This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Sporkmaster

  • But Talk is just Talk.

    This is another video from the group Our Journey to Smiles that is working out of Afghanistan to put a face on the people that live there. I Have very conflicting feelings about these people. On one had I can respect that they are over in where the danger is rather then from the safety of their own homes. On the other hand they have a naivety that is borderline criminal. I have written about this in the past. The newest video is no exception.

    I have to wonder what would happen if the Afghanistan was not there to protect them with riot gear?

    But of course you will get comments like this from this video.

    It inspires me and I hope others that Afghan citizens urge peace. Enough killing in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in? Libya, in Palestine, in Israel, in Barein and elsewhere. The war-lovers? are leading us to madness.

  • Iran: You’re interfering with our interference.

    So in case your have not heard, Iran is complaining about Saudi Arabia sending in troops to Bahrain. Even as going as far as declaring this action a declaration of war. But some of the quotes are just priceless considering if people remember what was going on in Iran in 2009.

    “The peaceful demonstrations in Bahrain are among the domestic issues of this country, and creating an atmosphere of fear and using other countries’ military forces to oppress these demands is not the solution,” he told the semi-official Fars news agency.

    “It is expected that the demands of the Muslim people of Bahrain … be seriously considered by the authorities and that they prevent the situation from becoming more complex by making right decisions and not allowing foreign interferences in Bahrain,” Amir Abdollahian added.

    Really? Did he just say that considering how Iran handled their own?

    Oh but it gets better.

    Iran has welcomed Arab uprisings in the region as an “Islamic awakening” against despotic rulers and has said they were influenced by its own 1979 Islamic revolution.

    You mean like that are doing now?

  • Breaking news: 8.4+ hits Japan.

    This is hours old that a earthquake of a 8.9 has hit Japan.

    A massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake has struck off Japan’s northeastern coast, triggering a four meter tsunami that washed away cars along parts of the coastline.

    Additional aftershocks and Tsunami are expected.

  • Libyan Special Forces defeated by rebels.

    I wanted to bring this up because if the success in Egypt had a ripple effect then I am sure that the effects of this event cannot be ignored.

    Opposition forces in Libya have fought off elite pro-Gaddafi units who tried to retake the rebel-held town of Zawiya, near the capital Tripoli.

    The overnight attempt to take back Zawiya was made by some of Libya’s best-equipped troops, the Al Khums force under the command of one of Moamar Gaddafi’s own sons.

    Despite attacking the city from several sides they were beaten back, and Zawiya is still in the hands of the opposition, although it is also still surrounded.

    I did a double take because this is big, The people who are revolting are not a organized fighting force. Yes they may have soldiers that defected, but if a group has never worked or much less trained together then the odd of winning anything are small. So the idea that this group can repulse a well trained and equipped force now gives any militia hopes that they can stand against any organized Army that any Middle Eastern country can muster. I thought that the pilots defecting was bad enough.

    Also the Rebels are starting to change their views about needing outside military their help. Now people need to look into the assumption that Foreign Aid will solve this.

  • Help requested from TAH readers: Poser take down.

    Ok, we need your help on this one.

    If you many or many not know one of our readers Aaron who help provide most of the info in regards Kylen Bounds has been busy going after another fake.

    I would like you to meet Jack Wilson.

    He is claiming five to six deployments with Special Forces.

    But he is listed as being in a very non-SF unit according to AKO.

    But our friend Jack has been busy. So with that in mind I am asking anyone that has any info on him to leave a comment.

  • Really? Is there a General that you do not want to Fire?

    Sure enough with Retired General McChrystal, and General Petraeus, Rethink Afghanistan is calling for the firing of Lt. Gen. William Caldwell.

    Lt. Gen. William Caldwell’s use of psychological operations (“psy-ops”) experts against Senators and congresspeople visiting Afghanistan is outrageous, and Caldwell should resign immediately.

    Caldwell is one of Petraeus’ most important subordinates in Afghanistan, charged with training the Afghan National Security Forces. According to Rolling Stone, he sought to use psy-ops specialists to manipulate Congress into providing more funds and troops for the failing war in Afghanistan.

    He and his staff reportedly sought psy-ops experts’ help to “secretly manipulate the U.S. lawmakers without their knowledge,” and wanted “pressure points” to “leverage” when pushing visiting legislators for funds. When they balked, a Caldwell spokesperson shouted, “It’s not illegal if I say it isn’t!”

    Caldwell’s actions are disrespectful, dangerous and illegal. We demand his immediate resignation. If he will not give it, the president should fire him.

    Really? This is getting birther level crazy. I think someone has watched Dr Strangelove too many times.

    ADDED: Here is a good reply to the Stones article. Thanks again to Spade for the find.

  • You’re a killer of women and children, but we care about you.

    Should have known this was coming since I first read about it.

    The provincial governor of Kunar province, Fazlullah Wahidi, told AFP that military operations and airstrikes have killed 63 people in the past week, alleging most were civilians including 20 women and three elderly men.

    He said they were killed mostly in air raids by NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) against suspected rebels in Kunar.

    “In total 63 people have died,” he said, adding that at least 20 of the civilians killed were women, 27 were males – the youngest just seven – and three were elderly men.

    However they leave out minor details like these.

    Another patient there, Hamidullah, 21, who like many Afghans uses only one name, described an air attack and subsequent occupation of his village, Haigal, by Afghan Army soldiers over the last three days and said that 26 of his family members were killed or wounded. He conceded that the area had been used to launch attacks on NATO convoys.

    “I am not sad that I lost my family members,” he said. “They died for God, and I am also willing to die. If the infidels kill me, then it is something that God wishes. These people will, I am sure, God willing, be defeated. I hope God destroys Americans.”

    Or this

    The NATO account said the assault began around 7 p.m. Thursday and lasted for five hours. The target was Taliban fighters who were gathering on a hillside, said Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith, the strategic communications chief. After reviewing footage of the assault and intelligence, he said that he saw no sign that civilians or civilian houses were attacked, but that it was not possible to rule it out entirely.

    But in response Rethink Afghanistan is accusing the ISF of blaming the “victims” of these attacks. Let me tell you something else I understand about human psychology. I get, Warren, that you can’t shoot people if you actually think they are like you. I get that you have to make them less than yourself in order to harm them. I get that… you cannot continue to serve unless you continue to “otherize” your enemies.
    I know you are a medic. So was my father. But you are still part of the war machine.

    Yea, and who is the one who is generalizing now?

  • A small break for local stories.

    Considering the media coverage for the Middle East I want to look the stories that would normally get overlooked. I have three, two are tragic and the last one has a happier ending. But all are a reminder of those that volunteer for the risks and dangers of public service.

    The first one is from Poughkeepsie, New York where the community is remembering the loss of Officer John Falcone. He was killed in the line of duty. The link has more details about his life and the the loss of one of New York’s Finest.

    Nearby, lower Main Street’s neighborhood was somber, as many people there who had never met fallen police Officer John Falcone mourned the loss of his life. Falcone was killed by 27-year-old Lee M. Welch after the Catskill man fatally shot his estranged wife, Jessica Welch, 28, in the presence of their 3-year-old daughter.

    Residents in Augusta, Maine are paying their last respects to twenty year old Private Jordan Chase. He died in Fort Jackson and a cause of death has not been made public.

    LePage says he joins all Maine residents in extending their deepest condolences to Chase’s family. He says Chase was “in training to serve and defend us all.” He says he’s saddened by Chase’s death.
    Maine’s U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe says the 20-year-old’s service “will live on in the collective heart of our grateful nation.” She says he “answered our country’s most honorable call” by joining the Maine Army National Guard.

    Two Cadets were rescued in a night air lift in the area of Highlands New York by Local Police.

    The helicopter’s pilot, Officer Steven Browning, said in a telephone interview on Sunday that he had never faced such difficult flying conditions in his 14 years with the Police Department, with powerful winds blasting in two directions and with his rotors clearing the cliff face by just 20 feet.