Obama Choosing Turkey, Muslim Brotherhood And Hamas Over Israel

For the second day in a row, State Department spokesman Marie Harf was pressed on Turkey’s support for Hamas launching a coup in the West Bank so that it can better fight Israel. There is also grave concern over Turkey’s alleged harboring of a Hamas leader implicated in the kidnapping and subsequent murdering of three Israeli teenagers earlier this summer. For the second day in a row, Harf didn’t seem to have any answers.

State Dept. Spokesman Marie Harf

It should be noted that Turkey was behind the 2010 Gaza flotilla as well.

Via Washington Free Beacon:


A heated back-and-forth between reporters and Harf broke out at the State Department’s daily briefing on Monday and Tuesday when questions emerged about why the administration is going through with the transfer of U.S. missiles to Turkey while simultaneously holding up similar weapons shipments to Israel.

Harf again on Tuesday ducked questions by reporters asking if the U.S. government had conveyed concerns to Turkey over the plot.

“Do you have any concerns at all about the apparent role of Turkey in this?” AP reporter Matt Lee asked Harf.

“I don’t have any more details on this, Matt. I’m happy to check with our team,” Harf responded.

“Okay. Because I did ask this yesterday. You weren’t aware of the incident, but … now, the Israelis say that this is all being planned and funded from Turkish territory,” Lee followd up.

“Well, as I said, I think it involves some Hamas militants and cash, but let me check on that piece of it. I certainly have nothing to confirm that,” Harf told Lee.

“I’m most curious to know if you guys are planning to raise any concerns with the—I don’t know, maybe you don’t have any concerns … if you’ll raise them with the Turks,” Lee responded.

Harf responded that she would “check on that.”

Again, Harf defaulted back to the NATO alliance between the U.S. and Turkey:


“Turkey is also a NATO ally,” she told reporters. “So for all of us who are—talk a lot about the importance of the NATO alliance, particularly when it comes to Russia and Ukraine and what’s happening there, we think it’s important to provide our NATO allies with resources. We think that’s an important use of our resources. The two [cases] aren’t comparable, but those are the facts behind them, I would say.”

Regardless of where one stands on the issue of Russia and Ukraine, the fact is that a big factor there – especially in Crimea – has been Russia’s concerns over the Muslim tartars, which are allies of the Turks. Their heaviest population can be found in Crimea. Another dispute between Russia and Turkey is in Syria. Russia has been on the side of Bashar al-Assad and Turkey – like the U.S. – has been on the side of the opposition there.

That is, until now.

Now, Turkey is on the side of ISIS and the U.S. – whether it wants to acknowledge it or not – is on the side of Assad by default (the U.S. is fighting ISIS in Iraq).

Erdogan flanked on both sides by Hamas leadership.

Then, of course, we have the situation with Israel. As is the case in Egypt right now, Russia is aligning with anti-Muslim Brotherhood forces by siding with Gen. el-Sisi. The Obama administration has been siding with the Brotherhood there (siding with Turkey).

By aligning with Turkey, the U.S. is siding against Israel, increasingly so.

Add to that the issue of Hamas mentioned above.

Based on all the conflicts in the world today, Russia is closer to being a natural ally with Israel than is the U.S.

That’s sad and regardless of what complexities people would like to introduce into the argument telling us why the U.S. can’t exit NATO, there’s one simple reason it should.

The U.S. is increasingly against Israel the longer it’s with Turkey.

That’s a flat-out disastrous alliance, regardless of any high-minded political intricacies the ‘little people’ don’t understand.

Credit to Shoebat.com

ISIS horror show: Islamic State beheading vid and social media leverage

Air Defense Drills With Live Firing Under Way in South Russia

ASHULUK, August 19 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is carrying out air defense drills with live firing from S-300 and S-400 air defense systems at its Ashuluk testing range in the southern Astrakhan Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

The exercise involves some 800 Airspace Defense Forces servicemen and over 200 pieces of military hardware, including S-300 Favorit, S-400 Triumf and Pantsir-S air defense systems.

Military units, “responsible for air defense of Moscow and Central Russia,” take part in the exercise, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Igor Klimov said.

The S-300PS (SA-10 Grumble) model was introduced to Soviet armed forces in 1985. It features 5V55R missiles with an engagement range of up to 90 kilometers (56 miles) and designed to lock in on a target after launch using an active detection system that steers the missile directly at the target. An S-300 battalion comprises up to six mobile launchers, according to estimates by military experts.

The S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) air defense system is expected to form the cornerstone of Russia's air and missile defense by 2020.

The system can engage targets at a maximum range of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) at an altitude of 40,000-50,000 meters (130,000-165,000 feet). The system uses a range of missiles, and is optimized for engaging ballistic and cruise missiles.

The Pantsir S-1, produced by Russia’s KBP Instrument Design Bureau, is a gun-missile system combining a wheeled vehicle mounting a fire-control radar and electro-optical sensor, two 30-mm cannons and up to 12 57E6 radio-command guided short-range missiles. It is designed to take on a variety of targets flying at low altitudes, as well ground and water-surface threats.




Credit to RIA Novosti

Dangerous trip to Donetsk, as city prepares for more fighting

ISIS Beheads Captured American Journalist, Threatens To Kill Another

An American journalist, James Foley who was previously held captive by pro-Gaddafi forces for six weeks in Libya, was captured again in 2012 in Syria by - at the time 'unidentified' gunmen - which we now know was ISIS. James Foley - a freelance reporter from Boston - was kidnapped Thanksgiving Day 2012. We now know the sad ending of this young man's life. In the following shocking clip just released from ISIS, Foley explains - at the point of a blade - "I call on my friends, family members and loved ones to rise up against my real killers, the U.S. government" - and is then gruesomely beheaded. In the last few minutes, the captor shows another poor soul.

James Foley in 2012

And the gruesome clip (fwd to 2:00 for Foley's speech) - a warning - at the end, this clip is not for the faint of heart.

Foley's monologue, as delivered under duress:

I call on my friends, family, and loved ones to rise up against my real killers, the US government. For what will happen to me is only a result of their complacency and criminality.

My message to my beloved parents, save me some dignity, and don't accept some meagre compensation, for my death, from the same people who effectively hit the last nail in my coffin with their recent aerial campaign in Iraq.

I call on my brother John, who is a member of the US air force. Think about what you are doing, think about the lives you destroy, including those of your own family. I call on you John, think about who made the decision to bomb Iraq recently and kill those people, whoever they may have been. Think John, who did they really kill? And did they think about me, you, our family when they made that decision?

I died that day John, when your colleagues dropped that bomb on those people they signed my death certificate. I wish I had more time. I wish I could have the hope of freedom and seeing my family once again. But that ship has sailed. I guess all in all I wish I wasn't American.

And at the very end, ISIS threatens to kill another journalist,Steven Sotloff

Credit to Zero Hedge

Drought covers nearly 99.8% of California

Drought conditions may have leveled off across California, but nearly 100% of the state remains in the third-harshest category for dryness, according to the latest measurements.

For the past two weeks, California's drought picture has remained the same, halting a steady march toward worse. But the breather has allowed the state to recover only ever so slightly.

In May, 100% of California was experiencing "severe" drought -- the third harshest on a five-level scale -- but since things have leveled off, that figure has only improved to 99.8%, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor report.

Meanwhile, nearly 82% of California continues to suffer "extreme" drought, and within that area, more than half the state is under the driest "exceptional" drought category.

The figures comes as the state Water Resources Control Board authorized strict fines for water wasters in July as part of the latest conservation effort.

As cities across California start enforcing penalties with renewed gusto for over-watering, residents have felt the consequences -- some incurring huge fines, others annoyed with browning neighborhood lawns.

In Santa Cruz, residents who incur penalties can even attend one-time classes instead of paying fees -- the water equivalent of traffic school.

As images of dry lake beds and muddy streams continue to proliferate, forecasters warn hope for relief has dimmed somewhat.

The latest long-term forecast shows the chances of a wet El Niño weather pattern starting this fall has decreased to about 65%, and if it does arrive, it will probably be weaker than originally expected

Credit to Latimes.com

Average Price of Ground Beef Hits All-Time High

The average price for all types of ground beef per pound hit its all-time high -- $3.884 per pound -- in the United States in July, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
That was up from $3.880 per pound in June. A year ago, in July 2013, the average price for a pound of ground beef was $3.459 per pound. Since then, the average price for a pound of ground beef has gone up 42.1 cents--or about 12 percent.
Five years ago, in July 2009, the average price for a pound of ground beef was $2.147, according to the BLS. In those five years, the average price has climbed by $1.737 per pound--or almost 81 percent.
Along with the average price data, the BLS calculates a consumer price index, which is a “tool that simplifies the measurement of movements in a numerical series,” explains BLS. “An index for 110, for example, means there has been a 10-percent increase in price since the reference period.”

The consumer price index for seasonally adjusted uncooked ground beef was 270.724 in July, which is down slightly from the all-time high of 271.726 in the previous month of June. When BLS began tracking this index in January of 1947, the index stood at 26.5.
The CPI is simply the average change over time in prices paid by consumers for a market basket of goods and services.
The seasonally-adjusted price index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs also hit an all-time high in July, according to BLS.
In January 1967, when the BLS started tracking this measure, the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs was 38.1. As of last July, it was 236.147. By this January, it hit 240.006. By June, it hit 253.318. And, in July, it climbed to a record 254.174.

“The food index rose 0.4 percent in July, its fifth increase at least that large in the last 6 months,” states the BLS. “The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs has increased 7.6 percent over the [last 12 months] and the index for dairy and related products has risen 4.3 percent.”

Credit to CNS