It is a good thing, a great thing, the U.S. hostages/prisoners are being released.  However, to find out that President Obama and John Kerry allowed the hostages to be used as leverage to block sanctions – is a little disappointing. 

The day before new sanctions were due to be implemented, Iran told the U.S. the fate of the prisoners was dependent on no new sanctions. Kerry agreed.

As with all other strategic decisions from this administration our adversaries only need to consider the political benefits of President Obama in their counter-strategy.  Knowing the White House only makes deals based on political best interests, gives our adversaries a significant structural advantage in how they approach negotiations. 

(Via Reuters)  The day before the Obama administration was due to slap new sanctions on Iran late last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry the move could derail a prisoner deal the two sides had been negotiating in secret for months.

Kerry and other top aides to President Barack Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii, convened a series of conference calls and concluded they could not risk losing the chance to free Americans held by Tehran. (more…)

Following the arrest and detention of ten U.S. military sailors in the Persian Gulf, Iran releases a propaganda video showing our soldiers humiliated and on their knees.  The video is being broadcast through out Iran and the larger Middle-East with the message of how the Iranian Revolutionary Guard made the U.S. military cower. 

Hillary Clinton and President Obama have both (falsely) stated that ISIS uses video of republican candidates to generate recruitment efforts for radical jihad.  What exactly do you think the Islamic recruitment value is for footage of U.S. military cowering?

(two videos follow BBC outline)  The US has apologised to Iran after 10 American sailors were arrested for entering Iranian waters, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards naval forces has said.

General Ali Fadavi accused those detained of “unprofessional” acts.  But he suggested the group, who are being held by the guards, could be released soon. (more…)

BREAKING:  So Much for Obama’s appeasement approach toward Iran.  Two small U.S. naval vessels containing 10 U.S. Military service members were traveling from Kuwait to Bahrain in the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. Navy lost contact with the vessels after the Iranian Navy intercepted the two boats and detained the sailors.

Early reports are the U.S. Navy members are in good health and negotiations are underway to secure their release.  The incident took place near Farsi Island. Secretary of State John Kerry called his Iranian counterpart to try to resolve the matter.  The Iranian government has initially refused to release our soldiers – they will not be released tonight.

Here’s an image of what type of vessels the U.S. military were using.  Riverine Boats:

AP Has Outline – […]   Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told The Associated Press that the riverine boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when the U.S. lost contact with them. (more…)

A long (two part) interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and republican candidate Donald Trump.

The first segment includes topics of North Korea, China and Ted Cruz’s eligibility:

Part two includes issue topic of Saudi Arabia and the middle-east: (more…)

President Obama pressured/threatened all Democrats and UniParty membership Republicans to support his Iranian Nuclear Deal, they did.  Now Iran violates the deal, sanctions should be applied, but the White House says – meh, violations… no biggie.

(Via Washington Free Beacon) A last minute delay last week in the implementation of new Iran sanctions has some prominent congressional backers of the nuclear deal accusing the Obama administration of capitulating to Iranian demands, according to sources both on and off Capitol Hill.

Senior Obama administration officials at the White House’s National Security Council told Congress Wednesday morning that new sanctions were coming as a result of Iran’s repeated ballistic missile tests, which violate current United Nations Security Council Resolutions prohibiting such activity. (more…)

Well, this is concerning….  According to a new report, part of the Iranian Nuclear deal was a promise to keep our doors open to international Islamic terrorism. 

(Via Washington Free Beacon) Senior Obama administration officials are expressing concern that congressional attempts to tighten laws preventing terrorists from entering the United States could violate the Iran nuclear agreement and prompt Tehran to walk away from the agreement.

Congress is considering measures that would tighten the Visa Waiver Program to make it harder for potential terrorists to legally enter the United States by increasing restrictions on individuals who have travelled to countries with prominent terrorist organizations from bypassing security checks upon entering the United States. (more…)

Russia leverages the terror-threat-vulnerability of France to take up measures supporting Putin’s strategic goals in Syria… and it works flawlessly.  Meanwhile President Obama is stomping his feet mad that Islam is being attacked and his only ally in support of the Islamic State is BFF Erdogan…

RUSSIA – The United Nations has called the states to fight “a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security” which is Islamic State (IS, ISIS/ISIL, Da’esh). All 15 members of the UN Security Council voted to adopt the French-proposed resolution.

The resolution “calls upon member states that have the capacity to do so to take all necessary measures … on the territory under the control of ISIL … in Syria and Iraq.”

IS “constitutes a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security,” the resolution says.

Russia has repeatedly called for action to cut the terrorists’ financial lifelines, with President Vladimir Putin revealing on Monday that IS is receiving funding from 40 countries. (more…)

Reports: WaPo's Jason Rezaian convicted in Iran http://t.co/8H5bVnPY5K | AP Photo pic.twitter.com/D1MH9fICXI

— POLITICO (@politico) October 12, 2015

For people who might not have followed the story as it unfolded there’s an easier explanation for why Iran is holding Jason Rezaian.   The underpinning is Iran knowing the U.S. State Department and CNN collaborate to use media as a tool to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives.

In December 2014 CNN ran and episode of Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown filmed in Iran. It seemed innocuous at the time, yet as with all things Turner Broadcasting, it also seemed to be another set up for a larger political agenda item. (more…)

Last night during the GOP debate the question of Syria was asked; none of the candidates spoke of an increasingly specific aspect to the Syrian reality.

Anyone who has a basic understanding of the current situation in the Mid-East must accept that Russia is playing chess, and the Obama administration is insufferably getting out-played.
It was only a few weeks ago when Egypt’s Fattah el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah went to Moscow and met with Vladimir Putin.
A little over a week later Putin begins putting additional Russian military forces into Syria presumably to assist Bashar Assad in removing his adversaries, various ISIS elements.
What Putin is inevitably doing right now is pushing out those elements within Syria who collectively create one side of the Syrian civil war.  He’s going to continue pushing those Syrian people into Turkey and, as a consequence of Erdogan’s unwillingness to be destabilized by those elements, ultimately they will travel into Europe. (more…)

Will this finally be the tipping point where people recognize that Glenn Beck is an unstable, self-centered nutter?  Too soon to tell.  It will be interesting to see how his partner Dana Loesch responds/aligns on this.
Last year it was the insufferable “Soccer Ball and Teddy Bear Tour” for illegal aliens.  In February of this year he stated he swore off the Republican party forever and would never return.  Now Beck mounts a full-throated attack against Sarah Palin…..  As previously stated, the Donald Trump campaign is putting a spotlight on the festering underbelly of corporatist political media.  Beck being a big part of that.
(Via Washington Examiner) Glenn Beck ripped former Alaska governor Sarah Palin as a “clown” on his radio program Thursday, one day after sharing a stage with her at an anti-Iran deal rally in Washington, D.C.  (MediaIte Link)

“I didn’t listen to her speech. Yeah, I’m going to say it,” Mr. Beck said. “I don’t care what Sarah Palin says any more. Sarah Palin has become a clown. I’m embarrassed that I was once for Sarah Palin. Honestly, I’m embarrassed.” (more…)