bad news for u.s. :Germany Answers Obama Call For NATO Troops In US Homeland

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----- Original Message -----

February 24, 2010

Germany Answers Obama Call For NATO Troops In US Homeland

By: Faal...i.e. GRU in RUSSIA

In a move showing the rapidly deteriorating conditions in the United States, where new reports are showing nearly 1 out of 5 Americans are now jobless  and another 20 million have been thrown from their homes into the street, the GRU is reporting to Prime Minister Putin today that German Chancellor Angela Merkel [photo top right with Obama] has ordered her Federal Ministry of Defense"immediate" to place over 18,000 Bundeswehr troops under NATO command for redeployment to the heartland of the US.

According to these reports, Merkel received an "urgent" plea from Obama this past fortnight for these German troops after being told by his US Military Commanders that they may not have sufficient forces in their Northern Command to keep an expected American civil-war from occurring during the expected bank failures set to occur in their Nation in late April and early May and depriving these already beleaguered people of even the most basic of necessities forcing millions of them into relief camps. 

These reports further state that Merkel has scheduled an early April tour of the United States to "see for herself" where Bundeswehr troops will be employed by NATO against the American people, but has also "stressed" to Obama that German soldiers should not be utilized in any combat operations, only missions of support and disaster relief.

Russian Military Analysts are further stating in these reports that over 20,000 NATO military troops, from various European Nations, have already been "infiltrated" into the United States during the past 7 weeks through the vast American base called the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC) located in the State of Indiana. 

As horrifying as it is that the Americans even have a military base where their troops are being trained to fight against their own citizens, even more shocking is MUTC's motto "Defend The Homeland-Win The Peace", and especially noted in these reports for its "Orwellian" phrasing reminiscent of the 2001 Patriot Act which has done more to strip these peoples of their rights and freedoms than any other law in US history.

Important to note about these events is that as Obama continues his steady march towards martial law, the fear of him is causing many US States to begin a rapid loosening of their already lax gun laws (as compared to the EU and Russia) in preparation for an expected assault on their freedoms from their central government overlords. 

New reports from the United States are also showing that their citizens have been plundered on a scale not seen in that country since the Robber Baron's of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries destroyed their once vibrant Republic to replace it with a much more "compliant" Democracy (mob rule, i.e. "two wolves and one sheep voting on what to have dinner) and has seen the disparity of wealth between these people and their elite classes reach a level not seen since the 1920's, and which led to the Great Depression.  

So dire has the banking crisis become in the United States that their largest bank Citigroup this past week notified all of its customer that beginning April 1^st it is reserving the right to refuse letting any American withdrawal money from their checking or savings accounts for up to 7 days.  And if that isn't bad enough, the United States chief banking regulator, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), is now making a desperate plea for all Americans to participate in what they are calling "America Saves Week" and put more of their money in this already collapsing banking system.

Paradoxically, at the exact same time that the American people are being warned their money is not going to be available to them, and as the FDIC is pleading with them to put more money into their banks, the Wall Street Journal News is reporting today that lending from American banks has now fallen to "epic lows" not seen since the early days of World War II in 1942.

To the options left available to the American people to protect themselves against the continued tyranny they are being subjected to by their own government and elite classes there appears to be very few, and as we can read as reported by London's Times Online News Service in their article titled "Buy farmland and gold,'" advises Dr Doom", and which says:

"The world's most powerful investors have been advised to buy farmland, stock up on gold and prepare for a "dirty war" by Marc Faber, the notoriously bearish market pundit, who predicted the 1987 stock market crash.

The bleak warning of social and financial meltdown, delivered today in Tokyo at a gathering of 700 pension and sovereign wealth fund managers.

Dr Faber, who advised his audience to pull out of American stocks one week before the 1987 crash and was among a handful who predicted the more recent financial crisis, vies with the Nouriel Roubini, the economist, as a rival claimant for the nickname Dr Doom.

Speaking today, Dr Faber said that investors, who control billions of dollars of assets, should start considering the effects of more disruptive events than mere market volatility.

"The next war will be a dirty war," he told fund managers: "What are you going to do when your mobile phone gets shut down or the internet stops working or the city water supplies get poisoned?"

Even worse for the American people is that they are now being feared by their own government officials, including their Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano who told reporters this past week that US "authorities are becoming more concerned about American citizens or legal residents becoming involved in terrorist plots against the United States."

And to just how fearful the US government has become of its own citizens we can see evidenced in Obama's allowing their police forces to continue tapping and tracking their cell phones without their even having to obtain a warrant, as if each and every American citizen is now a criminal subject in their own Nation. Important to note too is that we had previously documented American officials openly stating that they have the right to assassinate and even massacre their own citizens should they deem them a threat. 

Most unfortunately in all of these events are the American people still believing the lies told to them by their propaganda media and meant to keep them mollified and distracted from the coming horrors they will have to face as their American dream becomes revealed for what it truly is….a nightmare beyond comprehension

 Only a damned fool puts his hope in mankind put it in the Lord where you are assured a return on your investment!

---

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Members of this group stand diametrically opposed to any and all efforts to incite or encourage violence against the upcoming Obama administration. This group represents a loyal conservative opposition to the incoming administration and is absolutely dedicated to championing the principles espoused by Martin Luther King and Mahatma Ghandi of peaceful, non-violent resistance in order to secure our freedoms and defend our civil rights from assault by our leaders, regardless of party affiliation. Our sole purpose is to get out the truth and educate the American people as to the perils of Obama's socialist program to our freedoms and the danger posed by his plans for unilateral disarmament to our national security and to enforce our God-given Constitution, while helping to organize opposition to these America-Last policies at a grassroots political level. We also stand united against racism and any and all discrimination against American citizens on the basis of race. Anyone who disagrees with this mission statement is strongly encouraged to leave our group or face being banned by the moderator.

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Re: [grendelreport] The Apocalypse, Space Aliens, Vampires and Unbiased Journalists

Beowulf wrote:

>http://www.businessandmedia.org/commentary/2009/20091202122152.aspx
>
>
>
>The Apocalypse, Space Aliens, Vampires and Unbiased Journalists
>Americans believe three out of the four, but know one is a fantasy.
>
>
><http://www.businessandmedia.org/printer/commentary/2009/20091202122152.aspx
>> By Dan Gainor
>The Boone Pickens Free Market Fellow
>Business & Media Institute
>12/2/2009 12:24:06 PM
>
>
>
>
>The imminent end of the world. Aliens (the ones from space, not the illegal
>kind). Witches and warlocks. Those are some of things Americans believe in.
>
>
>
>Unbiased journalism? Not so much.
>
>
>
>That's what the polling tells us. A 2008 Harris Poll reinforced that belief.
>More Americans believe in ghosts (44 percent), UFOs (36 percent) and witches
>(31 percent) than believe journalists. No major media outlet scored that
>high according to the 2009 Pew State of the Media report.
>
>
>
>Hollywood must be paying attention. Nearly every top film of 2009 reflects
>those topics. Everything from the "Transformers" sequel to the "Night at the
>Museum" sequel to the latest "Star Trek" and "Twilight" movies has been a
>success. Top 100 films have taken in more than $8 billion according to
>Boxofficemojo.com. Nine of the top 10 are fantasy, science fiction or
>horror. They amount to more than $2.2 billion of that total.
>
>
>
>You don't see Hollywood doing many big budget movies about journalism. Of
>course, that might be due to the wonky and mundane life of reporters and
>editors. Or it might be because simply no one trusts journalists any more.
>
>The biggest example of a journalist in entertainment these days is the
>sleazy, Tokyo Rose-like reporter on "V," who says he modeled his character
>after real-life CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. "V" star Scott Wolf described
>his character on "Good Morning America" as a "morally compromised news
>journalist" or in terms the viewing audience can appreciate, "he's more of
>Anderson Cooper-y."
>
>This natural distrust of the news is essential if Americans are to dig their
>way out of some of the biggest issues of the day - including the economy,
>health care reform and climate change. In every case, journalists have been
>spinning the debate in favor of big government, big cost solutions.
>
>
>
>That film is really just getting started. The fight so far has just been the
>opening scenes of an epic. This week the plot thickens, as they used to say
>in the old movies. The White House holds its summit on jobs, the health care
>reform debate heats up and President Obama gets ready for next week's
>climate catastrophe marathon in Copenhagen.
>
>
>
>The jobs event is laced with irony. Thanks to the stick-it-to-business
>policies of the Obama administration, the only one hiring is Uncle Sam. And,
>after the incredibly wrong predictions from the Obama gang that unemployment
>wouldn't pass 8 percent if the stimulus passed, it's amazing he has any
>credibility on the issue at all. Even lefty blogger entrepreneur Arianna
>Huffington cautioned that the "unfolding unemployment disaster is
>threatening to do the same for the Obama White House" as Hurricane Katrina
>did for Bush.
>
>
>
>Why then did network broadcasts first promote the stimulus and then try to
>defend its impact on the economy. First they picked stimulus supporters by
>more than 2-to-1 over anyone who questioned the $787 billion bill. Then when
>the economy settled a little, journalists were quick to call an end to the
>recession. Back in August, Newsweek declared the "recession is over."
>
>
>
>The July 28 "Good Morning America" did the same thing, bringing on two
>separate experts who said the recession was over. Sure, unemployment is
>called a "lagging indicator," but it's not just lagging, it's in double
>digits. Ordinary voters know that 10.2 percent - more than twice what it was
>for much of the Bush administration - isn't a recovery.
>
>
>
>The latest episode of the health care reform saga is much the same script.
>Obama has pushed for a quick national takeover of one-sixth of the economy.
>Even many liberals have balked at that. If he doesn't get the votes, the
>curtain comes down on his whole plan.
>
>Imagine where Obama would be without his media support on health care
>reform. Back in spring, network journalists ignored the whole issue of cost
>- mentioning it in just 9 percent of their many stories on the topic. Now
>even those rare times when journalists are honest about the failings of
>health care reform, they still support it. Newsweek Assistant Managing
>Editor Evan Thomas recently described it as "a fiscal fraud." Of course,
>here's the kicker: "I'd still vote for it," he said.
>
>Then there's the ClimateGate scandal, which is rapidly escalating into a
>media scandal as well. So far only a few in the media are even addressing
>this possible scientific fraud just days before the Copenhagen summit. Phil
>Jones, director of the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit,
>has stepped aside pending a probe into whether he helped overstate the
>danger of climate change.
>
>That story is all over the Internet and even in major print outlets. But you
>can't find it on the evening and morning news shows on ABC, CBS or NBC, even
>with a global climate conference just days away.
>
>In every case, the media position has been clear: root for Obama, back
>bigger government and hope for a happy ending.
>
>
>

In Iran, Death by Poison Salad and a Hair-cream Overdose

http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/12/03/in-iran-death-by-poison-salad-and-a-hair-cream-overdose/

 

In Iran, death by poison salad and a hair-cream overdose

Iranian whistleblower Dr. Ramin Pourandarjan was killed by a poison salad, says prosecutor, in the fourth explanation of his Nov. 10 death. It's not the first bizarre death in Iranian political circles.

By Scott Peterson | Staff writer 12.03.09

ISTANBUL, TURKEY — Prosecutors in Iran says they don’t yet know whether the suspicious death of a doctor – Ramin Pourandarjan – was murder or suicide. But they know the cause: a poisoned salad.

At least, that’s the latest in a case where authorities have already made a number of competing claims, from a car crash that never happened to suicide in a courthouse. <!--[endif]-->

A poisoned salad might sound unlikely, but stranger causes of death have been known in Iranian political circles.

The political and cultural war between hard-line conservatives and more moderate reformists has produced similar surprises – notably in 1999, when a key Iranian intelligence official supposedly committed suicide by drinking hair removal cream. Yes, that’s the official line. <!--[endif]-->

Why was Dr. Pourandarjani’s salad laced with poison?

Ramin Pourandarjani was a 26-year-old doctor working at Iran’s Kahrizak detention facility. He witnessed abuses of Iranians taken there in the violent aftermath of Iran’s June presidential election. He then testified about the abusive treatment to a parliamentary committee. The facility was finally closed down, but not before former detainees said rape and torture were common practice.

Dr. Pourandarjani, as part of his military service, was assigned to the facility. He had seen the badly beaten son of the adviser of one of Iran’s conservative candidates, and one of the most high-profile detainees. ”

That detainee, Mohsen Rouhalamini, was brought to him “in a dreadful state after being subjected to extreme physical torture. He was in a critical state,” the opposition Mowjcamp Web site reported him telling parliamentary deputies, as translated by the AP.

When the detainee died, Pourandarjani reportedly said, “officials at Kahrizak threatened that if I disclosed the causes of the wounds of the injured at Kahrizak, I would not be able to live.”

Iranian opposition and media reports said the doctor was forced to change the cause of death to “meningitis.”

The doctor was concerned about his safety after his revelations further tarnished Iran’s reputation after the contested June vote. More than 4,000 Iranians were arrested and scores killed during weeks of clashes with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia. Accusations of rape and torture by Iranians who were detained have embarrassed the Islamic Republic, adding to what military commanders have called the most serious crisis for Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Accident? Suicide? Or what?

But Pourandarjani’s Nov. 10 death has been shrouded in a trail of false claims. Initially, authorities called the doctor’s father in Tabriz, Iran, saying his son had been in a car accident, broken his leg, and needed their consent for surgery. Then the story changed to a heart attack in his sleep.

Last week, Iran’s police commander claimed that Pourandarjani was facing charges over his Kahrizak duties, had killed himself in a courthouse lounge, and had left a note on his body.

Now, a salad brought to Pourandarjani by a delivery man was found to be laced with heart and blood pressure medicine, according to Iranian news reports, which quoted Tehran public prosecutor Abbas Dowlatabadi as saying that the doctor died of “poisoning by drugs.”

After Pourandarjani’s death, the father said that suicide was unlikely: “Just the night before his death, my child talked to me on the phone, it was around 8 or 9 p.m. He sounded great, very dignified, displaying no sign of someone about to commit suicide,” the father told the Associated Press from Tabriz last month. “He was even full of hope,” and making future plans.

Similar doubt of suicide attended the 1999 death of Saeed Emami, a deputy minister of intelligence who was charged with running a “rogue” death squad in Iran’s intelligence ministry.

The group had brutally murdered a string of dissident intellectuals in late 1998, and were found to have had target lists of 200 more reformists. Many Iranians say they believe Emami was deeply engaged in scores of assassinations of regime opponents in Europe and Iraq through the mid-1990s.

So few Iranians find credible the official report that he took his own life, by drinking hair removal cream, while having a bath.

 

American Jihad: New Details Emerge About al-Shabaab Recruitment in North America

http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=35797&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=7&cHash=81a259e3d0

 

 

Publication: Terrorism Monitor Volume: 7 Issue: 37

December 3, 2009 02:48 PM Age: 2 hrs

Category: Terrorism Monitor, Global Terrorism Analysis, Home Page, Africa, Terrorism

By: Raffaello Pantucci

Mahmoud Said Omar, an arrested member of a group of Minneapolis natives that allegedly sent recruits to fight with al-Shabaab in Somalia.

On November 23, federal prosecutors in the United States unsealed indictments against members of a group of Minneapolis natives accused of being at the heart of a cell sending men and boys to fight with al-Shabaab, a radical Islamist movement in Somalia with close ties to al-Qaeda. [1] The unsealing of the documents came in the wake of the arrest of one of the members of the group, Mahamud Said Omar in the Netherlands, and the possible discovery of a similar cell operating out of Toronto (AP, November 10; National Post [Toronto], November 21).

The release of the information, which for the most part does not pertain to new cases, does shed further light on the recruitment structures in place and the radicalization method by which a foreign terrorist organization like al-Shabaab is able to entice young Westernized men to join their ranks. In many ways, the revelations show the degree to which the sort of radicalization that was previously thought to be more prevalent in Europe is in fact a problem shared by the United States. On the basis of the growing numbers of American jihadis, it would appear as though foreign terrorist rhetoric has found an increasing resonance in America.

The released documents which show in detail the path taken by 26-year-old Shirwa Ahmed, a young Somali-American who laid claim to the dubious honor of being America’s first suicide bomber, having been identified by a finger that was found at the site of one of a pair of suicide car-bombings that targeted offices of the Puntland Intelligence Service in Bossaso on October 29, 2008. [2] Ahmed was part of a group of men who left Minneapolis in early December 2007, but while the others headed for Northern Somalia, Ahmed instead went on Hajj to Saudi Arabia, landing in Jeddah on December 4, 2007 (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, November 25, 2008).

Having completed his pilgrimage, Ahmed joined the others who had first passed through a series of al-Shabaab safe houses before starting a training course alongside dozens of “young ethnic Somalis from Somalia, elsewhere in Africa, Europe and the United States.” At these camps, the men were taught to use a variety of weapons while being indoctrinated in “anti-Ethiopian, anti-American, anti-Israeli, and anti-Western beliefs.” [3] The training regimen was apparently tough, with only Ahmed and one other recruit completing the course. These two went on to take part in an assault on Ethiopian troops before the second man left the conflict and lost track of Ahmed.

The documents also show the importance of a local support network of older individuals who help in the radicalization process and aid in supplying the young men with equipment and money to go to Somalia. Three individuals in particular are identified in the new documents: Abdulahi Ahmed Farah, 32; Abdiweli Yassin Isse, 24 (who both remain at large and were last spotted crossing the San Ysidro border into Mexico on October 8 with tickets to Mexico City); and Mahamud Said Omar, 43, who was captured in the Netherlands on November 8. [5]

The three men were allegedly involved in hosting a series of meetings at a variety of locations in Minneapolis, where Farah would tell the others of his experiences fighting in Somalia, claiming “that he experienced true brotherhood while fighting in Somalia and that travel for jihad was the best thing that they could do.” He exhorted them “not to be afraid” and that “to fight jihad will be fun.” Farah emphasized that “they would get to shoot guns in Somalia.” [5] Farah claimed that he had sustained injuries (corroborated by others who knew him in Minneapolis) while fighting on the Somali/Kenyan border and had left soon afterwards for Nairobi where he married two women – undoubtedly intending to persuade the young men in Minneapolis of the possible benefits of jihad in this world as well as the next. He also allegedly helped coordinate a conference call between a group of potential recruits at a Minneapolis mosque and Isse in Somalia (Pioneer Press [St. Paul], November 24).

While both Isse and Omar are reported to have contributed to this radicalization (Isse allegedly referred to fighting in Somalia “a good jihad,” while Omar “provided encouragement”), the released documents point to a greater role as fundraisers. Isse was apparently involved in approaching other members of the Somali community to ask them to contribute money to help individuals study the Koran in Saudi Arabia. [6] It is unclear from the documents where Omar got the money he is alleged to have given the men, but he had enough to help nine of them to travel to Somalia. [7] He is also alleged to have traveled to join the men at a Shabaab safehouse in Somalia, where he supplied them with money to purchase AK-47s and calling cards.  He also gave money to their Somali hosts (Pioneer Press [St. Paul], November 27). Finally, he is alleged to have hosted a meeting in Minnesota in November 2008, a few days before another group left for Somalia (Minnesota Public Radio, November 24, 2009).

In early November, six young ethnic-Somali men disappeared from Toronto’s Somali community. Their families are reported to have received a phone call from Kenya, where the men were believed to be preparing to cross into Somalia to join al-Shabaab (Toronto Star, November 19; National Post [Toronto], November 18). The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) are searching for information on the missing men. Canadian Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan warned that those who traveled overseas to participate in terrorist activities could face prosecution in Canada (National Post, November 20). Toronto is home to about 150,000 ethnic-Somalis, a number of whom have returned to Somalia to join militant Islamist groups since 2006.

None of the new revelations point to a direct threat from these networks to the United States, but the role of a former fighter in the recruitment of others highlights the risk of such individuals returning home. Details are yet to emerge concerning the Minneapolis group (and the apparent Canadian parallel group in Toronto), but their existence shows an appetite for jihad amongst young Muslim men in North America. Whether this presages an impending threat on a scale similar to that seen previously in Europe is unclear, but it certainly shows that the United States is not immune to militant Islamist radicalization.

Notes:

1. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, “Terror Charges unsealed in Minneapolis against eight men, justice department announces,” November 23, 2009, www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-nsd-1267.html
2. United States District Court, State and District of Minnesota – Criminal Complaint, United States of America v. 1) Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax; 2) Abdiweli Yassin Isse, October 8, 2009. The document uses the official Somali written form in rendering the names.
3.Ibid, p.8
4.Ibid, p.14
5.Ibid, pp.9-10, 14
6.Ibid, p.12
7. United States District Court, District of Minnesota – Indictment, Case 0:09-cr-00242-JMR-SRN, United States of America v. Mahamud Said Omar, August 20, 2009

 

Dutch Navy Captures Pirates

http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/573102

 

Somali pirates taken in encounter with the Dutch

Calcutta News.Net
Thursday 3rd December, 2009

A Dutch military ship has captured 13 Somali pirates off the coast of Oman, 280 kilometres south of the western town of Salalah.

Navy personnel were also able to take possession of a large haul of weapons when the pirates were finally taken from their fishing vessel.

The incident occurred after the pirates attacked a merchant ship from speedboats.

The armed pirates tried to board the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged BBC Togo, but were repelled after shooting at the vessel.

The BBC Togo had taken on-board precautions to slow the pirates down, causing the pirates to finally give up and flee to a larger fishing boat.

Members of the Dutch frigate then captured them fairly quickly, finding onboard a large amount of weapons, including AK-47s, rocket-propelled grenades and rifle ammunition.

The pirates are believed to be Somalis.

FW: Terror-tied official teaching troops at Ft Hood, wrote of preemptive strikes against Islam's enemies

 

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Terror-tied official teaching troops at Ft Hood, wrote of preemptive strikes against Islam's enemies
The Jawa Report ^ | Dec. 3, 2009 | Barbarossa

Posted on Thursday, December 03, 2009 5:21:53 PM by caper gal 1

Terror-tied ISNA official teaching troops at Ft Hood about to deploy to Afghanistan, wrote of "preemptive strikes" against Islam's enemies(UPDATED) It gets worse.

I was contacted today by an official in the military anti-terrorism community who was extremely upset that a top official for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) was conducting classes at Ft. Hood on Islam to troops about to deploy to Afghanistan. The individual in question, Louay Safi, actively promotes the ideology employed by Ft Hood killer Maj. Nidal Hasan, and has been caught on FBI wiretaps communicating with terrorist leaders operating in the US. Safi has also written a defense of "preemptive strikes" against Islam's enemies, such as that carried out by Maj. Hasan. (Update: It seems that Robert Spencer received the same report about Safi's appearance at Ft Hood today.)

Amazingly, at around 6:00pm this evening, Safi presented a check to the families of those killed less than a month ago in the Ft. Hood massacre.

My source told me: "This is nothing short of blood money. This is criminal and the Ft. Hood base commander should be fired right now."

(Excerpt) Read more at mypetjawa.mu.nu ...

 

 

If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves. WINSTON CHURCHILL

Two Views: O's Afghan Speech

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/57893

 

Two Views
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
By Rich Galen
Listen to Commentary Podcasts

I watched President Obama's speech at West Point and thought it was a pretty good political speech. That's not entirely correct. I thought it was a very good political speech.
 
On behalf of everyone, I bristled at the knee jerk "blame it on Bush" section of the speech. And I'm still trying to understand how, if it will take six months to get 30,000 troops to Afghanistan and you have already declared they're coming back out 18 months from now, how much they can accomplish in the 12 months you have allotted.
 
But, overall, I thought the content was good and the delivery was polished.
 
Remember, Obama has to protect himself from his own left. House Democrats have all but declared war on Obama's War [the Washington Post's phrase, not mine], Michael Moore took out a full page ad in advance of the speech to announce his opposition, and the MoveOn.org and Pink Slip organizations are threatening to … be really, really, angry.
 
Obama did what he could to mollify those groups by blaming Bush - always a safe bet when trying to curry favor from the Left - and by declaring there would be a time limit on the new deployment and they would be withdrawn starting in July 2011 - just as the 2012 re-election campaign would be getting underway.
 
I know Obama hedged his bet by saying that the timing of the withdrawal would ultimately be decided by "taking into account conditions on the ground," which was the rhetorical equivalent of the sticker on a new car - say a MullFord - which, having listed the required EPA information, tells you that your mileage may vary.
 
An additional 30,000 troops will bring the total of American forces to near 100,000. It is unclear to me how many NATO troops are in Afghanistan.
 
According to the NATO web site: "Since NATO took command of ISAF (the International Security Assistance Force) in 2003, the Alliance has gradually expanded the reach of its mission, originally limited to Kabul, to cover Afghanistan's whole territory. The number of ISAF troops has grown accordingly from the initial 5,000 to around 50.000 troops coming from 42 countries, including all 28 NATO members."
 
But if the U.S. already has 60,000 troops and is one of the 28 NATO members then the other 41 countries must have negative 10,000 troops, which I think may be incorrect.
 
Shortly after the President finished, my phone rang. It was Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt (Ret.) calling to ask me what part of speech the word "successfully" was in this sentence: "I will end the war successfully."
 
"Successfully," I said, "modifies the word 'end' which is a verb. Hence 'successfully' is an adverb."
 
This military man immediately understood that the President's goal is not to succeed in Afghanistan, but to end the war in Afghanistan.
 
"Pretty smart," I said. Kimmitt is a graduate of West Point and has an MBA from Harvard. I, as you know, took something over seven years to get a bachelor's degree from Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio 45750.
 
"Imagine," General Kimmitt said, "if FDR had done a fireside chat during World War II and told the American people he was going to end the war in Europe rather than saying he was going to defeat the Nazis."
 
There is precious little to recommend Afghanistan. For every ten kilometers you go outside of a major city, you go back in time 50 years. It is a desperately poor, illiterate, arid country run by tribal warlords and corrupt public officials.
 
Why do we care about Afghanistan? Because, if the Taliban takes back control of the country then Al Qaeda will once again use Afghanistan as Band Camp for terrorists.
 
Thus, the Obama strategy is dependent upon the Karzai government about which the NY Times' Dexter Filkins wrote: "But that is the heart of the problem: in laying down the gauntlet for the Afghans, Mr. Obama is setting criteria for success that he and his field commanders may be able to influence, but which ultimately they will not be able to control."
 
So, there you have the two views of President Obama's speech. From a political standpoint it was very good. From a military standpoint it was very weak.
 
Barack Obama has been fixated on being known as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the 21st century. This speech will do nothing to help him get there.