The thumbnail image for this video has been updated - thumbnail added by BSR.

I hope I never run into bears in my rural area! I only had seen birds, coyotes, dogs, humans, snakes, butterflies, (w/rabbit)s, horses, bun(nie)s, cat (just one), squirrels, raccoon, etc.

Nope, me neither.

Which is sort of the point. It's unheard of that all of these agencies came to the same conclusion on a specific matter. Some may take this as an indicator of how damning the evidence really is, others see this as an indicator that the "assessments" were made on hierarchical levels reserved for political appointees.

The absence of dissent supports the second point of view. No group of analysts in their right mind would create a report without also strongly pointing out contradictory facts, inconsistencies, and separating fact from interpretation. That's what Hersh is referring to. This is not an NIE, it's an opinion piece. This memo by the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (wierd name) goes down the same route:

As you will have gathered by now, we strongly suspect that the evidence your intelligence chiefs have of a joint Russian-hacking-WikiLeaks-publishing operation is no better than the “intelligence” evidence in 2002-2003 – expressed then with comparable flat-fact “certitude” – of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Now, an opinion piece might be sufficient if it came from credible institutions and had a moderatly important subject. But this is throwing serious accusations at a sovereign nation in times when diplomatic relations are stressed as it is. And that's not going into the credibility problem of many of these agencies, who have a very dubious track record on these issues.

Ian Welsh had a piece the other day on the CIA vs Trump, and his take on intelligence agencies is pretty close to what mine has been since I learned about the Stasi some 20 years ago:

The CIA and NSA are not the friend of any left-wing worth having: they are innately anti-democratic, anti-privacy, and anti-rights. Secret agencies are anathema to any open government. At an existential level, intelligence agencies are at best a double edged sword, and by their nature, they always wind up serving the interests of the few, against the interests of the people.

hallo!!! (hello)
he?? wat mot je. (hey, what do you want from me?)

(refrein)
me tiete! me tiete! me tiete zijn oke!!! (my boobs are okay)
me tiete! me tiete! me tiete zijn oke.

(couplet1)
ik hou niet van studeren. (I don't like studying)
nee das niks voor mij. (no, that not for me)
maar is er wat te feesten dan ben ik erbij. (but if there's a party I'll be present)
ze kost alleen maar geld en verder ken ze niks. (she only costs money, she can't do anything)
wat ben ik toch een loser!! (damn, I'm a loser)

(couplet2)
na school toe of werken heb ik nog nooit gedaan. (never went to school or work)
daar ben ik toch te stom voor. (I'm too dumb for that)
het IQ van een banaan. (the IQ of a banana)

(couplet3)
strijken of de was doen. (ironing or doing the laundry)
nee! dat kan ik niet (no, I can;t)
maar kijk eens naar die tieten. (but take a look at those boobies)
je weet niet wat je ziet!!!!! (you don;t know what you're looking at)

(refrein)
me tiete! me tiete! me tiete zijn oke!!
maar wat je van me zegt me tiete die zijn echt. (whatever you say about me, but my boobs are real)
ja! net zo echt als me rolex. (yeah, just as real as my Rolex)
me tiete zijn oke!

(couplet4)
kheb niemand iets te melden maar heb wel een gsm. (I have nothing to tell yet I have a mobile)
tot tien ken ze nie tellen met ter geile stem. (she can't even count to ten with her horny voice)
voor een pakje sigaretten ga ik lekker met je mee. (for a package of cigarettes I'll go with you)
ja daag!! weet je wat dat kost tegenwoordig een pakje sigaretten. (no way! you know how much a package costs these days?!)
ik rij vaak op mijn scooter wat zinloos in het rond. (I often drive around in circles on my scooter)
en ik zit wat te bouten in mijn bloote kond!! (and I'm farting with my ass exposed)
van mekup en de kapper daar weet ik alles van. (I know all about make up and hair dressers)
maar vraag ter nou maar niet of ze kan schrijven. (but don't ask her to write)

(refrein)
me tiete me tiete me tiete zijn oke!
me tiete me tiete me tieten zijn oke!
maar wat je van me zegt me tiete zijn echt!!
alleen der hersenen die zijn van syliconen. (only her brain are made of silicones)

(couplet6)
heb een dubbele d. (I have a double D)
en daarom mag ik mee. (that's why I'm joining you)
alle jongens vinden mij oke. (all boy find me ok)
waarom rot je niet op met je plAstic kop. (why don't you fuck off with you plastic head)
je lijkt wel op een opblaas pop. (you look like a blow up doll)

tieten tieten tieten
tieten!!!!!!

oh! henk wat is tie groot! (oh henk, what a big one)
niet aan trekken nou!!!! (now don't pull it)
blijf van mijn snor af lellebel! (keep your hands of my moustache)

(refrein)
me tiete!! me tiete!! me tiete zijn oke!
Ja!!
der tiete! der tiete!! der tiete zijn oke!
maar wat je van me zegt me tiete die zijn echt!!
ja hoor!!

me tiete me tiete me tiete zijn oke!!
me tiete tiete tiete tiete tiete!!zijn oke!
me tiete tiete tiete zijn oke

maar wat je van me zegt
me tiete die zijn echt!!

ME TIETE ZIJN OKE!!!!!!

Aus dem Land
das sich selbst zerstört
und uns den 'way of life' Diktiert

da kommt Reagan und bringt Waffen und Tod

und hört er Frieden
sieht er rot.
Er sagt als Präsident von USA
Atomkrieg ? - Ja
bitte
dort und da

ob Polen
Mittler Osten
Nicaragua

er will den Endsieg
das ist doch klar.

Doch wir wollen: Sonne statt Reagan
ohne Rüstung leben !
Ob West
ob Ost
auf Raketen muß Rost !
wir wollen: Sonne statt Reagan
ohne Rüstung leben !
Ob West
ob Ost
auf Raketen muß Rost !

Er will die Säcke im Osten reizen
die auch nicht mit Atomen geizen

doch dein Krieg um hirnverbrannte Ziele

der läuft nicht Reagan - wir sind viele !
Hau ab mit deinen Nuklearstrategen

deinen Russenhassern
deinem Strahlenregen

Mensch Knitterface
der Film ist aus

nimm' die Raketen mit nach Haus !

Denn wir wollen: Sonne statt Reagan
ohne Rüstung leben !
Ob Ost
ob West
Kalten Kriegern die Pest !
Wir wollen: Sonne statt Reagan
ohne Rüstung leben !
Ob Ost
ob West
Kalten Kriegern die Pest !

Dieser Reagan kommt als Mann der Rüstungsindustrie

but the peoples of the States don't want it - nie !
und den wahren Frieden wird's erst geben

wenn alle Menschen ohne Waffen leben.

Wir wollen: Sonne statt Reagan
ohne Rüstung leben !
Ob West
ob Ost
auf Raketen muß Rost !
Sonne statt Reagan
ohne Rüstung leben !
Ob Ost
ob West
Kalten Kriegern die Pest !.....


Sun Instead of Rain (English translation)

From the country that destroys itself and dictates to us the "way of life," Reagan comes bringing weapons and death, and when he hears peace, he sees red. He says as president of the U.S.A., "Nuclear war? Yes please, there and there." Whether Poland, the Middle East, or Nicaragua, he wants the final victory, that's perfectly clear.

2X But we want: sun instead of Reagan, to live without weapons!
Whether West, whether East, let missiles rust!
He wants to provoke those bastards in the East, even those without nuclear weapons, But your war over crazy goals just doesn't work, Reagan--there are too many of us!
Cut it out with your nuclear strategies, your Russian haters, your nuclear fallout.
Hey, wrinkle-face, the jig is up, take your missiles back home with you.

2X Yeah we want: sun instead of Reagan, to live without weapons!
Whether West, whether East, the plague on all Cold Warriors!
This Reagan is married to the defense industry, but the people of the States don't want it--never!
and there will first be true peace, when all people live without weapons.

2X We really want sun instead of Reagan, to live without weapons!
Whether West, whether East, let missiles rust!
Yeah we want: sun instead of Reagan, to live without armaments!
Whether West, whether East, the plague on all Cold Warriors!

>> ^CaptainPlanet420:
>> ^Fusionaut:
Yeah! He made the country safer... Anyone that criticizes Bush obviously can't fathom all the good he's done for his country...

I'm glad someone here sees things clearly. If Hussein boy had been here the last 8 years, who knows what other attacks on U.S. the crazies would have tried.




Ummm, talk about selective quoting...

sar·casm (sär'kāz'əm) Pronunciation Key
n.
A cutting, often ironic remark intended to wound.
A form of wit that is marked by the use of sarcastic language and is intended to make its victim the butt of contempt or ridicule.
The use of sarcasm. See Synonyms at wit1.

irony1   Show Spelled Pronunciation [ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-] Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun, plural -nies. 1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.

(from dictionary.com)

If I'm not mistaken, the NIE is written by the very same "intelligence community" that Bolton says has "clearly" debunked the report.

Wait, wha?

nie - I saw this....a year ago or something daft - its very powerful took, there are other clevering AV editing tools out there, maybe I will try and find them

nice sift sir!

Wie eine Blume am Winterbeginn
Und so wie ein Feuer im eisigen Wind
Wie eine Puppe, die keiner mehr mag
Fühl ich mich an manchem Tag

Dann seh ich die Wolken, die über uns sind
Und höre die Schreie der Vögel im Wind
Ich singe aus Angst vor dem Dunkeln mein Lied
Und hoffe, dass nichts geschieht

Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Sonne
Für diese Erde, auf der wir wohnen
Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Freude
Ein bisschen Wärme, das wünsch ich mir

Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Träumen
Und dass die Menschen nicht so oft weinen
Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Liebe
Dass ich die Hoffnung nie mehr verlier

Ich weiss, meine Lieder, die ändern nicht viel
Ich bin nur ein Mädchen, das sagt, was es fühlt
Allein bin ich hilflos, ein Vogel im Wind
Der spürt, dass der Sturm beginnt

Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Sonne
Für diese Erde, auf der wir wohnen
Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Freude
Ein bisschen Wärme, das wünsch ich mir

Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Träumen
Und dass die Menschen nicht so oft weinen
Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Liebe
Dass ich die Hoffnung nie mehr verlier

Sing mit mir ein kleines Lied
(Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Sonne)
(Für diese Erde, auf der wir wohnen)
Dass die Welt in Frieden lebt
(Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Freude)
(Ein bisschen Wärme, das wünsch ich mir)

Singt mit mir ein kleines Lied
(Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Träumen)
(Und dass die Menschen nicht so oft weinen)
Dass die Welt in Frieden lebt
(Ein bisschen Frieden, ein bisschen Liebe)
(Dass ich die Hoffnung nie mehr verlier)


English version:
Just like a flower at the beginning of winter
And just like a fire in an icy wind
Just like a doll that nobody wants anymore
That's how I feel on some days

Then I see the clouds above
And I hear the cries of the birds in the wind
I sing my song in fear of the dark
And hope that nothing happens

A bit of peace, a bit of sunshine
For this earth on which we're living
A bit of peace, a bit of joy
A bit of warmth, that's what I wish for

A bit of peace, a bit of dreams
And that people won't cry as often
A bit of peace, a bit of love
May I never lose hope again

I know my songs won't help very much
I'm just a girl who says what she feels
Alone I'm helpless, a bird in the wind
That feels that the storm begins

A bit of peace, a bit of sunshine
For this earth on which we're living
A bit of peace, a bit of joy
A bit of warmth, that's what I wish for

A bit of peace, a bit of dreams
And that people won't cry as often
A bit of peace, a bit of love
May I never lose hope again

Sing with me a little song
(A bit of peace, a bit of sunshine)
(For this earth on which we're living)
May the world live in peace
(A bit of peace, a bit of joy)
(A bit of warmth, that's what I wish for)

Sing with me a little song
(A bit of peace, a bit of dreams)
(And that people won't cry as often)
May the world live in peace
(A bit of peace, a bit of love)
(May I never lose hope again)

Ohkhay! I'm telling for joo why come joo don't get da job. It's because joo talk liek a blerry bonehead.

Daar is geen plek in die wereld vir 'n dom afrikaaner. Jy moet hard werk my china! Die koeksister kom nie van niks nie.

AWESOME!! I really appreciate being able to ignore MY comments (I HOPE this is also possible!!)! Most of them are inane and quite disgustingly stupid!! Yes, I HATE my comments, but I adore choggie's comments because they make me feel better!! Remember choggie: NEVER SURRENDER!! NEVER GIVE UP!! (A lesson I learned from watching Galaxy Quest!). Yes, I realize this comment will be blocked. Damn!!

Yo! Der Deutsche commentar sind ganz gescheid. Wir sollen nie vergessen wie schoen alle Deutsche sprechende Leute versuche Deutsch zu sprechen ohne Worte! (everyone that can't speak German will wonder what I wrote here, and never guess that It makes NO sense). Hopefully, THIS comment will be banned by ALL VS'rs, and ALL of the BOOKS I have ever written will be BURNED (and that I will be invited to the enormous bonfire where I can roast my marshmallows!).

>> ^shuac:



"Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
i·ro·ny1 Audio Help /ˈaɪrəni, ˈaɪər-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -nies.
1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2. Literature.
a. a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b. (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
3. Socratic irony.
4. dramatic irony.
5. an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
6. the incongruity of this.
7. an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing.
8. an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc.

Copied straight from websters.com.

The expected would be that a movie filmed about an office would follow office protocol, however that WOULD make a terrible movie. The contradiction is that the movie that is fimed to be inside of an office, and potentially being viewed by someone who works in an office AT sed office, will not be able to view it because it doesn't follow office protocol.

Nie wieder, der Vater Land Vorrang!

John Bolton? You are listening to John Bolton on assessments on the NIE? Hes the same person advocating for aggressive military action against Iran.

In 2002 he stated Cuba had biological weapons, and was exporting them, when CIA contradicted him he fired the CIA intelligence person responsible for Latin America. In 2004 he stated that Iran is enriching uranium and procuring nuclear weapons, a statement that was refuted by the IAEA.

The same person who believes a congressional witch-hunt should take place based on the NIE because it did not meet with his preconceived views on Iran:

"I really think the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have to look at how this NIE was put together because there are a lot unexplained points in here. […]

I think there is a risk here, and I raise this as a question, whether people in the intelligence community who had their own agenda on Iran for some time now have politicized this intelligence and politicized these judgments in a way contrary to where the administration was going. I think somebody needs to look at that. "

Over the last few years there were reports that showed the US military dropping recruitment requirements and offering waivers in exchange for military service.

Reports of the Army unable to supply sufficiently armored vehicles and other equipment against IED threats, pre and post surge. Soldiers are now familiarizing combat driving techniques using simulators because there is a shortage of M-1114s.

America does possess formidable military forces, but we are talking about soldiers on the ground currently not total combined forces; which would take into account navy and air.

Extended tours (from 12 to 15 months), with multiple returns are common, fatigue is taking it's toll. A secondary surge has already taken place to bolster troop numbers, by sending more combat brigades and extending tours for troops already in Iraq.

Troop levels would thus increase to around 200,000 by the end of this year, a record since the start of OIF. These numbers of course do not include the large number of private military contractors in Iraq, also surging in numbers, paid for by US taxpayers under contract from the DOD. Meanwhile the Army is shedding officers at an alarming rate, 44% left, the highest loss rate in 3 decades.

With regards to the Al Anbar success stories, one must remember that is only occurring because previous Sunni insurgents have turned against Al Qaeda, making US forces the most convenient allies in driving out foreign radical Islamic terrorists. The relationship is tenacious, it also means the US forces now have to bolster previous Sunni insurgents and make them components of the Iraqi government, which is filled with Shia militias who do not want minority Sunni influence.

"To bolster that case, Bush made his own surprise visit to a U.S. military base in Anbar province on Sept. 3 to tout growing cooperation between Sunni tribal leaders and American forces.

But the sheiks didn't seek out U.S. help because an additional 30,000 U.S. troops had been shipped to Iraq. Rather, the sheiks had found themselves caught between al-Qaeda extremists on one side and Shiite-dominated government forces on the other.

The Americans became the enemy and erstwhile friend, respectively, of my enemies – and thus an ally of convenience for the Sunni sheiks.

Indeed, the Anbar situation could be viewed as evidence that the political and ethnic divisions of Iraq continue to deepen – with Sunni traditionalists growing only more desperate. But these shifting sands of allegiances have become the foundation upon which Bush is building his case for open-ended U.S. military involvement in Iraq."

- How VIPs get 'Brainwashed' on Iraq by Robert Parry.

The important thing to consider is; will such success be replicated in other provinces? Will the forces join into the Shia dominated government which opposes Sunni influence? Thus how long will this commitment last. All questions to which officers within the armed forces cannot answer, because the situation is that fragile.

After posing gamely with the troops at the Al-Asad base, Bush celebrated the return of Sunni areas to the control of U.S.-armed militias-composed largely of former insurgents who have at least temporarily decided that their Shiite rivals, currently in control of the central government, are a more pressing enemy than the American occupiers. Speaking of one such group of Sunnis trained by the Americans and dubbed the “Volunteers” by their instructors, a U.S. soldier told The Washington Post, “I think there is some risk of them being Volunteers by day and terrorists by night.”

The National Intelligence Estimate reported that Iraqi goverment is precarious, violence remains high, a decrease in Baghdad violence due to sectarian cleansing. The Government Accountability Report, a congressionally mandated report, showed that the Iraqi goverment met 3, partially 4, and did not meet 11 of its 18 benchmarks. The NIE was tweaked favorably by Gen. David Petraeus, the GAO was attacked by the White House as being 'inadmissible', 'harsh' and 'locked into failure'.

With regards to your comments about losing Iraq on principle, it was never a war for us to win in any sense, it was a systematic fear mongering campaign driven by PowerPoint presentations with aerial photographs about WMDs that got us into Iraq.

After 4 years of being constantly lied to about hostilities ending, turning the corner, mission accomplished, and witnessing the daily ineptness of the way the current administration has and is handling the war we are again on the brink of giving this administration another pass on the war up to 2009 since the current surge will remain up to and until April 2008. To have President Bush then compare the Iraq war to Vietnam; As Andrew Sullivan put it:

His speech yesterday actually managed to shock. You might think that, in wartime, a president would acknowledge what no one denies is a terribly grim decision in front of us - whether to pursue a clearly unwinnable war in order to govern a clearly ungovernable country - or withdraw and redeploy in ways that will doubtless lead to even more bloodshed. But no. There is no gray here; no awful decision for the least worst option; not acknowledgment of his own moral culpability for such a disaster. There is instead an accusation that those who reach a different judgment about the course of the war are, in fact, enemies of the troops:

Our troops are seeing this progress that is being made on the ground. And as they take the initiative from the enemy, they have a question: Will their elected leaders in Washington pull the rug out from under them just as they're gaining momentum and changing the dynamic on the ground in Iraq? Here's my answer is clear: We'll support our troops, we'll support our commanders, and we will give them everything they need to succeed.

To place all the troops into the position of favoring one strategy ahead of us rather than another, and to accuse political opponents of trying to "pull the rug out from under them," is a, yes, fascistic tactic designed to corral political debate into only one possible patriotic course. It's beneath a president to adopt this role, beneath him to coopt the armed services for partisan purposes. It should be possible for a president to make an impassioned case for continuing his own policy in Iraq, without accusing his critics of wanting to attack and betray the troops. But that would require class and confidence. The president has neither.

For more I would refer you to an excellent post - Thirteen Ways not to think about the Iraq war.