Russian Bombers Ready To Strike US At Moment’s Notice

Shocking: Russian Bombers Are Circling The Skies Above U.S., Ready To Strike At Moment’s Notice

Major Beth Smith, spokeswoman for NORAD, commented about the…

---

Share Tweet Email

Russian strategic bombers penetrated US airspace 16 times in the last 10 days, according to US defense officials. The bombers penetrated 16 times into northwestern US air defense identification zones. Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel warned about the heightened possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

US jets scrambled in response to the Russian bombers several times.

Major Beth Smith, spokeswoman for NORAD, commented about the incursions, saying, ” Over the past week, NORAD has visually identified Russian aircraft operating in and around the U.S. air defense identification zones.”

Bill Gertz of the Washington Free Beacon, who broke the story, wrote that the bomber flights are the “latest case of nuclear saber rattling by the Russians.”

Russia also violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987 signed by Reagan and Gorbachev by testing a nuclear cruise missile.

President Barack Obama ridiculed Mitt Romney for saying that Russia was America’s biggest strategic threat in the 2012 election:

A few months ago, when you were asked what’s the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia. Not al Qaeda; you said Russia. The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.

Admiral Cecil Haney, head of US Strategic Command, has spoken about the Russian nuclear threat, saying that Russia conducted several large nuclear war games in May.

He said this recently at a defense industry breakfast:

Additionally, we have seen significant Russian strategic aircraft deployments in the vicinity of places like Japan, Korea, and even our West Coast.

He went on to say:

Russia continues to modernize its strategic capabilities across all legs of its triad, and open source [reporting] has recently cited the sea trials of its latest [missile submarine], testing of its newest air-launched cruise missile and modernization of its intercontinental ballistic force to include its mobile capability in that area.

How concerned should the world be about Russia? Is Russia now a significant threat to American interests? Or was Hillary Clinton’s Russian “reset” successful?

Read more at http://www.westernjournalism.com/nuclear-alert-russian-bombers-penetrate-us-airspace-16-times-last-10-days/#UfvzJuJIe6o0eavE.99

Message from the President

Sent over DoD communications systems:

 

Really???? REALLY?????  IMPEACH THIS GUY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES!

 

UNCLASSIFIED//
UNCLAS SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
TO ALDODACT
CN=AL ALDODACT(UC)
INFO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
OU=USAITA(UC)
PASSED FOR ACTION REROUTE DETECTED
IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS
QQQQ
SUBJ: MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA TO ALL U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
UNCLASSIFIED/ O 011328Z OCT 13 FM SECDEF WASHINGTON DC TO ALDODACT UNCLAS

SUBJ: MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA TO ALL U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ALDODACT
17/13 ADDRESSEES PASS TO ALL SUBORDINATE COMMANDS

1. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHUCK HAGEL FORWARDS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA TO ALL U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. PLEASE ENSURE THE WIDEST DISTRIBUTION:

TO THE DEDICATED AND HARD-WORKING EMPLOYEES OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT:

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AMERICA’S LARGEST EMPLOYER, WITH MORE THAN 2 MILLION CIVILIAN WORKERS AND 1.4 MILLION ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY WHO SERVE IN ALL 50 STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD. BUT CONGRESS HAS FAILED TO MEET ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS A BUDGET BEFORE THE FISCAL YEAR THAT BEGINS TODAY. AND THAT MEANS MUCH OF OUR GOVERNMENT MUST SHUT DOWN EFFECTIVE TODAY.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WILL KEEP WORKING TO GET CONGRESS TO REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT, RESTART VITAL SERVICES THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DEPEND ON, AND ALLOW PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO HAVE BEEN SENT HOME TO RETURN TO WORK. AT MY DIRECTION, YOUR AGENCIES SHOULD HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOU BY NOW ABOUT WHAT A SHUTDOWN MEANS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.

TODAY, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU MEAN TO ME-AND TO OUR COUNTRY.

THAT BEGINS BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY-WORK THAT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AND TO AMERICAN FAMILIES’ ECONOMIC SECURITY. YOU DEFEND OUR COUNTRY OVERSEAS AND ENSURE THAT OUR TROOPS RECEIVE THE BENEFITS THEY DESERVE WHEN THEY COME HOME. YOU GUARD OUR BORDERS AND PROTECT OUR CIVIL RIGHTS. YOU HELP SMALL BUSINESSES EXPAND AND GAIN NEW FOOTHOLDS IN OVERSEAS MARKETS. YOU GUIDE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EACH DAY THROUGH THE GLORY OF AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS AND MONUMENTS, FROM YOSEMITE TO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. AND MUCH MORE.

YOU DO ALL THIS IN A POLITICAL CLIMATE THAT, TOO OFTEN IN RECENT YEARS, HAS TREATED YOU LIKE A PUNCHING BAG. YOU HAVE ENDURED THREE YEARS OF A FEDERAL PAY FREEZE, HARMFUL SEQUESTER CUTS, AND NOW, A SHUTDOWN OF OUR GOVERNMENT. AND YET, YOU PERSEVERE, CONTINUING TO SERVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WITH PASSION, PROFESSIONALISM, AND SKILL.

NONE OF THIS IS FAIR TO YOU. AND SHOULD IT CONTINUE, IT WILL MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO KEEP ATTRACTING THE KIND OF DRIVEN, PATRIOTIC, IDEALISTIC AMERICANS TO PUBLIC SERVICE THAT OUR CITIZENS DESERVE AND THAT OUR SYSTEM OF SELF-GOVERNMENT DEMANDS.

PUBLIC SERVICE IS NOBLE. PUBLIC SERVICE IS IMPORTANT. AND BY CHOOSING PUBLIC SERVICE, YOU CARRY ON A PROUD TRADITION AT THE HEART OF SOME OF THIS COUNTRY’S GREATEST AND MOST LASTING ACHIEVEMENTS. IN FACT, MORE THAN 50 CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HAVE RECEIVED THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR THEIR EFFORTS. IT WAS GRANTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY THAT HELPED BUSINESSES UNLOCK NEW SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, AND FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION THAT HELPED ENTREPRENEURS LIKE THE FOUNDERS OF GOOGLE CHANGE THE WORLD. IT IS YOUR EFFORTS THAT WILL HELP THIS COUNTRY MEET THE GREAT CHALLENGE OF OUR TIME-REBUILDING AN ECONOMY WHERE ALL WHO WORK HARD CAN GET AHEAD.

SO WHILE THE BUDGET FIGHTS IN WASHINGTON ARE TOO OFTEN PARTISAN, YOUR SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY MUST NEVER BE. AS ONE OF MY PREDECESSORS, PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH, ONCE SAID, “THERE IS NOTHING MORE FULFILLING THAN TO SERVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS AND TO DO IT WELL. AND THAT IS WHAT OUR SYSTEM OF SELF-GOVERNMENT DEPENDS ON.”

THIS SHUTDOWN WAS COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CAN END IT AS SOON AS IT FOLLOWS THE SENATE’S LEAD, AND FUNDS YOUR WORK IN THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WITHOUT TRYING TO ATTACH HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL AND PARTISAN MEASURES IN THE PROCESS.

HOPEFULLY, WE WILL RESOLVE THIS QUICKLY. IN THE MEANTIME, I WANT YOU TO KNOW-WHETHER YOU ARE A YOUNG PERSON WHO JUST JOINED PUBLIC SERVICE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, OR A CAREER EMPLOYEE WHO HAS DEDICATED YOUR LIFE TO THAT PURSUIT-YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES REMAIN AT THE FRONT OF MY MIND. YOUR AGENCY LEADERS AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DEFEND YOUR WORK AT A TIME WHEN THAT WORK HAS RARELY BEEN MORE IMPORTANT. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUR AGENCIES TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES APPRISED AND INFORMED OF WHAT IS HAPPENING. AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO GET THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO ALLOW OUR GOVERNMENT TO REOPEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE THE PAY THAT YOU HAVE EARNED.

THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR YOUR SERVICE, YOUR SACRIFICE, AND EVERYTHING YOU DO EVERY DAY FOR THIS COUNTRY WE LOVE SO MUCH.

RELEASED BY: MICHAEL L. BRUHN, DOD EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

BT
#1024
NNNN
UNCLASSIFIED//

John Kerry, Chuck Hagel Pitch Syrian Strike to Congress

Top Obama officials must convince skeptical members, public

By Rebekah Metzler

September 3, 2013 RSS Feed Print

President Barack Obama meets in the Situation Room with his national security advisors to discuss strategy in Syria. Several top advisors will make the case for intervention to Congress Tuesday afternoon.

Top Obama administration officials heading to Capitol Hill Tuesday are likely to make the case for a military strike in Syria by playing up the importance of U.S. credibility, now that President Barack Obama has called for action.

Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are tasked with making the case for the unpopular mission following a chemical weapons attack against citizens by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. They are scheduled to meet with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday afternoon and the House counterpart Wednesday.

Obama himself continued to press for support in remarks Tuesday morning before meeting with House and Senate leaders at the White House.

“I’ve made a decision that America should take action, but I also believe that we will be much more effective, we will be stronger, if we take action together as one nation,” Obama said.

The president emphasized, as he did all last week, that he does not want to send troops into Syria, but rather pursue a more targeted approach.

“The key point that I want to emphasize to the American people [is] the military plan that has been developed by the joint chiefs – and that I believe is appropriate – is proportional; it is limited; it does not involve boots on the ground,” Obama said. “This is not Iraq, and this is not Afghanistan.”

Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, says Obama’s best hope for winning congressional approval is to continue to emphasize he intends a limited approach.

“I would assume that there would be some division of duties there. That the larger foreign policy context, that’s what you expect from secretary of state and the more practical, what sorts of things do we want to hit and the potential implications, I would expect that more from Hagel,” he says.

Bandow adds that the administration also needs to lean on Congress to support the president so as not to show weakness in the international community.

“The only pitch that works well is American credibility,” he says

Obama scored nominal support for action from House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Tuesday, as well as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

“I believe that my colleagues should support this call for action,” Boehner said after leaving the briefing with Obama at the White House.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/03/john-kerry-chuck-hagel-pitch-syrian-strike-to-congress?bcsi-ac-f883d00464788be6=20EC69AB000000027p+UENTRkEMPXnYaE+SLsF37SpZkGAAAAgAAANegWwCEAwAALgAAADiABQA=

Russian, Libyan Foreign Chiefs Meet to Discuss Key Issues in Region

While the Russians and Libyans discuss the problems is Syria, Hagel and Kerry are going in front of Congress to ask for “limited strikes” on Syria. Interestingly, it appears that they are pushing this a lot harder than the American public wants them too, even at the risk of dragging Russia into this with the use of nukes.

I know some of you keep saying “Russia won’t nuke us” and so forth – and I hope to God you’re right, but they are playing this game of chess better than Obama, Obama is an incompetent clown and Russia CAN NOT BE TRUSTED FOLKS!

The Truth hurts, but America is no longer the most powerful country on the planet, thanks again to Obama. This is all part of some bigger plan I suppose. You know who is going to suffer? Innocent Syrians, Americans and Russians – and others, when it is all said and done. This will escalate quicker than you can imagine to levels you never thought or believed possible. Brace yourselves, and prepare for the worst. Even if you DON’T BELIEVE ME, believe your EYES and EARS.

newsworldrussia

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has underscored the importance of today’s meeting with his Libyan counterpart, Mohamed Abdulaziz, saying these consultations were instrumental in Russia’s decision-making on the region.

Mr. Lavrov welcomed Libya’s new foreign chief to Moscow, saying the agenda was abundant with urgent issues that must be solved as soon as possible. He also stressed that some of the problems of mutual interest must be followed through at the highest level.

Mohamed Abdulaziz congratulated Russia on successful G20 summit, adding it proved Russia’s key role in the modern world.

View original post

If It’s Not “War,” It Sounds Like Checkers

Thursday, September 5, 2013

 

In his book On War, General Carl von Clausewitz explains that war “is controlled by its political object,” which “will set its course, prescribe the scale of means and effort which is required, and makes its influence felt throughout down to the smallest operational detail.” Over the last two days, John Kerry has insisted that “President Obama is not asking America to go to war.” He even goes so far as to suggest that he, General Dempsey and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel “know the difference between going to war and what President Obama is requesting now.”

Over the last two days John Kerry has made a terrible case for war against Syria to Congress. While seeking action by Congress under the War Powers act, John Kerry has argued forcefully that all definitions of war by experts of warfare throughout history are wrong, and his definition is right. Ryan Evans at War on the Rocks captured the moment when Kerry jumped the shark.

Later, a frustrated Kerry revealed the real logic behind his position: public opinion. He noted that no Americans wanted to go to war with Syria and insisted the White House was of the same mind. “We don’t want to go to war in Syria either!” he exclaimed.  “It’s not what we’re here to ask. The President is not asking you to go to war…He’s simply saying we need to take an action that can degrade the capacity of a man who has been willing to kill his own people by breaking a nearly hundred year-old prohibition [against chemical weapons].”

Then, turning to Dempsey, Kerry asked, “General, do you want to speak to that?”

Dempsey responded, “No, not really, Secretary, thank you for offering.” Why? Because General Dempsey knew that was nonsense.

Words matter, and when they are not allowed to matter in policy, we are not being honest with ourselves. Over the last two days John Kerry described the political object with Syria as “to deter, disrupt, prevent, and degrade the potential for, future uses of chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction” by the Assad regime in Syria. The Obama administration has apparently convinced itself that a Desert Fox Part II action in Syria will produce the desired result, apparently ignoring that Desert Fox was in part what led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. I do not know any serious expert who believes the Obama administrations military approach to Syria will achieve a positive political object for the US.

The Obama administrations national security leadership, in Congressional testimony, is promoting a delusion regarding the act of war, and is incapable of admitting they are about to start a war. Most troubling, they are intentionally dismissing consequences and the gravity of such action under the assumption that military superiority translates to strategic success. The United States does not have a strategy that political leaders can articulate publicly on Syria, nor is the Obama administrations national security leadership publicly seeking meaningful military objectives of consequence to conditions in Syria. The United States does not have a coalition of support to provide legitimacy for military action, a coalition that protects the US from escalation or retaliation. John Kerry, in front of Congress, described those who believe it unwise for the US to inject our nation into another nations civil war uninvited, as armchair isolationists. No one knew for certain the intelligence cited by Colin Powell was wrong in 2003. Every human being educated on the definition of war knows John Kerry is wrong in 2013, and no one credible on the topic of war will ever be able to argue otherwise.

http://www.informationdissemination.net/2013/09/if-its-not-war-it-sounds-like-checkers.html

 

Related articles

• Kerry Turns From Anti-War Protester to Syria Salesman – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
• John Kerry Scolds Rand Paul on Syria: ‘We Don’t Want to Go to War’ (mediaite.com)
• Jon Soltz: The Military Case Against Syria Strikes (huffingtonpost.com)
• War-wary Republicans distrust plan for Syrian strike (whas11.com)
• Rep. Jeff Duncan UNLOADS on John Kerry About Benghazi At Syria Hearing – WE DON’T TRUST YOU (sgtreport.com)
• Syria crisis: John Kerry slips up when making case for action (telegraph.co.uk)
• Former CIA director: No one can promise no boots on the ground (thelead.blogs.cnn.com)
• Kerry Admits Possibility of ‘Boots on the Ground’ in Syria (commondreams.org)

“We have our plans…” on Syria: Putin

‘We have our plans’: Vladimir Putin warns US against Syria military action

Russian president says it is too early to say what Russia will do but does not exclude supporting a UN resolution

Vladimir Putin said Russia may approve military operation in Syria if Damascus is proven to have carried out chemical weapons attacks and UN authorises it. Photograph: Ria Novosti/Reuters

Vladimir Putin has warned the US against launching military action in Syria, stating that Russia has “plans” on how it would react if such a scenario unfolded.

The Russian president’s comments came as Barack Obama for the first time portrayed his plans for US military action as part of a broader strategy to topple Bashar al-Assad, as the White House’s campaign to win over sceptics in Congress gained momentum.

In an interview with Associated Press and Russia’s state Channel 1 television, Putin said it was too early to talk about what Russia would do if the US attacked Syria but added: “We have our ideas about what we will do and how we will do it in case the situation develops toward the use of force or otherwise. We have our plans.”

At the same time he said Russia did not exclude supporting a UN resolution on punitive military strikes if it were proved that Damascus used poison gas on its own people. But he described the idea that Syrian government forces would use chemical weapons at a time when he said they were in the ascendancy and knowing the potential repercussions as absurd. Given his comments, and the fact that Russia has protected Syria from punitive action at the UN security council before, his suggestion that Russia might support a resolution on strikes is unlikely to be given much credence in the US.

Chuck Hagel listens as John Kerry speaks to the Senate foreign relations committee. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Russia later dispatched a missile cruiser to the eastern Mediterranean, which will arrive in about 10 days. The ship, Moskva, will take over operations from a naval unit in the region that Moscow says is needed to protect national interests. It will be joined by a destroyer from Russia’s Baltic Fleet and a frigate from the Black Sea Fleet.

In the US, senators will begin a series of votes on Wednesday to authorise a 90-day window for US military action against Syria.

A new draft resolution was agreed by leaders of the Senate foreign relations committee after the secretary of state, John Kerry, pressed a forceful case for striking against the Assad regime. Earlier, Obama secured the backing of the Republican leadership at a key White House meeting.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/04/putin-warns-military-action-syria

 

Related articles

• Putin warns West over Syria action (bbc.co.uk)
• AP Interview: Putin warns West on Syria action (noliesradio.org)
• Putin warns Obama not to attack Syria without UN approval (haaretz.com)
• In Europe, Obama Will Seek Support For Syria Strike (wnyc.org)
• Vladimir Putin warns the west against military action in Syria (metro.co.uk)
• Putin warns US over Syria action (thedailystar.net)
• Russia | Vladimir Putin issues warning to the west (thejournalist.ie)
• Russia does not rule out backing military force in Syria – Putin (indrus.in)

Russia Invites U.S. To A ‘Tank Biathlon’

No, seriously… they just want to play with our toys so they can get a better idea how our guys function.  This is the most overt spying I’ve ever seen.

August 10, 2013 2:43 PM

Russian tanks move along Red Square during a Victory Day parade in May. This week, Russia invited the U.S. to participate in a tank biathlon.

Ivan Sekretarev/AP

Russia has invited the U.S. to participate in a tank biathlon so that both nations may learn to play nice — with heavy artillery.

The invitation was apparently extended while Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu in Washington on Friday. The “two-on-two” talks were intended to relieve some of the tension between the two countries, so the suggestion of a little friendly competition — under fire — wasn’t out of place.

 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/08/10/210837966/russia-invites-u-s-to-a-tank-biathlon?ft=1&f=1001;bcsi-ac-f883d00464788be6=20EC69A000000002KvL2hP6MtQfY/K9LpAXqXAfjt1SuEAAAAgAAAHSrPgCEAwAABwAAAKW2AwA=

 

Related articles

• Russia Invites U.S. To A ‘Tank Biathlon’ : The Two-Way : NPR (xbradtc.com)
• Russia invites US to compete in tank biathlon (foxnews.com)
• Russia Challenges U.S. to Tank Cpmpetition (darkgovernment.com)
• Tank biathlon. Best moments (indrus.in)
• Russia invites US to tank biathlon as inaugural competition gets under way (telegraph.co.uk)
• Russia Invites U.S. To A ‘Tank Biathlon’ (wnyc.org)
• Russia Holds ‘Tank Biathlon,’ And Supposedly Challenged The US To One (businessinsider.com)
• German, Italian teams may participate in next year’s tank biathlon competition (indrus.in)