Via Weasel Zippers – who shares: So knowing she’s a liar, knowing that she’s in bed with the “rebels”, that she put out conflicting accounts, that she whitewashed the “rebels” into a more “moderate” force, this woman is worthy, according to John McCain, of being hired to his staff.   This is so unbelievable, it makes one think that there is some greater personal underlying reason operating here.

WASHINGTON DC – Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain hired the Syria analyst in favor of U.S. intervention who was fired for fabricating her Ph.D., Foreign Policy reported.
Elizabeth O’Bagy, formerly of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), will start Monday as a legislative assistant in Sen. McCain’s office.
McCain told Foreign Policy that “Elizabeth is a talented researcher, and I have been very impressed by her knowledge and analysis in multiple briefings over the last year.” The senator’s office said they would not make any further comment on O’Bagy’s employment. (more…)

There are few, if any, positive aspects to the national spotlight and attention surrounding the George Zimmerman case.   A review of mandatory minimum sentences could be one of those outcomes. 
A new trial announced today in the case of Marissa Alexander.   Spotlighting a prosecutorial charge put upon by Angela Corey, the 4th District State Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville Florida; and a mandatory 20 year minimum sentence imposed by the judge after conviction.
The case is controversial, not so much for the conviction, but more for the sentence.

Under Florida’s mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines Marissa Alexander was sentenced to TWENTY years in prison for firing a warning shot in her kitchen when her husband was confronting her.   They had a troubled, at times violent, history together.
Good construction of the factual backstory HERE. 
There are two sides to every story, and in this case the actual conviction –based on the evidence– as found by a jury, was correct.   However, the sentencing was excessive based on the actual event.  A sentence structured around a charge, and mandatory 10-20-life guideline when a firearm is used in the commission of a charged and convicted  felony. 
[excerpt from MSN News]  …  The 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee said in Thursday’s ruling that the trial judge made a “fundamental error” when he instructed the jury that Alexander was required to prove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt. (more…)

Secretary Kerry, at the request, advice and consent of President Obama, has signed the United States up for the U.N arms treaty.

Defying warnings from the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State John F. Kerry signed the United Nations Small Arms Trade Treaty Sept. 25 at the UN headquarters in New York City  (link)

One of the central components of the Treaty is to require domestic regulation of “small arms and light weapons.”  The treaty’s Article 5 requires nations to “establish and maintain a national control system,” including a “national control list.” (more…)

This really is no surprise.  We have well documented how the average Egyptian held disdain for President Obama based on the reality that Obama supported the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi; while Morsi was slaughtering Christians, taking over the courts, and even allowing Christian crucifixions to take place immediately outside his residence.
The average Egyptian does not welcome political Islam, terrorists, Jihadists and extremists.   They have tasted freedom and like the people in Western Libya they are not going to accept Salafist dictates and Sharia type governance;  all of which were supported by the insufferable duplicity and willful blindness of Senator John McCain, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Secretary John Kerry and the entire Obama administration. 
So this recent example of the Egyptian sentiment should be expected.  –  Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy told the London-based Al-Hayat daily that Egyptian relations with the U.S. were “turbulent” and the Egyptian public has “unprecedented negative views” toward the United States. (more…)

Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and John Cornyn (R-TX) — the top two Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate — announced yesterday that they will support “cloture” on the government funding bill, giving Harry Reid and the Democrats a procedural green light to fund Obamacare with only 50 votes. […] We knew Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn weren’t with us when they voted to fund Obamacare earlier this year. But then, under pressure from grassroots, they said they supported the effort to defund it. They even ran political ads in their home states to make voters think they were on their side.
But now, faced with the prospect of having to fight for the things they claim to believe, these Senate leaders have surrendered.
Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn have surrendered to Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and the Democrats. More importantly, they have surrendered to Obamacare — the biggest job killer in America. (link to do something about it)
It’s not an official Senate filibuster, because Harry Reid is using a procedural rules trick to strip the Obamacare defunding segment from the House Bill.    Ted Cruz is vowing to speak as long as possible to stop the “cloture” vote.
The “Cloture Vote”, is a pre-vote of sorts to enable Harry Reid to remove the Obamacare aspect with a simple 51 votes – Which Harry Reid has with Democrats alone.
Therefore anyone who votes for cloture is actually voting to support the Harry Reid process, and voting to support, ie. fund,  Obamacare.
This is where the Decepticons in the Republican ranks will show their manipulative faces.   They will vote for “cloture”, which relies on Republican support because the threshold is 61 votes affirming, then turn around and vote against the bill’s passage because their votes are not needed because the threshold drops to 51 votes (a simple majority) to pass.
So the Decepticons like Mitch McConnell will vote for cloture, then vote against the bill, and return to their campaign base claiming they voted against the bill.    The truth is they voted to support the bill, then voted against it only because after cloture it will pass without their support. (more…)

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Internal Revenue Service says an official at the center of the agency’s tea party scandal is retiring.
Lois Lerner headed the IRS division that handles applications for tax-exempt status when she was placed on paid leave in May. While she was in charge, the agency acknowledged that agents improperly targeted tea party groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status from 2010 to 2012.
Lerner first disclosed the targeting at a law conference in May, when she was asked a planted question about IRS treatment of political groups. Less than two weeks later, she refused to answer questions at a congressional hearing, citing her constitutional right not to incriminate herself.
Republicans in Congress have repeatedly called for her to be fired.  (read more)

Warning:  Some Graphic Details and Pictures in Links

BREAKING: Hostages still held in Nairobi #Westgate mall, security operation continues

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 21, 2013

Details HERE and also Pictures HERE
Quick Notes:  Early witness indicators are the attack began with a half dozen grenades thrown inside the mall.   Then the shooting started.    Hostages have been taken.  Al Shabaab claiming responsibility.   39 confirmed dead so far.  Western media will not cover this too heavily due to type of attack taking place  (grenades, popular shopping mall, random target of non-muslims etc.).
Al Shabaab (African contingent of al-Qaeda) operatives have been working closely with AQAP (Yemen affiliate) for several years.    Al Shabaab has training base in Mexico, and Al Shabaab operatives have been found in the U.S. crossing the U.S. Mexico border.  Al Shabaab was also the contingent who were foiled in the U.S. when they attempted to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador in 2011 at a Washington DC restaurant. 

Background, video and pictures of the attack taking place – CLICK HERE

Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) — Armed gunmen waged a tense standoff with Kenyan police and soldiers inside an upscale Nairobi shopping mall early Sunday, hours after brazenly gunning down shoppers, diners and more.
There was some movement around 1:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. ET), when five “visibly shaken” hostages were released, the Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre tweeted. But that didn’t mean this horrific story was over as attackers remained dug in, as authorities bore down on them, and as an unknown number of civilians — perhaps dead or being held hostage — remained unaccounted for inside. (more…)

Taking lessons from Benghazi Cover-Up International, the local Washington DC Law Enforcement Leadership give the local SWAT Team Leader the Africom Commander, General Carter Ham, treatment…..
(Via GateWayPundit) On Wednesday, BBC News reported the indefensible discovery that the D.C. Capitol Police’s SWAT team was ready to neutralize the Navy Yard mass shooting.
But, the highly trained and heavily armed, elite tactical group was, instead, ordered to stand down and leave the scene.  The Capitol Police promised a full investigation.
Today, BBC News reported more disturbing information.  No one has talked to the SWAT team members.  Not even for the protocol debriefing.  But, not only have members of the SWAT team not been contacted, the department “has installed a new leader”.  Without explanation.
BBC News reports: (more…)

It’s another version of the “depends on what your definition of ‘is’, is”….

I’m still betting the decisions ultimately came from Denis McDonough and Tom Donilon during those critical hours….   both Obama and Biden were indisposed.

Washington DC – On Thursday, while denying that a “stand-down order” was given to Special Forces members ready to help Americans who were under siege at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi last September, one of the heads of the Benghazi Accountability Review Board (ARB) admitted that a “hold in place” order was in fact given.
Testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Admiral Mike Mullen said that the direction given to Special Operations Command Africa commander Lt. Col Gibson was to “hold in place” on the night of the attacks.
Gibson is the boss of Gregory Hicks, the former deputy chief of mission in Libya who had testified that a “stand down” order was given to Special Forces who wanted to help Americans who were under assault in Libya.  (continue reading)

Today, during a House Hearing, as the family members of the Benghazi victims began to speak about their concerns, the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee walked out!

After ARB testifies, only 2 @OversightDems decide to stay & hear testimony from family members on 2nd panel PHOTO: pic.twitter.com/zfOjjppU0V
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) September 19, 2013

The following House Committee Members walked out: (more…)