Mid-Week Post

More on Benghazi:

A series of email alerts sent as Obama administration officials monitored the attack on the U.S consulate in Benghazi last month are the latest to shine light on the chaotic events that culminated in the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. ...

The first email, with a subject line of “U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under Attack,” sent at 4:05 PM about 25 minutes after the attack began, describes an assault on the compound by 20 armed people.

“The Regional Security Officer reports the diplomatic mission is under attack,” the email states. “Embassy Tripoli reports approximately 20 armed people fired shots; explosions have been heard as well.”

“Ambassador Stevens, who is currently in Benghazi, and four COM (Chief of Mission) personnel are in the compound safe haven,” the email continues. “The 17th of February militia is providing security support.”

The next email sent at 4:54 PM states that the shooting has stopped and the compound was cleared, adding that a response team was “onsite attempting to locate COM personnel.”

The third email updates officials that Ansar al-Sharia claimed responsibility for the Benghazi attack on Facebook and Twitter, and has threatened to attack the Tripoli embassy.

The timing of the emails is consistent with what a senior State Department official told reporters at a briefing on Oct. 9.

It gets worse, much worse:

Stevens was tasked with helping to coordinate U.S. assistance to the rebels, whose top military commander, Abdelhakim Belhadj, was the leader of the Al Qaeda affiliate, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG). 

That means that Stevens was authorized by the U.S. Department of State and the Obama administration to aid and abet individuals and groups that were, at a minimum, allied ideologically with Al Qaeda, the jihadist terrorist organization that attacked the homeland on the first 9/11, the one that’s not supposed to exist anymore after the killing of its leader, Osama bin Laden, on May 2, 2012.

Although Belhadj reportedly now has moved on to Syria to help lead the fight against the Assad regime being waged by the Syrian Free Army (SFA), other Libyan fighters, who were formerly members of his LIFG and other Al Qaeda affiliates formed a new terror militia in Libya (and elsewhere) called Ansar al-Shariah (Supporters of Sharia/Islamic Law).

According to an August, 2012 report from the Library of Congress and the Kronos organization, “Al-Qaeda in Libya: A Profile,” Ansar al-Shariah is an Al Qaeda franchise operation, established in Libya with the assistance of senior Al Qaeda operatives dispatched from Pakistan specifically to supervise the set up of a new clandestine Al Qaeda network in Libya that would refrain from using the Al Qaeda name.

The Derna, Libya Ansar al-Shariah cell is led by a former GITMO detainee named Sufian Ben Qhumu. The September 11, 2012 attack on the Benghazi consulate compound that killed Ambassador Stevens, his staffer Sean Smith and the two Navy SEALs was directed and led by Ansar al-Shariah.

One of the key unanswered, even unasked, questions about the U.S. and Ambassador Stevens relationship with Abdelhakim Belhadj concerns not so much the 2011 period of the Libyan revolt, but rather what followed. Was Ambassador Stevens still in touch with Belhadj and/or other Al Qaeda-linked figures even after Belhadj traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, in November, 2011 to make contact with the Syrian Free Army?

According to August, 2012 reports leaked to the media, sometime earlier in 2012, President Obama signed an intelligence finding to permit the CIA and other US government agencies to provide support to the Syrian rebels, whose ranks are reported to be dominated by Al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood and other jihadist fighters who already are supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other jihadist regimes. Was Belhadj a conduit for U.S. support, perhaps via Turkey?

"Fast and Furious", anyone?


Remember that this attack was blamed on- repeatedly- a video on Youtube. Recently surfaced e-mails, along with testimony, closed circuit camera footage, drone observation and now an apparent gun-running scheme authorised by the American government are not just troubling but damning. Al Qaeda is not "on its heels"; it is helped by the American government.


A case against francophone oligarchies:

As the Canadian government moves to toughen language requirements for newcomers, the latest census figures released today suggest that more than two million people speak neither English nor French at home. ...

While bilingualism is losing steam across Canada, it is gaining ground in Quebec. The new data from the 2011 census shows that Quebec was the only province to increase its rate of bilingualism in English and French since the last census in 2006. When you look at languages spoken at home, French still dominates over other languages in Quebec, despite competing with both English and the many newly popular languages brought in by immigrants.

One might argue that the elevation of French over all else is a losing and unnecessary battle. It is also troubling to see how at least one official language goes to the wayside for lack of effort. It is immaterial what languages one speaks privately but at what point is English- the lingua franca of the globe- ever emphasised? Why cut off people linguistically and ultimately in other areas, as well? There was a time when people wanted to be Canadians, not simply be in Canada. It is the refusal to stand for one's values that, in part, lets a civilisation die.


Related: a very good case against francophone oligarchies:

A Quebec couple are alleging that an ambulance paramedic was making a political statement by refusing to speak to them in English while their two-year-old daughter suffered a seizure.

Mark Bergeron, a resident of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., called 911 as his daughter slipped into unconsciousness during a seizure last Saturday night.

Although Mr. Bergeron speaks French, when a paramedic arrived he asked if they could have the conversation in English.

“No. Me, I speak French,” responded the paramedic...

Really? Are you sure it's not because you were a corrupt premier?

Ontario’s opposition parties reacted with disbelief Wednesday after Premier Dalton McGuinty dismissed a contempt motion against his minority government as “phoney” and blamed them for his sudden decision to prorogue the legislature.

“They consumed an entire week with a spurious, phoney contempt motion rather than do the people’s business,” McGuinty said when asked why he shut down all legislative business until at least February 2013

“They allowed themselves to be consumed by that phoney contempt motion.”

Fire this man out of a cannon.



Gandhi and Martin Luther King were also convicted criminals, "Mr." Mansbridge.


Privatise the CBC.



Australians don't like it when you kick their dogs, especially the hero ones:

A man has been charged after he allegedly assaulted two police officers and kicked hero police dog Chuck in the ribs during a violent protest in Sydney's CBD last month.

The 26-year-old is the 12th person to be charged over violence that erupted during the September 15 demonstration of about 500 people against the anti-Islamic film Innocence of Muslims.

Police will allege the man punched an Australian Federal Police officer in the head outside the US Consulate building in Martin Place while protesting.

He is then alleged to have kicked police dog Chuck in the ribs in Hyde Park and then punched a policewoman in the chest, causing her to fall over outside St James Railway Station.

Police dog Chuck played a starring role in the capture of NSW's most wanted man Malcolm Naden in March this year. Three-year-old Chuck bit the leg of the accused killer as he was captured in a police operation in a remote area west of Gloucester in the upper Hunter.

The Punchbowl man was today charged with riot, two counts of assault police and commit an act of animal cruelty. He was released on bail and will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on November 8.

Barry Talbot faces off against "Gentleman Jim" the Fighting Kangaroo at the 1898 Interspecies Boxing Exhibition in Melbourne

(two paws up)



It had to be done.



And now, super-awesome jack o'lanterns. Enjoy.