President Obama is ridiculously shrinking himself in front of an entire nation.  Do you think this is serendipity, or strategy?   Yeah, me too....

U.S. special forces raids, one successful – one not. 

Nazih Abdul-Hamed Nabih al-Ruqai’I (Anas al-Libi for short)  has been on the “kill or capture” list for 15 years.   He was a middle level al-Qaeda guy in the 90’s and thought to have been behind the cell that carried out the Kenya and Tanzania embassy bombings in 1998.
Both CNN and NBC are reporting he was captured in Libya (Tripoli maybe?)  […]

Al Libi has been a member of al Qaeda since at least 1994 and was a confidante of Osama bin Laden.  He also is a computer expert for the group and is believed to be one of the masterminds of the 1998 U.S. Embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 12 Americans and more than 220 Kenyans. He has been indicted in New York in connection with the attacks and could ultimately be brought to the U.S. to stand trial.

The unsuccessful raid was in Somalia […]  (more…)

Looks and sounds like the IDF were instrumental in ending the hostage crisis and taking back the Mall from the terrorists.   Thank You Israel.
(Via Daily Mail)  The FBI is investigating claims that up to  five of the terrorists who killed 68 people in a despicable attack on an  upmarket Kenyan shopping mall are Americans, as the Kenyan military reported  that it had rescued hostages and secured  ‘most parts’ of the center following the two day standoff.
Sources close to terror group Al Shabaab told  CNN on  Sunday that nine extremists had been named on their Twitter account along with  their nationalities and allegedly included U.S. citizens. The account has now  been suspended by the site.
And just before sundown Kenya Defence Forces  posted on its Twitter account that ‘most of the hostages hostages have been  rescued’ and that security forces had taken control of ‘most parts of the  building’ – however, the operation is still continuing and only a small number  remained under the control of the militants.
The dramatic assault, which began shortly  before sundown, came as two helicopters circled the Westgate mall, with one  skimming very close to the roof.  (continue reading)

(Via UK Daily Mail)  Americans were injured in a terror attack by  as many as 10 gunmen at a Nairobi, Kenya, shopping center that has left at least  40 people dead and as many as 300 injured – a female Canadian diplomat and a  pregnant popular Kenyan radio journalist are among the dead.
The US State Department has confirmed that  four Americans were hurt in the mass shooting Saturday in a statement issued  from the US Embassy in Nairobi, but declined to give names or an exact number of  Americans hurt. Americans are not  believed to be among the dead at this time. The dead range in ages from two to  78-years-old, according to a Kenyan government official. Five hostages were  released around 2am local time.

American Elaine Dang, 26, [pictured above] has been identified  as one of the Americans injured in the brutal terror attack.  (continue reading)
NYT Photojournalist on the scene:

[…]  The mall is Nairobi’s most high-end shopping center, completely up to Western standards, with movie theaters, nice cafes, supermarkets and a casino. Pretty much anything you need. I’ve been there, so I knew the layout inside.  (pictures and first hand account – CLICK HERE)

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…)

It amazes me how weak the mainstream media is at connecting dots.  Well, that is, until I remind myself they carry so much water for this administration they dispatch news stories quickly and do not ponder.  What we do not discuss – we do not connect.
The embassies are closed.   People are asking what is the risk?  Who is the risk?

Do you really want to know?   Really? 

It ain’t tough to figure out.   You just have to learn a new set of constants. (more…)

 (AP) — The head of Chad’s military has announced on state television that Chadian troops deployed in northern Mali killed Moktar Belmoktar, the international terrorist responsible for the attack on a natural gas plant in Algeria that resulted in the death of dozens of foreigners.

The French military, which is leading the offensive in northern Mali, says it cannot confirm the information.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Zakaria Ngobongue read a statement saying Chadian soldiers on Saturday had destroyed a jihadist base in the Adrar and Ifoghas mountains of North Mali, killing Belmoktar.

How do you get an ideological “Ally”  to make a political move they are uncomfortable with?

You use leverage, heavy leverage…..   It’s a Machiavellian Quid Pro Quo

But what leverage does President Obama have over current Turkish President, Erdogan?

What information would force Erdogan to make a move on Osama Bin Laden Jr?  A move that Erdogan does not want to make hot make because his Islamist colleagues will not be happy.    The answer is  HERE.

It’s Machiavellian because both President Obama and President Erdogan are aligned both philosophically and ideologically. (more…)

Several weeks ago when doing research into Denis McDonough, Obama’s pick to be his Chief of Staff, we ran accross this older insightful comment from a former member of Chuck Hagel’s staff.   I book marked it to review again during the confirmation hearings. Wow, this former employee of his staff really hits the nail on the head.

Watch this segment of his confirmation hearing first:

Now consider this from one of his staffers from March 2007:

At one time I worked in Senator Chuck Hagel’s office. I believe readers may be interested in my observations of Senator Hagel.

He has a limited educational background, and worked as a local broadcaster in Nebraska before getting his start as an aide to a Nebraska congressman in the 1970s. Before that, he fought in Vietnam, where he was seriously wounded. With his Capitol Hill background and war record, he obtained a high position in the Reagan administration’s Department of Veterans Affairs. Then he had some friends who were investing in the new cellular phone field; he sold his car to raise the funds to invest with them. That’s how he became a millionaire. And in a small state like Nebraska, that’s how a person possessed of the requisite ego, regardless of other qualifications, including intelligence, becomes a United States Senator. (more…)

The Algerian Hostage Slaughter was a direct response to the French counter-offensive in Mali against the Islamist Jihadists.   The Islamic terrorists responsible for the Algerian attack came from, and used weapons from, Libya.  Even Hillary Clinton recently admitted as such.

Simultaneous to, and as a direct consequence of, this French/U.S. Mali escalation, all foreign nationals were recently recommended to evacuate the areas of Eastern Libya (Benghazi).

The United States is now providing military assistance, logistics, support, transport and refueling for French troops in their fight for Mali.

Turkish President Erdogan took over the primary gatekeeper spot from Mouamar Kaddafi after his death.    Going back on the timeline on U.S. Benghazi support and weapons shipments for the “Rebels”, you might remember Turkey being opposed; Not opposed because Erdogan approved of Kaddafi, quite the contrary;  Opposed because they wanted to increase the certainty of an Islamist, not moderate, victory.   This is the same reason Turkey wanted to control the recipients of “any” weapons headed to Syria.

Also, think back to September 11th 2012, and the last official diplomatic envoy who met with Ambassador Stevens before the consulate attack began, Turkish Ambassador Ali Kemal Aydin;    When the envoy was leaving, somehow they navigated the al-Qaeda roadblocks that were formed moments earlier and surrounded the neighborhood.

Now today…… (more…)

There is an interesting compilation of stories from some of the non-U.S. hostages who survived the Algeria terror attack.

The Missing

JAPAN:  One Japanese worker at the plant remains unaccounted for, according to employer  JGC.
NORWAY: Five Norwegian employees of Statoil  are still missing, the energy company said.
BRITAIN: Two other Britons still missing and  feared dead, the UK government said.
UNITED STATES:  3 Americans dead the US has confirmed. A US official said seven American  hostages escaped.
MALAYSIA:  Two Malaysians are missing, the government says.
PHILIPPINES: Four Filipinos are  missing.

Ask yourself this question as you read:  “where is the U.S. Press in similar coverage of our guys”?   Are they so interested invested in covering for the failed foreign policy of the Obama administration they cannot bring themselves to report on the most horrific of all terror attacks in recent history? (more…)