Manchester Derby OCT 2011

Best football match that I have ever watched. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15325536.stm

NYPD Policing of Protest

NYPD are such a fine police force. The integration between the patrol, investigation, riot and intelligence units is fantastic. Having detectives at the protest provides strong evidence collection capabilities. The willingness to rapidly and in a targeted, aggressive fashion arrest those who want to be violent also dissipates any riot mentality on the part of the crowd. This allows peaceful protesters to make their voices heard.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e4e_1318648256

Iranian Plot

The two men also discussed killing the ambassador in a restaurant which the diplomat frequented.

In the aftermath of this plot (technically an act of war), a much more robust American policy towards Iran is required. Medium-Large scale military action should rightly be ruled out, but tougher sanctions are simply not sufficient. This is not to say America should once again embrace the illogic of the neo-conservatives, but the lack of credible American response to Iran's support for death squads in Iraq and attacks on coalition forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan have allowed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to come to perceive the US as both weak and impotent. This must change. Correspondingly, the US should exert more pressure in attempting to change the revolutionary guards behaviour. This could include tougher sanctions, financial seizure of foreign held Iranian government bank accounts and the consideration of targeted covert operations against revolutionary guard leadership linked to the plot, or even a petroleum blockade of Iran. The criminal affidavit apparently states

When the informant expressed concern that 100 to 150 people could be injured in a bombing of the restaurant, including “senators who dine there,” Arbabsiar said “no big deal.'

A materially activated plot against the US by Iranian agents is an act of war. War is not an option nor a preference but a serious American response is certainly required.

Hank Williams and Obama

In response to this.. 


ESPN's decision to scrap Hank Williams song 'All My Rowdy Friends Are Back for Monday Night' from their Monday Night Football intro was correct. National politics have no place in america's sports. Our sports represent the one great, social element of american society not infected by the rancour that typifies our current national discourse. In this sense, sports is the great unifier. Whether in baseball, basketball, football or hockey, in sports, only the game counts. We rightly expect our respective teams to reflect the best of our dynamic culture; mutual commitment to each other in the context of passionate, ultimately respectful competition. We must seperate our political dysfunction from our sports.

Counter-Terrorism

Counter-Terrorism operations are often lacking in the clinical effectiveness of today's reported operation against the Haqqani network and yesterday's operation against Awlaki. This is not down to failures on the part of Counter-Terrorism services, rather, the high degree of risk and luck that goes into any successful outcome. As this speaker shows..  He served on this operation.

Awlaki

I welcome the end of Anwar al-Awlaki

The killing of al-awlaki was necessary and legal. This is so because of the state of effective war between Al Qa'ida and the United States, the authority of the President as commander in chief to defend the US (following chapter 7 rights to self defense), alongside the lack of a judicial capacity in Yemen to deal with Al Qa'ida agents in alternative ways. Although targeted killing is clearly unpleasant and is far outside the usual codes of conduct for international affairs, in this case, with Awlaki's leadership and propagandist position posing a clear, growing threat to US national security (I will expand on this), today's action was necessary and as outlined above, also legal.

ISI support for Kabul Attack

The news that the ISI provided material support for the Haqqani network's attack on Kabul, is no shocker. The ISI supports anyone who serves their own short term (delusional) view of self-interest. The US Govt should launch a concerted effort to exert pressure on Pakistan's govt to end their support for terrorists.

UN - Palestinians, Israelis and the President

Good speech by the President. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/world/obama-united-nations-speech.html?_r=1&hp

Don't Ask Don't Tell / Israel

NYTimes carries a great article today on Military recruiting in the aftermath of DADT's repeal. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/us/marine-recruiters-visit-gay-center-in-oklahoma.html

Interesting piece on tensions between WH and Congress over Israel
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/world/middleeast/house-gop-finds-a-growing-bond-with-netanyahu.html

Obama's Budget

The President's budget is a joke. It counts savings from Iraq and Afghanistan.. it fails to make any substantial reforms to medicare/medicaid (obviously the political loss of raising the entitlement age was not worth the good it would do for the country) and it uses a class warfare narrative to raise taxes on the wealthy without instituting tax reform. At least the restrooms in the Republican caucus will be well stocked with paper. That's all this bill is good for..