THIS JUST IN! HOW TO EXIT A ROOM!

BULLY BOY PRESS &  CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE

FRIDAY, THE STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASED 1,116 MORE OF CRANKY CLINTON'S E-MAILS.  THESE WERE HIGHLY REDACTED BECAUSE "64 CONTAIN CLASSIFIED INFORMATION."

REACHED FOR COMMENT, CRANKY INSISTED, "SEE, IT'S THE STATE DEPARTMENT THAT'S PUTTING OUT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION, NOT ME!  I'M AN INNOCENT IN ALL OF THIS VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY.  IT'S THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND FOX NEWS OUT TO GET ME!"

SHE THEN LET OUT A LOUD AND NOXIOUS FART.

"EXCUSE ME," SHE SAID AS SHE WALKED AWAY. 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

And once upon a time, US President Barack Obama grasped that.

He knew bombings were not going to defeat the Islamic State.



He ordered bombings to start in August of 2014.  Shortly after, August 11, 2014,  he made some remarks while vacationing on Martha's Vineyard.


US President Barack Obama:  But as I said when I authorized these operations, there is no American military solution to the larger crisis in Iraq.  The only lasting solution is for Iraqis to come together and form an inclusive government -- one that represents the legitimate interests of all Iraqis, and one that can unify the country’s fight against ISIL.
Today, Iraq took a promising step forward in this critical effort.   Last month, the Iraqi people named a new President.  Today, President Masum named a new Prime Minister designate, Dr. Haider al-Abadi.  Under the Iraqi constitution, this is an important step towards forming a new  government that can unite Iraq’s different communities.



Where did his common sense go?

The US government has done nothing to address the political crises.


And now some even crazier 'plans' are floated.  As we noted at Third in "Editorial: Congress has a plan for Mosul," US House Rep Brad Sherman's become all about the killing:



Mosul was seized by the Islamic State in June 2014.

The Iraqi government has been unable/unwilling to liberate it.

So all this time later, Mosul remains in the hands of the Islamic State.

But rest assured, Brad Sherman is on the job.

Last Wednesday, during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Sherman felt the need to pontificate to Barack Obama's Special Envoy Brett McGurk.


About?


Mosul.

Brad's bothered, you understand, by the electricity.

Why, he wanted to know, was the Iraqi government supplying civilians in Mosul with electricity?

Brad would just cut it off.

They've been occupied for almost two years.

Could be for two more years more as far as anyone knows.

But it don't bother Brad.

He also didn't understand why more bombs were not being dropped by the US and why, specifically, Mosul wasn't being bombed.

"Civilians!" the world collectively screams back.


Oh, Brad didn't forget about them.


He just doesn't give a damn about them.

Why when France was occupied, he insisted, the allies killed at least 90,000 civilians while they bombed.


Brad Sherman is deeply disturbed.

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BULLY BOY PRESS &  CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE

SPEAKING TO A GROUP OF JEWISH-AMERICANS IN FLORIDA, BILL CLINTON PROMISED THEM THAT IF CRANKY IS ELECTED PRESIDENT SHE WILL EMBRACE ISRAEL LIKE A LONG LOST LOVER IN 150 SHADES OF GREY.

REACHED FOR COMMENT BY THESE REPORTERS, CRANKY CLINTON DID NOT DENY HIS PROMISE BUT SAID "THAT'S JUST WHAT THEY SAY.  I MEAN, I WAS COURTING MIDDLE AGED VOTERS TODAY AND MET WITH MONICA LEWINSKY.  I SAID, 'MONS, WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO SECURE YOUR VOTE?  I'LL LET YOU GIVE ME HEAD.  I'LL STAIN YOUR BLUE DRESS.  ANYTHING.'  AND YOU KNOW I HATE HER.  AND YOU KNOW I WOULDN'T KEEP MY WORD BECAUSE, AFTER ALL, I AM CRANKY CLINTON.  BUT, YES, I WILL SAY ANYTHING TO GET HER VOTE.  HER VOTE OR ANYONE ELSE'S VOTE.  THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.  I LIE, YOU VOTE FOR ME, AND THEN I FORGET YOU."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

These bombings have gone on every day since August 2014.

And nothing's changed in Iraq.

Doubt it?

Here's Jan Kubis speaking to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday:

Persistent political polarization and divisions continue to hamper Prime Minister Abadi’s ability to advance the reform agenda, including in decentralisation and fighting corruption. The Prime Minister’s recent announcement aimed at establishing a more professional Cabinet with members selected on merit, and not on sectarian or political quotas, should be accompanied by accelerated implementation of a genuine political, security and economic reform package. The complex and deepening set of challenges before the country and its people requires that the political blocks finally work together in support of comprehensive and profound reforms, as they did when adopting the budget for 2016.

Iraq’s persistent and rapidly-deepening fiscal crisis and growing budget deficit, compounded by the security and humanitarian situation and drastic decline in global oil prices, has almost halved the State’s planned income since then, and the Kurdistan Region faces at least a situation as grave as that of Baghdad. Fiscal challenges are also likely to impact the fight against ISIL as a significant number of fighters, notably the Peshmerga, have not received salaries for several months.

I am mindful that if left unaddressed, such an unsustainable situation may seriously undermine the renewed morale of pro-government forces and confidence of the people, including youth, communities, minorities and IDPs that they can have a future in Iraq. And while the Governments in Baghdad and Erbil must rapidly prioritise and take full ownership over the state finances and reforms, I urge the international community to assist Iraq in overcoming these difficulties through increased technical support and funding, including through lending by international and regional financial institutions. Genuine economic reforms by the Governments in Baghdad and Erbil could pave the way to such financial and budgetary support.

Kubis is the special envoy to Iraq for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

He was noting the lack of progress on a political solution, the inability the Iraqi government has with any efforts towards political reconciliation.

Nothing has changed.

US President Barack Obama ordered the daily bombings of Iraq in August of 2014.

Months before that, June 19, 2014, he acknowledged the need for a political solution in Iraq.

US President Barack Obama:  Above all, Iraqi leaders must rise above their differences and come together around a political plan for Iraq’s future.  Shia, Sunni, Kurds -- all Iraqis -- must have confidence that they can advance their interests and aspirations through the political process rather than through violence.  National unity meetings have to go forward to build consensus across Iraq’s different communities.  Now that the results of Iraq’s recent election has been certified, a new parliament should convene as soon as possible.  The formation of a new government will be an opportunity to begin a genuine dialogue and forge a government that represents the legitimate interests of all Iraqis.

Now, it’s not the place for the United States to choose Iraq’s leaders.  It is clear, though, that only leaders that can govern with an inclusive agenda are going to be able to truly bring the Iraqi people together and help them through this crisis.  Meanwhile, the United States will not pursue military options that support one sect inside of Iraq at the expense of another.  There’s no military solution inside of Iraq, certainly not one that is led by the United States.  But there is an urgent need for an inclusive political process, a more capable Iraqi security force, and counterterrorism efforts that deny groups like ISIL a safe haven.

Not getting it?

Here he is still speaking on June 19, 2014:

But I don’t think there’s any secret that right now at least there is deep divisions between Sunni, Shia and Kurdish leaders.  And as long as those deep divisions continue or worsen, it’s going to be very hard for an Iraqi central government to direct an Iraqi military to deal with these threats.

And so we’ve consulted with Prime Minister Maliki, and we’ve said that to him privately.  We’ve said it publicly that whether he is prime minister, or any other leader aspires to lead the country, that it has to be an agenda in which Sunni, Shia and Kurd all feel that they have the opportunity to advance their interests through the political process.  And we’ve seen over the last two years, actually dating back to 2008, 2009 -- but I think worse over the last two years -- the sense among Sunnis that their interests were not being served, that legislation that had been promised around, for example, De-Ba’athification had been stalled. 

I think that you hear similar complaints that the government in Baghdad has not sufficiently reached out to some of the tribes and been able to bring them in to a process that gives them a sense of being part of a unity government or a single nation-state.  And that has to be worked through.

Nothing changes.

The wedge is still the same, the Sunnis are still persecuted.

Haider al-Abadi's done nothing to address that persecution.

Last week, Tim Arango (NEW YORK TIMES) reported:

When Iraqi ground forces and American aircraft began assaulting the city of Ramadi more than a month ago, Ghusoon Muhammed and her family fled to the government’s front line, as did many other Sunni Arab families who had been trapped for months. Soldiers sent her and the children one way, and her husband another, to be interrogated in a detention facility.

She has not seen him or heard from him since.   She and her children, who will most likely not be able to go home to Ramadi for months given the destruction, have been left to wait in a ramshackle tent camp here in Anbar Province.  She is desperate, and adamant: "The innocent people in jail need to be released!" she said.

Standing nearby on Sunday was another woman, Karima Nouri.  Her son an auto mechanic, was also taken away by the authorities, and she has had no word about him for weeks.  Ms. Nouri said the government considered civilians who remained in Ramadi to be sympathizers of the Islamic State.

Are we forgetting that one of the many complaints of the protesters was the disappearance of loved ones, seized by the Iraqi forces and vanished into no one knew where?  For that matter, the seizing of loved ones for no valid reason to begin with.

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BULLY BOY PRESS &   CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE

AGED SENATOR AND N.S.A. PIN UP DIANNE FEINSTEIN WENT ON JAKE TAPPER'S CNN SHOW MOMENTS AGO TO WHINE THAT HER FIRST SUPREME COURT NOMINATION WAS JUDGE RUTH BADER GINSBERG AND SHE REMEMBERS SENATOR HATCH AND SENATOR . . .

HEY, GRANDMA, WHO THE HELL CARES?

INSTEAD OF WHINING THAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE FILIBUSTERING TAKE A DAMN LESSON, GROW A SPINE AND MAYBE NEXT TIME AN UNQUALIFIED CLARENCE THOMAS GETS NOMINATED YOU CAN ACTUALLY KEEP THE STOOGE OFF THE COURT.

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

NONE DARE CALL IT REPORTING

or

THE JUDY MILLER AWARD GOES TO . . .

Anthony Deutsch (REUTERS) insists that "Islamic State militants attacked Kurdish forces in Iraq with mustard gas last year, in the first known use of chemical weapons in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, a diplomat said, after tests by the global chemical arms watchdog."

Chemical arms?

A single source?

Unnamed!

It's as though Judith Miller has moved over to REUTERS.

Could the Islamic State have done what they're now accused of?

Probably.

They are a terrorist organization.

But why the need to hide behind an anonymous source.

And why does it feel so much like propaganda created to inflame?

And hasn't this reporter being curiously close to a megaphone for the government at other times as well?


Blissfully unaware, he Tweets:

1.  Anthony Deutsch ‏@anotherdeutsch Feb 15

   Exclusive: Samples confirm Islamic State used mustard gas in Iraq - diplomathttp://reut.rs/1PWIJ5F  via @Reuters

   View summary 
   

   5 retweets 1 like

Ay-yi-yi



I wrote these words for everyone
Who struggles in their youth
Who won't accept deception
Instead of what is truth
It seems we lose the game,
Before we even start to play
Who made these rules? We're so confused
Easily led astray
Let me tell ya that
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
After winter, must come spring
Everything is everything
-- "Everything Is Everything," written by Lauryn Hill and Johari Newton, first appears on her THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL.



The Iraq War continues and, with it, the violence.  AFP notes that a "technical problem" is responsible for both the crash of an Iraqi military helicopter and the lives of 9 people.



And the US Defense Dept announced/claimed/asserted/bragged:



Strikes in Iraq
Rocket artillery and fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 20 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed seven ISIL rocket rails and an ISIL weapons cache.

-- Near Qaim, nine strikes struck an ISIL improvised explosive device facility, an ISIL logistics facility, an ISIL staging area, two ISIL internet cafes, two ISIL headquarters and an ISIL media headquarters.

-- Near Fallujah, a strike destroyed two ISIL vehicles, two ISIL heavy machine guns and an ISIL bunker.

-- Near Kirkuk, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL weapons cache and three ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Mosul, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL bunker.

-- Near Ramadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL front-end loader.

-- Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Tal Afar, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL bunker.


Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

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