ISRAELI MOUSE ROARS AS US EAGLE SWOONS- When the next Gibbon writes "The Rise and Fall of the American Empire" President Obama's and US Congress's pandering to Israeli in May of 2011 should used as a highlight in the sad tale of America's demise' How a pip-squeak theocratic bloody state like Israel with pretenses of democracy can bend the US to its warped wishes is example how the "land of the free and the home of the brave' accepted a self destructive path.

The most recent theatrical performance staring Obama and Netanyahu was a four-act play staged this May over several days. At this point it is judged a comedy, but its long term implication can be a tragedy for both the USA and Israel.
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American educated Netanyahu comes across as an arrogant fella , corpulent with a double chin; he has the skills of Meyer Lansky, the dash of Bugsy Siegal and the scruples Bad-Eye Zalutsky. With this buzz saw persona, he stands in contrast to the Bambi-like Obama...a man that can deliever a glorious speech to which normally no one pays any attention
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Act I consisted of Obama's speech at the US State Department. Its aim was to articulate a new US policy in the Mid East as the old one was rapidly falling to pieces. Thrust of speech was encourage democracy by bombarding he area with aid and cure the running sore of Israeli/Palestine occupation with new peace talks. In this connection Obama called for negotiations that used the 1967 Israeli Palestine borders as a basis of the new talks with agreed territorial swaps'.

At least the Israelis listened to his speech this time-its powerful lobby in the US erupted in anguish over Obama's proposal especially on the eve of Netanyahu's visit to the US. It stormed the US media. All this outrage, despite Obama's promise to insure Israeli security.

Act II is Natanyahu and Obama;s meeting in the White House. It was a tense meeting in which the Israeli rejected Obama's proposal s publicly, concurrently with Israelis back home announcing more illegal settlements. It was ugly and corrosive meeting. At best I can see , Obama just turned the other cheek and failed to get even a good will gesture from Netanyahu,as the Israeli huffed puffed and bullied in camera.

Act III is when Obama immediately went to speak be the AMERICAN ISRAEL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE, the biggest American Jewish lobby in the US. Apparently Obama went to the meeting waving a white flag-. He backed down on the emphasis on the 1967 borders and emphasized negotiating new borders using agreed territorial swaps.

Obama apparently needs American Jews politically. 73 percent voted for him in the last election and they possess enormous influence in the media and the entertainments They make major contributions to his campaign; hence the surrender. He pays them off by political appointments, a supreme court justice-3 billion plus to Israel in aid. and embarrassing diplomatic and military support to cover Israel's reckless policies.

Netanyahus was scheduled to speak at the same AIPAC meeting, but that was anticlimactic--Natanyahu there expectedly would evoke the same mindless joy that Sarah Palin does when she speaks gibberish to Republican evangelists.

Act IV was to be Netanyahu's moment in the sun; it was to come before a joint session of Congress. There he enraptured the US law makers who honored him with 4 more standing ovations than accorded Obama at his recent state of the union speech. The Arabs took note.

Those congressmen and senators probably did pandering for the same sick reasons that Obama scuttled his own policy at AIPAC. It is obvious to most that blind support of Israel is not in American interests, but certainly in the interests of US politicians
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Israeli news sources reported that Netanyahus polls went up by 14 points in Israel. No reports on Obama's polls in the US for the same period in May.

Change in the Middle East has not been kind to Israel. A big hole in their Gaza blockade was made by opening permanently the Rafah crossing into Egypt.The military junta in Egypt is working closely with the Muslim Brotherhood. Lebanon is now run by Hetzbollah-their rockets resupplied with more with bigger payload and ranges. The UN General Assembly is prepared to recognize a Palestine state in September . Arab birthrate inside current Israeli borders far exceeds the Jewish rate..

Time is not on the Israel side. Even the Turks, long time friends, have severed relations with them over the murder of Turks.

George Mitchel quit as US envoy to the peace process just before Obama's speech at the State Department--he got no support from the Obama administration to stop Israeli settlements. No cooperation in negotiations by Palestine until that happens. US has leverage as it insures the loans on the settlements.

For the US to change its one-sided policy with Israel ,change must come from outside. A time when expediency exceeds ideology will set the change. There is no mutual defense treaty between the US and Israel-so there is no need to abrogate anything legislatively.Just the US needs to get practical and sane and pursue self interest..--Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret

BIN LADEN KILLED-NOW WHAT ? The killing of Bin Laden by US Forces has incredibly caused serious troubles for US policy makers. Not only did they bungle the post operational media coverage immediatly after Bin Laden was killed, but they continue to leak stories about him that focus his sex habits and dream aspirational plans,most of which appear dated a few years ago.

It is as if there is an atempt to hide the truth in a media smoke screen. The secret burial of the terrorist's corpse at sea and the failure to publish the proof of death photos add foolishly to the mystery and hollowness of the US official version of events.


The reason most given for the disposal of the body so quickly and privately was that this conduct would complicte the martydom of Bin laden by his followers.

You do not need a body to create a martyr--the Christians have done a remarkable job without the body of Jesus Christ. As far as those who will make a martyr of Bin laden , they will do it with his body or without it.

By this time after Iraq invasion and Abu Gharib and killing of non combatants with bombs in Afghanistan ,with hellfire missiles from drones in Pakistan, there is not much inluence left over the islamic people by the US.

The only hope the US has is the Jihadist brand of Islam is more onerous than the Yankees. There are also bribes, but the influence they buy is short term as we are learning in Iraq..

About the only thing that we have been told about Bin laden's discovery in Abbottabad is that US intelligence followed the spoor of Bin Laden's trusted courier to his doorstep. This may be true, but it is hard to believe that the US acted on one source only. And risked a complicated raid just on a single courier source.

It is no accident that the Pakistani Taliban or Jihadist turned first to the Pakistan Army to revenge Bin Laden death last Friday killing .over 80 of the Pakistan military forces. They certainly believed the Pakistani Army withdrew its support from Bin Laden. Hopefully CIA got a source in the Pakistan Army who could not resist the big reward money.

If this is true, the Agency deserves the admiration of the American people instead of the usual opprobrium of the "The Gang that cannot shoot straight " Remember SLAM DUNK on WMD in Iraq.? Hanging out Valerie Plame ? GWB's Torture Club and mis targeting of drones in Pakistan.

Pakistan parliement just passed a non-binding resolution which demands the US stop the drone attacks in Pakistan. It had the votes of the ruling party and opposition. Otherwise the US supply routes to Afghanistan throiugh Pakistan will stopped if the drone attacks continue.

There is some sort of Kabuki going on now in Pakistan. Both the US and Pakistan wear masks of bruised feelings--Pakistan over the raid-US over hiding Bin laden. It will settled as too much money involved both in foreign aid and juicy war contracts.Senator Kerry. US Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will not let a deal slip through his fingers--sadly whatever the cost.

Curiously Kerry was sent to negoiate, not Hillary.

One thing the Pakistan Army has to be concerned over is US Special Forces raid on their nuc weapons.The US certainly now demonstrated the capability in the latest raid.

With the demise of Bin Laden the US has a perfect excuse to end the occupation of Afghanistan--at two billion dollars a week in spending on the war. there it is certainly an incentive. It also would allow President Obama to make first payment on his Nobel Peace Prize--just one small step in curbing rampant hipocrasy that has flooded his administration.

The US policy has collapsed in the Middle East. These Arab states are not moving toward democracy, but rather toward Islamic rule or a brand of Baathist socialism.--Obama tossed Egypt Mubarek to the mob; his authoritarian allies Yemen and Baharian are killing their subjects as fast they can--distabilization of Syria cannot help the region. Israel is now facing a united Palestine movement brokered by new Egypt--Israel just killed 15 Palestinians along its different borders. In Libya NATO/US is killing to prevent killing--Gaddafi's response to choke France and Italy with Third World refugees.

With Bin Laden's. death , it appears things are just getting started from the Arab standpoint. Despite a bump in the polls, Osama did not rescue Obama. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret,

BIN LADEN DEAD DEAD DEAD--After nearly 10 years , three and half wars, trillions of dollar spent, over 100,000 of foreign civilians killed,thousands of US servicemen killed or permanently damaged, the US finally killed bin Laden.

It was a high price to kill the snake, but the US got its pound of flesh. Apart from revenge,justice or retribution, whatever all this is worth, bin Laden managed to hatch his serpent eggs and his organization is now world wide , scattered regionally, multiplied, ope rationing semi-independently.


Failure by GWBush/Rumsfeld to nail bin Laden at Tora Bora early in the Afghan war will go down in history as a big military blunder. GWB and his Israeli fixated Neocons were staging for the invasion of Iraq and could not spare the troops needed to bloc bin Laden's escape--this was despite repeated requests from US forces on the ground at Tora Bora. Since then one can argue the al Qaeda has done more damage since 9/11. and continued develop it's potential. An estimated 500 billion was spent on damages apart from the wars.

Reports indicate the compound where he lived or was hiding for about 6 years in Abbottobad Pakistan had no Internet or hard wire lines. He apparently used couriers-the slowest and most unreliable of communication systems. He may have well used carrier pigeons, semaphore flags or Indian smoke signals. As the US Army Signal Corps slogan goes "If you ain't got communications, you ain't got nothing."


Apparently bin Laden 's house was stashed with computers, disks and telephone numbers that when exploited may provide serious leads. Why the Administration announced that it seized this material is beyond me. It is almost as it provided the terrorist network a heads up.


Curiously, less the $1000.00 was found during the raid.. There were no gold or silver bars or precious gems. You have to wonder how he paid his grocery bills,especially with 22 children and three wive to feed. One thing for certain with all those offspring, his DNA will survive. His house was a breeding center.


There is no question that the Pakistani Army knew the location of bin Laden. By any standard the building was lightly defended. The raid lasted 40 minutes with explosions, helicopters roaring around and the rattle of the battle with small arms fire--very hard to ignore, yet no Pakistani military or constabulary interfered.


Ben Laden was surprised and unarmed, so he felt secure before he was hit. This was despite the fact the Seals practiced for a year on a full scale mock-up of the building on a US base in Afghanistan. Pakistani intelligence would not ignore this. The double dealing comes into play if the Pakistanis dropped a dime on Bin Laden for whatever reason. Maybe bin Laden did not pay his bills or stopped his bribes.


I believe the Pakistanis were involved both in hiding and the raid. We will see how the US diplomatic relationship with Pakistan proceeds now after the raid. If there is a rupture I am wrong; if there are just minor adjustments and business as usual, I am right.


Apart from the intrigue, the raid was a remarkable success.--MISSION REALLY ACCOMPLISHED. The Seals involved should all be promoted and decorated. That there were no leaks in Washington of operation in view of five national security meetings. VEEP Biden, a well documented blow hard, even made a public point of no leaks in the operation.

The Obama administration fell apart on the media/press management of the raid. It changed it story a few times; had officials speaking off different talking points and provided too much detail that could be used by the Jihadists.

It reminded me of giddy school girls with a juicy morsel.. Five days after the raid the administration , announced that it did not want to talk about the operation any longer. Good luck !


There were around 80 personnel involved in the operation,so it is just a matter of time we learn what really happened--there will be leaks and more photos Until then ,without physical proof of death, Hollywood's Oliver Stone will give us his version--like Elvis impersonators ,we may see new Bin Ladens appear while Bin Laden ,a sand Arab , sleeps among the fish in the Arabian Sea.

Reportedly the US has little credibility in Pakistan, so anything it says will be rejected by the Pakistan people.

Another way to get rid of the corpse was to drop his body in front of a Jihad mosque in Pakistan with a sign around his neck--YOU GAVE HIM SANCTUARY--YOU BURY THE SON OF A BITCH.---Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret.

OBAMA's NEW NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM--MUSICAL CHAIRS IN HIGH PLACES--This week President Obama announced a"new" national security team--If you expect positive change from this restructuring of personalities, forget it. The kindest thing that can be said is that is old sour wine in new bottles.

Leon Panneta changed his CIA Director chair for higher chair of Secretary of Defense; SECDEF Gates will try to fade away in retirement except when summoned for bad advice by those in Washington who reject official good advice.

Panetta was eaten alive by the CIA bureaucracy--increased deadly drone employment in Pakistan by over 200 percent during his tenure. And he protected the CIA Torture Club from prosecution'. On the positive side CIA analysis has improved ,albeit the decision makers do not appear to listen--take the Libyan war as the latest example.


When asked by congress why he increased drone attacks when they kill mostly non combatants. he wrapped himself in the flag and said he was defending America. This reply was nonsense. Diplomatic relations are unravelling with Pakistan over indiscriminate use of drones and as more non combatants are killed , terrorists against the US multiply.


At DEFENSE, Panetta just does not have deadly drones, he comparatively gets massive kill nuclear weapons on subs, missiles, and aircraft--he also has an Army , Navy and Air force and he can deploy paratroopers and Marines anywhere at a moments notice. Kinda makes you cringe when you think about it.

He fancies himself a man of congress-an amiable piasano, a warm fella with a shoeshine, a smile and glad hand--it remains to be see whether he ends more wars than he starts--keep your expectations low. Like Gates, he will get along with his military as long as it can keep its sacred cows,ie, wars and weapons. Like Gates he will cut the defense budget ,but spread it out over 10 years.--an extended time period when anything can happen so it can be changed by the future leadership.


General David Petraeus, aka by me as Saveus Petreaus, appointment at CIA explains the mystery of why he accepted the command US/NATO in Afghanistan stepping down from from a higher CENTCOM command--he took his sub ordinate's General Mc Crystal's job when Obama relieved him. Classic career case of step backwards and the two steps forward.


Based on hearsay ,Petraeus was washed up for biggest military jobs at the Joint Chief of staff or Chief of Staff of the Army. He had become the darling of the Neocons and high profile glory hound with his absurd counter insurgency strategy of surging more troops and more bribes for the local insurgents.--when the money and troops stop coming, like a big ponzi scheme, the strategy collapses--look at broken Iraq today or even better tomorrow. Eleven American troops died there this April.


My sense is that Petraeus and the Neocons brokered a deal with Obama to put Petraeus in CIA if he covered the President in Afghanistan after McCrystal's abrupt relief of command. Some contend that Obama put Petraeus at CIA to eliminate as a possible VEEP candidate in 2012--Patraeus is even less qualified for high political office than Sarah Palin, Donald Trump or Donald Duck. Military men traditionally are elected as president in the US only if they win wars. Petraeus just prolongs them.


Patraeus at CIA really is not a smart choice. With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq still cooking, you do not want to hear a Patraeus warped view of situation defending his past actions now carrying a CIA portfolio. Stuff like the trajectory of the wars is good or there is progress, but gains are fragile and can be reversed is weasel word bullshit that is used to cover failure.


Obama, in Petraeus, has at best appointed an uncertain trumpet at CIA or at worst, one who undermines intelligence for his own or Neocon purposes. Remember the corruption of Slam Dunk Tenet and where it led.


The Penetta and Petraeus appointments are the most important in the recent Obama realignment as they bare the most on policy formulation

Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen's was replaced b Marine General Carthwright. Mullen will be remembered and not forgiven as the highest rank military officer who endorsed gays in the military. His deployment of aircraft carriers bottled up in the Persian Gulf is also questioned especially in the event of hostilities with Iran

As Petraeus assumes control of CIA he will probably bring some of his strange entourage with him. Now that General McCrystal has been rehabilitated again, do not be surprised if he does not turn up at CIA.

As you know Petraeus prides himself as a big idea man. Part of this concept apparently is an obsession for physical fitness. He jogs with his cohorts miles every day.. So under his new regime at CIA, pot- bellied gentlemen and plush-bottomed ladies need not apply. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret.