The long awaited Wikileaks files are out with some damning information.
The Obama Admin and top Generals have already come out condemning them. The biggest news from these leaks which has been reported before is that the Pakistani Gov’t is aiding the insurgents. The leaks, 90,000 files, cover the time from 2004 to 2009. Here’s some excerpts from several news sources:
From the NY Times:
“The documents, made available by an organization called WikiLeaks, suggest that Pakistan, an ostensible ally of the United States, allows representatives of its spy service to meet directly with the Taliban in secret strategy sessions to organize networks of militant groups that fight against American soldiers in Afghanistan, and even hatch plots to assassinate Afghan leaders. “
The Daily Beast has The 7 Most Shocking Secrets From the WikiLeaks Files
Among the findings:
1) Pakistan’s spy service, according to revealed documents, is a major supporter of insurgents in Afghanistan, allowing its members to meet secretly with the Taliban, offering strategy advice, organizing groups to fight coalition troops, and plotting the assassinations of members of the Afghan government.
2) A top-secret group of American forces, nicknamed the “black” unit, is specially tasked with hunting down top Taliban leaders and either killing or capturing them on the spot—without a trial. The Obama administration has apparently increased the missions even though some have gone awry, killing civilians.
3) NATO troops are relying on remote-controlled Predator drones more and more heavily, controlling them from a base in Nevada and using them to kill an increasing number of Taliban targets.
4) The Taliban has access to heat-seeking missiles and has used them against American aircraft, a fact never before disclosed publicly. Many of the missiles aren’t successful, but Americans are forced into dangerous retrieval operations when the missiles crash, so that Taliban do not recover them.
5) Several documents detail the frustrating disappearance of money meant for humanitarian aid, such as the case of an orphanage erected with much fanfare and donations in Gardez. A year after its opening, American visitors reported that there we no orphans at the site, and that many had been called home for the holidays. (In Afghanistan, an orphan is defined as having no father, but many still have mothers.)
6) Civilian death tolls are rising consistently, with the Taliban conducting a successfull roadside bombing campaign. As of the writing of the report, one document cited 2,000 civilian deaths from roadside car bombs alone.
7) U.S. forces covered up a 2007 helicopter attack, according to the documents, claiming that Taliban brought down a coalition helicopter with conventional weaponry—when instead they used a missile. A U.S. official at the time said the attack, which killed seven soldiers, “had probably been brought down by a rocket-propelled grenade.”
And for those of you interested in reading the whole file, the Guardian, UK has reproduced full military logs behind more than 200 of the key events from the database – you can navigate around them. But if you want to download this data to play with it yourself, this is the place to come.
The Huffington Post has a Statement from Gen. James Jomes re the Leaks:
The United States strongly condemns the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organizations which could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk, and threaten our national security. Wikileaks made no effort to contact us about these documents – the United States government learned from news organizations that these documents would be posted. These irresponsible leaks will not impact our ongoing commitment to deepen our partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan; to defeat our common enemies; and to support the aspirations of the Afghan and Pakistani people.
The documents posted by Wikileaks reportedly cover a period of time from January 2004 to December 2009. On December 1, 2009, President Obama announced a new strategy with a substantial increase in resources for Afghanistan, and increased focus on al Qaeda and Taliban safe-havens in Pakistan, precisely because of the grave situation that had developed over several years. This shift in strategy addressed challenges in Afghanistan that were the subject of an exhaustive policy review last fall. We know that serious challenges lie ahead, but if Afghanistan is permitted to slide backwards, we will again face a threat from violent extremist groups like al Qaeda who will have more space to plot and train. That is why we are now focused on breaking the Taliban’s momentum and building Afghan capacity so that the Afghan government can begin to assume responsibility for its future. The United States remains committed to a strong, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan.
Since 2009, the United States and Pakistan have deepened our important bilateral partnership. Counter-terrorism cooperation has led to significant blows against al Qaeda’s leadership. The Pakistani military has gone on the offensive in Swat and South Waziristan, at great cost to the Pakistani military and people. The United States and Pakistan have also commenced a Strategic Dialogue, which has expanded cooperation on issues ranging from security to economic development. Pakistan and Afghanistan have also improved their bilateral ties, most recently through the completion of a Transit-Trade Agreement. Yet the Pakistani government – and Pakistan’s military and intelligence services – must continue their strategic shift against insurgent groups. The balance must shift decisively against al Qaeda and its extremist allies. U.S. support for Pakistan will continue to be focused on building Pakistani capacity to root out violent extremist groups, while supporting the aspirations of the Pakistani people.
What I get from skimming this news is that the Pakistani Gov’t and the Afghan Gov’t are working against the US while taking our money and funneling it to the insurgents. Osama is either dead or living off the US funds somewhere and it’s a money pit for the US and other nations. Not to forget all the people that have lost their lives in that hell hole, both military and civilians. The only reason we are there now is because the Pakistani Gov’t has nuclear weapons and we don’t want the crazies in that area to acquire them.
Your comments and more news in comments.
Tags: Afghan War, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, insurgents, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Taliban, U. S. Generals, U.S. Strategy, Wikileaks
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Senator Debbie Stabenow goes on record for support of a job creation bill, for 99ers
Source: Examiner.com
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who lead the fight on passing H.R. 4213 within the Congress, has now gone on the record to cite her support for the 99ers. In a Op-Ed piece in the American Chronicle on July 24, titled “U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow: Time to Bring Back the American Dream”, she talked about the longest-term unemployed job seekers,
When appearing on WXYZ-Channel 7 of Detroit July 20; Senator Stabenow responded to a question by anchor Carolyn Clifford regarding the 99ers. It would appear that the legislation she is working on, would focus on legislation for job creation and small business lending with community banking institutions.
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I’m at my brother’s house on his computer. See you all later
@toniD: I scheduled Ya Think Topper to launch 5 minutes before showtime.
Perception is reality.
Lee Atwater
Daughter urges Okla. voters to not vote for father
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma judicial candidate is fending off a political attack from his daughter, who has taken out a local newspaper ad urging voters: “Do not vote for my dad!”
McClain County judicial hopeful John Mantooth’s daughter and son-in-law paid for the quarter-page advertisement, which features a picture of the daughter’s family, highlights cases in which Mantooth has been sued and lists a website the couple started, http://www.donotvoteformydad.com.
Mantooth said the bad blood stems from his 1981 divorce from his daughter’s mother.
Jan Schill, 31, said she never has had a good relationship with her father and doesn’t think he’d make a good judge.
Keith Gaddie, a professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, said such campaigning illustrates that “none of us wants our lives too closely examined.”
But Mantooth also suspects political maneuvering. He said his son-in-law, Andrew Schill, was once law partners with one of his opponents in Tuesday’s primary, Greg Dixon.
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@gbasin: Lee Atwater died recanting what he did.
A caller on the Norman Goldman show said we should call these Tea Partiers and
secessionists neo-confederates. They all seem to be from the South and West,he said. And they are racists
Neo-Confederates
@toniD: I started to type a post and then deleted it a couple nights ago. Something posted here took me to a Yahoo page. I started reading the comments and one was calling for Civil War II. The author’s reasoning was the South has more guns now so they will win and the first thing they’ll do is take the hammer and sickle flag down from the White House and raise the stars and stripes. (At least he didn’t say the stars and bars.)
It’s clear, these people are an extension of the hatred and bigotry that fostered the Civil War. They are not only upset with Obama winning, they still haven’t accepted they lost 150 years ago.
gbasin:
July 26, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Perception is reality.
Lee Atwater
————–
“Whatever one believes to be true either is true or becomes true in one’s mind.”
John C. Lilly
(Take THAT gbasin. Existential quotations game, set, match.)
@mb: Then that is a good name for them. Sad, isn’t it, that people still have the same mindset as those 150 years ago!
Thanks CC, for posting at SSS blog. You’re great.
And You too Mire!
@mb: @Crank Bait:
“Mr. Lilly is very gentle”
Flipper
(Checkmate)
@gbasin:
That one is as funny as it is difficult to top.
Among the many ponderables, I’m trying to reconcile Free Lindsay Lohan with God Hates Kittens.
All together Now.
I really, really, really wanted to trip out in an isolation tank.
Uh, wait. Maybe I am?
@mb:
I pray it helped him in the bardos
Night all. Fading fast. It’s been an exciting day though.
Thank You SAM!!!
I can’t believe I missed all the Flippin’ Flipper Fun.
I’ve been pretty busy since I realized that I’m really leaving here for PA late Wednesday…not early Thursday.
@Crank Bait: >> really, really, really wanted to trip out in an isolation tank.
>>Uh, wait. Maybe I am?
I can see it now, Crank Bait, trying to explain to isolation tank attendant, that as a figment of aonther’s dream, he really shouldn’t be expected to pay for the tank.
The attendant gently reminds him that since this is a dream, he should have no problem reaching into his dream pocket, pulling out his dream wallet, and paying his dream bill with dream greenbacks.
Dream Visa also accepted.
News thread is up. CC, do you mind if I move your post to the new thread? It fits in with the header topic.
ChubbyBubba:
July 27, 2010 at 12:45 am
…The attendant gently reminds him that since this is a dream, he should have no problem reaching into his dream pocket, pulling out his dream wallet, and paying his dream bill with dream greenbacks…
—————-
(Known among Alternate Reality aficionados as an out-of-wallet experience.)
@toniD: G’morning. Of course I don’t mind. I trust your instincts.