There’s no way these media reports are accidental or not directly connected.  And none of this looks the least bit good against the larger dynamic of the Syrian crisis and President Stompy Feet’s prior position on ISIS.

Yesterday, well, actually Friday, the release of the information was yesterday, Vice-President Joe Biden met in Turkey with President Recep Erdogan.  They met for several hours as reported in The Hill and the topic was an escalated U.S./Turkish military footprint against ISIS :

Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday said the U.S. and regional ally Turkey are prepared to seek a military solution in Syria to try to solve the nation’s five-year-long civil war.

Speaking after a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul, Biden stressed that a political solution to the problem would still be preferable.

“But we are prepared if that’s not possible to having a military solution to this operation and taking out Daesh,” he said, according to AFP, using another name for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

(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…)

Thank you to those who serve our nation and are unable to be home with family this Christmas.  We appreciate you, we are thankful for you, and we send our prayers to you and your families who we recognize also sacrifice on our behalf.

We also remember those who have given the fullest measure of devotion, and those families who cope with the void in all holiday’s to come. (more…)

The unwritten aspect to this story (NPR delivery below) is that the Army Forces Command is overriding the White House who didn’t want Bergdahl charged due to political issues, ie. embarrassment.

Numerous previous outlines have evidenced pressure from inside the political apparatus to dismiss charges against the deserter who was praised in the Rose Garden by President Obama – Today the Army said, nope, the guy is going to face the charges.

(Via NPR) […]  Overriding the recommended punishment by an Army officer, head of Army Forces Command Gen. Robert B. Abrams ordered that Bergdahl, now the subject of the Serial podcast, face a court-martial for desertion.

In a statement, The Forces Command described the charges, which they brought against Bergdahl in March: (more…)

COLD ANGER – A religious-freedom advocacy group has filed its second grievance in as many weeks with the Army, again demanding that imagery featuring a red crucifix be removed from Army signage — and this time, insisting the aviation unit involved change its logo and its nickname.

The logo of Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 212th Aviation Regiment, based at Fort Rucker, Alabama, contains “blatantly unconstitutional Christian Crusader imagery” and should be discontinued immediately, Military Religious Freedom Foundation president and founder Mikey Weinstein wrote Monday in an email addressed to Maj. Gen. Michael Lundy, commanding general of Fort Rucker and the Army Aviation Center of Excellence.

Weinstein, an Air Force Academy graduate whose MRFF claims more than 40,000 active-duty clients across the military, also demanded the unit cease using the name “Crusaders,” which he called “incredibly offensive and unconstitutional.” (more…)

The story of CENTCOM analysts accusing commanders of manipulating intelligence reports on ISIS to appease the White House is a story that has some interest in the mainstream media – but what if it is actually connected to a larger issue?

Washington DC -Allegations are mounting that senior intelligence officials at Central Command not only skewed findings on the ISIS war to please D.C., but tried to hide what they did.

In July, a group of intelligence analysts at the U.S. military’s Central Command accused their bosses of distorting and selectively editing intelligence reports about the fight against ISIS in order to portray that campaign as more successful than it really was. As a result of those complaints, the Pentagon’s inspector general opened an investigation.

Now, the allegations of misconduct have extended to a possible cover-up, with some analysts accusing the senior intelligence officials at CENTCOM, Maj. Gen. Steven Grove and his civilian deputy, Gregory Ryckman, of deleting emails and files from computer systems before the inspector general could examine them, three individuals familiar with the investigation told The Daily Beast.

One U.S. official said the alleged activity could amount to obstruction and interference with the inspector general’s investigation, which began last summer.  (read more)

The presumption within the controversy (as it is generally discussed by the media) is that CENTCOM bosses changed the intel to give the impression of success to please the White House.  But what if that wasn’t the reason?

(more…)

You’d have to be living under a rock not to know that Turkey, via Erdogan, has been supporting, aiding and funding ISIS for the past two years. Erdogan would never shoot down a Russian fighter without President Obama’s prior approval.

(Begin at 06:00 mark) Putin is putting out a public statement that he is fully aware President Obama and President Erdogan support the Islamic State and ISIS.

Oh SNAP This is Interesting –   General Wesley Clark (Retired) Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander is a deep blue Dem/Obama/Clinton supporter. He just went off the Obama range on CNN and admitted Turkey has been supporting ISIS… Interesting.

Details sketchy – However, as previously anticipated this action could easily be seen as Turkish President Recep Erdogan working diligently to keep the ISIS supply lines open.

Remember, Turkey is a NATO member – if they engage in hostile actions with Russia, it could draw in other NATO allies….. Not Good.  The insufferable Erdogan escaping Putin’s wrath by hiding behind the skirt of U.S., France, Germany and U.K

According to media reports (and video here) a Turkish F16 fighter has shot down a Russian made SU24 (also used by Syrian air force). Here’s the media outline from Reuters:

Turkish F-16 fighter jets shot down a war plane of unknown origin on Tuesday after it violated Turkish air space close to the Syrian border and ignored warnings, a Turkish military official told Reuters.

Separately, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s office said he had spoken with the chief of military staff and the foreign minister about developments on the border. The statement did not mention the downed jet. (link)

Excl: 2 pilots ejected from Sukhoi24 along Turkish border N of Latakia after Turkish F16 fires air to air missiles, downing plane. @FoxNews

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 24, 2015

(more…)

General Patton arose and strode swiftly to the microphone. The men snapped to their feet and stood silently. Patton surveyed the sea of brown with a grim look. “Be seated”, he said. The words were not a request, but a command. The General’s voice rose high and clear:

“Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullshit. Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. You are here today for three reasons. (more…)

The White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes was on Fox News Sunday today.  One of the topics discussed was importing more Syrian refugees:

https://youtu.be/dV-H4049_8w?t=2m19s

Video Prompted to [@02:19] Wallace “One of the attackers in the French slaughter was carrying a Syrian passport that seemed to indicate that he had been a refugee that had come into Europe along with the flood of migrants in October. Given that, is President Obama reconsidering the plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year?”

Rhodes: “No, Chris, we’re still planning to take in Syrian refugees,we have very robust vetting procedures for those refugees.”

(more…)