Scoop’s Views

Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales mishandled classified information dealing with the National Security Agency’s terrorist surveillance program and the terrorist detainee interrogation program that is so sensitive it was never to leave the confines of the U.S. Justice Department’s Command Center, according to a 29-page report into his actions.

It seems Gonzales took information home, as well as kept it in places with no security, as well as in his office where several people not authorized to see the material came into contact with it, and perhaps did more with the information. Unfortunately, investigators couldn’t determine what those non-authorized persons did with the information, as it is so sensitive, the investigators could not question the people about the documents.

Tags: above the law, Alberto Gonzales, Command Center, conscious consideration, eyes-only, FOIA request, George W. Bush, illegal, illegal actions, Legal, National Security Agency, non-secure, NSA, NSA surveillance program, OAG, Office of the Attorney General, restrictive language. safeguarding classified materials, safe, simple-minded thinking, terrorist detainee interrogation program, terrorist surveillance program, top law enforcement official, top secret documents, U.S. Government, vault

While you and I are sitting at home, enjoying all the creature comforts, American fighting men and women are in distant lands, including Afghanistan and Iraq, sweating their butts off, literally, while going on patrols, doing raids, and other duties, and their performance – or responses – could be the difference between life-and-death.

As for Sen. Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate who is doing a tour of specific areas in Afghanistan and Iraq, supposedly getting a first-hand look at the situation on the ground, things are much different. His environment will be hot, sandy, dirty, but secure, for the most part. Because Obama, like McCain and others during past trips, are members of Congress, the military will provide a shroud around the “dignitaries” – ensuring, to the best of their ability, the survival of the elected officials, even at the expense of service men and women.

Tags: 2008 presidential candidates, 82nd Airborne Division, airborne, armed conflict, Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Hussein Obama II, Barack Obama, barry o'bomber, body armor, desert fatigues, Ft. Bragg, G.I. Bill, Harvard University, heroes, infantry, infantry platoon leader, insurgents, John F. Kennedy School of Government, John McCain, LBE, load bearing equipment, McCain abortion, McCain for President, McCain issues, McCain potatoes, Obama for President, off-the-record, paratrooper, photo op, photo opportunities, publicity stunt, Purple Hearts, real heroes, rucksacks, security details, U.S. Army Rangers, United States Army, United States Military Academy at West Point, Vietnam, water, weapon and ammo, weapons qualification, West Point

An unidentified Marine sniper, formerly stationed in Iraq, has been pulled out of the country and sent back to the United States. Why? Because he allegedly used a Quran as a target early this month during some target practice at a shooting range at the Radhwaniya police station, located on Baghdad’s western outskirts, according to reports.

Did the U.S. Marine do this? Under U.S. law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), a case must first be made, and then his innocence or guilt is determined, not hang him first and then figure out later if he actually did anything wrong. Oh, wait! Muslims are offended by this offense, so, by all means, let’s hang him now and later figure out his guilt or innocence.

Tags: Afghanistan, al Qaeda, armed forces, Article 6, Bagdad, Baghdad, billions of dollars, bulldozers, Christians, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, Constitution, criminal act, deep concern, food, George W. Bush, Gordon Johndroe, guilt, guilty, Holy Bible, homes, inner-city, innocence, Iraq, Iraqi Islamic Party, Iraqi Prime Minister, Islam, Jews, Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, Marine sniper, Muslims, National Security Council, Nuri al-Maliki, police officers, police station, Quran, Radhwaniya, radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, reprimand, Saddam Hussein, schools, Section 3, severest of punishments, shot Quran, shot-up Quran, sniper training, spokesman, Talmud, target practice, U.S. law, U.S. Marines, U.S.-Mexico border, UCMJ, Uniform Code of Military Justice, video teleconference

Imagine someone you know going into a coma tomorrow. With the November 2008 Presidential election several months off, they’d have no idea the outcome when they wake from the coma, if ever.

Trying to remain eternally optimistic, though, let’s suppose that person wakes from the coma in 2015, about seven years from now. Can you imagine what a different world it could be?

Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Campaigns, Christians, churches, devil, economy, evil, gasoline prices, health care, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Michelle Obama, Muslims, national health care plan, president, religions, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, terrorism, videos, wars, White House

It seems one idiot at Guantanamo, Osama bin Laden’s former “media manager” — media as in video, not public relations, and definitely not free, as in gas, not open-source software — Ali Hamza Ahmad Suliman al-Bahlul. Related to him, at least in terms of idiocy, is Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi, who was also held at Gitmo, but was released in 2005.

Tags: 69 virgins, Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi, Afghanistan, Ali Hamza Ahmad Suliman al-Bahlul, Cuba, Gitmo, Guantanamo, Islam, Kuwait, Kuwaiti, military tribunal, Mosul, Mosul Iraq, Muslims, suicide bomber, suicide bombers, Tom Wilner, Yemen, Yemeni

A 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) soldier was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during a valorous award presentation ceremony on April 30 at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Tags: Admiral Eric T. Olson, Afghanistan, airborne, combat, combat actions, Distinguished Service Cross, Ft Bragg NC, Ft. Bragg, gallantry, Green Berets, Lt. Gen. Robert W. Wagner, Military, military actions, North Carolina, Operation Enduring Freedom, Ranger, Special Forces, Special Operations Command, Special Ops, U.S. Army Special Forces, valor, valorous actions

Last night’s glaring ending to the six-week Pennsylvania primary election was proof enough that Sen. Barack Hussein Obama never cared about Pennsylvania; intended his inflammatory comments as many around the country interpreted them; and just “wants to get on with the game” of the election.

Tags: American troops, Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Obama, coward, deal breaker, Ed Rendell, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Indiana, inevitable defeat, Iraq, Michael Nutter, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Primary election, Philadelphia, Sadr City, true colors

BALAD, IRAQ — 4th Iraqi Army Division Scouts, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained one suspected insurgent cell leader in an operation in Kirkuk province.

Tags: 4th Iraqi Army Division Scounts, Coalition forces, Green Berets, Haqijah area, insurgent attacks, insurgent lead4r, insurgents, Iraqi forces, Iraqis, Kirkuk, small arms fire, Special Forces, terrorists, terrorizes, U.S. Army Special Forces

Obama is spending money left-and-right in his attempts to woo the voters in Pennsylvania. He’s running commercials that are seemingly accurate, but some of the truths — the realities — at the fringes of the ad are in question. Did the pharmaceutical industry really put wording in legislation that Medicare cannot negotiate for lower prices with manufacturers of medications? No.

It was politicians, just like Barack Obama — a senator — put together the wording, and later, after being approved by a committee, was sent to the Senate and House, for approval. If the wording bothered Sen. Barack Obama, why did the senator from Illinois not make a motion to change or delete the wording? It’s a common practice, as is another common practice of adding bills that alter other legislation onto popular bills being brought for vote. Barack Obama has had time to change the Medicare language about price negotiations he’s ranting about.

Tags: Barack Obama, campaign, care, Catholic church, China, church-goers, commenorative postage stamp, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, compassion, family histories, fishing, George W. Bush, hunting, Iraq, job creation, jobs, landfills, Military, National Academy of Sciences, PATRIOT Act, Percy Lavon Julian, Philadelphia, racist attitudes, rifles, Rosa Louise McCauley Parks, scared, shotguns, shredder, small towns, Sudanese, tactics, volunteers, Women

While listening to the the Senate hearings last week on the conflict in Iraq, I became sick to my stomach by the way the politicians were demanding clear cut answers, but also by comments that were made.

Tags: Bagdad, Baghdad, Bath, bombings, combat, deaths, Delta Force, families, homefront, IEDs, insurgents, Iraq, Kirkuk, Life, Malaki, Marines, SEALs, shootings, soliders, Special Forces, suicide attacks, suicide bombers, Sunnis, Tikrit, tour of duty, troops, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, United States

The New York Times revealed a big breakthrough in the 2008 presidential election on its Op-Ed pages last evening. The paper began reporting around 9:30 last evening that New York City’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, will not try to leave New York City, unlike his predecessor, Rudy Giuliani.

Tags: Arlington National Cemetery, armed forces, AWOL, Barack, Barack Obama, Bill of Rights, Campaigns, Constitution, George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Iran, Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy, John McCain, leaders, leadership, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Michael Bloomberg, Military, National Geographic, New York Times, Obama, Operation Eagle Claw, Osama, Oval Office, president, PT-109, Rudy Giuliani, sheeple, special operations, Tehran, Texas Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam, World War II, WWII

A news alert from The New York Times came in two minutes ago announcing the U.S. Senate had just approved expansion of the federal government’s spy…

Tags: Barack Obama, CIA, crimes, cronies, DHS, domestic spying, FBI, George Bush, Hillary Clinton, Homeland Security, John McCain, New York Times, news alert, NSA, polling booth, president, presidential election, revolt, revolution, Senate, senators, spy powers, spying, telephone companies, TIA, vote, wiretapping