Obama’s Snowden Vs. Reagan’s Iranian Hostages

The former mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, questioned president Obama over the Snowden syndrome – the NSA leaker who sits in a transit area (hiding) in a Moscow airport, waiting for the conclusion or the start of a political game and maneuver- and said that if Ronald Reagan was in power that such thing would not have happened and that the Russians would have jumped scared and delivered Snowden back to America.

Giuliani continued to say, “Obama cannot stand up to Putin”.

The interesting point among many in these demagoguery statements is that Giuliani (one of the candidate for president of the United States) was the cause of multiple times failure of his own party. Even though, in one of his own statements, Giuliani said “no terror attacks on US under Bush”, he did not say that if it were him in office, instead, he brought back Ronald Reagan, not George W. Bush.

Giuliani, even neglected to mention the shoe bomber, later on, he corrected and said there had been no attacks since 09/11, which was still wrong because the shoe bomber tried to attack in December of 2001.

Giuliani went on to say that, the Iranians released the 1979 US hostages in Iran, as soon as they knew that Reagan is about to be in office,1980-1981.

“Ronald Reagan came in, they looked in Ronald Reagan’s eyes, Iranian hostages released in one minute — because they saw in his eyes, ‘you don’t release them, baby, and there are real red lines,’” Giuliani said.

Rudy failed to say though, among his multiple failures, that the Iranians who are masters of manipulation and backstage dirty politics knew that Carter is losing because of the hostages and that Reagan is coming. Also, they chose to delay what was already agreed upon until the night of the elections, the loss of probably and arguably the unluckiest president of all, Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter, who ordered the Shah to leave, made it possible for the Ayatollahs to rule Iran and create a parallel Shiite power to the Sunni Muslims in the Middle East. But it is politics, hostages or not, Snowden or not, the US policy is not subject to emotions or personal calculations.

Previously Giuliani questioned Obama on Benghazi, on the IRS files, that the IRS monitored without due process conservative organizations and checked their records, he attacked Obama on everything, whether it existed or not.

Again, its politics, it is part of his job, not a distinguished part of course but it seems it fits the questionable-on record- ethical character of Rudy Giuliani.

Obama today in Senegal rebutted, went on to be offensive and countered the attack without mentioning any particular critic, but ended the speculation on how the US will handle the maneuvers of Russia, Ecuador, China, its province Hong Kong and other wannabes who seek to have their moments of fame under the sun, in regard to the leaker Snowden.

At a press conference with the Senegalese president Sall, Obama said, “I won’t engage in ‘wheeling, dealing and trading’ to get Snowden extradited to US” and “I’m not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker,”.

End of an episode, and if Obama follows through, he would be taking the steam out of the Snowden “momentum” and bring it back to where it belongs or it should belong.This is the failure of the US government in monitoring its cyber security, its failure in outsourcing security and intelligence, now steps need to be taken to reclaim America’s dignity and effectiveness and observe what steps the US is taking to correct the path.

As for Snowden, he is being humiliated enough as a fugitive from his country, an outlaw looking for outlaws. His passport has been revoked and an arrest warrant has been issued and political brokers protect him, no to benefit from his failure but to do his entrusted job. Justice so far in part has been served.

Related article: The Outsourcing of The US National Security; The Verizon Files

References:

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/52326283/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/#.Uc6By_nVBqI

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/giuliani-obama-snowden-putin/2013/06/26/id/512110

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2010/01/rudy-giuliani-no-domestic-attacks-under-bush-one-under-obama/

AP “Obama says he won’t engage in ‘wheeling, dealing and trading’ to get Snowden extradited to US”(from @AP).

CNN: “I’m not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker,” Obama said about NSA leaker.

Note: Cartoon is courtesy of The International Herald Tribune, The New York times.

Originally posted in WSN on 06/29/2013
http://www.wespeaknews.com/politics/obamas-snowden-vs-reagans-iranian-hostages-219807.html (link no longer active)

The Outsourcing of The US National Security; The Verizon Files

Let us begin the journey from where it all started-as we found out today, with an employee of the federal government contractor firm Booz Allen Hamilton saying today that , “I can’t in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy”; the Verizon records story leaker, Edward Snowden, told the Guardian-which first broke the story few days ago.

So ironic, he destroyed by his action the privacy and confidence of millions of Americans and others in the US and elsewhere. But that was the tip of the iceberg, the problem is deeper than this 29 years old looking probably for a “quicky” and for his fame to flame. The problem resides in the US government and how it has been conducting business in the past few decades, how it outsourced America’s security to private companies looking to milk the federal government without at least shielding it with proper safeguards to protect it;  the US government, Corporations ‘bread giver’.

The story began when Snowden leaked that the US government through a secret program called PRISM asked Verizon after it obtained an order from a federal court, a secret court that handles national security issues, to provide it with daily records of calls in and outside the US. President Obama said that the leak did not affect Americans, not sure how, and that all branches of government were notified. 

He, Obama, even said that every member of Congress has been notified, few members disputed his account that every member was notified but all agreed, Democrats and Republicans that this program has been ongoing and it has been approved since President George W. Bush. 

It first took place after the attacks on America on 09/11/2001. But this story has other chapters, in other parts of the world involving outsourcing security and defense to non "uniformed" personnel that neither have the discipline, the proper training or the urgency to protect America’s interests although they are Americans.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, an outsourced defense and security firm by the name of ‘Blackwater’ has been involved in atrocities and even murders. The huge defense firm Halliburton has long been accused of overbilling the US government. 

What next, what is needed to be done here is a review probably to what constitutes national security, a survey of America’s needs in the next twenty years, and most importantly stopping this crazy campaign of sequestration-eliminating necessary federal spending, furloughing federal jobs and use it as a political bargain. In addition to naively cutting defense programs in a way that will compromise America’s ability to provide the backup support to its troops and missions. The problem is not Snowden, the problem resides in those who brought him on board, placed him with the CIA, provided him with access to the most secretive communications campaign and then cried wolf.

Image is courtesy of theweek.com

Originally posted in WSN on 06/10/2013

http://www.wespeaknews.com/politics/the-outsourcing-of-the-us-national-security-the-verizon-files-214423.html (Link Not Working)

The Making of Morsi and The Muslim Brotherhood

The making of the Muslim Brotherhood, President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi started after it was announced that he ended the services of Egypt’s strong military leaders ‘Tantawi and Anan’ and appointed a new general “Sisi” to head and lead the armed forces.

My own analysis of the events in Egypt makes me need to correct the record of events and give the actual picture. From my perspective of what took place on the day when, technically and on surface the regime of the 1952 revolution was completely removed and retired was that, Morsi did not appoint or order anything, he was handed the retirement requests and the appointment. Morsi would not have known who to appoint, just to simplify the matter. The military decided for itself the change, so the Mubarak team would not be the one that would end Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood a year later.

The Muslim Brotherhood did not have anything to do with the Jan25, 2011 revolution that brought an end to Hosni Mubarak presidency and the regime of 1952. The Muslim Brotherhood candidate though won the presidency by 51.5 %( approx.). This is a normal percentage in many democratic countries around the world including the United States.

Egyptians who stayed home passively and boycotted the presidential elections last year (including opposition leaders like ElBaradei, the current vice president of Egypt after the May 30, 2013 revolution), never forgave themselves (for losing something that was theirs) or the Muslim Brotherhood for winning something that they believed did not belong to them but belonged to the millions of the 2011 revolution.

Since then, the opposition has evolved, became more aggressive and staged almost weekly protests across all levels of the state, with the military cheerfully observing and secretly encouraging.

The ‘State’ in Egypt never really came under control of the Muslim Brotherhood; the military has been in charge of the state behind the scenes, basically, Morsi never had a chance to control anything in the past year, he had a government but it was useless and headed by someone the Egyptians considered a joke, for some reason. Maybe he was not given a chance to actually govern exactly like his boss at the presidential palace.

The military, Intelligence, Police, the Presidential Republican Guards and the complicated Egyptian bureaucracy have all been under the command of the armed forces, Morsi was told who to appoint for Intelligence and the Republican Guards, even the change at the intelligence that was made a day after he was toppled, was not as it was reported that the military removed ‘Morsi’s man’ from intelligence, not at all, the former intelligence chief moved up to become the temp president’s adviser for Intelligence-he was rewarded, and a new chief was appointed.

The military all along decided to give Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood a certain period, say one year, to let the steam off the street and to show the Egyptians the incompetence and lack of ability and lack of leadership of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Along the way Morsi was left alone, the Egyptian state really was not under his control, he was at the presidential palace with a government that did not have the wheels or the mechanism to function.

The Egyptians got more and more frustrated, the state was collapsing, and no electricity for hours, no gas in a country that exports energy, lack of security everywhere and in Sinai, but above all, the Egyptians in general felt lack of respect, lack of self-respect.

They were ashamed that someone like Morsi is their president, they even longed to the dictatorship of Nasser- who fooled them and brought defeat on them and the Arabs for generations- they longed to anything that reminded them of an Egypt that they loved and hated at the same time and wanted to forget everything that reminded them of their daily lives now and that someone they considered a joke, does not speak good English, does not know how to behave- according to some journalists interpretations, at a meeting last year with the former Australian prime minister, Morsi appeared  touching his trousers in a way that was interpreted as if he was touching his genitals.

In the midst of all these things going on, Morsi could not show respect, maybe because the Egyptians were not used to see a normally elected civilian as head of state, maybe the Egyptians were afraid not of him but of the organization behind him, the Muslim Brotherhood and that there is a ‘Morshed’, ‘Supreme Guide’ above Morsi technically at the Muslim Brotherhood that reminded them of Iran.

Over 50-60% of Egyptians, based on elections results and my own analysis of the two back to back revolutions of 2011 and 2013, The Muslim Brotherhood to millions of Egyptians is nothing but a strange complicated weird suspicious political/ religious body. The Muslim Brotherhood on its part could not reach beyond their traditional 20-30% strong loyal base mostly in the countryside of Egypt. At least 60% of the Egyptian population is not with the Muslim Brotherhood, with around 10% undecided.

This is how I personally see the electoral map of Egypt, and I claim that based on events on the street, this picture could very well be realistic. Now Those 60% of the population are in love with their armed forces. They look at the officers with respect that they do not share with any other sector of the society, forget about judges, religious figures, ministers, the Egyptian people so far have respect only for the leadership of the military and the military in Egypt returns the love to its people.

This will change and evolve eventually but it will not change now, and obviously it has not changed. Accordingly and realistically and factually the Muslim Brotherhood has no choice but to show respect for the generals in Egypt- this is how the Egyptian political system works. Any attack on them, will only complicate the Brotherhood possible return to the political life in Egypt soon. And it happened, on 07/08/2013, the Muslim Brotherhood eyeing and targeting mostly foreign press and Al Jazeera Network to charge the emotions staged a deadly attack on the Egyptian Republican Guards, the president’s guards, over 54 people died, hundreds got injured and The Muslim Brotherhood got more distanced from their dream of the presidency in Egypt and from their impossible dream of restoring Morsi.

Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood for now are done. Their return to the Egyptian political map will depend on how pragmatic they can be in handling the current revolution, and their ability or willingness or not to stage protests in public and at the same time going along from behind closed doors with Egypt’s powerful street and the military. Egypt with or without the Muslim Brotherhood is moving forward and not backward.

Originally piblished in WSN on 07/10/2013
http://www.wespeaknews.com/world-speak/the-making-of-morsi-and-the-muslim-brotherhood-223295.html (link no longer active)

Ultra Orthodox and Political Salafis in The Middle East

On 05/17/2013, France24 reported that Tunisia bans Salafist group (Ansar Al-Sharia) from holding conference.

On 05/15/2013, AP reported Confrontation looms as Tunisia moves on Salafis.

On 05/10/2013 AP reported that a court in Jerusalem in the State of Israel ruled that women can pray like men at the Western Wall  wearing same costumes that for decades have been reserved only for men and have been protected by ultra orthodox followers of the divine religion of Judaism.

The ultra orthodox in Israel did not claim religion when citing men’s only right to pray wearing certain costumes; they claimed that its Custom which is seriously important among certain ultra religious people in Israel.

In Tunisia on 05/17/2013, contrary to the ultra Orthodox in Israel, the spokesman for the Salafi group Ansar Al Sharia cited God when protesting the ban of the group conference and said that  (Tunisian) Prime Minister Ali Larayedh will answer for his policies before God.* The original  ‘Sofi Salafis’, distinguished from  the modern day and current political Salafis, are those Sunni Muslims ( Sunni Islam is the core and the hub of the divine religion of Islam) that only believe and only cherish the words of the Quran and the prophet Muhammad and his immediate successors- they do not consider latter  teachings or interpretations as part of the original Islam that they need to follow and adhere to. Those Salafis have existed since Islam started over 1400 years ago. They exist in many Arab countries especially in North Africa, Egypt in the Middle East as well as Muslim countries like Pakistan.

The Salafis are considered ultra orthodox or traditionalists, so when we say Salafi Muslims, it means equivalent to the ultra orthodox in other religions mainly Judaism and Christianity but also other worldwide  faiths like Hinduism and Buddhism. The “other” Salafis or so called Salafis that are in “business’ now in the Middle East including countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan are using the badge Salafi but not the substance to advance an agenda in most cases of war, belligerency and confrontation using their version of Islam. Those Salafis, Ansar Al Sharia is a good example, would take a word in the Book and interpret it the way they like, attach it to a “cause” they create and legitimize and start running with it- like most politicians generally speaking.

The two Chechen Russians Boston bombers belonged or were influenced  by  those Salafis, the Taliban belongs to the worst version of those Salafis. Hamas in Gaza and The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Tunisia and other Middle Eastern countries do not belong nor do they use Salafi in their pursue of business and politics, they just use Islam. There is no clash between Islam and freedom or Islam and democracy or Islam and women driving or women traveling or voting or becoming leaders. In the same token, there is no clash between Judaism and any form or shape of freedom and equality. The difference between the ultra orthodox in Israel and the Salafis “Ansar Al Sharia” in Tunisia is that the ultra orthodox in Israel respects the State and the civil authority, they will fight from time to time, but at the end, courts and laws rule. For now and in Tunisia democracy is new and the political Salafis might evolve into accepting the State authority while preaching certain versions of their  politicized religion. So far the political Salafis in Tunisia in particular has been waging a war against the democratic authority and with others in Egypt, the Gulf countries are trying to create cult style societies within their own countries to protect not Islam but their privileges.

Through extremism, those Salafis survive, through the message of hate they want to rise and through the injustices, they want to manipulate. Democracy usually over periods of time  recycles these ideas and their mouthpieces; its early though to tell how things will evolve in the Arab countries in the Middle East and how the ultra orthodox in the State of Israel will evolve into accepting women as equal partners and gradually accepting to have less overall social and economic privileges than they have now.

Originally published in WSN on 05/20/2013

http://www.wespeaknews.com/politics/ultra-orthodox-and-political-salafis-in-the-middle-east-207994.html

Mosque in America and the NYPD

ABC reported today that civil rights lawyers are filing lawsuit against the New York Police Department-NYPD accusing them of violating federal laws and guidelines in monitoring Muslims activities and livelihood in New York City.

ABC showed a picture of cameras surrounding a Mosque in the City, pictured in this article. The lawsuit described the police activists as “widespread and intense”.

On January of last year, The New York Times exposed and reported similar activities that need to be looked at from much larger angle and from much clearer lens. The Times talked of a film that has been widely circulated, as a training material, at the NYPD depicting Muslims as potential terrorists and warning of threats of Muslims in America trying to launch“Jihad” terrorism against the country and the government.

The film name was “The Third Jihad” and was funded by a non-profit organization as the report said.   It is well known and customary for security, intelligence and police departments, all over the world to motivate their individuals against potential terror from potential groups by showing real and propaganda- not real- materials.

However, as the Expose reported, this particular video was a complete fabrication and targeted not terrorists or potential terrorists or threats to America, but targeted a population of The United States, a religion that over 2 billions of humans believe in around the world and in the United States. Here it needs a review, and it is being reviewed and it has been pulled out as the Times article mentioned.

America again does not like to be and it is not bigot- there are of course individuals, but they are on the fringe, even across different sectors of the society, in companies, towns, cities and they could be found prejudiced against anything, could be against those that believe in Christianity or sects within it, or Judaism or Hinduism, anything or because someone wears a skirt, or have a beard- it is human, unfortunately, by nature to be prejudice.

Having said that, the vast majority of humans either keep their prejudices to themselves, are clever enough not to show them, pretend not to be prejudice, or spread them legally through freedom of speech; another legal venue until courts decide if a particular bigotry or prejudice cross the line to actually violate existing laws, and an entity or individual or individuals claim and say so and bring them to the attention of the courts system.

Those individuals throughout history, very few, that chose terror to claim a message, are the ones that societies need to target. Those that claim religions to spread a message of hate violently. The danger of these individuals resides in the fact that for the vast majority of people, just the mention of religion makes them jump.

In 2001, America was a target of individuals from Arab countries that said or claimed, before committing their crimes and terror, that they have attacked America in the name of Islam- those individuals belonged to Al Qaeda terror organization.

Now, any human being, unless they are running an agenda, should know that logically and practically this cannot be; religions do not kill or terrorize, individuals with agendas do kill, using for the most part brainwashed other individuals. Those people are everywhere, and smart intelligence in democratic countries would use smart methods to identify.

Historically, in Europe, the Middle East and most parts of the world, there have been bigots as well that spread propaganda about people of Christian faith or Jewish faith. It is very unfortunate, but exists, and it needs to be fought.

America takes on its part to be more sensitive to prejudice, more forceful, maybe, in trying to be right and smart and practical. This film and similar propaganda charge the emotions but it blinds the brains, it clouds judgment and it creates mini isolated societies within the same country.

Continue to fight those methods which say in the name of national security and safety that least not smart and not true or not helpful. In the same time, we the Americans, need  to spread a message that the country will fight against terrorism and terrorists regardless of their claim falsely of religious background that make them do what they do.

History proves that those who have claimed religious motives or religious inspirations to commit crimes have almost always been motivated by political agendas far from the religion, that the religion if it can talk, it would scream so loud…Foul Play. But things will continue, there is no utopia on earth, and accordingly, we normal and law abiding citizens, need to continue to think and expose those that falsely claim allegations that they cannot substantiate, scale or quantify.

Originally published in WSN on 02/06/2013
http://www.wespeaknews.com/features/mosque-in-america-and-the-nypd-140643.html

The Eventual Fall From “grace” of the Muslim Brotherhood

Egypt’s second revolution is underway; this time is not going to be peaceful. The Muslim Brotherhood are failing and fighting back for their own existence. Few days ago angry Egyptians torched down the soccer federation and fueled what looks like a violent protest not only against a court ruling a death penalty to accused of murders during a last year soccer game in Port Said. “The Soccer Revolution” against the Muslim Brotherhood is in progress. If it continues aggressively as it looks like it, Egypt’s generals will be back-maybe. The generals want the people of Egypt to get rid of the Muslim Brotherhood the same way they brought them to power- But the historic peaceful heads low people of Egypt will not be back. The Egyptians are having their eyes wide open and realizing that the enemy is within. The effect of the eventual fall of the Muslim Brotherhood Organization will not only be felt in Egypt but its ripple effect will reach every part in the Middle East where the political organization exists.

Even the complacent people of Gaza are starting to have life in them. They are slowly realizing that Hamas and other organizations that are offshoot of the historic Muslim Brotherhood are nothing but dictatorial regimes that have nothing to do with Islam and God and have everything to do with enslaving the minds and the souls of those they govern.

Syria will have a democratic version of the political Islam contrary to the political Islam presented by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. The new Syrian political class will be formed from moderate and pragmatic leaders mainly from well known Syrian Sunni Muslim families but also from all other religions… The Christian Arabs will have a say and will share power.

The Muslim Brotherhood organization in Middle Eastern countries including the State of Israel must to survive declares that their loyalties are to their country first and not second. Meaning; if you are an Israeli Arab or/ and an Israeli Muslim who is a part of the Muslim Brotherhood organization, then your loyalty is to your country; Israel. Same concept applies to the people of Gaza and The West Bank and all countries in The Middle East where the Muslim Brotherhood exists. The Muslim Brotherhood idea revolves around loyalty to the group and not the country; in democratic societies, this concept does not work and people usually, eventually reject it. Sometimes it takes some longer than others.

Believing in an idea, concept, religion, should never contradict the loyalty to the State people live in. The universal divine religions of Islam and Judaism and Christianity in addition to universal faiths like Hinduism and Buddhism do not contradict the above concept. However, the above, loyalty to the State, is found mainly in democratic societies where the State through constitutions and laws, and freely elected legislators protect the right of individuals and groups to think and worship freely.

The “magic” that the Muslim Brotherhood had among many for generations during its underground years is disappearing; the Arabs in The Middle East are realizing that it is just a political organization with regular politicians and regular agendas. Egypt and Tunisia are fighting back.

* Originally published in WSN on 03/16/2013 (Link no longer active)
http://www.wespeaknews.com/politics/the-eventual-fall-from-grace-of-the-muslim-brotherhood-188092.html