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Thursday, May 25, 2017
TERRORISTS
ARE
EVIL
LOSERS
IN LIFE
Agents Tracking 3,500 Potential Suspects in UK… 18,000 in Belgium
Europe, the United Kingdom, and Russia have witnessed terrorist attacks or attempted attacks every nine days in 2017 on average, analysis of security incidents has revealed.A Very Real War on Women Arrived in Manchester, England, Last Night
Getty
Teddy bears, tears, candles, cartoons, murals, mosaics, flowers, flags, projections, hashtags, balloons, wreaths, lights, vigils, scarves, and more. These are the best solutions the Western world seems to come up with every few months when we are slammed by another Islamist terrorist attack. We are our own sickness.
If the words above look familiar, it is because they are.
They are the same words I wrote on March 23rd, 2016, just over one year ago, after coordinated suicide bombing attacks in the NATO/European Union capital of Brussels, Belgium, which left 32 dead and 340 injured.
Last night, another 22 people died, and at least another 60 have been injured at a former Disney star’s concert in Manchester, England.
The targeting of an audience predominantly comprised of young girls should haunt even the most callous of cynics, and the most relativist of liberals. But it won’t.
Already we have witnessed large news sites demanding Britain refuse to change its approach to terrorism and extremism. Just keep sucking it up. Keep watching your friends and family die. After all, according to London’s mayor, terrorism is “part and parcel” of everyday urban life, right?
All of it, ultimately, is a distraction. I don’t know if it’s meant to be or not. But it is a massive distraction from the facts of this case. And the reality of European life today.
Let’s take 2017 alone so far.
Yesterday marked the 142nd day of 2017.
There have been, this year, at least 15 attempted terrorist attacks on European, British, or West Russian soil, killing dozens, and injuring hundreds.
Think about that.
In the meantime, the Independent website wants us to “carry on exactly as before”:
There's only one way Britain should respond to attacks such as Manchester. That is by carrying on exactly as before http://ind.pn/2rNmUwS
I suggest we don’t “carry on exactly as before”. In fact, I suggest we do away with the trite “Keep Calm and Carry On” mindset that has been adopted by hipsters and tourist tat sellers.
Instead, I suggest we look back in history a little further, for how we deal with this scourge.
St. Augustine of Hippo — not to be confused with the homonymous St. Augustine of Canterbury who brought Christianity to England — once said: “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”
St. Augustine of Hippo — not to be confused with the homonymous St. Augustine of Canterbury who brought Christianity to England — once said: “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”
Don't let anyone tell you now is not a time to get angry or change anything. Now is absolutely that time. #Manchester
This is our new mantra.
This is our new slogan.
This is our new slogan.
This is our new way of life.
Trump Signals US-Israel Reset: Time to Patch Things Up After Eight Years of Obama
By Jarrett Stepman
President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Fox 10 Youtube Screenshot)It’s time to patch up America’s second “special relationship” after eight years of frayed feelings between the United States and Israel.
That’s the message President Donald Trump is sending in his early-presidency trip to Israel and unprecedented visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Trump said of his Monday visit to the Western Wall, a first for sitting American presidents, that the visit was potentially a path to a “deeper” friendship with Israel.
Conflicts over policy and philosophy strained the relations between former President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and led to distrust between the two countries.
“Pres. Trump makes first visit by sitting U.S. commander in chief to the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site https://t.co/sOwLJ2XsZkhttp://pic.twitter.com/nCKYKlGcII”
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 22, 2017
By going out of his way to entreat with Israel, Trump is at least signaling that a reset is in store.
Israel plays an essential role in American foreign policy—and not only in the Middle East. The war against radical Islamists has global implications in which the two countries have overlapping interests.
America’s Other ‘Special Relationship’
It is almost taken for granted today that Israel has been such a reliable foreign policy partner. This was only due to the careful diplomacy and alignment of key national and cultural interests between the two countries.
The nature of this partnership in many ways mirrors the so-called “special relationship” between Great Britain and the United States.
However, it is important to remember that before World War II, the U.S. and U.K. spent a century as mortal enemies and had deep reasons to distrust one another.
World War I pushed the U.S. and U.K. closer together after a century of suspicion and hostility. The fires of World War II and the Herculean efforts of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sealed a the long-term collaboration between the countries—an example of the importance of wise statesmanship from American and British leaders.
It is important for American leaders to recognize and cultivate just such a relationship with Israel.
While the United States has always been supportive of Israel’s nationhood since 1948, the two countries were not always so intertwined. The complex nature of the Cold War in the Middle East occasionally put the U.S. and Israel at odds.
U.S.-Israel ties grew closer after Israel defeated a coalition of Arab states backed by the Soviet Union in the Yom Kippur War and the country proved itself to be a valuable Cold War ally.
The wisdom of this cooperation is even more apparent after the rise of radical Islamist sentiment that became a cornerstone aspect of American foreign policy after the terrorist attack on 9/11.
Israel was in a prime position to help combat this pernicious ideology, which has strong ties in the Middle East.
Countering Iran and Syria
Trump addressed a few major issues of immediate concern to the U.S. during his visit to Israel.
Of course, the thorn of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and other radical, subnational Islamist groups in the region remain high on the U.S. agenda, and Israel is a key partner in destroying these factions.
But the national threats of Syria and Iran, which have acted recalcitrantly toward the West and are well-known funders of terrorist groups, are of particular concern and also require close cooperation with Israel.
Trump has already shown that he is willing to make limited strikes in Syria to enforce the red line on chemical weapons. This action was strongly supported by Israel, and was seen as a rebuke to both Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria and also Iran.
On Monday, Trump sent a strong message to Iran that its terror funding and nuclear ambitions would not be tolerated.
As Middle East expert Jim Phillips argued in a recent Heritage Foundation report, “Iran remains the chief long-term regional threat to the U.S. and Israel.”
Trump has not yet followed through on his promise to tear up the Obama administration’s 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, pending a formal policy review of whether the nuclear deal advances vital American national interests.
Nevertheless, Trump said in a speech that Iran was guilty of “deadly funding, training, and equipping of terrorists and militias,” and that it acted inappropriately after the deal took place.
As Phillips noted, it is vitally important to either change the terms of this treaty or step away from it entirely to stem Iran’s “continued support for terrorism, expanding ballistic missile program, and deepening military intervention in Syria.”
Israel is among the most important counterweights to this hostile regime in the Middle East, especially in upholding economic sanctions and controlling arms flowing to and from Iran.
The ‘Ultimate Deal’
Trump made numerous commitments regarding Israel during the campaign.
Currently, his promise to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move an American embassy there has failed to materialize. This remains a thorny issue for the Palestinians in particular. It would also create a challenge for Trump’s desire to broker the “ultimate deal” between Israel and the Palestinians.
Trump has expressed a desire to create some kind of lasting solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an issue that has become a white whale for American presidents from Jimmy Carter to Obama.
All of these attempts have failed to achieve any kind of lasting peace, and some have exacerbated the conflict.
A more realistic approach would be to seek an interim agreement to make incremental progress on addressing Israeli security concerns and facilitating Palestinian economic development, which would help restore mutual trust and create a more supportive environment for later addressing touchy final status issues.
Sticking points like the “right of return” for Palestinians, the status of Jerusalem, the future of Israeli settlements, and the redrawing of borders are unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, given the glaring lack of trust and wide gaps in the negotiating positions of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Jarrett Stepman is an editor for The Daily Signal. Send an email to Jarrett.
Liberals foiled by Morgan Freeman
I’ve always enjoyed actor Morgan Freeman’s performances in movies, especially in Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” and playing God in “Bruce Almighty” with Jim Carey.
But never have I enjoyed one of his performances as much as his recent interview with CNN’s race-baiting host Don Lemon.
Lemon is a chief proponent in the “victim card” movement continually peddled by all too many self-professed black leaders. But when the young whipper-snapper tried to play the “race card” with Freeman, he got his butt handed to him like you wouldn’t believe.
Here’s how Bob Amoroso describes the exchange…
Lemon attempts to suggest that racial discrimination among African-Americans is by extension an economic issue, saying; “Do you think race plays a role in wealth distribution?”
Freeman momentarily taken aback by the question and seemed a bit bemused responded, “No. You and I are proof of it.”
Freeman momentarily taken aback by the question and seemed a bit bemused responded, “No. You and I are proof of it.”
Which apparently doesn’t satisfy the CNN host, as he tries again to illicit a response more to his liking, suggesting that some individuals might find it too hard to “pull themselves up by the bootstraps.”
Freemen’s bemusement instantly evaporates, and he begins schooling the young progressive pup by reminding him he was born over 70-years ago in a place called Memphis, Tennessee, then stating “um, I had a long haul from where I came from to here…but here we are.”
Lemon interjects saying: “not everybody can do that.”
Freemen sitting back on his chair exclaims “BULLSH*T, everybody can!”
It is a thing of B-E-A-U-T-Y!
You really need to watch it for yourself. It may be Freeman’s most brilliant and significant scene on screen – but one that surely won’t gain him any friends in liberal Hollywood or at the NAACP.
Cheers.
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
Professor of Psephology (homeschooled)
Nevada’s #1 Irritator of Liberals and RINOs
Professor of Psephology (homeschooled)
Nevada’s #1 Irritator of Liberals and RINOs
P.S. Let’s talk a little bit about so-called “hate crimes” and how ridiculous they are…
And for this quick examination, consider the following priceless quote by the character Mona Lisa Vito in the movie “My Cousin Vinny” about the character played by Joe Pesci asking what he should wear to go deer hunting…
“Imagine you’re a deer. You’re prancing along. You get thirsty. You spot a little brook. You put your little deer lips down to the cool, clear water. BAM!
“Imagine you’re a deer. You’re prancing along. You get thirsty. You spot a little brook. You put your little deer lips down to the cool, clear water. BAM!
A f—in’ bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask you: Would you give a f— what kind of pants the son of a b—- who shot you was wearing?!”
Exactly. If someone assaults or kills another human being, what does it matter if he “hated” the other person for whatever reason? The scumbag should be prosecuted and convicted for assaulting or murdering someone – and punished accordingly (death penalty!).
Adding a “thought crime” to the mix accomplishes absolutely nothing other than to fuel racial tensions.
Trump Budget Director: We Are ‘Dead Serious About the Wall’
President Donald Trump’s budget director Mick Mulvaney reassured supporters that the White House would build a wall, previewing it to reporters at the White House press briefing.
“We are absolutely dead serious about the wall,” Mulvaney said, calling it one of the president’s “top three” budget priorities.
He pushed back against reports that said the administration was reducing funding for the border wall, pointing out that Trump’s budget was a dramatic increase in border security from the previous year.
The 2017 budget included $1.5 billion for border security and $3 billion for the Department of Homeland Security. The 2018 budget, he explained, requested $2.6 billion and $4.5 billion for DHS.
The text of the budget specifies funds for “a physical wall” on the southern border of the United States.
"a physical wall”
The funding would help fund replacement wall, new wall, roads and infrastructure for the wall as well as land acquisition.
The director suggested that supporters should be patient regarding the wall, noting that it was only the first step in the lengthy project.
“Keep in mind, you can’t just … you don’t automatically magically build a wall in the middle of nowhere,” he said.
On Monday, Mulvaney previewed a $1.6 billion request for “actual bricks-and-mortar construction.”
He described “competition” process for getting the best possible wall design for each area of the Southern border, citing 4-8 prototypes that were currently being constructed.
“We fully expect that different barriers will serve best in different areas,” Mulvaney said.
Manchester Bombing Foreshadows Another Fraught Ramadan
The Manchester bombing is a stunning reminder that, despite ISIS losing territory in the Middle East, its appeal isn’t totally lost on young Muslims living in the West.
The suicide bomber in Monday night’s terrorist attack in Manchester, England has been identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi. He was the son of Libyan refugees who fled Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, but Abedi grew up in Manchester. According to police, he was “known to authorities,” but it’s not entirely clear in what capacity, and worshiped at a mosque suspected of funding jihadists. Abedi’s brother has been arrested, according to British police, and there have been raids throughout the city in connection with the bombing.
Although this isn’t only a foreign policy matter (the West has a real problem with the radicalized children of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries) the attack and bomber’s profile, as far as we currently know, are stark reminders of the continued threat of ISIS and why the United States needs to adopt policies that encourage stability in the Middle East.
Ramadan: a Month of Prayer for Many Different Reasons
The horrific bombing, which left 22 dead and more than 50 wounded, comes just four days before the beginning of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan that goes until June 24. Ramadan is the month when the Quran was supposedly revealed to the prophet Mohammed. It is a time of fasting, prayer, and contemplation for Muslims around the world. But it has also been a time of heightened terror attacks. Last year, experts predicted that Ramadan would bring an increase in terror attacks from ISIS, and it did.
During the month of Ramadan in 2016, ISIS claimed responsibility for: the stabbing of a police office and his partner in France; the Ataturk Airport bombing; the Orlando nightclub shooting; and an attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh that killed 24. In the weeks that followed Ramadan, the Nice attack occurred, killing 86 and injuring hundreds; a French priest’s throat was slit in his church; and in Germany there was an attack on a train in Würzburg and a bombing near a music festival in Ansbach.
It’s possible that the bombing on Monday night will be the first in a series of attacks in the West during Ramadan and the summer months. The bombing also happened to have coincided with the fourth anniversary of the killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby, who was brutally hacked to death in southeast London by two men carrying knives, who then tried to behead him.
The Ripple Effects of ISIS Losses in Syria and Iraq
Whatever the reason for the timing, the Manchester bombing is a stunning reminder that despite ISIS losing territory in the Middle East, its appeal isn’t totally lost on young Muslims living in the West. While we don’t yet know whether Abedi traveled overseas to train with ISIS—although it appears he travelled several times to Libya, where his parents are believed to have returned after Gaddafi’s ouster in 2011—the attack also reminds us of the concerns experts have had for some time about the ripple effects of ISIS’s gradual loss of territory in Syria and Iraq.
As I have previously written, analysts have worried that as the Islamic State loses its foothold in the Middle East, foreign fighters will begin flowing back home, armed with extensive military training and a radical Islamist ideology. The U.S. coalition partners fighting ISIS in places like Mosul are trying hard to ensure that they don’t let any fighters, foreign or otherwise, slip through with the thousands of refugees fleeing ISIS-controlled areas and melt back into the general population, but there’s no way for anyone to catch them all.
It’s not surprising, therefore, that of the 850 or so British citizens who went to fight with ISIS, about 400 have returned to England. But there’s also concern that as ISIS loses its territories in Syria and Iraq and returns to its al-Qaeda roots, it will ramp up its campaign to radicalize in the West, and homegrown terror attacks will increase. In addition to returning ISIS fighters, British security services are monitoring another 3,000 potential terrorists. But as Abedi’s case so terribly demonstrates, the police can’t keep track of them all, nor can they predict which ones will turn out to be high-risk.
The Never-Ending War
It’s unknown if Abedi received direct guidance from ISIS or was instead inspired by them. However, authorities don’t think Abedi had the know-how to make the bomb he detonated, raising concerns that he may be part of a larger cell and a bomb-maker could be assisting other would-be attackers.
That is, in part, why Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Friday that the total annihilation of ISIS is necessary to prevent the threat from hopping from location to location without disappearing. Even if the Manchester attacker wasn’t a foreign fighter, the continued existence of ISIS risks the radicalization and activation of aspiring jihadists in the West. The risks, and the cost, are too high. “Total annihilation” isn’t mere hyperbole in this case; it’s a strategic imperative.
But any U.S. strategy for defeating ISIS—or al-Qaeda—must rest on the knowledge that total annihilation is unlikely for one important reason. These terrorist groups thrive in unstable countries and failed states, which the Middle East and North Africa have in spades. They will always move into and expand in regions where this instability flourishes. We’ve seen this in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and Afghanistan.
So, while President Trump’s speech over the weekend urging the leaders of Muslim countries to take the initiative in fighting terrorism was the right message, it was also perhaps naïve not to see that the United States will have to promote regional stability in all the ways it can, including a more robust military presence in the Middle East, in order to give ISIS and al-Qaeda no quarter.
Megan G. Oprea is editor of the foreign policy newsletter INBOUND. She holds a PhD in French linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin. You can follow her on Twitter here.
Helen and Moe Lauzier
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