Russian intelligence sees U.S. military buildup on Iran border
MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near Iran’s borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday.
“The latest military intelligence data point to heightened U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran,” the official said, adding that the Pentagon has probably not yet made a final decision as to when an attack will be launched.
He said the Pentagon is looking for a way to deliver a strike against Iran “that would enable the Americans to bring the country to its knees at minimal cost.”
He also said the U.S. Naval presence in the Persian Gulf has for the first time in the past four years reached the level that existed shortly before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
Col.-Gen. Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences, said last week that the Pentagon is planning to deliver a massive air strike on Iran’s military infrastructure in the near future.
A new U.S. carrier battle group has been dispatched to the Gulf.
The USS John C. Stennis, with a crew of 3,200 and around 80 fixed-wing aircraft, including F/A-18 Hornet and Superhornet fighter-bombers, eight support ships and four nuclear submarines are heading for the Gulf, where a similar group led by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has been deployed since December 2006.
The U.S. is also sending Patriot anti-missile systems to the region.
Does anyone have a good idea why we would be amassing troops on Iraq’s western border?
My suggestion is not that we will invade Iran with troops, but that we are about to embark on a massive bombing campaign and we are situating our troops to stop Iran from invading Iraq with intentions of killing our Army in Iraq.
Does anyone in our government consider how these actions may UNITE ALL of the ME against us? Does anyone consider that people who are afraid will ban together to fight off an aggressor, especially when religion appears to be the main rationale (in their minds)? Can anyone imagine that our invasion or even bombing of Iran may not cost us our entire Army in Iraq? How far do you think the Iraqi forces, primarily Shia, will support attacks against their own religion?
We continuously believe that our forces are unbeatable (and in most cases, they are unbeatable), but what about a mass of ME countries that have had enough of us? What if they decide that Al Qaeda is correct, that our presence is seen as an empire building program and to hell with their feelings about terrorism?
Of course we can always nuke them into submission, at the same time killing even more of our own troops and innocent citizens.
Some people think that this is beyond the capabilities or even desires of the rogue administration running this country. To those people I say, “You haven’t been paying ANY attention to them, have you?” and “Wake up, you redneck.”
Do you think I’m angry? Maybe ”Unserious”? Or even “crazy” because I believe that the Congress has a moral, legal and sworn obligation to uphold and protect the Constitution and America by investigating the Bush Administration… even if it leads to impeachment?
Compare the Republicans and Clinton or even Nixon to the Bush Administration and let me know which of the three you think I am.
Or, as it was put on Real Time (about the 3 min mark), isn’t about time that someone did something?
I have asked several regular readers what they think about impeachment, not to mention the personal conversations that I have in “real life” and impeachment (or at least, investigations into wrong-doing) is virtually imperative to people. It is crucial that our leaders be held to some higher standard when it comes to the Constitution, than say, a right-wing pundit or neocon water-carrier.
Is it acceptable that they use the law to carry out each and every horrible agenda they have, but can thumb their nose at the law whenever prudent for them to do? Have we become, as the Political Scribble Dick believes, too worried about money that we don’t want these people investigated? That we don’t consider keeping the Executive Branch under “checks and balances” because it isn’t politically expedient?
Are you from Florida, specifically? Do you know anyone in Florida or the rest of the country, for that matter, that wants to see investigations an, yes, impeachment, should the investigations warrant impeachment?
Of the four people I have asked directly, 3 are adamant about justice and only one thinks it is a waste of time. Not only that, there seemed to be an obligation to offend anyone who thinks different to that defense of the indefensible. And this from a supposed “progressive”. Me thinks he spent too much time in bed with the polticians and has lost his thinking abilities.
I kicked the PS off this site, not because he differed in opinion, but because he cannot help his narcissistic self in offending his host. I don’t put up with lying pricks, here or anywhere else. But when they purposefully offend and will not recant, then I lose patience. I am the quickest in the world to apologize when I hurt someone. It would seem that a faux Buddha nut would reciprocate.
But even that means little, for I believe he is totally wrong about the approach and before I banish him into the Yankee Prick Hall of Fame, I can share a few things about impeachment that Party Hacks (or the ignorant) don’t care to understand.
Impeachment is a bound duty for the Congress to uphold. It is one thing they are paid to do. But I haven’t immediately asked for that. The main thing I hope for is an “investigation” into the acts carried out by this administration. To stop even investigations, is to endorse and support the illegal activities, for political reasoning. That, to me, is impeachable, if not a reason to find someone else to elect.
Impeachment is the ONLY way to stop these abuses from any of the following presidents. We must do something to stop the Executive Power grab and if we don’t put our feet down now, we end up with a Dictatorship.
If we were to simply open investigation, by someone other than a neocon-owned Justice Dept crony, it is my belief that there will be so many illegal acts that there will be no choice.
The main thing, however, is to cause enough disturbance that they will not try to do anything else, like invade Iran. If we put the spotlight of investigation on their illegal asses, we may just thwart devastation AND get justice for our our nation. Then, we will be able to begin the healing.
To NOT do anything is traitorous and the height of stupidity.
For even as I write this, Russia claims that they are monitoring America’s forces as they build on the Iranian border (I’ll put another post up for that). What do you think they are doing amassing our troops on the western side of Iraq?
It is time we do something to stop these criminals before they totally destroy our country.
Stories similar to this are common place, especially among people who are firm Bible believers. They cannot take into account the progress that medicine has made in, oh, say, TWO THOUSAND YEARS.
Believe me, hang out with some of the ultra charismatic churches and this is done a lot… however, usually a doctor is eventually brought in to save the day. I know many people who refuse health insurance due to cost, and this gives them a justification in their denial. I have seen these prayer vigils and sick people (some on their last leg of cancer) refusing to see a doctor and simply die (with little announcement and the insinuation that their faith just wasn’t “strong enough”).
My own mother owned a drug store for years, making profits off of people who bought the products of “healing” but would not use the stuff herself. She could never understand why I would suggest that this was a tad bit hypocritical. But I have seen her, too, go the way of the doctor, eventually (and before it was too late). I have seen her take a hydro or two when her toothache got so bad she was crying and suffering, and FINALLY went to the dentist because God wasn’t fast enough, I suppose.
Of course, if one wants to treat themselves to this idiocy, that is one thing. But to do it to your own daughter is unfathomable to me and surely criminal.
Parents Pick Prayer Over Docs; Girl Dies
By ROBERT IMRIE
WESTON, Wis. (AP) — Police are investigating an 11-year-old girl’s death from an undiagnosed, treatable form of diabetes after her parents chose to pray for her rather than take her to a doctor.
An autopsy showed Madeline Neumann died Sunday of diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition that left too little insulin in her body, Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said.
She had probably been ill for about a month, suffering symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, loss of appetite and weakness, the chief said Wednesday, noting that he expects to complete the investigation by Friday and forward the results to the district attorney.
The girl’s mother, Leilani Neumann, said that she and her family believe in the Bible and that healing comes from God, but that they do not belong to an organized religion or faith, are not fanatics and have nothing against doctors.
She insisted her youngest child, a wiry girl known to wear her straight brown hair in a ponytail, was in good health until recently.
“We just noticed a tiredness within the past two weeks,” she said Wednesday. “And then just the day before and that day (she died), it suddenly just went to a more serious situation. We stayed fast in prayer then. We believed that she would recover. We saw signs that to us, it looked like she was recovering.”
Her daughter — who hadn’t seen a doctor since she got some shots as a 3-year-old, according to Vergin — had no fever and there was warmth in her body, she said.
The girl’s father, Dale Neumann, a former police officer, said he started CPR “as soon as the breath of life left” his daughter’s body.
Family members elsewhere called authorities to seek help for the girl.
“My sister-in-law, she’s very religious, she believes in faith instead of doctors …,” the girl’s aunt told a sheriff’s dispatcher Sunday afternoon in a call from California. “And she called my mother-in-law today … and she explained to us that she believes her daughter’s in a coma now and she’s relying on faith.”
The dispatcher got more information from the caller and asked whether an ambulance should be sent.
“Please,” the woman replied. “I mean, she’s refusing. She’s going to fight it. … We’ve been trying to get her to take her to the hospital for a week, a few days now.”
The aunt called back with more information on the family’s location, emergency logs show. Family friends also made a 911 call from the home. Police and paramedics arrived within minutes and immediately called for an ambulance that took her to a hospital.
But less than an hour after authorities reached the home, Madeline — a bright student who left public school for home schooling this semester — was declared dead.
She is survived by her parents and three older siblings.
“We are remaining strong for our children,” Leilani Neumann said. “Only our faith in God is giving us strength at this time.”
The Neumanns said they moved from California to a modern, middle-class home in woodsy Weston, just outside Wassau in central Wisconsin, about two years ago to open a coffee shop and be closer to other relatives. A basketball hoop is set up in the driveway.
Leilani Neumann said she and her husband are not worried about the investigation because “our lives are in God’s hands. We know we did not do anything criminal. We know we did the best for our daughter we knew how to do.”
I have had a problem with America claiming to be a “Christian Nation”. Not necessarily because it is an argument of whether or not the Founding Fathers intended this nation to be “Christian” or not (it is evident to me that they did not), but because this nation, by and large, does not mimic (try to be like) Christ. It has been taken over by a group that take His name, insisting that patriotism to military might is equivalent to Christianity, and endorsing and inflicting murderous carnage on others that are different (even though the likely motivation at the root of it all has nothing to do with that, more likely… MONEY). But they use any tool available.
I am not claiming that I am a better Christian than anyone… as a matter of fact, I do not claim to be a “Christian”, at all. Nor do I think it important for “salvation” (whatever that is to you) or for any real purpose except as some non-justifiable self-elitist notion that a Christian is better than a non-Christian (which is exactly OPPOSITE of what Jesus taught). It isn’t about church and isn’t about competing sects or religions.
To be a “Christian” (remember that Jesus never called Himself that or asked for a religion to be formed in His name) is not a name or a persona. To be “Christian” is to be like Christ… to mimic His character (one Greek derivative of the word “name” has a connotation of character, not a name, necessarily as we know it). Also note that no one in Jesus’ day was saying “Christ”, but using Aramaic, probably. So the whole idea that Jesus would want a sect named after Him, it wouldn’t be “Christ”.
What matters is how we LIVE, if claiming to be a “Christian”, not what we call ourselves or what church we go to or even how many times we say the word Jesus.
