Category: Terrorism

Vanilla ISIS, Baby

Or maybe a better title would be ‘Y’all Qaeda’…….

In this I am talking about our home-grown white nationalists……

White nationalists were called out on CNN on Wednesday after a shocking report that white supremacists were citing the Taliban as a model for successfully taking over a country.

For analysis, CNN’s Anderson Cooper interviewed Harvard professor and CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem.

“We used to joke in our gallows humor…the radicalization of the right we used to call ‘Vanilla ISIS’ — in other words it was just about radicalization,” she explained. “What we have to remember is they’re really focused on an image of America — that they don’t like this America, the white supremacist groups and right-wing groups.”

She said the white supremacists were opposed to “a diverse America one in which women are equal, one in which there is diversity.” She said it “sounds very similar to the Taliban.”

https://www.rawstory.com/white-nationalists-taliban-afghanistan/

I have written many posts about the rise of the white nationalism that is destroying this country piece by piece.

Where was the so-called “Left” during the rise of these d/bags?

Where was the American left during all of this? Did it form a united front, organizing a mass movement to oppose this rising neofascistic Trumpian movement? Sadly, this was not the case, with much of what passes for the U.S. left being deeply fractured. Many were reluctant to even recognize that a rising neofascistic movement exists, let alone fight it. That’s in part because many high-profile left pundits have, for all intents and purposes, thrown their lot in with this neofascistic movement. More specifically, there is a heavily corporatized, nominally left segment of the punditry, which is heavily based out of Twitter, cable news, Substack, and YouTube, and dominated by personalities like Jimmy Dore, Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, Joe Rogan, Caitlin Johnstone, and Krystal Ball, among others, and with followers in the hundreds of thousands to millions, who are mainstreaming and popularizing Republican talking points. They work to mainstream the idea of a left-right political alliance in the U.S. They’ve popularized noxious reactionary propaganda and diversionary conspiracy theories that numb peoples’ minds, while convincing progressives that their primary enemy is “the libs,” and normalizing rightwing views, bigotry, and neofascistic politics. These are not individuals that any thoughtful leftist – whether one who advocates for liberal reform, progressive transformation, or socialism – should entertain.

Rise of the Right: How the Vaudeville Left Fuels White Supremacy

In my opinion the so-called “Left” has been in disarray since 1980….they have spent all those years and decades reacting to the Repubs seldom do they go on the attack until it is too late to counter the hate and the slide….Dems are shirt-sighted…that is the best thyey can muster these days.

So every time we hear these white d/bags referred to as ‘patriots’ counter with Vanilla ISIS or Y’all Qaeda for they are NO better than the slime in ISIS or Al-Qaeda…

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

ISIS-K?

I see the Pentagon has given the media who in turn have given the American people a new term…a new enemy…..ISIS-K.

Has anyone explained this situation adequately?

So far all I have seen and heard is the use of the acronym….

I shall attempt to help my reader understand……

The ghastly bombings at Kabul airport Thursday resulting in the deaths of 12 U.S. Marines and as of this writing, 60 civilians, are the latest in a series of especially savage terrorist attacks reportedly by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), the local affiliate of the Islamic State of the Middle East. The growth of ISKP faces the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan with both a threat and an opportunity.

The threat is that ISKP will attract enough Taliban defectors and foreign fighters to cause serious instability and ruin the hopes of pragmatic Taliban leaders for economic development. The opportunity lies in the fact that ISKP are feared by every government in Afghanistan’s region, as well as the United States and Europe. This gives the Afghan Taliban the chance to attract support from all of these states in their fight against ISKP.

ISKP appeared in Afghanistan and the border areas of Pakistan in 2014-15. It was founded not by Arabs sent from the Middle East (though some moved to Afghanistan later after the defeat of IS in Iraq and Syria) but by local figures and groups who adopted the name of the Islamic State to garner some of its prestige and to reflect their own international jihadi allegiance (just as previously, local groups in north Africa and elsewhere took the name of al- Qaida).

Since then, ISKP have emerged as a distinctly more ferocious and radical force than the mainstream Taliban, carrying out savage attacks on targets that in recent years the Taliban leadership have made a deliberate political decision to spare: especially schools, clinics and markets serving the Shia minority. The Taliban leadership have strongly condemned these attacks, although some analysts accuse the Taliban of benefiting from plausible deniability. In alliance with Pakistani terrorist groups, they have also conducted several major terrorist attacks within Pakistan.

Who are the Islamic State in Afghanistan?

Familiarize yourself for you will be hearing lots about this group in the coming weeks and months.

We have a new foe in the War on Terror….that should keep the funds flowing for awhile….and that is the purpose of these reports.

Look for more civilian deaths and destruction…..

And the band played on……

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The False Narrative

Afghanistan the jewel of the US War in Terrorism has fallen on its face with a horrendous splat.

The media is taking the chaos to heart and reporting every hint of bad behavior by the Taleban.

I will agree that it is a disaster but one of our own making….

The major story should be the money spent in Afghanistan, the billions upon billions and the country could not last 10 days.  That was cash that could have been used to feed our hungry, clothe our poor….give shelter where needed….but instead we spent it on luxury apartments for corrupt officials, soldiers that did not exist, etc

Explain why the Pentagon gets every dime they want and the best it bought was an army that cut and run and a president that scrammed with $169 million in cash in bags.

Explain why the Congress was so willing to throw money at a hopeless cause.

Explain why the generals and planners got it so damn wrong.

Now the Congress wants answers…..

Democratic lawmakers have largely avoided directly criticizing President Biden’s administration over events in Afghanistan—but they still have a lot of questions about how the Taliban were able to seize control with stunning speed, leading to a chaotic evacuation from Kabul’s airport. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner says the committee will hold hearings on why the US wasn’t more prepared for a “worst-case scenario,” CBS reports. Sen. Bob Menendez, chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, says the committee will investigate both the Trump administration’s negotiations with the Taliban and the Biden administration’s withdrawal plan. “We are now witnessing the horrifying result of many years of policy and intelligence failures,” the Democrat said Tuesday, per Reuters.

House lawmakers also plan investigations. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meek says he has asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to testify as soon as possible about the administration’s Afghan policy. He says Congress needs to know more about plans to evacuate Americans, vulnerable Afghans, “and to understand our broader counterterrorism strategy in South Asia following the collapse of the Ghani government.” In an interview with KPIX Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Biden for his “decisive” action but acknowledged that the situation is in “disarray.” She told the station that the “highest level” administration officials would be at a hearing early next week. “That is Congress’ role, the role of oversight,” she said

Really?  After decades of inspector general reports that were never glowing and these tools want to waste time and resources to find the ‘answers’….

What good are answers without solutions?

Yes the chaos in Afghanistan is troubling but how different is it from any of our other recent wars…..and yet our leaders have no answers or solution to keep this from happening over and over.

Maybe the first place to look is the unbridled funds that are thrown at the Pentagon with no oversight or adequate solutions.

One last thing….stop thing the word ‘democracy’ around like it is the answer to all problems…..we have proven that it is not the answer for all occasions…..and stop the influence of an industry that sole purpose is profit not democracy.

This chaos would not need the endless reporting if we would stop all the adventurism that creates the problems.

You want answers then look no further than the Pentagon…the agent of the M-IC.

Not to worry there will be a wealth of lame ass excuses with NO viable answers….the Pentagon is going into CYA mode for the chaos that they gave birth to in the past.

The truth is that they, the Pentagon, pissed away cash with NO oversight…..and that is the fault of the White House and the Congress….and that is where the blame should fall squarely on their shoulders….but it will not.

Time for a serious re-think of our foreign policy and a serious cut in their ability to create these scenarios year after year.

What better way to change the dialogue than tying this monumental screw up to the Covid virus….

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–09August21

Biden has asked permission of the people of the 9/11 Memorial to visit…..it will be a typical speech and photo op that could well make it into some re-election video…..now the people have responded…..

President Biden has been informed that he won’t be welcome at events marking the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks unless he declassifies documents that could tie Saudi Arabian leaders to the terrorism. More than 1,800 relatives of victims, first responders, and attack survivors have signed onto the demand, NBC reports. “We cannot in good faith, and with veneration to those lost, sick, and injured, welcome the president to our hallowed grounds until he fulfills his commitment,” their statement says. The group maintains that Biden promised as a presidential candidate to release information but has since fallen silent on the issue and been unresponsive to its requests. The White House said Friday that staffers have met with members of the group. “Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones on 9/11,” a spokesperson said.

The 9/11 Commission did not find evidence that Saudi leaders were involved in the attack, though its report called Saudi Arabia a “problematic ally.” But since the commission ended its work in 2004, the statement says, “much investigative evidence has been uncovered implicating Saudi government officials in supporting the attacks.” The commission did find that Saudi nationals funded al-Qaeda, per NBC. The Saudi government has denied involvement; 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 terrorists were Saudis. Some members of the group believe that Saudi leaders knew the attack, which killed about 2,500 people, was planned but didn’t try to stop it. Saudi Arabia, which did not issue a comment immediately Friday, faces lawsuits for billions of dollars from victims’ families, per the Guardian. Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump also would not declassify the records.

Bully for them!

It is high time the the US STOP caudling the murderous regimes like Saudi Arabia and Israel.

I say screw Biden until he releases those documents regardless what they say.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

America’s Extreme Domestic Terrorism

Closing Thought–20May21

I seems that the incidents of domestic terrorism is getting worse by the week……apparently it is according to a newly released FBI report…..

Killings by American domestic extremists in 2019 were the worst in the nation in 24 years, according to a chilling new report released by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

Of the 32 killings by extremists in five separate attacks in 2019 — the most lethal year for domestic extremist assaults since 1995 — 24 were committed by white supremacists, according to the report.

Gamification” — in which attackers seek to “score” a high “kill count” — “inspired” some of the assaults in 2019, and will likely continue to be a factor in future attacks, the report noted.

There were 57 deaths linked to domestic extremists from 2017 through 2019, with 47 of them racially motivated, according to the report.

“The greatest terrorism threat to the Homeland we face today is posed by lone offenders, often radicalized online, who look to attack soft targets with easily accessible weapons,” the report noted. “Many of these violent extremists are motivated and inspired by a mix of socio-political goals and personal grievances against their targets.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/deadly-domestic-extremism-worst-in-25-years-fbi-white-supremacists_n_60a0591ae4b03e1dd38a5b4e

This is a trend that I do not think will subside anytime soon…..if that is truly the case then why is there NOTHING we can do about them?

The term “militia” is inexact. It can conjure up a host of incongruous images, including units in the American Revolutionary War, the siege at Ruby Ridge, and mysterious groups converging since last spring to “protect” private property during Black Lives Matter protests. So when the intelligence community warns about “militia violent extremists,” what exactly does it mean?

When the media or government officials talk about militias, they’re talking about private armed paramilitary organizations that operate without government authority (so, not the U.S. National Guard). Hampton Stall, a researcher and militia expert at ACLED, uses three general descriptors to differentiate between militia and non-militia groups: strategy, structure and schedule. “Strategy” refers to a group’s political views around which members organize, while “structure” refers to a clearly defined hierarchy within the group, often including military ranks and a chain of command. “Schedule” refers to groups having regular, in-person events, including field-training exercises and recruitment. Plenty of groups have one or two of these elements, but the presence of all three is a sure sign of a militia, according to Stall.

Militias Pose A Serious Threat. So Why Is It So Hard To Stop Them?

As long as lies and misinformation feeds the idea of domestic terrorism this situation will not go away….or be solved.

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Does Terrorism Work?

From time to time I get papers written by grad students…..and the interesting ones I try to share with the readers IST…..

Just a few short years ago terrorism was all the buzz….today not so much……

Does terrorism work?

That is the question for the ages.

Some will say it does not….while others may disagree…..

This paper takes a look at the question…..

Terrorism is one of the most widely discussed issues in the twenty-first century due to the increasing terrorist occurrences and its destructive impacts, especially since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Terrorist incidences in the world reached its peak in 2014 with about 16,903 attacks leading to 32,658 fatalities (Global Terrorism Index, 2015). However, there was a fifty-two per cent reduction in the number of deaths associated with terrorist incidences in 2018 compared to 2014 (Global Terrorism Index, 2019). While there is a decline in the number of deaths attributed to terrorism, its impact remains prevalent. For instance, there is an upsurge in the number of countries that experienced terrorism in 2018 with at least one causality from seventy-one countries, which is the second highest in the past twenty years (Global Terrorism Index, 2019). The increasing nature of terrorist attacks has led to the intensification of scholarly interest in terrorism and terrorism-related issues. To this end, prior research has examined the definitions, causes, effects and strategies used by terrorist groups (Halliday, 2001; John, 2014; Elu and Gregory, 2015). However, it seems that the few studies that have examined the effectiveness of terrorism as a means of political struggle have been inconclusive.

In order to understand the reason for the continued existence of terrorism and its proliferation, it is crucial to examine if terrorism works, that is, if it achieves its stated objectives. This essay will contribute to the ongoing discussion on the effectiveness of terrorism by arguing that the answer to the question “Does terrorism work?” depends on our definition of “terrorism” and “work”. These concepts are a subject of debate, and as a result, there may not be one formula for measuring whether terrorism is effective. Thus, the success-level of terrorism is determined by various factors, especially by how it is evaluated. For example, while Dershowitz (2002:13) understands success in terms of attracting media attention and securing temporal concessions, Abrahms (2006:51) perceives it as the achievement the organisation’s central strategic objectives. Consequently, this essay will contend that although terrorist organisations rarely achieve their strategic goals, they often succeed in the achievement of other objectives.

Does Terrorism Work?

You tell me…does terrorism work?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

How Goes The War On Terror?

We are entering our 20th year of the War On Terror….after a trillion dollars I ask….how goes the War on Terror?

Let’s look at the costs…..

The War on Terror is a military campaign launched by President George W. Bush in response to the al-Qaida 9/11 terrorist attacks. It includes the Afghanistan War and the War in Iraq, and it added $2.4 trillion to the debt as of the FY 2020 budget.

the financial cost of the war on terror

Think about what that kind of cash could do for the people of this country.

But sadly the road of war has few exit ramps.

War on Terror has added nearly $2 trillion, or more than 35%, to the U.S. debt.  It also raises the U.S. budget deficit. Defense spending is such a big chunk of the budget that there is no realistic way to reduce either without cutting it.

Here is a look at the War On Terror…..https://original.antiwar.com/scott/2021/03/02/hows-the-war-on-terrorism-going/

Keep in mind that the War on Terror  is not limited to Afghanistan and Iraq and to a smaller extent Syria….it is being “fought” in some 80 countries.

Let’s not forget the over 800,000 people who have been victims of the War on Terror….

I think it is time to declare victory and pull our troops away from the insanity and to place the War On Terror in the dust bin of history.

And I am not alone…..the Austrian Economics Center agrees…..

It’s amazing how we can become numb to circumstances with the passing of time. The U.S.-led War on Terror is nearing its twentieth year with no clear end in sight. Indeed, to many average people in the West, the perpetual violence of the War on Terrorism has become normal, and we have become indifferent.

America bombing and invading the Middle East has become a dark cliché. Nobody bats an eye. There are so many facets, so many groups, and countries involved, and so many interconnected moving parts that it’s perfectly understandable to throw your hands up and accept this whole dizzying headache as just the way things are and always will be, forever.

Time to End the War on Terror

Let’s end this insanity!

What say you?

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–22Jan21

Why would an American soldier want to destroy the memorial to those that died on 9/11?

I know with everything happening around the inauguration of Biden some news falls by the wayside…..

While we were distracted by the oath of office and the antics of the Trump supporters an American soldier has planned an attack on a national monument…..the 9/11 Monument.

An American soldier discussed targets for potential terror attacks in the United States and shared instructions for killing American troops in the Middle East with someone he believed was an Islamic State supporter, federal authorities said on Tuesday.

While stationed in Germany last fall, the soldier discussed possible targets, including the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan, a criminal complaint shows.

“Choose your targets wisely,” the soldier, Cole James Bridges, an Army private from Ohio, wrote to the person he believed was a woman working with the Islamic State. But it turned out that Private Bridges was messaging with an undercover employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the complaint, which was made public on Tuesday by federal prosecutors in Manhattan.

Why would any American want to destroy this monument to the dead?  Especially an American soldier that has taken the oath to protect and defend.

I have noticed that oaths do not mean a thing any more….people take them because the have to not because they want to.

This plan is disgusting and should not be condoned or explained away…..punish the planner.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

Make It Go Bang!

By now everyone has heard about the moron that blew up himself and his RV in Nashville. The thing is this person is handled with kid gloves in the media (at least that is how it appears)…..my question is….WHY?

The Nashville narrative is pretty clear: Authorities say Anthony Quinn Warner packed his RV with explosives and blew it and himself up on Christmas while parked downtown. He was, by the most basic definition of the term, a suicide bomber. And yet you’d be hard-pressed to find the phrase in media coverage, writes Danielle Campoamor at Refinery29. The same applies to “domestic terrorist.” Campoamor calls out “legacy publications” in general for avoiding the terminology, particularly the New York Times and the local Tennessean, which is part of Gannett. Instead of being called a suicide bomber or a domestic terrorist, Quinn is being described as a lonely, older white guy. If he were Black or brown, he wouldn’t be getting the same treatment, writes Campoamor. She notes that this Times article in particular set off a backlash among critics like her.

“Editors and political talking heads dragging their feet to name a white domestic terrorist accordingly is hardly new,” she writes. Men like those recently accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan’s governor usually are instead described as “militia” members or “watchmen.” Campoamor isn’t the only calling attention to this. “If a bomber commits suicide with a bomb wouldn’t you call that person a suicide bomber?” tweets Molly Jong-Fast of the Daily Beast. The problem goes beyond media semantics, writes Campamor, pointing as an example to the way hate crimes against Muslims spike after an attack by someone claiming to be one. “This refusal to hold white men to the same standard—to the same level of villainization—plays a large part in the culture of hate crimes that runs rampant in America,” Campamor notes. (Read her full column.)

Why was this white guy a lonely man with mental problems?

I do not think a black or brown person would have gotten such favorable treatment….they would have been thugs or terrorists.

What gave this demented person the benefit of the doubt when others are not so lucky?

Question….answer?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Tragic Christmas Surprise

While must of us were preparing for one of our big days…tragedy struck in the city of Nashville…..

An explosion shook the largely deserted streets of downtown Nashville early Christmas morning, shattering windows, damaging buildings, and wounding three people, per the AP. Authorities said they believed the blast was intentional, and the FBI is leading the investigation. Police spokesman Don Aaron said the 6:30am explosion was believed to be “an intentional act,” though no further details were provided. Police earlier said they believe a vehicle was involved in the explosion. Aaron said three people were taken to area hospitals for treatment, although none were in critical condition. The Metro Nashville Office of Emergency Management told WKRN that a parked recreational vehicle exploded and damaged several buildings.

Black smoke and flames were seen early Friday billowing from the area, which is packed with bars, restaurants, and other retail establishments and is known as the heart of downtown Nashville’s tourist scene. Buildings shook in the immediate area and beyond after a loud boom was heard. “All my windows, every single one of them got blown into the next room. If I had been standing there it would have been horrible,” said Buck McCoy, who lives near the area. “It felt like a bomb. It was that big.”

This report was updated while it sat in my draft queue……..

A strange new twist has developed in regard to the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville on Christmas morning. Police and witnesses say a recreational vehicle broadcast warnings that a bomb was in the vehicle and counted down a 15-minute warning before the explosion, reports the Tennessean. As of Friday afternoon, three people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries as authorities led by the FBI try to figure out what happened. Coverage:

  • The start: Police responded to a call of shots fired about 6am and discovered the “suspicious” RV parked on a street, reports the Washington Post. The bomb squad was en route when the explosion occurred about 6:30am, per the AP.
  • Warnings: Witnesses heard this coming from the RV: “Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode,” according to the Tennessean. Then a 15-minute countdown began. “Whoever did it did gave fair warning,” says Betsy Williams, owner of the nearby Melting Pot restaurant. She and her family also live in the building, and they evacuated in their pajamas. Williams says she thinks the RV showed up Thursday night.
  • Questions: Authorities don’t know if anyone was in the RV when it exploded. Nor have they speculated on a possible motive. “We do believe this to have been an intentional act,” says police spokesman Don Aaron said. “Significant damage has been done to the infrastructure there on 2nd Avenue North.” CNN quotes a law enforcement source who says there were no known threats about a Christmas strike among extremist groups.
  • A promise: “We will find out who did this,” Special Agent in Charge Matt Foster of the FBI said at an afternoon news conference. “This is our city, too. We’re putting everything we have into finding who was responsible for what happened here today.” President Trump has been briefed, reports WKRN.
  • Dog walker: Police began knocking on doors and telling people to evacuate in the minutes before the blast. One man walking his dog was directed away from the site moments before the explosion, notes the Post.
  • Damage: It will take time to assess, but several buildings sustained structural damage, and photos showed destroyed cars, scattered glass, broken water mains, and shards of metal strewn everywhere. “It looks like a bomb went off,” says Mayor John Cooper

Of course this will be a continuing story until the conclusion and arrests are made.

Barbaric!

All involved should be punished and punished severely……

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”