Enough Said

Drudge flagged this today...

"Kid Interviewer Cuts off Obama"

The comments are hilarious, most having to do with the kid teaching the mainstream media baby birds how to do it, or about the kid's future now that he's dissed the One.     

Meanwhile, the "professionals" sit there in the White House briefing room and look embarrassed if Jonathan Karl or a Washington Times or Fox reporter asks a tough question.   Just imagine what we might find out if they replaced all the 'professionals' with a room full of 12 year olds like this kid.   

Deeply Held Beliefs Update

For the life of me I don't know how someone could say something like this--using the words she used--then later reverse it.  Only a true politician could reverse a 'sacred bond'.



There will no doubt be an elaborate explanation for this reversal coming soon, including hints that the reversal itself was due to the hatred of the vast right wing conspiracy.  The question is whether she will get away with it.

Dead Terrorists Update

We've seen a recent rash of reports on most-wanted terrorists and enablers going tango uniform.   Are they real?

For instance, before Christmas it was reported that AQ number three Adnan Shukrijumah, known also as "Jafar the Pilot", considered a particularly dangerous terrorist, was killed by Pakistani troops in a raid in Pakistan (shortly after the US promised another large sum of support money to that country).  After a few weeks Shukrijumah disappeared off the Rewards for Justice site run by the State Department, but he still appears on the FBI's most-wanted terrorist list.  Reasons--they are still confirming it.  Rather amazing, since they had the body and DNA testing doesn't take that long.  Just think back to bin Laden, it was done almost immediately.  Not sure why they wouldn't have shouted it from the rooftops the day after. Instead the administration didn't want anything to do with any questions about it.        

Also, there was the long sought-after former second in command of the Iraqi Ba'ath regime, Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, who was reported to be helping ISIS.  He was reported killed in a shelling near Tikrit about a week ago.  It made a flurry of news, then quickly vaporized from the news cycle.   The Iraqi government was supposed to be doing DNA testing to confirm.  In the interim a Shiite Hizballah group has claimed it's "100 percent" certain it was him based on their own tests.  You can view the corpse here--does this really look like the body of an over 70 year old man?  No bruises or bullet holes.  Does it bear a perfect resemblance to Izzat? Not really, but there is some.  Al-Duri was a rare Arab redhead, but keep in mind old Jihadists often die their beards red.  And again, the administration downplayed any questions from the press about him rather than doing the usual end-zone dance.   His loss would seemingly be a big blow to ISIS, yet nothing.  Strange. 

Finally the news today that the US blew away two most-wanted AQ terrorists, Adam aka "Azzam the American" Gadahn, and Ahmed Farouq, both American citizens on the wanted list.   Both were hit in separate non-targeted drone strikes on AQ camps--somewhere--they aren't saying very much.  The American hostage Warren Weinstein was also killed in the Farouq raid, which prompted a sort of unusual apology today from the president, taking great pains to convey that he was responsible and where the buck stopped, as if this wasn't already a given.  Of course it has never been a given, which is why this was weird. 

The White House presser today was fairly weird as well, with Josh Earnest promising unbelievable awesome transparency on the record about these deaths, then proceeding to provide almost no details about the raids due to operational security concerns.   Many journalists quizzed Earnest on whether the kills were within US law.  Maybe Loretta Lynch will decide this, after she gets through deciding on prosecuting Lois Lerner or investigating Hillary's shenanigans.  In reality it's possible he was trying to explain the tragic loss without admitting they are casualties of 'war', because the 'wars' are over, responsibly ended by Obama.  So if we aren't at war, why are we still air-raiding villages and killing civilians?    

One factoid--Mr Weinstein was mentioned many times by AQ leader Ayman Zawahiri, demanding captured AQ terrorists in exchange among other concessions, so it will be interesting to see whether the secrecy and stealth used today, and perhaps the reason they announced this today after 3 months, has something to do with pinpointing AQ Numero Uno and not just covering some hiney.  

 

Side Tracks

One of the top ten driving songs for me..



As one of the commenters said, Gary Richrath could play the hell out of a Les Paul.  Could have done without the closeups on Doughty but hey, it's free.   

Al-Douri Dead, Again

Maybe this time they really got him:

A top aide of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has been killed during fighting against Sunni insurgent forces, senior Iraqi officials claimed Friday, in a potential blow to factions opposing the government in Baghdad.

But previous reports over the years about the death of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri have proven wrong. Iraqi officials said a DNA analysis of the body was planned.

Indeed, he's one of the top zombie fighters left in the deck of cards. But it certainly does look a little like him, maybe on one of his worse days.

Assuming he's finally in heaven meeting 72 virgins that look like Helen Thomas, the political class will probably decide to use him as a cudgel against Bush-- Jeb Bush.  In the twisted logic of liberal-land it works like this: had George W Bush not invaded Iraq and turned loose the dogs of AQ and other insurgents, Izzat would have never mattered. He would have been inconsequential. And all those innocent people that ISIS butchered would still be there.  Al-Douri had to fight because Bush tossed his Sunni regime out.  Therefore GW Bush created ISIL (Obama-approved acronym) so Jeb Bush is a warmonger who will create more ISILs or something.

But there's another side of the coin.  Izzat al-Douri was the one who persuaded Saddam to put "Allahu Akbar" on the Iraqi flag after the Gulf War. He was in charge of Islamizing Saddam's regime to some degree, probably to keep the Islamic Jihadists at bay during the post-war era where Saddam's power had been eroded. In doing so there was a certain embrace of the radicals, which showed itself to the very end with Douri's Naqshbandi Order having little trouble tag-teaming with the terrorists in an attempt to retake Iraq. So the question should be "where else did they tag-team"?

But of course, everyone considers that question long-answered.  And Jeb Bush probably has no desire to answer it any differently.  And he really doesn't have to if Hillary is his opponent.  But if Hillary drops out he will be forced to deal with it, one way or the other.  Will he throw big brother under the bus while embracing his foreign policy?  Wouldn't look very presidential.  

MORE  4/17/15

I confess I've always been weirdly obsessed with this guy.  Maybe it's because for such a high-level member of the old regime, nobody seems to care about him. The Bush people never made him a public target or even discussed him; the Obama people have never mentioned his name to my knowledge, despite his purported role in ISIS.  Here's another example of the weirdness.  Marie Harf at State is asked about the death report, to which she 1) coughs, 2) looks uninterested, 3) tried to quickly move on, and 4) says "I'll check" several times, which means we'll never hear about it again unless someone asks.  At the end of the clip watch her eyes--she seems to almost roll them.   Why would the administration not want to celebrate this kill?

 

With the news people are asking if he's the last remaining figure in the old most wanted "deck of cards" (he was King of Clubs).   To my knowledge one of the bigger figures is still missing--Taher Habbush, the former head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, who might know a thing or two or three about a lot of things. 

Hard to Disagree

As much as the thought of another Bush in the White House is like anticipating a root canal, Jeb's vision of US foreign policy is pretty hard to disagree with:

“We now have a president — the first one, I believe, in the post-World War II era — that believes that America’s power is not appropriate and America’s presence is not a force for good,” Jeb Bush told a crowd of business leaders in Columbus, Ohio, this week.

“He’s wrong. With all due respect, he is just plain wrong.” “America needs to lead. America needs to stay engaged,” he added. “America’s friends need to know that we have their back over the long haul, and our enemies need to fear us a little bit.”

He's also not apologizing for thinking that way despite the polls, which is a likeable and useful trait in a president. Do not take this an endorsement, other Republicans may share it as well, and Bush will have to convince people he's not a warmonger thanks to his brother who refuses to defend himself.  But it's the correct way to think about foreign policy.  It's not just the economy, stupid.

Making some broad assumptions, it will be interesting to see how Hillary might react to such a position considering her reputation as a foreign policy hawk. It might force her to move left on the issue if there's a primary and back right in the general election.  All the more reason for the Democrats to just crown her and move forward if they can get away with it.   

What's More Likely to Happen First...

...the State Department recommending the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, or the State Department recommending the Keystone Pipeline be approved?

Side Tracks

Apparently there will be some news this weekend regarding someone "running". So here's an appropriate song..

The Obligatory Peace in our Time Post

Obama seemed to be in a very feisty mood announcing his awesome framework deal with the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and death to America quotes.   The framework deal summary is here; following is an internet yahoo's summary of the summary.

First, imagine making a similar deal with Saddam Hussein.  Imagine had George W. Bush not invaded in 2003 and the No-Fly Zones were still in place and somehow we made it to 2008 without a blow-up and new president Obama extended his hand to the Butcher. 

Imagine a deal that would have allowed the Butcher to maintain some of the enriched uranium under stockpile and retain a nuke program for civilian power, so long as he didn't do anything funny for 10 years, with his reward being a lifting of many sanctions.  Now substitute the slightly less crazy Mullahs for Saddam and that appears to be where we are now, Iran retaining its nuke program.  Wait, could Obama even have made a nuke deal with the Iranians with Saddam still in power?  Probably not.  Use your imagination.   

This bottom line is what the asshole, er, the pain in the ass, uh sorry, the chickenshit in Jerusalem said when he came to DC.  The Mullahs have only to wait for ten years until they reach their goal, with our blessing.  A country that has not allowed full scale inspections--like Iraq--will now be regulated over a deal allowing them to keep a nuke program by rough and tumble international inspectors who couldn't find Iraq's WMD buried all over the desert and completely missed Gaddafy's program.

Ten years goes by fast.  We are coming up on the 14th anniversary of 9/11 this September. 

Anyway, the mainstream media will more than likely be treating the Iranian leaders similar to Gorbachev soon, heralding the historic accord and volunteering them for the Nobel.  Congress, bypassed in the process again, will express displeasure and be ignored and shamed.  If they dare do something bold they will be threatening world unity.

The Euros will slither back to their bicycles and lattes satisfied they did everything they could without having much of an army to back it up, while the the Russians and Chinese will offer somber hope while secretly high-fiving in the background (you know if they are onboard the deal must be better for them than us).

But the bottom line is this:  by coddling the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism and death to America chants and allowing them to keep their nuke program, Obama will not have to grind over authorizing an airstrike at 3am before his term ends, freeing him up for more important things like selfie sticks, April Fools videos, dances on Ellen, and punishing his enemy.

The Israelis?  If they bomb they are on their own, against the entire world.  Surely that has been made clear.

Aviation Update

With each story that comes out about Germanwings 9525 it's almost as if someone is trying to create conspiracy theories.

Today the Daily Mail published another tabloid version of the CVR transcript, this time by the French site "Paris Match".  The German site "Bild" had previously published a tabloid version, which was picked up by the so-called legitimate media around the world and featured the captain outside the door yelling "open the damn door".  That was apparently a scrubbed version as other sites quoted it as "open the Goddamned door".

The Paris Match version now changes the cuss words and removes the blasphemy:

The captain’s voice can be heard as he tries to open the door: “It’s me!” The captain is facing a camera connected to the cockpit: Lubitz sees him on screen but does not react. The captain grabs an oxygen tank or fire extinguisher in order to break down the door.No response from Lubitz. The captain yells: “For the love of God, open this door!”

So the captain wasn't damning God, he was asking in His name. The point where we were previously told he damned God has now become the F word...

10:37 and several seconds A second alarm is set off, audible and visual: “TERRAIN, PULL UP.” Still no reaction from Lubitz. The captain yells: “Open this f… door!”

Seems that whoever is leaking could get this straight, although it's possible the leaker is a third-hand source, maybe coming via gossip from a wife or husband close to the investigators (and perhaps being paid). Anything is possible with a tabloid.  Otherwise it doesn't make much sense for someone close to the investigation to get it so wrong.  Keep in mind the initial leak to the New York Times about the lockout story quoted a 'military source' close to the investigation, so we know those in the inner circle have already been leaking.

In another twist, the Paris Match adds extra details that seem to have come from something other than a CVR, such as the captain looking at a video monitor to identify himself when he was initially locked out and Lubitz looking at the monitor in the cockpit but not responding.  Not sure how that would be picked up on a voice recording.  The PM also now clarifies it was not a crash axe the captain was using to beat down the door but a crowbar stowed in the rear galley.  Which is nice because the crash axe is normally stored in the cockpit.  They also mention the sounds of people running up and down the aisles, something also yet reported. 

The PM version also mentions that Lubitz donned an oxygen mask, which has not been revealed previously. Pilots on various message boards have questioned whether a CVR tape could have picked up his normal breathing especially if he had taken off his headset--having a mask on would seem to answer that loose end (assuming it was one) because it contains a mic.  But why would a suicidal maniac driving the plane into a mountain put on an oxygen mask in his last seconds?   Was he trying to make it look like an accident?  Insurance payout for his girlfriend and yet-to-be-born child?   What was his insurance situation?   

Finally the CVR itself. It was found less than 12 hours after the crash--the same day--while the FDR has still not been found. They are both housed in the same area of the fuselage--the rear--a part of which was shown on the Daily Mail story (a relatively large fragment of the aircraft). It's hard to believe one could have completely disappeared while the other was easily found the first day.

It would be less strange had the authorities not initially claimed to have found the FDR the second day but missing its memory card, which was later changed to 'not found'. Pilots and others had also questioned whether a memory card could have been ejected from the solid casing while the CVR's case remained intact.

Another story the Bild and Paris Match are pumping is the cell phone video that seems to corroborate the CVR.  They can't find the memory card of the FDR, but they can find a cellphone memory chip (much smaller).   Were any others found?  

OK, I know this all sounds conspiratorial, but it's the last thing I want to do.  The history of Lubitz as portrayed gives him a motive and if the CVR has actually been found and the representations are accurate, it's not hard to imagine the scenario. Pilot's world is crashing down, he thinks he's losing his sight (and career) and everybody calls him "Tomato Andy" or the "Trolley Dolly", which suggests he might have been struggling with homosexuality.

That is, while he wasn't getting his live-in girlfriend pregnant while having an affair with a Flight Attendant named "Maria".

Then again maybe he put the oxygen mask on to pretend the plane crashed due to mechanical issues, hoping his left behind GF and future child would benefit.   If so, he must have never read an NTSB report.  He would have to know that if they found a body with a mask on they would also find other clues that showed he did it.

In other words, still some loose ends still here. But would--or could--any country go to the length of covering up a terrorist suicide attack or some embarrassing cause with such an elaborate cover story?  Seems implausible.  But the circle of knowledge of those who've heard the CVR is actually pretty small. And let's face it--without an FDR everything we know or think about this story hinges on that CVR tape.  Maybe they could let some reporters listen.

MORE  4/2/15

Some questions answered.   Today's Daily Mail news is less conspiratorial.   FDR now reported to be found.  And searchers say they've found 40 cell phones in very damaged conditions.   No cell phone video inside the aircraft showing the last seconds should EVER be released to the public in my opinion, if nothing else but out of respect for the deceased, but it will be eventually.  Some horrors that used to be relegated to the imagination or Hollywood are now available to anyone, not sure that's necessarily a good thing. 

Still some loose ends here--they can largely be cleared up by either the BEA releasing the CVR transcript and now FDR data logs for independent analysis.  Meanwhile, as Lubitz' guilt becomes more clear the main topics will become, 1) how much medical privacy pilots should have and, 2) how to change cockpit security now that the press has released a lot of formerly unknown information and Lubitz has apparently shown terrorists how to crash a modern passenger jet from the cockpit.     

MORE WEIRD   4/3/15

They released pictures of the FDR and it looks nothing like its been shown to look on the web, ie, painted bright orange and in a bracket like the CVR (mounted beside it).  However, there's not a flint of orange paint on the part they showed (in pictures, not live in the room) but they explained it had been ejected from the plane and flung into the ground and scorched due to the impact fire, which presumably explains the lack of orange. 

So why was the entire thing scorched by fire if part of it was embedded underground?  Embedding would have happened seconds or microseconds after impact, not really enough time to be completely charred on its way to becoming embedded.  This doesn't seem to make sense.

Unlike some conspiracy theorists I'll give them the benefit of perhaps a language translation error or other miscommunication going from French or German to English.   Indeed, this revelation could line up with the initial story on day two attributed to French President Hollande that the FDR was found but the "memory card" was not there.  It's possible they found the bracket but not the case, and that's what Hollande meant by saying memory card (he meant to case holding it).

Also per the tablet PC found in Lubitz' apartment, why would a professional pilot have to surf the web looking up info on cockpit door locking systems?   That doesn't make much sense either.

Still haven't heard any confirmation of the Paris Match story that he had donned an oxygen mask.   That seems important to me.  It's almost as if there might be some kind of Batman-like switch in the cabin that puts green smoke in the cockpit to incapacitate the cockpit crew.  Why else would a suicidal pilot be wearing an oxygen mask, especially if we are now being told he accelerated the aircraft into the mountain, meaning he almost certainly knew he would be in little pieces shortly?

MORE  4/4/15

Every piece of new information coming out makes the initial leaked CVR info about the lock-out look more plausible.  Still, wondering about 1) what was in the cargo hold of that aircraft and 2) the list of the passengers.  I don't recall seeing either point of data released yet.  I do recall a question from the initial BEA press conference on March 25th about lithium batteries in the cargo hold, which was brushed off.   Again, why was Lubitz supposedly wearing an oxygen mask as he suicided into a mountain?

That same BEA press conference also contains a question about the FDR, with a reporter asking for confirmation as to why French President Hollande said the FDR had been found without its memory card.  The answer was that no FDR had been found.

So who told the president of France such a thing, and why?   Yes, there can be misinformation during such times and people sometimes confuse one item of detail for another in the haste to provide answers, but we also have this CNN report (that has now 404'd on their own site) mentioning the French "Interior Ministry" was "reconstructing" some details from the CVR, which, according to this report, had been found only hours after the crash:

"A black box that we found a few hours after the crash will immediately be examined to help the investigation move forward quickly," French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told reporters Tuesday.

Emphasis added. The BEA guy in the presser, which occurred approximately 20+ hours after the CVR was found, said they had only received it 'minutes ago', although he didn't specify whether he meant the box itself or the "usable" audio.  Later that evening a leak came to the NY Times from a senior military official close to the investigation about the Lubitz lock out.   More questions.  Who was that person?  Are they in trouble for breaching the security of the investigation or did someone want them to leak to the NY Times?  If so, why?  

As to the FDR, the first report of it being found seems to be on March 25th when French President Hollande was on site with Angela Merkel and other dignitaries and gave statements to the press:

17:11 - Hollande confirms casing of second black box recovered French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday the casing for the second black box from the Germanwings Airbus crash had been found in the French Alps, but not the box itself. "We're looking for a second black box. Its casing has been found, but not yet, unfortunately, the box itself," he said at a news conference near the crash site, alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

Emphasis added again.  This may not be conspiratorial insofar as the FDR was later found in the ground without its main frame. There was confusion though, as other reports initially claimed he said the memory card had been dislodged from the box:

Confusion surrounded the fate of the second black box. French President Francois Hollande said the casing of the flight data recorder had been found in the scattered debris, but was missing the memory card that captures 25 hours' worth of information on the position and condition of almost every major part in a plane. Jouty refused to confirm the discovery. French officials said terrorism appeared unlikely and Germany's top security official said there was no evidence of foul play.

Again the emphasis to point out that the NY Times, posting an AP story, was saying the actual casing of the FDR was found but the memory card inside wasn't there--which is not the same as the casing being separated from the frame holding it.  The BEA official made a point to mention the strength of the casing of the FDR and expected to get good data from it.  Again, who told the President of France to say this?   Was it Inspector Clouseau? 

Ah well,  We can hope for a truly factual investigation of this tragedy sans any politics, which by all accounts appears to be a suicide if the released information is accurate (a cause itself that brings enough trouble regardless of other possible scenarios). But with such high stakes riding on aviation in a world of Islamic terrorism.....

In addition, according to classified U.S. intelligence assessments, the Khorasan militants have been working with bomb-makers from al-Qaida's Yemen affiliate to test new ways to slip explosives past airport security. The fear is that the Khorasan militants will provide these sophisticated explosives to their Western recruits who could sneak them onto U.S.-bound flights.

...(remember they were bombed in Syria specifically due to the threat to aviation) it's just hard to know for sure anymore. Whatever happened to the Khorasan Group anyway?   Well, about 15 days before Germanwings the US once again bombed them in Syria, again stating their threat to aviation as justification.  After-action analysis was not clear as to how much the attacks had crippled their operations.  Also keep in mind that one of the master bomb-makers in KG is one David Drugeon, a French national.