
• According to Barbara Eden, network executives and censors were unconcerned about her navel being seen until someone casually mentioned during the third season that it was occasionally visible when the waistband of her costume shifted. After that her navel was required to be covered.
• The famous theme music was actually not used during season one, but since the first season was black and white, it was generally not syndicated with the rest of the series, so few people have seen it.
• In the episode "How to Marry an Astronaut", Barbara Eden's cries for help from inside the champagne bottle were real. As a prank, director Claudio Guzmán called "lunch!" and had everyone leave the set, leaving Eden trapped in the bottle.
• Jeannie's harem shoes were made by Neiman Marcus.
• In one episode, Tony and Roger are working training a chimp named "Sam". This was seen as a slap at the show Bewitched, whose producers accused "Jeannie" of stealing some of their ideas.
• On the show, all of the characters drove Pontiac automobiles.
• Season one was filmed in black-and-white because NBC did not want to pay for the extra expense of filming it in color (The network did not believe the series would last beyond one season. According to Sidney Sheldon in his autobiography "The Other Side Of Me", he offered to pay the extra $400 an episode needed for color filming at the beginning of the series. Screen Gems executive Jerry Hyams advised him, "Sidney, don't throw your money away.")
• "I Dream of Jeannie" was the last television series to be broadcast in black and white. It began broadcasting "in living color" beginning with Season 2.
• Originally, Jeannie's power was activated by folding her arms followed by a series of eye flutters. This was soon replaced by nodding her head and blinking once.
• In Season 2, sets from other famous shows are used as locations. The most recognizable locations are the house and office featured on ABC's Bewitched plus locations from The Partridge Family and The Monkees.
• The Nelson home still stands on the Warner Brothers Ranch in Burbank, CA, where it has a new role as the Ranch Operations office. Besides minor cosmetic changes, the house remains almost exactly the same after nearly 50 years.
• Songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King wrote a theme song titled "Jeannie" but was rejected before the show's premiere.

Yes, there IS such a thing as bad publicity — if you ran a coffee shop, would you want Bob Vander Plaats running around with your store's name on a foam cup?

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We suppose that, if he has one, the dog of the Iowa Family Leader's Bob Vander Plaats, Fierce Defender of Marriage Against Imaginary Threats, ate the memo announcing that, since the Varnum v. Brien decision legalizing same-sex marriage in Iowa, divorces have declined to their lowest per capita level since 1968 — 7,286.
     Despite the fact that Iowas favor gay marriage by about seven percentage points, Vander Plaats evidently has no qualms about flogging the failed Starbucks boycott started by the National Organization for Marriage and taken up by the Family Research Council:

I'm gonna go out and I'm gonna take a look at other coffee shops and support those who support God's design for the family. Who support the freedoms that we have in this country and what makes this country so great and what we hold dear.

We're not so sure we would want our coffee advertised as the choice of dishonest heterosexual supremacists, but considering what ABC News said about Vanderplaats trying to shake down Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, maybe Vander Plaats has a secret plan to shake down coffee house owners by NOT endorsing their products! Far fetched, but we wouldn't put it past him.

Gay Mobile Alabama woman beaten senseless by Travis Hawkins, brother of her girlfriend on Thanksgiving; 66,000 sign petition to escalate charges

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Omahans will recognize WPMI 15's anchor, who introduced the story, as former KMTV anchor Greg Peterson who left Nebraska for Mobile, AL in 2007.



Prosecutors in Mobile chose to charge Travis Hawkins with second degree assault rather than attempted murder.
     They say they could not bring first degree assault charges because Hawkins did not use a deadly weapon.
     No hate crime charges were brought because Alabama is one of 26 states without hate crime statutes covering LGBT people.
     Second degree assault in Alabama is a class C felony. First degree assault is a class B felony. Attempted murder is a class A felony.
     Here are the penalties for those crimes, from the Alabama statutes:

(1) For a Class A felony, for life or not more than 99 years or less than 10 years.
(2) For a Class B felony, not more than 20 years or less than 2 years.
(3) For a Class C felony, not more than 10 years or less than 1 year and 1 day.

Here is Hawkins, in pictures on his facebook page:

Abby's Wish

To contact us Click HERE

When times are great, friends are there to rejoice with you. When times are tough, friends are there to help you get through it. When you have great friends in your life, it makes hours, days, weeks, months and years become fulfilled with great memories.

I remember when Kayleigh came in to this world and all of you, friends, would rejoice in the miracle that Kayleigh survived what the doctors felt was impossible. I remember when Kayleigh was sick, friends put their hands together and prayed for another miracle. I remember when Kayleigh went to Heaven, friends reached their arms out for comfort. I also remember when friends helped lift a financial burden when this crazy world came crashing down on us.

One friend in particular who put his words on the line to help start a chain reaction to bring friends and family to send donations, is now in need of a financial assistance. However, Brent Riggs may have been the one to lend a helping hand to me as a friend, but it is Abby who is requesting this financial wish.

I have come to know the Riggs family very well and they are the most amazing family I have ever met. It is a blessing what Brent does everyday to witness to the world and what he has done to be such a strong leader for his family of 7 while caring for his little girl who was stricken with cancer. It is Abby who wishes to gain this financial blessing as they are all raising money for another adopted brother or sister. After seeing how amazing this family has been to me, to others and to their children, they are so deserving of this blessing.

So, I am going to give what little I have in order to start the same chain reaction blessing that the Riggs Family has done for others.

Brent...here is a $100! May you be blessed with what you need to bring home another beautiful child who will be even more blessed to be called a "Riggs"

Everyone who wants to help donate, please click here: Abby's Wish

God Bless My Friend!!!

Adam

Kayleigh's Birthday

To contact us Click HERE

I am so excited because next weekend, my Mom and Dad will be venturing out to Wilmington to spend the weekend with me and all my great friends. It will be their first time coming out here and we have some exciting events planned.
A good handful of us are all gonna go out to eat at a beautiful restaurant downtown on the waterway to enjoy the beautiful sunset and then dive in to a delicous "Healthy" home made cake made with love by my mom to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday. It is going to be wonderful and I am so looking forward to having my friends and family there with me.
Other events for the weekend are not yet set in stone, but here are some of the options we may be doing: Airlie Gardens, Battleship North Carolina, Fort Fisher Aquarium, Exercising at O2 Fitness, Walking the Loop and the beach in Wrightsville Beach, and other exciting times. We only have the weekend, so we will have to pick the best of the best this time around.
It will be a great weekend to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday with those who are close to my heart. I couldn't ask for better friends who have supported me through everything and are there on a daily basis to put a smile on my face and remind me how truly blessed I am. Kayleigh has touched so many hearts and is the reason for so many blessings in my life. If it weren't for Kayleigh and the awesome people she brought in to my life, I wouldn't be as incredibly happy where I am in my life. She is such an amazing girl who continues to do wonderful things for so many on a daily basis.
Thanks to all and God Bless!
Adam

Syrian opposition ups the ante with SAMs

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The Free Syrian Army (FSA) has demonstrated the capability to take air defense to more than just the artillery level. There are videos showing FSA fighters holding the SA-7, captured stocks of SA-16 and SA-24 missiles, but this is the first recorded success against a Syrian Air Force aircraft using a missile.

Thus far in the almost two-year long civil war, the FSA has been able to down over 75 aircraft - about half of them helicopters - using anti-aircraft artillery, especially the ZPU-1 14.5mm gun. The ability to extend their range to over 10,000 feet complicates the regime's air strategy.

I am surprised that this pilot was operating within the envelope of the Sa-7/16/24 - the Syrian Air Force fixed wing (MiG-23, Su-22, Su-24, L-39) pilots have been popping flares, and flying at the outside edge of the shoulder-fired weapons' employment envelopes at high altitudes. They know the FSA has these missiles at their disposal.

One can only hope that the western intelligence services - the American CIA, British SIS and French DGSE are supplying and/or training the FSA on the use of these weapons. I hearken back to an earlier day in my career and the use of the Stinger missile in Afghanistan.

Video of a surface-to-air missile hitting a Syrian Air Force Mi-8 (HIP) helicopter about 12 miles west of Aleppo, November 27, 2012. On the audio track at 0:03, someone says, "Missile, missile." At 0:08, after the cheers, we hear, "It hit a military aircraft." In the background, another says, "It's catching on fire." At 0:22, the photographer says, "Helicopter [down] in the west Aleppo suburbs."

A still taken from the above video of as the heat-seeking missile homes in on the engine exhaust. Note the corkscrew smoke pattern typical of Russian-made shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.

This still shows the detonation of the missile warhead. The warheads of these portable air defense weapons is relatively small, about 2.5 pounds of high explosive material. While it appears to be a catastrophic hit, the pilot was able to maintain flight for a few seconds as he attempted to get to the ground safely. I am not sure if that was a survivable landing, but it did exhibit good airmanship. Whether you agree with the pilot's politics, you have to recognize his piloting skills.

The regime's most potent weapon against the opposition - the FSA - is air power. Unless the opposition can neutralize the Syrian Air Force's total domination of the air space over the battlefield, at some point they will not be able to continue the fight. When the FSA leadership is asked about their main concern, it is the Syrian Air Force.

Despite the Syrian Air Force's limited capabilities - almost half of its pilots are grounded for political security reasons - it still remains as the key threat to the success of the revolution. Note the single-ship attacks, the limited use of advance aircraft - this is by no means a reliable asset of the government. More shoot downs like today will only undermine that capability.

Just like in Afghanistan in the 1980's, it's about air power, and the ability to deny it to the enemy.

Alicia Keys - 101 Lyrics

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101 Lyrics - Alicia Keys


Alicia Keys - 101 Lyrics

You're used to that sound of a heart that’s breaking
I know it don’t phase you anymore
You’re the king of the game that you played
I know you played it a hundred times before

You fill your bedroom up with trophies
Then you get a kick out of closing the door
Got all the words to keep on hoping
I know you said them a hundred times before

But then there’s me, a false for your gold
Then there’s me just love me for fun
Baby there’s me, no use or pretend
Oh there’s me, a hundred and one

I might as well stand in front of a bullet
Close my eyes and kick the chair to the floor
It’s like a speeding train is coming
I know you’ve crashed it a hundred times before
Then there’s me all false for your gold
Now that there’s me, just love me for fun
Oh, there’s me no, no use in pretending
Oh there’s me, a hundred and one

Everybody says I gotta be crazy
That I deserve everything that I get
But I got a feeling that makes me wanna ignore
All that you’ve done a hundred times before

Cause then there’s me, could I be the one?
And baby there’s me to make you undone
Uh darling there’s me no, no use in pretending
Oh there’s me, a hundred and one
Me, a hundred and one

So I gotta be I gotta be
I gotta be a hundred and one
Maybe it’s time, maybe it’s me
Maybe I could be, maybe pretend (let me pretend)
I gotta be, I wanna be a hundred and one
Yeah baby

Posted in: Alicia Keys

Kesha - Crazy Kids Lyrics

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Crazy Kids Lyrics - Kesha


Kesha - Crazy Kids Lyrics

Hello, wherever you are
Are you dancing on the dance floor or drinking by the bar?
Tonight we do it big and shine like stars
We don't give a fück cause that's just who we are
And we are, we are we are, we are we are
The crazy kids, them crazy - them crazy kids
And we are, we are we are, we are we are
The crazy kids, we are the
(We are the crazy people)

I see you in the club showing Ke$ha love
Tripping on them bítches that be hating
Catch a dub, catch a deuces
Y'all hatings useless, it's such a nuisance
Y'all chickens keep your two cents
And keep your dollars, keep your loot
I'm fresher than that Gucci
Them boys, they want my coochie
I say nope, I'm no hootchie
Your home-girl hating, I say who she?
Ke$ha don't give two fücks
I cam to start the ruckus
And ya wanna party with us
Cause we crazy motherfückers

Hello, wherever you are
Are you dancing on the dance floor or drinking by the bar?
Tonight we do it big and shine like stars
We don't give a fück cause that's just who we are
And we are, we are we are, we are we are
The crazy kids, them crazy - them crazy kids
And we are, we are we are, we are we are
The crazy kids, we are the
(We are the crazy people)

You see us in the place tripping off the bass
DJ rock a beat, make the fücker shake
Like an earthquake, like an earthquake booty pop
All my shawties on the dancefloor, make your hearts stop

Stop your Cardiac
Sipping Cognac in the back
They chasing my kitty cat
They know my zodiac
I'm no virgin or no Virgo
I'm crazy that's my word though
It's Ke$ha in the casa
They be let's make it loco

Hello, wherever you are
Are you dancing on the dance floor or drinking by the bar?
Tonight we do it big, and shine like stars
We don't give a fück cause that's just who we are
And we are, we are we are, we are we are
The crazy kids, them crazy - them crazy kids
And we are, we are we are, we are we are
The crazy kids, we are the

This is all we got and then it's gone
You call us the crazy ones
But we gon' keep on dancing till the dawn
Cause you know the party never ends
And tomorrow we gonna do it again
We the ones that play hard
We live hard, we love hard
We light up the dark

Hello, wherever you are
Are you dancing on the dance floor or drinking by the bar?
Tonight we do it big and shine like stars
We don't give a fück cause that's just who we are
And we are, we are we are, we are we are
The crazy kids, them crazy - them crazy kids
And we are, we are we are, we are we are
The crazy kids, we are the
(We are the crazy people)

Posted in: Ke$ha

Kesha - Supernatural Lyrics

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Supernatural Lyrics - Kesha


Kesha - Supernatural Lyrics

Baby when we're touching in the dark, can you feel it?
I can hear the pounding of my heart, can you feel it?
When you take my body to the stars, I believe it
Boy this love is supernatural, can you feel it?

Come take me by the hand
Wanna cross the line, baby go ahead
Till the morning light, watch my silhouette
Cause you know tonight
We're gonna wake the dead

Get a little bit wrong, get a little bit wild
Get a little bit high off of this love tonight
Get a little bit raw, come a little undone
Get a little bit reckless, I can't get enough

Baby when we're touching in the dark, can you feel it?
I can hear the pounding of my heart, can you feel it?
When you take my body to the stars, I believe it
Boy this love is supernatural, can you feel it?

Come take me in the night
I feel it in my blood, want the darker side
Baby when we touch, look me in the eyes
Poison me with love, I'll bring you back to life

Get a little bit wrong, get a little bit wild
Get a little bit high off of this love tonight
Get a little bit raw, come a little undone
Get a little bit reckless, I can't get enough

Baby when we're touching in the dark, can you feel it?
I can hear the pounding of my heart, can you feel it?
When you take my body to the stars, I believe it
Boy this love is supernatural, can you feel it?

Boy this love is, supernatural
Boy this love is supernatural

Baby when we're touching in the dark
I can hear the pounding of my heart

Baby when we're touching in the dark, can you feel it?
I can hear the pounding of my heart, can you feel it?
When you take my body to the stars, I believe it
Boy this love is supernatural, can you feel it?

Posted in: Ke$ha

T.I. ft. André 3000 ~ Sorry Lyrics

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T.I. ft. André 3000 ~ Sorry Lyrics


T.I. ft. André 3000 ~ Sorry Lyrics

{T.I.}
My cup runneth over with pinot grigio, hold up
You bogus in the lambo if you ain't lifting the door up
You bogus popping pills if you ain't picking the ho up
You bogus running out on your kids my nigga grow up
For God's sake, like a wedding cutting large cake
For large stakes let the hammer bang broad day
Aye, nevermind what the blogs say
This what my mind and my heart say
My philosophy profit off of my properties
Get it, flip it, we got to be rich, that broke shit is obsolete
Possibly off of my rocker, watch how you watching me
Sophisticated, psychotic, fly as a pilot
Officially silent, all you wish you could get I got it
Unlimited titanium nigga, what's in yo wallet?
Out of gladiator college, I made it summa cum laude
While you clowns couldn't have got a cap and gown if you bought it
I parlay with Saudis, buying crude oil and diamonds
Hustle January, July, fly to Dubai
A broke nigga telling me about how I'm dividing the pies
Like a blind nigga telling me it's an eye for an eye
Bullheaded and stubborn I be that way until I die
But find a nigga with more hustle then me I dare you to try
And according to the hand on my Audemar
It's my time to shine so fück y'all

{Hook}
What should I be sorry for
Who should I be sorry to
What should I be sorry for
Who should I be sorry to
The fact is you can't please everybody
You can't please everybody
What should I be sorry for
Who should I be sorry to

{T.I.}
I grew up in the gutter life a motherfücker
I get that why I don't trust a motherfücker
Seen a nigga snitch on they mom, shoot at they brother
Go to prison in love with a bítch and a nigga fück her
I seen real G's destroyed by real suckers
Innocent ladies raped and defenseless babies abducted
Such a horrible truth but you see it over and over
It's nothing, get numb to it and your heart grow colder
Pacify your pain with a chain and a Rover
Fück it, justify your action with stacking your dough up
You show up with a brick of cocaine and baking soda
Just enough for me to blow up, nigga hold up
Switch the flow up, cause these niggas be snitching so much
I promise all they missing's the badge, coffee and doughnut
Go to jail so what, never see my integrity perish
That ain't the Harris' way, study my pedigree
Promise I'm one of the only ones who keep it 100
Probably why I think they all out to get me, you can't convince me
Large money and fame will plant seeds of envy
To make my partners resent me enough to come and get me
Catch me slipping and hit me, just like they did 50
Cause I'm in the position that he think he should be given
Listen, dawg, the fact of the matter is
I'm on a narrow path and we all can't travel

{Hook}
What should I be sorry for
Who should I be sorry to
What should I be sorry for
Who should I be sorry to
The fact is you can't please everybody
You can't please everybody
What should I be sorry for
Who should I be sorry to

{Andre 3000}
What it ain't, What it is? Even if you gotta live
I learned that apartment is way more exciting than a big ass house on a hill
I used to be a way better writer and a rapper
When I used to want a black Karmann Ghia
Now a nigga speeding in a Porsche
Feeling like I'm going off a course, cut these fück niggas off
Nigga TIP in my life scream that till I'm horse
Duck these get the fück off me projectiles, bítch you ain't really got a choice
I'm living my life live yours www.eliterics.com
I don't even like rapping fast, but that's how the world come to me
Talk to me sideways nigga that's your ass
Slow it down, this that shit that'll make you call your momma
Say hey I'm sorry for begging for all them clothes you couldn't afford
And this the type of shit that'll make you call your rap partner
And say I'm sorry I'm awkward, my fault for fücking up the tours
I hated all the attention so I ran from it
Fück it if we did, but I hope we ain't lose no fans from it
I'm a grown-ass kid, you know ain't never cared about no damn money
Why do we try so hard to be stars, just to dodge comments
And this that shit that'll make you call your baby mama
When you gone on half a pill, don't know why but that I did
Then you take a flight back to the crib, y'all make love like college kids
And you say all the shit you gon' do better, we can try this shit again
Round the time the dope wear off, you feel stupid, she feel lost
That's that dope, I mean, I mean dopamine you think Cupid done worn off
Waiting in the hallway with her arms crossed
Her baby boy face full of applesauce
Maybe should have stayed but it ain't your fault
Too much pressure, I fell off, I'm sorry!
Was young and had to choose between you
And what the rest of the world might offer me, shit what would you do?
Well I'd probably do it differently if second the chance
Only if some cool ass older man would've let me know in advance
This, this quarry, that is dug so deep in a father's chest
When he feel that he's broken up his nest
And he figured shit he was just doing the best that he could
Which end up being the worst that he could
And all some pussy nigga on the internet can say is that verse ain't good
It's boring, boring? Really? Hahaha

When I'm disgusted with this world and I can hardly breathe
Told so many lies, don't know what to believe
I discussed it with this girl and this is what she said
She said lay down baby, baby rest your weary head up
I love these distractions but my mind don't wanna rest
But my body disagree so I laid up on her breasts, yes
Oh, you are so fücking fine
I woke up the next morning with new purpose on my mind
Oh, who pulls your ponytail, who knows your body well?

What should I be sorry for?
Who should I be sorry to?

Posted in: Andre 3000,T.I.

Syrian air force cluster munitions reliability issues

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RBK-250 Cluster bomb unit pieces and unexploded sub-munitions

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov's protestations to the contrary - "There is no confirmation to this..." - the Syrian air force is dropping Soviet/Russian-made cluster bombs on cities across Syria. The photographs are clear and detailed - these cluster bombs are the RBK-250.

The weapons are being used against civilian homes, which is not the best use of a cluster bomb. A cluster bomb is basically a canister filled with bomblets, sub-munitions that scatter over a wide area to kill large formations of troops and tanks.

Here is what a cluster bomb strike on a house looks like. Total misuse of the weapon.



Over the last few weeks, the Syrians have used an increasing amount of these munitions. Prior to that, we primarily saw the use of the FAB-250 250-kilogram general purpose bomb. Either the Syrians believe the cluster bombs will be more effective against the rebel-held urban areas, or they are running short of the general purpose bombs.

Additionally, there appear to be problems with the RBK-250 cluster munitions in the Syrian inventory. There are dozens of videos on YouTube the show issues with the units. Some of the canisters failed to open and disperse the sub-munitions, and others have opened, but many of the bomblets did not detonate.

Here in the video are examples of both issues. This is in Ma'ar Shurayn, about two miles northeast of the key chokepoint at Ma'arat al-Nu'aman, located at 35 40 05N 36 43 38E on the Homs-Aleppo highway.

The narrator says the first one (he called it a missile) was dropped from an aircraft and did not explode - members of the Free Syrian Army are removing it, fearing it will detonate and harm the civilian population. The second one also did not detonate - he said he believed it to be a cluster munition (it is) dropped from a MiG, and pointed out the sub-munitions.



It appears to me that the Syrians are really going after that area of Idlib governorate around Ma'arat al-Nu'man. The rebels took it earlier this week - it cuts the road from Damascus and Homs to Aleppo. The are bombing all these towns around that city - Jarjanaz, Ma'ar Shamshah, etc. It is critical to the regime to reopen the main resupply route from Damascus to Aleppo.

The numbers of unexploded cluster and general purpose bombs indicate a problem with either the maintenance of the weapons - are they expired or just not cared for? - or is there an issue with the fuses for the bombs? In any case, it is a serious issue for the Syrian air force. Nothing damages morale more among pilots than to have to fly into harm's way and deliver a weapon that does not function.

Of course, I hope they continue to have these issues.

Let's get past the sex and concentrate on Benghazi

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CNN - Piers Morgan Tonight - November 12, 2012

I appeared on CNN's Piers Morgan on November 12 to talk about the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus. Since it was a panel discussion, I only had limited time to make a few comments. Here are those points, with a bit of expansion. (Watch the segment here.)

I have been invited back to be on the November 13 show to discuss this issue more fully.

Iraq and Afghanistan
General Petraeus did a great job in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq, it was General Petraeus who convinced President Bush to commit additional combat forces for what is now called "the surge." That, combined with the Sunni Awakening, broke the back of al-Qa'idah in Iraq (AQI) and rendered them ineffective as a fighting force. The presence of additional American troops forced the Shi'a militias, particularly that of Iran's fair-haired child Muqtada al-Sadr, to back down.

Unfortunately, President Obama's decision to not pursue the option of keeping American forces in Iraq past the December 31, 2011 date specified in the Status of Forces Agreement undid many of those gains. There was a provision in the SOFA as negotiated by the Bush Administration to allow for troops to remain based on the security situation. The realization that American forces would still be in Iraq past 2011 kept al-Qa'idah and the militias in check.

In my analysis, the security situation in late 2011 was perilous enough to warrant talking to the Iraqis about continued American support. Unfortunately, President Obama chose to withdraw all of the troops. While "ending the war in Iraq" might have made a great campaign talking point, it was inaccurate. The war in Iraq continues and the situation continues to worsen. Quitting a war neither ends it nor wins it.

In Afghanistan, the general again convinced the President, this time Barack Obama, to deploy additional combat forces to increase the tempo of the fighting. It succeeded, but only for a short while, for two reasons. The President did not authorize the number of troops General Petraeus thought was required for the mission, and once deployed, the President announced the timetable for the withdrawal not only of the surge forces, but all American forces.

Announcing an arbitrary withdrawal schedule merely telegraphs the date of victory to the insurgents. This is not, as promised, "ending the war responsibly." It is, in essence, quitting. Again, quitting a war neither ends it nor wins it.

CIA Director
General Petraeus is remarkable military officer, trained at West Point and educated at some of America's finest universities. He has distinguished himself in several military leadership roles. However, none of those qualify him to be the nation's top spymaster.

The Central Intelligence Agency has two main functions. First is the collection and production of intelligence to support national-level decision makers - we are mainly speaking about the President, Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. Its second mission is the conduct of covert operations, those things that must be done in secret. That involves things like providing arms to insurgent groups - the Kurds, Libyans and hopefully the Syrians, come to mind. It also includes direct actions with Defense Department special operations forces, such as the killing of Usamah bin Ladin. CIA paramilitary officers also conduct drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen.

Much of this work is distasteful and requires thinking outside the generally accepted military box. It requires a different skill set to manage people who are taught to lie, cheat and steal, albeit for their government. Directing the CIA requires a professional intelligence officer - either a case officer who recruits and runs spies, or a special activities officer who understands covert operations.

Sex and Benghazi
The most important point I tried to make Monday night was the need to get past the sex scandal and focus on what happened in Benghazi. This resignation gives us that opportunity. Petraeus is the "go to guy" for what happened out there. Virtually everything that transpired that night in Benghazi was either in the Director's purview, or he had access to the information. The CIA base in Benghazi was much more involved in what was happening in that part of Libya than the consulate.

General Petraeus would also have had access to the decision-making process that resulted in no military response. The CIA operations center would have been involved with this crisis from its start to its finish.

Also of interest is the timing of the general's resignation. If there were political considerations involved - and I don't know one way or the other - I do not believe it was tied to the election, but rather to the upcoming testimony before Congressional committees about what transpired in Benghazi. The important point here is, that the American people finally have an opportunity to get the real story, since next to no one places any credibility in the ever-changing Administration account.

General Petraeus is no longer an active-duty military officer, nor is he any longer the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency - thus no longer part of the Executive Branch, no longer a part of the government. He has no official standing to prevent him from detailing exactly what happened in Benghazi, and possibly more importantly, what was happening in Washington. He is the "go to guy" - he can tell us who knew what, when did they know it, and what did they do about it.

General Petraeus is not scheduled to appear before any of the Congressional oversight committees. Despite President Obama's spokesman's words, "The president is confident that Acting Director [Michael] Morrell is fully informed and capable of representing the CIA in a hearing about the incidents in Benghazi," I would rather hear it from someone no longer answerable to the President. That someone is David Petraeus.

Israel and Gaza - here we go again

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HAMAS fires rockets into Israel

Israel has few options in its dealings with HAMAS* and the Gaza Strip. The recent increase in violence has forced the Israelis to order air strikes against targets in the territory and prepare for a ground incursion reminiscent of the operation four years ago.

The number of rockets fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip is quite astounding. To recap, since the end of the fighting in January 2009, there have been more rockets fired each year than the previous year. In 2009, there were 300 fired, in 2010 there were 510 fired, in 2011 there were 615 fired, and thus far in 2012, there have been at least 900 fired. Over 400 of those 900 have been fired in the last week. Over 150 were fired on November 16 alone.

It's not just the quantity of rockets, it's the quality. In the fighting in late 2008 and early 2009, the only rockets in the HAMAS inventory were the home-made, not very effective Qassam rockets with range capabilities between three and 12 miles. The short range of the rockets placed the Israeli border cities in jeopardy, especially the city of Sderot. See my article written in January 2009 after I visited Sderot during the fighting, Sderot - Israel's "Rocket City".

Since 2009, HAMAS has significantly upgraded its rocket arsenal, acquiring longer range systems from Iran, smuggled in via the Sinai peninsula under the "watchful eyes" of our erstwhile allies, the Egyptians. This includes Iranian Fajr-5 rockets that were used by Hizballah against northern Israel in 2006. The Fajr-5 has a range of almost 45 miles, placing Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in range.

This week, HAMAS crossed an Israeli red line - it fired rockets at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Another attack killed three Israelis in the southern city of Qiryat Malachi. It was too much for the Israelis to absorb. It also reinforces the perception among Israelis who live in the southern part of the country that until the people in more upscale Tel Aviv or Jerusalem are threatened, the government ignores the plight of the average Israeli.

The Israelis began a series of air strikes in Gaza. The Israelis have been continuously collecting intelligence on the Gaza Strip - they have a huge catalog of targets to be struck. The initial targets, of course, are the longer range rocket systems, particularly the Fajr-5 launchers. HAMAS is a capable enemy - they are hiding the launchers in mosques, schools and other areas that the Israelis are reluctant to strike. World public opinion is never on the side of the Israelis, so they have to hold themselves to a much higher standard than the Palestinians.

Since many of the launchers may be in areas that cannot be attacked from the air without unacceptable civilian casualties, a ground incursion may be necessary. The Israeli cabinet authorized a call-up of up to 30,000 reservists. Of that, 16,000 have been mobilized. That will free up active duty units to move towards Gaza. The minister of defense is seeking authority to call up as many as 75,000 reservists.

The units that have deployed to the border are among the best in the IDF - the Givati Brigade, the Paratrooper Brigade, and the 401st Armored Brigade. The 401st is equipped with the latest Merkava-4 tank. The quality of troops moving towards Gaza and the reserve call-up indicate how serious Israel is taking the matter, and how likely it is that they will invade Gaza. Mobilizing reservists in a small country like Israel is expensive and disrupts virtually everything. These steps are not taken lightly.

Israel has rushed into service as many Iron Dome anti-missile batteries as it can. The system has been able to defeat dozens of inbound HAMAS rockets. The country is fast assuming a war posture. Likewise, in Gaza, residents are stocking up on food, fuel, water, etc., since they too know that an Israeli incursion is not only possible, but inevitable.

We seem to go through this drill every few years. The Israelis endure as many attacks as they are willing to tolerate, then conduct a punitive operation against Islamist elements in Gaza. Predictably, there will be a huge public outcry of the disproportionate nature of the response, the United Nations will call for a cessation of the violence (that's code for demanding Israel stop, but not so much the Palestinians), and Israel will stop short of destroying HAMAS's ability to fire more rockets.

Here we go again.

__________
* HAMAS, (حماس) Arabic for enthusiasm, is an acronym of the Arabic titleحركة المقاومة الاسلامية harakat al-muqawamat al-Islamiyah, the Islamic Resistance Movement.

Abby's Wish

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When times are great, friends are there to rejoice with you. When times are tough, friends are there to help you get through it. When you have great friends in your life, it makes hours, days, weeks, months and years become fulfilled with great memories.

I remember when Kayleigh came in to this world and all of you, friends, would rejoice in the miracle that Kayleigh survived what the doctors felt was impossible. I remember when Kayleigh was sick, friends put their hands together and prayed for another miracle. I remember when Kayleigh went to Heaven, friends reached their arms out for comfort. I also remember when friends helped lift a financial burden when this crazy world came crashing down on us.

One friend in particular who put his words on the line to help start a chain reaction to bring friends and family to send donations, is now in need of a financial assistance. However, Brent Riggs may have been the one to lend a helping hand to me as a friend, but it is Abby who is requesting this financial wish.

I have come to know the Riggs family very well and they are the most amazing family I have ever met. It is a blessing what Brent does everyday to witness to the world and what he has done to be such a strong leader for his family of 7 while caring for his little girl who was stricken with cancer. It is Abby who wishes to gain this financial blessing as they are all raising money for another adopted brother or sister. After seeing how amazing this family has been to me, to others and to their children, they are so deserving of this blessing.

So, I am going to give what little I have in order to start the same chain reaction blessing that the Riggs Family has done for others.

Brent...here is a $100! May you be blessed with what you need to bring home another beautiful child who will be even more blessed to be called a "Riggs"

Everyone who wants to help donate, please click here: Abby's Wish

God Bless My Friend!!!

Adam

Kayleigh's Birthday

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I am so excited because next weekend, my Mom and Dad will be venturing out to Wilmington to spend the weekend with me and all my great friends. It will be their first time coming out here and we have some exciting events planned.
A good handful of us are all gonna go out to eat at a beautiful restaurant downtown on the waterway to enjoy the beautiful sunset and then dive in to a delicous "Healthy" home made cake made with love by my mom to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday. It is going to be wonderful and I am so looking forward to having my friends and family there with me.
Other events for the weekend are not yet set in stone, but here are some of the options we may be doing: Airlie Gardens, Battleship North Carolina, Fort Fisher Aquarium, Exercising at O2 Fitness, Walking the Loop and the beach in Wrightsville Beach, and other exciting times. We only have the weekend, so we will have to pick the best of the best this time around.
It will be a great weekend to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday with those who are close to my heart. I couldn't ask for better friends who have supported me through everything and are there on a daily basis to put a smile on my face and remind me how truly blessed I am. Kayleigh has touched so many hearts and is the reason for so many blessings in my life. If it weren't for Kayleigh and the awesome people she brought in to my life, I wouldn't be as incredibly happy where I am in my life. She is such an amazing girl who continues to do wonderful things for so many on a daily basis.
Thanks to all and God Bless!
Adam

Iraq sides with Iran against U.S. in release of Hizballah terrorist

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In an unfortunate move that was easily predictable, the Iraqi government released Hizballah fighter 'Ali Musa Daqduq. Daqduq immediately returned to the safety of Beirut where he is considered a hero by his Hizballah colleagues.

Daqduq was accused by American forces of organizing an attack in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala' in January 2007 - that attack resulted in the death of five U.S. Army soldiers. Daqduq was in Iraq at the behest of the Hizballah's primary sponsor, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Qods Force. Daqduq's mission was to train Iraqi Shi'a militias in Hizballah tactics. Many military analysts consider Hizballah to be among the most effective guerrilla forces in the world.

Daqduq was captured by British forces in the southern port city of al-Basrah a few months after the Karbala' attack, and turned over to U.S. forces. At this point, internal American politics came into play. The Obama Administration, in its misguided interpretation that terrorist or insurgent attacks are crimes, wanted to bring Daqduq to the United States for trial in a civilian court. Other officials wanted to transfer Daqduq to the detention facility at Guantanamo. I side with that latter group.

The Obama Administration refused the transfer to Guantanamo, citing its desire to close the facility. Thus, no action was taken for over four years. In its rush for the exits in December 2011, the Administration transferred Daqduq to Iraqi custody. Although Iraqi officials assured the U.S. they would prosecute Daqduq, I don't know of anyone who thought that would ever happen.

It didn't. In May 2012, an Iraqi court ruled that there was insufficient evidence against Daqduq and ordered that he be released. Although the Iraqis continued to detain him during a sham appeals process, they upheld the initial ruling, refused an American request for extradition, and set him free.

This is what happens when you quit a war and fail to maintain any position of influence. I lay this at the feet of the President. Had he taken advantage of the provisions in the 2008 Status of Forces Agreement, we could have maintained a presence that might have stopped this travesty from happening. Quitting a war never wins it, never ends it. All the President did was hand a victory to neighboring Iran.

That is the clear result. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had a choice. Listen to the United States (in the persons of the vice president and U.S. Ambassador) and engineer a way to hand Daqduq over to the Americans, or follow the counsel of the Iranians - his fellow Shi'a and political masters - and release a member of their primary proxy terrorist organization, Hizballah.

Given the fact that Daqduq is in Beirut, we see who wields influence in Iraq.

The timing of Iraq's release of this Hizballah terrorist is also telling. The Iraqis chose to delay the order of the Iraqi court until after the U.S. presidential election. They wanted to make sure it did not negatively impact the re-election chances of what both the Iraqis and Iranians perceive as a weak American president. Senior Iranian leaders stated earlier that an Obama re-election was in the interests of the Islamic Republic.

I guess we now know how much sway we have in Baghdad. Thank you, Mr. President.

Syria - After the U.S. election, an opportunity for action?

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US Army Patriot air defense missile battery

Now that the U.S. presidential election is over - الحمد لله - perhaps we can move to address the problems that had been allowed to fester as the Obama Administration focused on remaining in office. One of the most pressing issues - and there are others, to be sure - is Syria. Reliable figures of how many people have died in the civil war are hard to come by, but conservative estimates place the death toll at over 36,000.

Skeptics will shortsightedly argue that what happens in Syria is not a threat to the national interests of the United States. The "Syria issue" is just not about Syria. You cannot view this in isolation - events in Syria affect what happens in neighboring Lebanon, including the future of Hizballah, and impact on the west's dealings with Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons program.

Let's start by looking at what can be done to stop to the killing in Syria. There are calls by many inside and outside Syria for a no-fly zone, citing as an example the no-fly zone imposed on Libya last year. Syria is not Libya - the country is much more populated, the population centers are much further from the coast, and the country is protected by state-of-the-art, very capable Russian air defense systems.

The Turks have proposed a safety zone inside Syria, protected by U.S. and NATO Patriot air defense missile batteries inside Turkey, deployed along the Syrian border. The Patriot system can reach out as far as 100 miles, placing aircraft flying over the entire governorates of Aleppo and Idlib in range. These two areas have seen some of the most brutal air attacks over the course of the civil war. Syrian jet fighters and attack helicopters are the most feared weapon that the Syrian regime possesses.

The Free Syrian Army, the rebels, have been able to down around 75 aircraft, about half of them helicopters. They have done this with captured air defense artillery systems and shoulder-fired missiles, but the Syrians have been quick to adapt their tactics to the threat. Over the last month, Syrian air force pilots fly their aircraft at high speed and high altitudes while dropping flares to decoy heat-seeking missiles.

Airpower is the regime's most potent weapon. Even the opposition fighters acknowledge that for the most part, they are defenseless. While they have downed over 70 regime fighters and helicopters, that is a small percentage of the number of sorties launched by the Syrian air force. Each aircraft carries multiple weapons - they range from the conventional high-explosive general purpose bombs, normally about 500 pounds, to cluster munitions with hundreds of smaller sub-munitions, each capable of destroying a 60-ton tank, or the fuel-air explosive weapons that have the concussive effects just short of nuclear weapons. Add the locally-developed "barrel bomb," a crude home-made canister filled with explosives and nails, ball bearings, etc. See my description of this weapon, The Syrian "barrel bomb" - a terror weapon.

About all the Free Syrian Army can do is harass the pilots into flying out of anti-aircraft artillery range and the relatively outdated SA-7 shoulder-fired heat-seeking missile, but the effect of the bombing is the same - utter devastation of Syria's cities, the division of the country into sectarian groups and animosities that will last for generations.

What can we do?

The proposed safe zone protected by Patriot missiles could be a start, but it will not be as effective as a no-fly zone patrolled by U.S. and NATO aircraft. To impose a true no-fly zone, the Syrian air defenses would have to be attacked. Syria's air defense system is much more advanced and robust than Libya, so it will take some time to neutralize the weapons systems, their radars and the command and control system.

We also need to engage the Syrian opposition, now united in a loose coalition, even to the point of affording the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces some level of diplomatic recognition. There are concerns over the number of Muslin Brotherhood and other Islamist groups members in the coalition, but ignoring the coalition will not solve the issue.

If the United States hopes to exercise any influence over the course of events in Syria, it must be in the game. When the Syrian regime falls, we need to be ready to assist the follow-on government to resist the establishment of an Islamic state - the goal of many in the opposition. We need to be in a position to convince a new government to break away from Iran and re-enter the Middle East peace process.

We cannot afford to "lead from behind" - we need be out in front of this one. It is past time to do something.