Happy Friday the 13

th
!

Iraq continues to revert tragically and, thus, the lengthy analysis provided by NRO [acquired via e-mail,
so necessarily reprinted infra] congeals key-data in much the same way as is done when preparing these
Blast e-mails [embedding hyperlinks]. In follow-up of a few prior items, consider first how BHO
Operates Under His Own Constitution, "Ruling Like A Banana Republic", ignoring corruption [Obama
Judicial Nominee Accused Of Unethical Political Donations] and setting the tone of lawlessness for
everyone with whom he works, including his Veep [Joe Biden: We Need More Illegal Immigrants] and
the Senate Majority Leader [Reids Sale of Mining Rights Revives Allegations of Cronyism]. {And, soiling
his POTUS-office, Obama Blasted GOP at High School Graduation, Telling Students To Vote for Dems.}

Regarding POTUS-16, whereas Chris Christie cavorts with Jimmy Fallon ["Dad Dancing"]
and Sen. Ted Cruz advises Politicians to Get Back to Listening to Main Street, the Dems
are probably wondering if Hillary will run; each Clinton book tour stop is the result of
painstaking planning and, during her book tour, she claimed she has a "deal" not to talk
to reporters who are not pre-screened and dismissed Matt Drudge and Karl Rove as
gamers trying to plant false information in peoples heads. These feed into the view
that Hillary is Unlikable [and subject to scathing satire] so, perhaps, she will run on a
platform of being famously famous. {Also, Hillary said she 'Couldn't Predict' a Group
Named 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria' Would Advance into Iraq.}

Post-Mortem quotes flourish about Cantor's campaign [which allegedly was bedeviled from the start];
Boehner blamed it on Obama and Obama blamed it on Americas Cynical Mood Because Of George W.
Bush. I subscribe to the view that Cantors Defeat was due to the fact that the GOP Establishment
channeled their conservatism not toward downsizing government but to thinking that they can run
government better than the Left [citing immigration and elitism as manifestations of that paradigm].
Indeed, its refreshing to Meet Dave Brat, as he explains why he dislikes the term RINO and admits
that, even as an Economics Professor, 'I Don't Have A Well-Crafted Response' On Minimum Wage.
Perhaps inevitably, McCarthy put a stranglehold on the race to replace Eric Cantor with an aggressive
whip operation [which is not surprising, because hes next in line]; the key-conflict will be over who
might replace him [as Whip].

Illusstrating why the media remain corrupt is the fact that MSNBC again was caught
Selectively-Editing its Dave Brat Interview; indeed, reflecting their skewed priorities,
rather than report on the fact that the FBI has opened a criminal investigation into the
VA Scandal, ABC & NBC highlighted the 20
th
anniversary of the infamous O.J. Simpson
slow-speed chase in the white SUV. Ethics are also askew in the print-media, noting that
the NY Times wont investigate Hedges work amid plagiarism charge.

A former Bergdahl Platoon Member concluded 'Now We Know He Deserted For a Fact' after having
reviewed his Letters From Captivity; after the Obama State Department suggested Soldiers Are Lying
About Bowe Bergdahl, the Bergdahls Team Leader said Attack Us All You Want, But Were Not Going
Away. As the USA quietly moved detainees out of a secretive Afghanistan prison, Cruz condemned the
exchange. {Bill Maher said Obama "Kind Of Did Do It Illegally."} This is Speaker Boehners Statement on
Congressional Concerns Raised About Prisoner Exchange:

More than two years ago, Members of Congress were briefed on the possibility of such
an exchange, and the chairmen at the time and I raised serious questions to the
administration. Unfortunately, the questions and concerns we had were never
satisfactorily answered and they remain today. At the time, the administration deferred
further engagement because the prospects of the exchange had diminished. The
administration provided assurances, publicly reiterated by the White House in June
2013, that its engagement with Congress would resume if the prospects for an exchange
became credible again. The briefings in late 2011 and January 2012 were highly
compartmented to ensure the safety of Sergeant Bergdahl and to preserve space for
diplomatic negotiations. While press reports at the time citing administration sources
revealed that the White House was considering this prisoner exchange, Congress kept
the serious ongoing policy and ethical discussion with the administration private. There
was every expectation that the administration would re-engage with Congress, as it did
before, and the only reason it did not is because the administration knew it faced
serious and sober bipartisan concern and opposition.

The Illegals continue to arrive, into BHOs open-arms:
Officials Overwhelmed by Influx of Children Crossing Mexican Border into U.S. on Their Own
Obama Admin Forbids Lawmakers From Taking Photos Of Illegal Immigrant Facility
Gutierrez on Flood of Illegal Minors: 'Shame on Anybody That Wants to Demonize Children'
BORDER PATROL UNION VP: CRISIS ON BORDER 'FAILURE OF POLICY,' CREDITS BREITBART TEXAS FOR
ALERTING PUBLIC
Horowitz: Forget Amnesty, Congress Voted to Give Welfare to Illegal Immigrants
Border Patrol changing diapers, heating baby formula for surge of children
'Our Future Rests' on DREAMers
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO HID IN CHURCH ALLOWED TO STAY IN US
Feds vow to 'reunite' minors with parents in USA
VIDEO: TX deputies chase SUVs loaded with migrants
AP on Cantor Loss: Amnesty Legislation Now 'on Ice' Until After '16
Texans Organize Rescue Posse for Children from Border Crisis
DONALD TRUMP: 'EVERYBODY' IN CONGRESS IS VULNERABLE IF THEY SUPPORT AMNESTY

10 Surveys From Republican Polling Firms Show Support For Immigration Bill, and
Republicans who dont do the bidding of corporations are getting bulls-eyes this
primary season. Attempting to inject clarity, mark-levin said the republican-controlled-
congress-acts-like-it-has-no-power and that people are tired of the status quo and of
Republican leadership attacking their base rather than standing up on the principles that
the party is supposed to support.

Regarding other Domestic issues, Thanks were extended to Taxpayers for a Subsidized Ticket on an
Airplane Gutted to Meet Stupid Regulations; also, Obama allowed 18 states to continue delaying a key
part of ObamaDontCares health insurance exchange for small businessesemployee choicefrom
being implemented until 2016, if then. Noted also is the fact that Wendy Davis' campaign is like that
AMC series; it halted and caught fire. {Heres a Conspiracy Theory: Benghazi Filmmaker CONFIRMED To
Be An Agent Of Eric Holder Justice Department.}

Regarding Israel, a HOT MIC picked-up a Top Palestinian negotiator referring to BB
thusly: 'I don't say shoot him. He isn't worth bullet.' On the bright side, Gorgeous wall
paintings recounting the Crusader history of Jerusalem were recently exposed when the
sisters of Saint-Louis Hospital, near the Old City, were organizing the storerooms. {Also,
Sen. Leahy is Holding-Up Egypts Apache Attack Helicopters.}

Regarding education-related issues, the fall of teachers unions may be due to plummeting revenue,
declining membership, and/or damaging court cases; perhaps related, one-third Of all Pa. Job Applicants
Eliminated By Mandatory Drug Tests. Although a Loophole allows school districts to raise property taxes;
school districts can apply and qualify for an exception from the PDE in the instances of excessive special
education costs, grandfathered debt from school construction, and retirement contributions. {Also,
Facing a $1.5 billion state deficit, lawmakers are taking another look at taxing natural gas extraction
despite Gov. Tom Corbett's opposition, and the PA House fails to act on state pensions.}

Regarding Common-Core, the Gates Foundation determined, for the next two years,
that assessment results should not be taken into account in high-stakes decisions on
teacher evaluation or student promotion; although everything you need to know about
Common Core has been compiled, The Insanity of Common Core Math was Revealed in
Under Two Minutes [and, retroactively, satirized by Abbott And Costello [13 X 7 is 28].
Regarding grammar, people have proffered 7 Helpful Tips and the 23 Worst Parts About
Being Good At Grammar, and a grammatically-conscientious person found ways to cope.
{Also, parochial schools are excluded from the Holocaust-Education Mandate.}

Regarding Cultural-Wars, a new undercover investigation of teen sex education by Planned Parenthood
[which receives taxpayer funding under Obamacare] exposed its counselors as providing graphic sexual
advice to minors; this type of information may justify Texas denying reimbursement to this entity. Also,
offsetting prejudice emerged from the GOP [Rick Perry compared homosexuality to alcoholism at San
Francisco event] and a top-Dem [AG-holder-slammed-boy-scouts-as-bigots]. It may be recalled that, as a
college student, AG-Holder participated in armed takeover of former Columbia University ROTC office;
also, hAG-holder is to-create-homegrown-terrorism-task-force. {Also, SMOKE-FREE ORGANIZATIONS
HAVE TARGETED TEXAS CITIES.}

Iraq

5 Times Obama Abandoned US Allies
ABC's Jon Karl Grills Carney over Obama's Claims Al Qaeda Is Decimated, Destroyed
Obama Team Predicted Rosy Future for Iraq in Congressional Testimony
Obama warns of jihadists in Iraq, confirms emergency situation may require military force
Obama: U.S. considering 'all the options' to stop insurgents in Iraq
The Presidents National Security Team Isnt the Problem. Obama Is
Obama can't get out of Iraq because the situation constitutes another potential foreign policy mess
AP Reporter to Obama Official: People Predicted this Would Happen if We Withdrew from Iraq
New Al Qaeda Group Produces Recruitment Material for Americans, Westerners
Iranian troops crossed border and joined Iraqis in Islamic civil war
Baghdad prepares for the worst as Islamist militants vow to capture the capital
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Helps Iraqi Government Retake Tikrit
"This is the consequence of a president that did not take the right actions at the time opportunity
presented itself." Mitt Romney
Drudge:
IRAN TO THE RESCUE?
BAGHDAD FALLING...
Exodus as chaos spreads...
UN: 800k refugees...
CHRISTIANS ON THE RUN...
Terrorists 'full-blown army'...
Medieval Sharia Law Imposed...
'Roads lined with decapitated police and soldiers'...
Iraqi government 'paralyzed'...
VIDEO: Thousands of soldiers captured...
Iran Deploys Forces...
Americans evacuated...
USA Secretly Flying Drones...
PAPER: 'Worst case scenario'...
Vets: 'What was point?'...
'It's LIke Punch In Gut'...
Oil Soars...


Jim Geraghty - Some Big Questions to Consider on Iraq

First, the obvious: Is ISIS bad for our interests? Does anyone want to dispute this?

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has thrived and mutated during the ongoing civil war
in Syria and in the security vacuum that followed the departure of the last American
forces from Iraq.

The aim of ISIS is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria . . .

It wants to establish an Islamic caliphate, or state, stretching across the region.

ISIS has begun imposing Sharia law in the towns it controls. Boys and girls must be
separated at school; women must wear the niqab or full veil in public. Sharia courts
often dispense brutal justice, music is banned and the fast is enforced during Ramadan.

Sharia law covers both religious and non-religious aspects of life.

Some may point to their dispute with al-Qaeda . . .

The stories, the videos, the acts of unfathomable brutality have become a defining
aspect of ISIS, which controls a nation-size tract of land and has now pushed Iraq to the
precipice of dissolution. Its adherents kill with such abandon that even the leader of al-
Qaeda has disavowed them. "Clearly, [leader Ayman] al-Zawahiri believes that ISIS is a
liability to the al-Qaeda brand," Aaron Zelin, who analyzes jihadist movements for the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told The Washington Post's Liz Sly earlier this
year . . .

But a dispute with al-Qaeda does not indicate they're any less dangerous or ruthless:

But in terms of impact, the acts of terror have been wildly successful. From beheadings
to summary executions to amputations to crucifixions, the terrorist group has become
the most feared organization in the Middle East. That fear, evidenced in fleeing Iraqi
soldiers and 500,000 Mosul residents, has played a vital role in the group's march
toward Baghdad. In many cases, police and soldiers literally ran, shedding their uniforms
as they went, abandoning large caches of weapons.

Two: Is the preservation of the existing government in Iraq in the U.S. interest?

It's understandable if Americans feel no particular affection for Nouri al-Maliki . . .

The stunning gains this week by Iraq's Sunni insurgents carry a crucial political message:
Nouri al-Maliki, the Shiite prime minister of Iraq, is a polarizing sectarian politician who
has lost the confidence of his army and nation. He cannot put a splintered Iraq together
again, no matter how many weapons the Obama administration sends him.

Maliki's failure has been increasingly obvious since the elections of 2010, when the Iraqi
people in their wisdom elected a broader, less-sectarian coalition. But the Obama
administration, bizarrely working in tandem with Iran, brokered a deal that allowed
Maliki to continue and has worked with him as an ally against al-Qaeda. Maliki's
coalition triumphed in April's elections, but the balloting was boycotted by Sunnis.

. . . and it's understandable if Americans see this as similar to Syria an Iranian-backed leader stuck in a
bloody fight with Islamist extremists:

In the worst case, if Mr. Maliki were driven from power, the shrines were threatened
and radical Sunni insurgents were killing Shiite civilians, Iran would more than likely be
compelled to intervene, say experts close to Iran's leadership.

"They are our ally and we will help them," said Hamid Taraghi, a political analyst who is
close to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But exactly how Iran would do so
is unclear.

But we do have interests in keeping the country stable:

Iraq is a major oil-producing country that shares borders with Iran and Syria. The United States has a
large embassy in Iraq, and the country has attracted sizable foreign investment. "We're committed to
this country," [James Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq], said. "Its stability is important."
Growing chaos in Iraq would lead to a spike in oil prices and would likely spread instability throughout
the region.

Three: Can we make a difference? Obviously Maliki thinks we can, otherwise he wouldn't be asking for
the airstrikes, and Obama wouldn't be considering them.

While initial reports indicated that the Iraqi army turned and ran, there are some men in Iraq willing to
stand and fight against ISIS:

Volunteers flocked to protect the Iraqi capital on Friday as militants inspired by al-Qaeda
seized more territory overnight, continuing a rampage that is threatening to tear the
country apart.

Iraqi officials said tens of thousands of volunteers had answered a call to join the ranks
of the crumbling security forces and repel advances by heavily armed fighters from the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as the group seized the towns of Saadiyah and
Jalawla north of the capital.

Iraqi state television showed the new unpaid volunteers scrambling to get on packed
army trucks at recruitment centers after a call from the Shiite-led government. The
mobilization of the irregular forces, as well as Iraq's notorious Shiite militias, to battle
the radical Sunni Muslim insurgents threatened to plunge Iraq into large-scale sectarian
bloodletting. The volunteers also appeared to be mostly Shiites.

For what it's worth, some like Leslie Gelb argue we need to ensure our help is minimal:

And before the U.S. government starts to do the next dumb thing again, namely provide fighter aircraft
and drone attacks and heaven knows what else, it should stop and think for a change. If America comes
to the rescue of this Iraqi government, then this Iraqi government, like so many of the others we've
fought and died for, will do nothing. It will simply assume that we'll take over, that we'll do the job. And
when things go wrong, and they certainly will, this cherished government that we're helping will blame
only America. Don't think for a moment it will be otherwise. Don't think for a moment that the generals
and hawks who want to dispatch American fighters and drones to the rescue know any better today
than they've known for 50 years.

Sure, I'm in favor of helping governments against these militant, crazy and dangerous
jihadis. But first and foremost and lastly, it's got to be their fight, not ours. As soon as
the burden falls on the United States, our "best friends" do little or nothing and we lose.
If they start fighting hard, and we'll know it when we see it, there will be no mistaking it.
Then the military and other aid we provide will mean something.

That's persuasive in the abstract, but what if the Iraqi government is just short of being
capable of pushing back ISIS? Is it worth withholding our assistance to make the point
that they need to be independent? How much can fear of future scapegoating limit our
options in the here and now? If we really are going to adopt a philosophy of "we could
help you, but we suspect you'll grow dependent upon us and blame us for problems
down the road", could we please apply that to domestic spending programs as well?

Four: What is the risk to our forces? We already have drones over Iraq.

The U.S. since last year has been secretly flying unmanned surveillance aircraft in small
numbers over Iraq to collect intelligence on insurgents, according to U.S. officials.

The program was limited in size and proved little use to U.S. and Iraqi officials when
Islamist fighters moved swiftly this week to seize two major Iraqi cities, the officials said.

Before the Islamist offensive, the program was expanded based on growing U.S. and
Iraqi concerns about the expanded military activities of al-Qaeda-linked fighters.

Officials wouldn't say what types of drones were being used but said the flights were
conducted only for surveillance purposes. The program was launched with the consent
of the Iraqi government.

A senior U.S. official said the intelligence collected under the small program was shared
with Iraqi forces, but added: "It's not like it did any good."

Obviously, manned flights would include more risk to pilots than unmanned drones. Downed helicopters
are more common that fixed-wing aircraft getting shot down, but sometimes the enemy is lucky, and
sometimes accidents happen.

We already have Americans in harm's way:

U.S. contractors began evacuating the air base in Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad, that
is being prepared for the arrival this year of F-16 aircraft purchased by Iraq. The
international engineering and electronics company Siemens was trying to move 51
people out of Baiji, about 30 miles farther north, where they are upgrading Iraqi power
plants . . .

About 10,000 American officials and contractors are in Iraq.

Looking for a 'Weh' Ahead in a Bad Situation in Iraq

As the GOP candidate for Senate in New Mexico, Allen Weh has a tough road ahead.

But he might be a good guy to have in Washington right now. He's one of the guys who spent some time
training the Iraqi forces:

"Regrettably, the current administration's failure to consummate an agreement to leave
a residual force for training and counter insurgency operations has directly contributed
to the deterioration in security conditions in Iraq and a deterioration in military
capability."

Weh, a retired Marine colonel, was the Chief of Staff of the original Coalition Training
Team sent to Iraq in 2003 to begin organizing and building the new Iraqi Army and Air
Force. Among other initiatives he was personally responsible for obtaining approval to
establish an Iraqi Special Forces capability that could employed in the growing fight
against Al Qaeda.

Weh was the only American officer assigned to a joint selection board that selected the
first group of Iraqi general officers appointed in the Army and Air Force. Weh was also
directly involved in getting a cadre of Iraqi officers assigned to coalition country military
service schools such as The Australian War College, the Jordanian Army Command &
Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College.

The nucleus and planning for an effective Iraqi Defense establishment was accomplished
beginning in 2003 and continued for several years thereafter.

Weh returned in 2008 as a guest of the Deputy Commander of the Iraqi armed forces
and given three days of briefings on the progress made after he left in April 2004.

"In 2008 our progress was impressive," said Weh. "There was no question then that this
Army was on track to become the stabilizing force it was intended to be for both the
country and the region."