What’s interesting in the news today?
1. First up, 2 stories, same topic. While I understand the sentiment, I don’t much care for mercenaries, and that’s what this seems like IMO.
From Reuters “Saint Michael, the archangel of battle, is tattooed across the back of a U.S. army veteran who recently returned to Iraq and joined a Christian militia fighting Islamic State in what he sees as a biblical war between good and evil.”
““It’s very different,” he said, asked how the experiences compared. “Here I’m fighting for a people and for a faith, and the enemy is much bigger and more brutal.”
Thousands of foreigners have flocked to Iraq and Syria in the past two years, mostly to join Islamic State, but a handful of idealistic Westerners are enlisting as well, citing frustration their governments are not doing more to combat the ultra-radical Islamists or prevent the suffering of innocents.
The militia they joined is called Dwekh Nawsha – meaning self-sacrifice in the ancient Aramaic language spoken by Christ and still used by Assyrian Christians, who consider themselves the indigenous people of Iraq.”
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More here, from YahooNewsUK “Decked out in his US army-issued fatigues and a lip stud shining from his mouth, the young American fighter cuts an unusual figure in the northern Iraqi town of Al-Qosh.
He served in the US army in Baghdad in 2006-2007 and has now returned to fight the Islamic State jihadist group with Dwekh Nawsha, a Christian militia whose name is an Assyrian-language phrase conveying self-sacrifice.
The 28-year-old, who goes by the pseudonym Brett, has become the figurehead of an emerging movement of foreigners coming to Iraq to support Christian groups.
Bearing a tattoo of a machinegun on his left arm and another of Jesus in a crown of thorns on his right, Brett jokingly refers to himself as a “crusader”.”
“Also acting as a recruiter, Brett says he wants to establish a “foreign fighters’ battalion”. In his first week in charge, he brought in five volunteers from the United States, Britain and Canada, all of whom he says have military or contracting experience.
The foreign contingent is tiny compared to the thousands of foreigners who have joined IS, but interest is growing and Brett says he has 20 more volunteers already lined up to join.”
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2. Who is Rashad Hussain?
From TownHall “President Obama’s appointment of Rashad Hussain, his deputy associate counsel, as special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations, charged with safeguarding and protecting “the interests of the Muslim world,” should be of serious concern to Congress and the American public. Especially since Hussain, a devout Muslim, has a history of participating in events connected with the Muslim Brotherhood, according to the Chicago Tribune, “the world’s most influential Islamic fundamentalist group” whose goal is to create Muslim states throughout the world.
In 1991, a memo written by Mohamed Akram for the Shura Council of the Muslim Brotherhood spelled out the objective of the organization. Akram said the Muslim Brotherhood “must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.” I am unable to find any “revelation” that has repealed that objective. Quite the contrary. Terrorists seem on track for implementing it.
The president proudly announced that Hussain is a Hafiz, someone who has completely memorized the Qur’an, but he did not spell out what qualifies Hussain to meet with foreign leaders at a diplomatic level in a role that approximates that of an ambassador. According to Jihad Watch, a blog directed by American author Robert Spencer, which “aims to bring to public attention the role of jihad theology and ideology in the modern world,” Hussain’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood date back to his days at Yale Law School.
Ask yourself: If you or your group were interested in damaging or destroying the United States, wouldn’t infiltration at every possible level of government and culture be an effective strategy? You would build your schools and mosques, some of which teach and preach Jihad; you would penetrate the government; you would demand special rights because of your religion — such as no body scanners for Muslim travelers at airports and prayer rooms and foot washing facilities at shopping malls; you would seek to change the foreign policy of the United States because you hate Israel and all Jews (and those “cross-worshipping” Christians) and you would dare the U.S. government to monitor your speeches and associations because you want to keep America’s guard lower than it would be for, say, a spy from communist China. “
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3. This one sounds crazy, right? But then again, would it really surprise anyone?
From TheGatewayPundit “A Catholic Bishop from Nigeria has leveled an explosive charge against President Barack Obama over his failure to adequately help Nigeria in the African nation’s fight againt the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram that might explain why Obama has let Boko Haram slaughter Nigerian Christians and rape and enslave Christian girls.
Bishop Emmanuel Badejo spoke in Rome to Aleteia, saying of the Obama administration:
“The United States actually said it would help Nigeria with Boko Haram only if we modify our laws concerning homosexuality, family planning, and birth control.””
More on this story here, from Aleteia
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4. Come on over, just leave your liberal politics in NY. After all, that’s why you’re leavin’.
From WBNG “The local economy is pushing one organization in Upstate New York to pose a question: Is it possible to secede to Pennsylvania?
The Upstate New York Towns Association is researching this very topic. The group says a few factors pushing its research are high property taxes, low sales tax revenue and the recent decision to ban hydraulic fracturing in New York.
“The Southern Tier is desolate,” said Conklin Town Supervisor Jim Finch (R). “We have no jobs and no income. The richest resource we have is in the ground.”
Finch said the ground in Conklin is rich with natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. However, that shale is unable to be tapped. He described this ban as a violation of his natural rights as a property owner.
There are 15 towns interested in the secession, according to the Towns Association. These towns are in Broome, Delaware, Tioga and Sullivan counties. The association declined to name the towns without their permission and also declined to comment on specifics at this time. As of now, research is ongoing. The group will be updating Action News with all of their findings in the coming weeks.”
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Wandering Views 
“Ask yourself: If you or your group were interested in damaging or destroying the United States, wouldn’t infiltration at every possible level of government and culture be an effective strategy?”
I would do exactly as Obama is doing. You can’t be too overt in his position. He’s doing a good job for them.
‘ “…the world’s most influential Islamic fundamentalist group” whose goal is to create Muslim states throughout the world.”
Wrong! Their goal is to create ONE Islamic state under the control of the Mahdi. Islamic eschatology – and all Muslims, Sunni/Shia agree on this- says that the Mahdi and Caliph are the same person.
“The office and government of the Caliph is known as the Caliphate (Khilafat). It is the only form of government that is sanctioned by Islamic jurisprudence.”…..”With the mandate tohave both seats of the Mahdi and Calph in one “
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4. I fear Pennsylvania may not be much better soon. Not happy about our new governor, who seems to be cut from the “O” cloth (Obama and O’Malley).
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My husband pointed out California touted itself as having passed significant legislation on fracking that, when you read the fine print, basically said do what you like within reason. Foolish for NY and possibly PA to limit their citizens’ ability to make a living.
Didn’t oil production start in PA?
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I came across this article a couple of days ago. I suggested people read it but caught no mentions that anyone had read it and gone to the article that Hugh Hewitt said to read. It goes along very much with Chas’ thinkings about the End Times as Walid Shoebat has written and lectured about.
It will enlighten about ISIS (ISIL).
http://www.hughhewitt.com/read-right-now-really/
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#1 makes me very uneasy. 😦
michelle posted a FB link yesterday (so did Make it Man) to a National Review story that nailed so much of what has been going around in my mind lately — would like to hear Chas’ (and others’) thoughts:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/414021/our-dangerous-historical-moment-victor-davis-hanson
The opening graphs:
“World War II was the most destructive war in history. What caused it? The panic from the ongoing and worldwide Depression in the 1930s had empowered extremist movements the world over.
“Like-minded, violent dictators of otherwise quite different Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan, and the Communist Soviet Union all wanted to attack their neighbors.
“Yet World War II could have been prevented had Western Europe united to deter Germany. Instead, France, Britain, and the smaller European democracies appeased Hitler. The United States turned isolationist. The Soviet Union collaborated with the Third Reich. And Italy and Japan eventually joined it.”
“The 1930s saw rampant anti-Semitism. Jews were blamed in fascist countries for the economic downturn. They were scapegoated in democracies for stirring up the fascists. The only safe havens for Jews from Europe were Jewish-settled Palestine and the United States. Does all this sound depressingly familiar? … ”
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/414021/our-dangerous-historical-moment-victor-davis-hanson
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So many distressing world events — and really unsettling changes going on in our own country. I’m starting to feel as if we’re on the brink of something awful, like this is one of those periods in history where it’s all coming undone (again).
And I really am worried about the U.S. — I interviewed a (liberal) congresswoman the other day who said her sense is that the intense partisanship in America is only getting worse, and I’d (sadly) have to agree. We are literally at each other’s throats in this country anymore. I don’t remember the division ever being this deep and this apparently irreparable.
😦
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Bob Buckles. I don’t recall seeing that article before. It’s a very long article and I didn’t read all of it. But essentially, it says what Shoebat says.
Islam is essentially a military/religious system. There are major differences between the Sunni and Shia sects, but they both agree that Islam should take over the world. The difference between so-called moderate Islamists and jihadists is that moderates think they should wait for the Mahdi to direct the takeover.
The goal of each is to make Islam the world religion and sharia the government. That is, to reestablish the caliphate that was destroyed in 1924.
Are you the one who recommended Shoebat’s book to me. It was someone here, and I thought it was you or Joe B. I disagree with Shoebat on some things, but I think he is essentially correct.
For most of my life I went along with most evangelical pre-millenialists in thinking that the Pope had something to do with Antichrist. And that the ten nations were European nations. I have revised my thinking on this. I haven’t bought into everything he says. But he makes lots of sense.
I see the world headed that way.
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Donna, WW II was mostly caused by the reparations that were forced on Germany after WW I. Germany was in dire financial straits and permitted Hitler to take over. How he did it is a long, but often told tale. WW I caused the formation of the Soviet Union and WW II made them a world power with our help. Roosevelt wasn’t a communist, but he was sympathetic to them.
Japan is another story. They became a powerful insular nation with a dire need for raw materials. They wanted to expand their influence to obtain them.
If we hadn’t imposed sanctions on Japan, they likely wouldn’t attacked Pearl Harbor. Their admiral (forgot his name) knew it was a mistake when he did it.
Russia became a great power by stealing stuff (information) from us. Much as China is doing now.
The USA has been the one stabilizing force throughout the world since WW II. We got into some unfortunate conflicts. Korea was necessary and turned out well, except for McArthur’s determination to fight to the Yalu. We made a mistake in Viet Nam and Iraq, though I supported them at the time. The problem was and is, that we thought we could change hearts and minds. Some people can’t govern themselves. They don’t have the concept.
We live in interesting time. I fear for my grandchildren. It is possible for world events to deteriorate soon enough to affect us.
The next election is crucial. We could find ourselves an enslaved third world nation.
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You see on TV about three young girls going off to join ISIS. You would think some would come back and describe living with jihadists.
Problem is, none ever return.
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Bob – I did see your recommendation for that article, & have shared it on Facebook.
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Chas, there’s no comprehending the mind of a teenage girl. 🙄
The problem with trying to gauge current events in terms of their possible long-term significance is that it is all in process.
As Chas pointed out, actions prompted reactions that could not be foerseen at the time, so we’re all flying blind in a certain sense in approaching these crises. Hindsight is 20/20 and we’ll all someday look back to say, we” that was a mistake — or we should have done that sooner — or, fill in the blank.
So while this “feels” like the world is standing on the edge of a cliff, it may not be the case. ISIS may self-implode (which would not be a huge surprise, they seem to be spinning out of control). And other forces may be brought to bear that will alter world trends.
We may also elected a U.S. president in 2016 who actually knows what he’s doing and can step back into a respected world & human rights leadership role. 🙂
See? Hope springs eternal.
And God knows it all, from beginning to end. We’re just trying to figure it out as it goes.
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That said, I do think there are lessons we can learn from history, especially from our mistakes. And the National Review article was eye-opening in highlighting not only some remarkable parallels to today’s global situation but also in pointing out what may have been some of the missteps and lack of awareness in the past that inadvertently helped create the mess.
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I have often said that I would expect our leaders to have had experts on Islam before making some of the decisions they made. Rita Katz, in her Anonymously written book Terrorist Hunter tells how she briefed people in the FBI, CIA and others in Washington before 9?11.They should have known.
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It’s a peaceful religion, Chas, what else is there to know? 😉
I do think some of the chaos we are witnessing stems from the U.S. no longer being such a good and stabilizing force in the world. A vacuum, for now, seems to have been created
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Part of the problem is not understanding Islam. That’s part of what I was trying to get at in 6:11.
The other part is fear of doing anything about it because of discrimination.
Then, there’s the part about Obama and company not really wanting to deter them to any serious extent.
Bush and his people should have had experts well versed in the religion and culture.
The problem this nation has is that all our leaders care about is reelection, where the base and money is.
And “Not on my watch”. I’m going to comment on that someday. They call it “kicking the can down the road”, but it’s really “not on my watch”.
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AJ, Very interesting article @ your #3. Bob Buckles article from yesterday also insightful.
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