U.S. Spy Chief Admits That There May Be More Edward Snowdens In The Future

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxDEpu-RdAkEnEUOPiHt5zBIW37BsaK9hz6X9yweyyM6gRynN2msEAcepNWaBfPBnDJ3MTCwaoIw9PHOaBksEFUNVfk6O_6cMiAQhyRRzeiS4NkkPVXzk_GmTdT55QGMsSQeAqfiJOEwU/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxDEpu-RdAkEnEUOPiHt5zBIW37BsaK9hz6X9yweyyM6gRynN2msEAcepNWaBfPBnDJ3MTCwaoIw9PHOaBksEFUNVfk6O_6cMiAQhyRRzeiS4NkkPVXzk_GmTdT55QGMsSQeAqfiJOEwU/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">President Barack Obama greets James Clapper, his nominee for director of national intelligence, in the Oval Office, Saturday, June 5, 2010. Photo credit: Pete Souza</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Spy Chief James Clapper: We Can’t Stop Another Snowden -- Eli Lake, Daily Beast</b></span></div><br /><i>President Obama's Director of National Intelligence spent his life protecting secrets. Then came the biggest leak of all.</i><br /><br />Every morning at around 4:30 a.m., James Clapper wakes up and prepares for the worst job in Washington. He is the nation’s top intelligence officer at a time when the intelligence community is derided because it can’t keep its secrets, and loathed because some of the secrets it has tried to hide concern the same American citizens it was charged with protecting. Thanks to rogue contractor Edward Snowden, the machinations of the shadow bureaucracy Clapper heads have for the last eight months been exposed one news story at a time. Clapper is often the guy who has to call newspaper editors to tell them not to print stories that they usually publish anyway.<br /><br />Clapper, 72, a 51 year veteran in the intelligence community, is also the first director of national intelligence to hold the post when the annual intelligence budgets are being slashed instead of fattened. (Between 2002 and 2010 the annual intelligence community budget doubled from around $40 billion to $80 billion.) Add to this the fact that the legal authority Clapper needs to command the 16 intelligence agencies under his control is murky at best. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/23/spy-chief-we-can-t-stop-another-snowden.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> A little public honesty from spy chief James Clapper in this puff piece from Eli Lake.

U.S. Spy Chief Admits That There May Be More Edward Snowdens In The Future

President Barack Obama greets James Clapper, his nominee for director of national intelligence, in the Oval Office, Saturday, June 5, 2010. ...

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Poof! All Your Bitcoins Are Belong To Us

Holy crap!<br /><br />I think it's a reasonable thing to say that I am DAMN glad I don't have one thin dime invested in those things.<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/cameronkeng/2014/02/25/bitcoins-mt-gox-shuts-down-loses-409200000-dollars-recovery-steps-and-taking-your-tax-losses/"><br /><b>Bitcoin's Mt. Gox Shuts Down, Loses $409,200,000 Dollars -- Recovery Steps and Taking Your Tax Losses</b></a></blockquote><blockquote>Mt. Gox’s shutdown is circulating like wildfire. Its repercussions are being felt throughout the world. Mt. Gox was the most public and well-known brand that represented Bitcoin’s exchange market. The company’s shutdown is rumored to be caused by a “hack” or “security breach” that resulted in a loss up to 744,000 BTC or $409,200,000 Dollars. (Based on the approximate value just hours ago from Coindesk.com) This is truly an unfortunate event that has caused the international community to shake its trust in Bitcoin as evidenced by the massive price drop. This is par the course, when a pillar in the community falls in such a funeral pyre. The best parallel would be the Bear Stearns’ failure during the 2008 global financial crisis. Hopefully, Bitcoin won’t follow in the financial system’s footsteps post-Bear Stearns.</blockquote><br />Here is a handy chart that illustrates what happened to the value of a Bitcoin yesterday.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBuWMr4fKZB835EsEhgen6uUImJQYsRDvpac0z9oPca-NtyXlZ5nV-gFyE8NROixPrhfrJIymXlEDhzfUyqd0ZaaExBYerFW7B2eDx2wV7lYgaTS4eP8rVq1IyBkq0xRgo9vs6jvoPhjT/s1600/Screen-Shot-2014-02-25-at-1.53.40-AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBuWMr4fKZB835EsEhgen6uUImJQYsRDvpac0z9oPca-NtyXlZ5nV-gFyE8NROixPrhfrJIymXlEDhzfUyqd0ZaaExBYerFW7B2eDx2wV7lYgaTS4eP8rVq1IyBkq0xRgo9vs6jvoPhjT/s640/Screen-Shot-2014-02-25-at-1.53.40-AM.png" /></a></div><br />Basically, if you had a bunch of those, they are either gone or worth one hell of a lot less.<br /><br /><br /><br />409 million dollars worth disappeared yesterday,causing panic and the price crashed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimESgXgC3eXoevoSouG6TWN6ORlDOu9BRz3pkKAbigCifKWkQZepe9wxrH3EY8ANDC4mvjMPNDKVM845do83mMEYNrJJnRGgxNEMiJHSL4L6pkqwEZYG7bO7qnZoBeHvia4W7aM25dIWdH/s1600/computer-theft-hacker-protection-1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimESgXgC3eXoevoSouG6TWN6ORlDOu9BRz3pkKAbigCifKWkQZepe9wxrH3EY8ANDC4mvjMPNDKVM845do83mMEYNrJJnRGgxNEMiJHSL4L6pkqwEZYG7bO7qnZoBeHvia4W7aM25dIWdH/s640/computer-theft-hacker-protection-1000.jpg" /></a></div><br />I'm thinking this is a damn good instructional moment here for me personally.<br /><br />I need to get some intangible currency. I can certainly imagine waking up some day in the not too distant future to find out that a roll of toilet paper will do me more good than a fist full of dollar bills. I certainly don't trust the banking system even though I use it.<br /><br />I don't know of any employers who pay in cash and still withhold taxes and such.<br />They either pay by paper check or electronic deposit.<br /><br />I actually had someone gift me some Bitcoins several years ago when they first came out but I had no freakin' clue about what to do with them. They had absolutely no value to me.<br />I put 'em in some electronic wallet thingy and then promptly lost the location and password for it.<br />Writing it down didn't do me a bit of good either because that's back when I was hittin' the bottle really hard and I know that info got tossed. They didn't cost me anything and I'm not out anything the way I see it.<br /><br />There are a whole bunch of people out there right now who just found out the hard way what imaginary money is really worth.<br /><br />Even worthless paper money is good for starting fires if it has no other value.<br /><br /><br />

Poof! All Your Bitcoins Are Belong To Us

Holy crap! I think it's a reasonable thing to say that I am DAMN glad I don't have one thin dime invested in those things. Bitcoin&#...

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Does President Obama Prefer To Spend Money On Food Stamps Than On The Military?

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zZUq-Yduhvo" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cheney: Obama Would ‘Much Rather Spend The Money On Food Stamps’ Than Military -- Daily Caller</b></span></div><br />Former Vice President Dick Cheney responded Monday night to the Obama administration’s proposal to cut the U.S. Army to its lowest point since before World War II.<br /><br />Calling into Fox News’ “Hannity,” Cheney declared the proposed cuts to be “absolutely dangerous” and “just devastating.”<br /><br />“I have not been a strong supporter of Barack Obama. But this really is over the top. It does enormous long-term damage to our military,” Cheney said. ”They act as though it is like highway spending and you can turn it on and off. The fact of the matter is he is having a huge impact on the ability of future presidents to deal with future crises that are bound to arise.”<br /><br /><b><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/24/cheney-obama-much-rather-spend-the-money-on-food-stamps-than-the-military/">Read more</a></b> .....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> Sorry Vice President Cheney .... elections have consequences .... and the American people have spoken. They rather have money for food stamps than allocating money to the military. Is this a wise policy .... probably not .... but we live in a democracy and this is what the majority of Americans want.

Does President Obama Prefer To Spend Money On Food Stamps Than On The Military?

Cheney: Obama Would ‘Much Rather Spend The Money On Food Stamps’ Than Military -- Daily Caller Former Vice President Dick Cheney responded M...

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History's Greatest Aircraft Carrier

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1o8YT4RUGUq0Oub6qfEibsrNHMTU691m3iATjMTHqooGZfCr3_sGnEnHIT4zj5LPfIzgcgs2xBmvRgIjs2UaUvJ0i1pl0sOOhKpT7XjPF6hWvRGd5lauFmFL9iDT4jlipb2M3ed_-35kY/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1o8YT4RUGUq0Oub6qfEibsrNHMTU691m3iATjMTHqooGZfCr3_sGnEnHIT4zj5LPfIzgcgs2xBmvRgIjs2UaUvJ0i1pl0sOOhKpT7XjPF6hWvRGd5lauFmFL9iDT4jlipb2M3ed_-35kY/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">USS Enterprise (CV-6) making 20 knots during post-overhaul trials in Puget Sound, Washington, 13 September 1945.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_%28CV-6%29"> Wikipedia</a></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Five Greatest Aircraft Carriers of All Time -- James Holmes, National Interest</b></span></div><br />Anyone who's tried to compare one piece of kit—ships, aircraft, weaponry of various types—to another will testify to how hard this chore is. Ranking aircraft carriers is no exception. Consulting the pages of Jane's Fighting Ships or Combat Fleets of the World sheds some light on the problem. For instance, a flattop whose innards house a nuclear propulsion plant boasts virtually unlimited cruising range, whereas a carrier powered by fossil fuels is tethered to its fuel source. As Alfred Thayer Mahan puts it, a conventional warship bereft of bases or a coterie of logistics ships is a "land bird" unable to fly far from home.<br /><br />Or, size matters. The air wing—the complement of interceptors, attack planes and support aircraft that populate a carrier's decks—comprise its main battery or primary armament. The bigger the ship, the bigger the hangar and flight decks that accommodate the air wing.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/the-five-greatest-aircraft-carriers-all-time-9916">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> No disagreement on the choice. For more info on this great aircraft carrier's history, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_%28CV-6%29">go here.</a></b>

History's Greatest Aircraft Carrier

USS Enterprise (CV-6) making 20 knots during post-overhaul trials in Puget Sound, Washington, 13 September 1945. Wikipedia The Five Greates...

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Would President Obama Still Use Force In Iran?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aRXBd0g390JROVSpyvNKoIoaHPrUj_6iXH29KwK5AIoozs6NNKGMCZ2cUxd4Lg3V0_Xvkx23VZqYBmAAd2PJCdc0y0HeNvN1ZEI14gisiAYKlVMLHV6P4aW-fGzJc0Rf9UynvSCKWZA7/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aRXBd0g390JROVSpyvNKoIoaHPrUj_6iXH29KwK5AIoozs6NNKGMCZ2cUxd4Lg3V0_Xvkx23VZqYBmAAd2PJCdc0y0HeNvN1ZEI14gisiAYKlVMLHV6P4aW-fGzJc0Rf9UynvSCKWZA7/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">President Obama in the Situation Room. Pete Souza/White House</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, Obama Would Use Force in Iran -- Jeffrey Goldberg , Bloomberg</span></b></div><br />A question I'm frequently asked -- several times a week during periods when the Barack Obama administration is especially focused on achieving a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis -- goes something like this: “Do you still believe that there are circumstances in which President Obama would use military force to stop Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, given that [choose one, or more] he didn’t enforce his own chemical weapons red line on Syria; he’s so eager for any sort of substantial achievement in the Middle East that he’s ready to make a bad deal with the Iranians; he’s abandoning the U.S.'s Sunni and Jewish allies in the Middle East in favor of Iran’s Shia; he is himself secretly a Shia, through a distant relative on his mother’s side?”<br /><br />The answer is, yes, I still believe that there are circumstances in which Obama would use force to stop Iran from gaining possession of a nuclear weapon. It's no secret that he prefers a diplomatic solution (one brought about by a crippling sanctions regime he orchestrated with significant help from Congress) to this problem. It is also no secret that he believes a military strike might have unintended consequences that could actually lead to a redoubling of the Iranian effort to cross the nuclear finish line. But there are certainly circumstances -- two immediately come to mind -- in which I think he would use force to prevent the Middle East from falling into a destructive spiral of nuclear proliferation.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-21/yes-obama-would-use-force-in-iran.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> I just do not see such a scenario breaking out (President Obama ordering a military strike on Iran). This would be a war of choice .... and after Iraq this is something that the American public and especially President Obama would be loathed to undertake .... even in the worst scenario. If there is a scenario in which U.S. forces would become engaged against Iran .... it would be a scenario in which Iranian forces have launched an overt attack against U.S. allies in the Middle East.

Would President Obama Still Use Force In Iran?

President Obama in the Situation Room. Pete Souza/White House Yes, Obama Would Use Force in Iran -- Jeffrey Goldberg , Bloomberg A question ...

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Will Russia Annex Crimea?

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jwAeqHyvyIU" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>New Ukraine Leader Pleads For Unity As Protesters In Crimea Shout 'Russia, Russia' And Experts Say Moscow Might ANNEX Territory To Protect Its Naval Bases -- Daily Mail</b></span></div><br />* Olexander Turchynov has warned of the dangers of separatism<br />* It comes as pro-Russian crowds gather in southern region of Crimea<br />* Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko also reveals he will stand in election<br />* Former Kremlin advisor warns annexation could happen within a week<br />* Move would be similar to Nazi Germany's takeover of Austria, he said<br />* Vladimir Putin 'sweeping aside Western warnings and preparing troops'<br />* Dmitry Medvedev said he did recognise new authorities in Kiev<br /><br />Ukraine's new leader has made a desperate plea for unity as experts warn Russia might annex the increasingly tense region of Crimea.<br /><br />Interim President Olexander Turchynov warned of the dangers of separatism following the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych.<br /><br />Addressing parliament, Mr Turchynov said he would meet law enforcement agencies to discuss the risk of separatism in regions with large ethnic Russian populations.<br /><br />Separatism was a 'serious threat', he said.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2567060/Is-Russia-plotting-send-army-annex-Crimea-Former-Kremlin-adviser-warns-Ukrainian-port-Sebastopol-targeted-week.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> Crimea is 99% Russian .... and it has always been Russian. If a poll for independence (or unification with Russia) was to be done today .... it would garner an overwhelming percentage of the vote. The fact that it now belongs to Ukraine was a decision made by the Communist leadership in the 1950s as a sign of "friendship". My prediction .... if the Ukrainian nationalists who have taken over Kiev pursue an aggressive anti-Russian agenda (banning the language, discriminatory laws, etc.) .... that vote and push for independence or reunification with Russia is all but guarantee.

Will Russia Annex Crimea?

New Ukraine Leader Pleads For Unity As Protesters In Crimea Shout 'Russia, Russia' And Experts Say Moscow Might ANNEX Territory To P...

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With The Olympic Games Over, Will Putin Pursue A More Aggressive Domestic And Foreign Policy?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflC05KHKhTzdCdGUwSylTFZP8BzPQI8rJ8wKi38rYpf6_EwRqbSaoS8Am9k_soVVg9ylKhBQiiBlqTfht9DcPjKIBbo57WNIHVbEBFa3MiS05k13VB0uqzbKShpHGQMz8zipX8P7ByNzE/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflC05KHKhTzdCdGUwSylTFZP8BzPQI8rJ8wKi38rYpf6_EwRqbSaoS8Am9k_soVVg9ylKhBQiiBlqTfht9DcPjKIBbo57WNIHVbEBFa3MiS05k13VB0uqzbKShpHGQMz8zipX8P7ByNzE/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Russian President Vladimir Putin walks out from the presidential lounge to take his seat as he is introduced during the closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, February 23, 2014. REUTERS/David Goldman/Pool</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sochi Games Over, Will Putin Take The Gloves Off? -- Timothy Heritage, Reuters</b></span></div><br />(Reuters) - For more than two weeks while Russia hosted the Winter Olympics, President Vladimir Putin did his best to show the world that he and his country have a soft side.<br /><br />Now the Sochi Games are over, Western governments are concerned the smile will disappear and the gloves come off in Russia's tug-of-war with Europe over the fate of Ukraine.<br /><br />The circus artists, dancers and flag bearers hardly had time to leave the stadium after the closing ceremony in Sochi before Russia announced it had recalled its ambassador from Ukraine for consultations in Moscow.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/putin-sochi-athletes-mission-accomplished-113650068--oly.html;_ylt=AwrSyCR_cQtTxSkABKTQtDMD">Read more </a></b>....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: All eyes are now on Ukraine .... and on what Russian President Putin may do there. But my prediction is that there is going to be no changes in how he conducts policy .... both domestic and international. He may permit a small crackdown on dissidents, and no financial aid to Ukraine .... but as to issues like Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, EU and U.S. relations .... I see nothing changing. Where he may react is if Ukraine becomes a failed state and the Russian community is under threat .... in that event it would not surprise me if he sends the military to protect the Russian dominated part of Ukraine .... such a move would be supported in Russia, and definitely by Ukrainian Russians.

With The Olympic Games Over, Will Putin Pursue A More Aggressive Domestic And Foreign Policy?

Russian President Vladimir Putin walks out from the presidential lounge to take his seat as he is introduced during the closing ceremony for...

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Picture Of The Day

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140217-M-VH365-080a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140217-M-VH365-080a.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">U.S. Marines travel in mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles while conducting a patrol in the Now Zad district of Afghanistan's Helmand province, Feb. 17, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Sean Searfus </span></div>

Picture Of The Day

U.S. Marines travel in mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles while conducting a patrol in the Now Zad district of Afghanistan's Helm...

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Another Scandal Rocks The Turkish Government

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OnAsOI6HUi4" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Another Sensational Scandal Rocks Turkey -- Al-Monitor</b></span></div><br />Since the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power over a decade ago, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has relentlessly argued that single-party government is what this country needs to assure political stability and economic welfare. This approach has been more or less accepted as a reference to a February 2001 incident where then-President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, at a National Security Council meeting, threw the booklet of the Constitution in the face of Bulent Ecevit, the head of the coalition government. That incident caused severe economic turbulence and led Turks to oust the mainstream political parties from powerhouse positions while giving the Erdogan government — which was new and untested — a chance to prove itself. Time, however, has shown that the threat to Turkey's economic and political stability is not one-party or multiparty government — or the secular or Islamist camp — but rather a weak democratic system characterized by the absence of true checks and balances.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/02/another-turkish-scandal-wiretapping.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On Another Scandal Rocking The Turkish Government</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26332860">Turkey prosecutors 'tapped thousands of phones'</a> -- BBC<br /><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-02-24/erdogan-resignation-demanded-by-turkish-opposition-over-tape">Erdogan Resignation Demanded by Turkish Opposition Over Tape</a> -- Bloomberg Businessweek<br /><a href="http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=953193">Turkey says PM among thousands bugged</a> -- SKY news<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/turkish-pms-office-denies-corruption-tapes/2014/02/24/ae2f5b84-9da1-11e3-878c-65222df220eb_story.html">Turkish PM’s office denies corruption tapes </a>-- Washington Post/AP<br /><a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/turkey-erdogan-idINL6N0LT48U20140225">Turkish PM's office says Erdogan recordings are faked</a> -- Reuters<br /><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/world/turkish-pms-office-says-erdogan-recordings-faked-20140225-hvdqc.html">Turkish PM's office says Erdogan recordings faked</a> -- Sydney Morning Herald

Another Scandal Rocks The Turkish Government

Another Sensational Scandal Rocks Turkey -- Al-Monitor Since the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power over a decade ag...

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Israel Launches Air Strikes On The Lebanese - Syrian Border

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjJkSGSIlLy5P85SWjI_1tqKmbybGlAFClwiYUpAjxDtvLrLp5dlVw69AxGGJO9IDSFlnOCj0rQwonp8oyVuMG-3q75Dg_fLJ3AXOS1dY7stBseEaaaQFSqARvfyrVyZtDB4DkJDp7QDL/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjJkSGSIlLy5P85SWjI_1tqKmbybGlAFClwiYUpAjxDtvLrLp5dlVw69AxGGJO9IDSFlnOCj0rQwonp8oyVuMG-3q75Dg_fLJ3AXOS1dY7stBseEaaaQFSqARvfyrVyZtDB4DkJDp7QDL/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">An Israeli F-16I fighter plane takes off from Ramon Air Base in southern Israel. (File photo: Reuters) </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Israeli Warplanes 'Strike Eastern Lebanon' -- BBC</b></span></div><br />Israeli jets have carried out air strikes in eastern Lebanon near the border with Syria, Lebanon's state news agency says.<br /><br />Israel's military has not commented although an Israeli security source quoted by Reuters said there had been "air force activity in the north".<br /><br />Lebanon's national news agency said the air raids took place near the village of Nabi Sheet in the Bekaa Valley.<br /><br />The Lebanese militant Hezbollah group has a strong presence in the valley.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26332089">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On Israel Launching Air Strikes On The Lebanese - Syrian Border</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2014/0224/Israeli-airstrikes-near-Lebanon-Syria-border">Israeli airstrikes near Lebanon-Syria border </a>-- Christian Science Monitor/AP<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gUdIRsOP3vMIv2eIjhkAkteAbTWA?docId=c4197844-115d-442b-9e33-a94ee953c53d">Israel bombs Hezbollah target on Lebanon-Syria border</a> -- AFP<br /><a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/02/25/Israel-strikes-reputed-arms-shipment-for-Hezbollah/UPI-22601393304460/">Israel strikes reputed arms shipment for Hezbollah</a> -- UPI<br /><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.576210">Reports: Israeli planes attack Hezbollah targets on Lebanon-Syria border</a> -- Haaretz<br /><a href="http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/164050/israel-strikes-lebanon-near-syrian-border">Israel Strikes Lebanon Near Syrian Border</a> -- Tablet<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/world/middleeast/israeli-warplanes-strike-near-the-border-of-syria-and-lebanon.html?_r=0&gwh=5EF239CA73B250D6605B305D423B2CC8&gwt=pay">Israeli Warplanes Strike Near the Border of Syria and Lebanon </a>-- New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Feb-25/248405-israel-hits-hezbollah-on-syria-border.ashx#axzz2uJ9LTtYn">Israel hits Hezbollah on Syria border</a> -- Daily Star<br /><a href="http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/02/25/Reports-Israeli-airstrikes-target-Hezbollah-sites.html">Sources: Israeli raids target Hezbollah site</a> -- Al Arabiya

Israel Launches Air Strikes On The Lebanese - Syrian Border

An Israeli F-16I fighter plane takes off from Ramon Air Base in southern Israel. (File photo: Reuters) Israeli Warplanes 'Strike Eastern...

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What Do the World's Armies Eat?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrDURQGH-WnQ4Fz2zZf33V6LlxuxJPozMh7dKh57UWjMqFb6IrdfT_216OGlwNiMuw7a0lVh3dx-FAp7dPt-V_LWU22okSPCTWmgfUKWs-ITLpycP7cez6HynG5gOe28182DlEWHWb8nz/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrDURQGH-WnQ4Fz2zZf33V6LlxuxJPozMh7dKh57UWjMqFb6IrdfT_216OGlwNiMuw7a0lVh3dx-FAp7dPt-V_LWU22okSPCTWmgfUKWs-ITLpycP7cez6HynG5gOe28182DlEWHWb8nz/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Eat Of Battle – How The World's Armies Get Fed -- The Guardian</b></span></div><br />An army marches on its stomach but what do different countries feed their troops? Who gets smoked sprats or tinned cheddar – and who wants 'three-year pizza'?<br /><br />The Taliban might be just a few hundred metres away, but in the mess halls of the US bases in southern Afghanistan, there are more pressing dangers lurking: undercooked eggs. Signs placed above the breakfast fry-up station warn against asking for an egg sunny side up: it's available over-easy only. The reason, as explained by patient cooks to bemused visitors, is that diseases might lurk in a runny yolk. Feeding soldiers in a warzone is one of the biggest challenges for any army. Generals want to keep their soldiers healthy, and food done well, both in the "d-facs" (dining faciliites) and MREs ("meals ready to eat", in US army speak – or "ration packs") can be a morale booster, a reminder of home in a hostile, alien place.<br /><br />So for soldiers on the ground, one of the most important recent breakthroughs in military technology may be the "three-year pizza", described by its scientist creators as the "holy grail" of ration-pack food.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/18/eat-of-battle-worlds-armies-fed">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2566893/Tabasco-British-40-proof-shot-cordiale-Italians-Can-guess-armys-nationality-ration-pack.html">Tabasco for the British, 40% proof shot of cordiale for the Italians: Can you guess the army's nationality by its ration pack?</a> -- Daily Mail<br /><br /><b>My Comment: </b>The Chinese rations look the most "boring" .... and they are written in Chinese and (surprise surprise) ENGLISH!

What Do the World's Armies Eat?

The Eat Of Battle – How The World's Armies Get Fed -- The Guardian An army marches on its stomach but what do different countries feed t...

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Bloomberg Does A Comprehensive Look At The Pentagon's Budget And Programs

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpi9NVEJzSbkHHB8Bp__yqRE-DakxaSsZPgzNSrAYRYdOkseI2mHnv-z5gZLLTCXmFdvucF25ghbV7i6-hlfrBhLgSvh9MHg49xJE3546IMjJ7L5o5bVwBvNI4_HJ16OoUKXdF_iaRSPQ/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpi9NVEJzSbkHHB8Bp__yqRE-DakxaSsZPgzNSrAYRYdOkseI2mHnv-z5gZLLTCXmFdvucF25ghbV7i6-hlfrBhLgSvh9MHg49xJE3546IMjJ7L5o5bVwBvNI4_HJ16OoUKXdF_iaRSPQ/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pentagon Budget Stuck in Last Century as Warfare Changes -- Bloomberg</b></span></div><br />The Obama administration foresees 21st century wars fought with fewer boots on the ground and more drones in the air, while the Pentagon continues buying weapons from the last century.<br /><br />In his Feb. 12 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said America no longer needs to deploy tens of thousands of troops to occupy nations or meet the evolving threat from new extremist groups. Cyber-attacks are the “rapidly growing threat,” he said. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-19/pentagon-budget-stuck-in-last-century-as-warfare-changes.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> The above Bloomberg analysis was done before <a href="http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.ca/2014/02/pentagon-proposes-massive-cuts-in-us.html">today's Pentagon announcement</a> on what the US defense department is requesting for next year's defense budget. But it is still a good read.

Bloomberg Does A Comprehensive Look At The Pentagon's Budget And Programs

Pentagon Budget Stuck in Last Century as Warfare Changes -- Bloomberg The Obama administration foresees 21st century wars fought with fewer ...

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Japan Will Not Unilaterally Defend Its Allies And Friendly Nations If They Are Under Attack (Unless Japan Is Threatened Or They Are Asked)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zxD7D5f5Jom5G8EPBDOgNHvitq05zIvYwxFSpe-TfDSPyjcJ2K6jvdEZ3T5lLHBhkM39z47uzQEhR53HToI0nSwEWlbsleiphEtenEj7vfpmMWMAjux_pRr7YvsOkbUYIDRMs-fCuGsL/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zxD7D5f5Jom5G8EPBDOgNHvitq05zIvYwxFSpe-TfDSPyjcJ2K6jvdEZ3T5lLHBhkM39z47uzQEhR53HToI0nSwEWlbsleiphEtenEj7vfpmMWMAjux_pRr7YvsOkbUYIDRMs-fCuGsL/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bayonets attached to rifles used by Japanese Self-Defense Forces are seen in front of Japan's rising sun flag, which is used by the forces, during the annual troop review ceremony at Asaka Base in Asaka, near Tokyo October 27, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Issei Kato</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Report Says Allies Under Attack Must Request Japan's Assistance -- Stars and Stripes/Japan Times</b></span></div><br />TOKYO — Japan can defend its allies and friendly nations under attack but only at their request, a prominent member of a government panel mulling collective security said Friday in an apparent attempt to ease concern that the government may act at its own initiative.<br /><br />Shinichi Kitaoka, a professor at International University of Japan who sits on the panel, said Japan can only defend its allies and friendly nations if the attack they may be under severely harms Japan’s interests or when those nations officially request assistance.<br /><br />The government still has to seek Diet approval and gain permission from other nations for the Self-Defense Forces to traverse other territories, he said at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/report-says-allies-under-attack-must-request-japan-s-assistance-1.269440">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> Japan is clarifying this policy with an eye on North Korea and China.

Japan Will Not Unilaterally Defend Its Allies And Friendly Nations If They Are Under Attack (Unless Japan Is Threatened Or They Are Asked)

Bayonets attached to rifles used by Japanese Self-Defense Forces are seen in front of Japan's rising sun flag, which is used by the forc...

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Is Argentina Preparing For Another War Against Britain?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg66-1-SfcqmNWA7UCwJ_1k2ASEEho59xtmOsGxp-zBWQbSY8xeoce5cUnD8FNoihl9nhJ46e2MfO1Gba-QXT2-f6DPUTZ8TdSPkB7x6-rlj3Zh8_vEmDlfKCT5L2Zxo1G_44ihHwZ7qsj/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg66-1-SfcqmNWA7UCwJ_1k2ASEEho59xtmOsGxp-zBWQbSY8xeoce5cUnD8FNoihl9nhJ46e2MfO1Gba-QXT2-f6DPUTZ8TdSPkB7x6-rlj3Zh8_vEmDlfKCT5L2Zxo1G_44ihHwZ7qsj/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cristina ­Fernandez de ­Kirchner recently created a new Cabinet post of Secretary for the Malvinas [REUTERS]</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>New Arms Threat: Argentina's £3Billion Boost To Military -- Express</b></span></div><br />BRITISH military chiefs were last night “carefully monitoring” developments after Argentina announced a £3billion revamp of its armed forces.<br /><br />Buenos Aires will acquire military hardware including fighter aircraft, ­anti-aircraft weapons and specialised radar, as well as beefing up its special forces.<br /><br />The news comes months before drilling for oil ­begins in earnest off the Falkland Islands, provoking ­Argentina’s struggling President Cristina ­Fernandez de ­Kirchner.<br /><br />Last month she created a new cabinet post of Secretary for the Malvinas, her country’s name for the Falklands.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has refused to confirm that Britain would retake the Falklands if they were overrun by enemy forces.<br /><br />The extra cash means Argentina will ­increase defence spending by 33.4 per cent this year, the biggest rise in its history. It will include £750million for 32 ­procurement and modernisation programmes.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/461327/New-arms-threat-Argentina-s-3billion-boost-to-military">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On Argentina Increasing It's Defense Budget</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.economicvoice.com/argentina-beefs-up-its-military/">Argentina Beefs up its Military</a> -- Economic Voice<br /><a href="http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/152905/british-%E2%80%98monitor-argentine-military-revamp%E2%80%99">British ‘monitor Argentine military revamp’</a> -- Buenos Aires Herald<br /><a href="http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2412211&Itemid=1">Argentina Rejects UK Reports of Arms Buildup</a> -- Prensa Latina<br /><a href="http://guardianlv.com/2014/02/argentina-prepares-to-go-to-war-against-britain-or-argentines/">Argentina Prepares to Go to War Against Britain or Argentines</a> -- Liberty Voice<br /><br /><b>My Comment: </b>The Argentine economy is imploding .... but they have enough money to increase military spending by 33.4 per cent this year. Something is cooking.

Is Argentina Preparing For Another War Against Britain?

Cristina ­Fernandez de ­Kirchner recently created a new Cabinet post of Secretary for the Malvinas [REUTERS] New Arms Threat: Argentina'...

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Iraq Agrees To A Major Arms Deal With Iran Thereby Violating The UN Arms Embargo On Iran

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypsk5Mnf8amBaRVZBH_VNWToenDfvv3lnaye3aozcDvJGfDCMUj7gnFjeGi22vhu6bJRJBtlkoti10MglLkcaDhzAnrFsIbphNhuUm-kL2VAZzFfVx3lDvEtNMgcFCFu3d_h9e3k5uEVg/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypsk5Mnf8amBaRVZBH_VNWToenDfvv3lnaye3aozcDvJGfDCMUj7gnFjeGi22vhu6bJRJBtlkoti10MglLkcaDhzAnrFsIbphNhuUm-kL2VAZzFfVx3lDvEtNMgcFCFu3d_h9e3k5uEVg/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Masked Sunni Muslim gunmen take up position with their weapons during clashes with Iraqi security forces outside the city of Falluja, 70 km (44 miles) west of Baghdad, February 23, 2014. (REUTERS/STRINGER )</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Exclusive: Iraq Signs Deal To Buy Arms, Ammunition From Iran - Document -- Reuters</b></span></div><br />(Reuters) - Iran has signed a deal to sell Iraq arms and ammunition worth $195 million, according to documents seen by Reuters - a move that would break a U.N. embargo on weapons sales by Tehran.<br /><br />The agreement was reached at the end of November, the documents showed, just weeks after Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returned from Washington, where he lobbied the Obama administration for extra weapons to fight al Qaeda-linked militants.<br /><br />Some in Washington are nervous about providing sensitive U.S. military equipment to a country they worry is becoming too close to Iran. Several Iraqi lawmakers said Maliki had made the deal because he was fed up with delays to U.S. arms deliveries.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/24/us-iraq-iran-arms-idUSBREA1N10D20140224">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On Iraq Signing A Deal To Buy Arms And Ammunition From Iran</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/02/reports-iraq-signs-arms-deal-with-iran-2014224203431264275.html">Reports: Iraq signs arms deal with Iran</a> -- Al Jazeera<br /><a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iran-sell-iraq-arms-fight-war-against-terrorism-1437728">Iran to Sell Iraq Arms to Fight 'War Against Terrorism'</a> -- IBTimes<br /><a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/report-iran-iraq-sign-arms-deal/1858377.html">Report: Iran, Iraq Sign Arms Deal </a> -- Voice of America<br /><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/24/state-department-pressing-iraq-for-answers-after-report-arms-deal-with-iran/">State Department pressing Iraq for answers after report of arms deal with Iran</a> -- FOX News<br /><a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/us-presses-iraq-on/1011696.html">US presses Iraq on reports of arms deal with Iran</a> -- Channel News Asia/AFP<br /><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/iran-iraq-sign-secret-195-million-arms-deal-causing-alarm-washington-1557517">Iran, Iraq Sign Secret $195 Million Arms Deal, Causing Alarm In Washington</a> -- IBTimes<br /><a href="http://www.thewire.com/global/2014/02/iran-may-be-breaking-embargo-selling-arms-iraq/358455/">Iran May Be Breaking a U.S. Embargo by Selling Arms to Iraq </a>-- The Wire<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> So much for U.S. embargoes and UN sanctions on Iran

Iraq Agrees To A Major Arms Deal With Iran Thereby Violating The UN Arms Embargo On Iran

Masked Sunni Muslim gunmen take up position with their weapons during clashes with Iraqi security forces outside the city of Falluja, 70 km ...

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Pentagon Proposes Massive Cuts In The U.S. Military Budget

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-gjwAcQi18U" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hagel Outlines Budget Reducing Troop Strength, Force Structure -- US Department of Defense</b></span></div><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has proposed cuts in military spending that include further reductions in troop strength and force structure in every military service in the coming year as part of an effort to prioritize U.S. strategic interests in the face of reduced resources after more than a decade of war.<br /><br />At a Pentagon news conference today detailing President Barack Obama’s proposed Pentagon budget for fiscal year 2015, Hagel called the reductions -- including shrinking the Army to its smallest size since before World War II and eliminating an entire fleet of Air Force fighter planes -- “difficult choices” that will change defense institutions for years to come, but designed to leave the military capable of fulfilling U.S. defense strategy and defending the homeland against strategic threats.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=121703">Read more </a></b>....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On The Pentagon Proposing Massive Cuts In The U.S. Military Budget</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.defense.gov/news/">Secretary of Defense Speech Outlining Budget Reducing Troop Strength, Force Structure</a> -- US Department of Defense<br /><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/24/hagel-to-propose-big-cuts-in-army-in-2015-budget/">Hagel says US military must shrink to face new era </a>-- Washington Times<br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/us-usa-defense-budget-weapons-factbox-idUSBREA1N1P120140225">Factbox: How Pentagon's 2015 budget affects key weapons programs</a> -- Reuters<br /><a href="http://www.dodbuzz.com/2014/02/24/winners-and-losers-in-the-2015-budget/">Winners and Losers in the 2015 Budget</a> -- DoD Buzz<br /><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/military-spending-cuts/winners-losers-pentagons-new-budget-n37626">Winners, Losers in Pentagon's New Budget</a> -- NBC<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j1E4GZD-3YYRKxC6etxYbguQw0eg?docId=3cc2a2ce-9cff-4354-9579-7e77d29c124f">Pentagon budget looks to leaner, more hi-tech force</a> -- AFP<br /><a href="http://mashable.com/2014/02/24/proposed-u-s-military-budget-cuts/">Defense Secretary Proposes Big Cuts to U.S. Military Spending </a>-- Mashable<br /><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/pentagon-about-undergo-these-major-budget-cuts-1557630">The Pentagon Is About To Undergo These Major Budget Cuts</a> -- IBTimes<br /><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/101441175">The Pentagon's new budget: Who wins and who loses</a> -- CNBC<br /><a href="http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/24/proposed-budget-cuts-benefits-end-stength-ships.html?comp=7000024213943&rank=1">Proposed Budget Cuts Benefits, End Strength, Ships</a> -- Military.com<br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26326969">Pentagon's Chuck Hagel plans to downsize US military </a>-- BBC<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-blueprint-would-cut-army-size-as-military-adjusts-to-leaner-budgets/2014/02/24/c029e2b4-9d8d-11e3-9ba6-800d1192d08b_story.html">Pentagon blueprint would cut Army size as military adjusts to leaner budgets</a> -- Washington Post<br /><a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/usa-budget-defense-idINL1N0LT1IC20140225">Budget cuts to slash U.S. Army to smallest since before World War Two</a> -- Reuters<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iqSLM097v9zSy_mekFYs5om9LQbg?docId=4c68e3c6-ab69-4bd4-980f-f192b2892c87">Pentagon plans to shrink US Army to pre-WWII level</a> -- AFP<br /><a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/report-us-army-to-shrink-to-preworld-war-two-levels/1857855.html">US Army to Shrink to Pre-World War II Levels</a> -- Voice of America<br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/24/pentagon-budget-sequestration-army-size/5775291/">New Pentagon budget calls for smaller Army, pay changes</a> -- USA Today<br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/02/pentagon-proposes-cutting-the-army-to-pre-wwii-level/">Pentagon Proposes Cutting the Army to Pre-WWII Level </a>-- ABC News<br /><a href="http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/24/hagel-budgets-for-smallest-army-since-world-war-ii.html?comp=700001075741&rank=2">Hagel Budgets for Smallest Army Since World War II</a> -- Military.com<br /><a href="http://www.euronews.com/2014/02/24/washington-plans-to-shrink-us-army-to-smallest-size-since-pearl-harbor/">Washington plans to shrink US Army to smallest size since Pearl Harbor </a>-- Euronews<br /><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2014-02-24/hagel-to-propose-big-cuts-in-army-in-2015-budget">Hagel to propose big cuts in Army in 2015 budget</a> -- AP<br /><a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/24/defense-budget-2015-preview/">DOD budget: Smaller army, more drones </a>-- UT Sand Diego<br /><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/2014/0224/Pentagon-plan-to-downsize-Army-a-sign-of-US-reluctance-to-nation-build">Pentagon plan to downsize Army: a sign of US reluctance to nation-build</a> -- Christian Science Monitor<br /><a href="http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/24/defense-budget-would-cut-troop-pay-and-benefits.html?comp=700001075741&rank=1">Defense Budget Would Cut Troop Pay and Benefits</a> -- Military.com<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/02/24/pentagon-budget-would-cut-military-medical-benefits-and-commissary-funding/">Pentagon budget would cut military health benefits and commissary funds </a>-- Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/24/3957934/proposed-defense-cuts-would-hit.html">Proposed defense cuts would hit some bases, spare others</a> -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News<br /><a href="http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140224/NEWS05/302240038/Hagel-Ground-forces-can-fight-one-theater-support-air-sea-forces-another">Hagel: Ground forces can fight in one theater, support air, sea forces in another </a>-- Army Times<br /><a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/pentagon-budget-reflects-changing-conflicts">Pentagon budget confronts sequestration, end of Afghanistan war</a> -- MSNBC<br /><a href="http://www.defenseone.com/management/2014/02/pentagons-post-war-budget-marks-end-war-era/79288/?oref=d-channelriver">Pentagon’s Post-War Budget Marks End of War Era</a> -- Stephanie Gaskell, Defense One <br /><a href="http://www.defenseone.com/management/2014/02/winner-and-losers-obamas-defense-spending-request/79273/?oref=d-channelriver">The Winners and Losers in Obama’s Defense Spending Request</a> -- Sara Sorcher and Jordain Carney, Defense One/National Journal<br /><a href="http://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2014/02/pentagon-picking-unnecessary-fight-congress/79279/?oref=d-channelriver">The Pentagon Is Picking an Unnecessary Fight With Congress</a> -- James Joyner, Defense One<br /><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/02/24/chuck_hagel_proposes_military_cuts_the_latest_from_ukraine_and_more_from.html?wpisrc=burger_bar">The New American Way of War</a> -- Josh Voorhees, Slate <br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> The push-back is now stating .... <b><a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140224/DEFREG02/302240030/US-Lawmakers-Push-Back-Against-DoD-Budget-Plans?odyssey=nav|head">US Lawmakers Push Back Against DoD Budget Plans</a></b> -- Defense News<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> More push-back <b><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/military-spending-cuts/mckeon-dont-solve-problems-backs-our-military-n37526">is here.</a></b>

Pentagon Proposes Massive Cuts In The U.S. Military Budget

Hagel Outlines Budget Reducing Troop Strength, Force Structure -- US Department of Defense WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chu...

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American Military Dominance Can No Longer Be Taken For Granted

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/auvKenCUhvw" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hagel: American Military Dominance ‘Can No Longer Be Taken For Granted’ -- Mediate</b></span></div><br />Announcing cuts to the Pentagon on Monday and the reduction of the U.S. Army to pre-World War II troop levels, Defense Sec. Chuck Hagel said that the Pentagon was forced to make a series of difficult decisions in response to budget cuts. He added that U.S. service personnel will face “addition risks” and that U.S. global military dominance can “no longer be taken for granted.”<br /><br />“This defense strategy is focused on defending the homeland against all strategic threats, building security globally projecting aggression, and remaining to be prepared against any adversary,” Hagel said. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/hagel-american-military-dominance-can-no-longer-be-taken-for-granted/">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> This is a shocking admission from a senior U.S. official .... that U.S. military dominance will now be a thing of the past. This is also a message that I can guarantee that everyone .... from U.S. allies to U.S. enemies .... are now taking note.

American Military Dominance Can No Longer Be Taken For Granted

Hagel: American Military Dominance ‘Can No Longer Be Taken For Granted’ -- Mediate Announcing cuts to the Pentagon on Monday and the reducti...

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Is President Obama Respected Abroad?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMu2hfcAj0PTaMjvSL3koRnS46TRRiQ3gW9p1j0qSxQejUbgk1etFU7RdGce72_kf3xVHpUnhH9imYdMZAcqHegj0AEhiOnT3VwGXEGxdbGjbOakGlVfAkhqZj0Y8tZ-5EOpdBY5SDIYR/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMu2hfcAj0PTaMjvSL3koRnS46TRRiQ3gW9p1j0qSxQejUbgk1etFU7RdGce72_kf3xVHpUnhH9imYdMZAcqHegj0AEhiOnT3VwGXEGxdbGjbOakGlVfAkhqZj0Y8tZ-5EOpdBY5SDIYR/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fewer Americans Think Obama Respected on World Stage -- Gallop</b></span></div><br />Slim majority still think world views U.S. favorably<br /><br />PRINCETON, NJ -- For the first time, more Americans think President Barack Obama is not respected by other world leaders than believe he is. Americans' opinions have shifted dramatically in the past year, after being relatively stable from 2010 to 2013.<br /><br />The results are based on Gallup's annual World Affairs poll, conducted Feb. 6-9. Although opinions about a president's perceived world standing often track with his job approval rating, a majority of Americans still thought world leaders respected Obama in 2010 and 2011, when his job approval was similar to what it is now. Thus, the recent decline may be more tied to specific international matters from the past year, such as the revelation the U.S. was listening in on foreign leaders' phone calls, the situation in Syria, increased tensions with Russia, and an uneasy relationship between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/167534/fewer-americans-think-obama-respected-world-stage.aspx">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On President Obama's Standing On The International Stage</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/02/24/americans-obama-not-respected-around-the-world/">Americans: Obama not respected around the world </a>-- Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/02/24/Americans-think-Obama-is-not-respected-by-world-leaders/UPI-35511393255957/?spt=rln&or=3">Americans think Obama is not respected by world leaders </a>-- UPI<br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2014/02/24/obama-gallup-poll-world-affairs-respected-by-other-countries/5773331/">Poll: Most Americans say Obama not respected globally</a> -- USA Today<br /><a href="http://www.rttnews.com/2274737/most-americans-say-obama-is-not-respected-by-other-world-leaders.aspx?type=ts">Most Americans Say Obama Is Not Respected By Other World Leaders </a>-- RTT<br /><a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/02/24/poll_most_say_obama_not_respected_by_other_leaders_121689.html">Poll: Most Say Obama Not Respected by Other Leaders </a>-- Real Clear World<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> Because of this blog (as well as having the freedom to travel abroad) .... I get most of my information from international sources. The contrast between what the international media reports and what the U.S. media reports .... especially on President Obama .... are night and day. In short .... the U.S. media is still in their "honeymoon phase" with President Obama .... while the international media have already signed the divorce papers and walked away. But if this Gallop poll is accurate .... the U.S. public is finally catching up to this reality, and I predict that next year this gulf will be even greater.

Is President Obama Respected Abroad?

Fewer Americans Think Obama Respected on World Stage -- Gallop Slim majority still think world views U.S. favorably PRINCETON, NJ -- For the...

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Poll: China, Not Iran, Now America's No. 1 Enemy

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsI1T3e3zbzlWXguvB-nIdwDxke9AOhYlrUO9ZmDHOBoQjdd_gkcJyFmetBVYmL6_mcSlviUZmHcpUM9tAeXeylSgA_ihG_uzMlDrcf4iqUfabp0v8GrrmeCh3a4Hm-Q0p345SQnsAbijI/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsI1T3e3zbzlWXguvB-nIdwDxke9AOhYlrUO9ZmDHOBoQjdd_gkcJyFmetBVYmL6_mcSlviUZmHcpUM9tAeXeylSgA_ihG_uzMlDrcf4iqUfabp0v8GrrmeCh3a4Hm-Q0p345SQnsAbijI/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Americans View China Mostly Unfavorably -- Gallop</b></span></div><br />A majority again rate China as world's leading economic power<br /><br />WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Despite the announcement of historic reforms late last year that would shift China's economy to a more consumer-driven model, Americans still see China in the same, mostly unfavorable, way they did in early 2013. Forty-three percent of U.S. adults say they have a very or mostly favorable opinion of China, while 53% see it very or mostly unfavorably.<br /><br />These results come from the Feb. 6-9 Gallup World Affairs poll.<br /><br />Most analysts expect China to be the United States' foremost strategic and economic rival in the decades to come. That is a dramatic shift from 1979, the first year Gallup asked this question, when China's GDP was not even one-tenth of U.S. GDP. That year, 64% of Americans saw China favorably.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/167498/americans-view-china-mostly-unfavorably.aspx">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>Update: </b><a href="http://www.stripes.com/news/us/gallup-poll-china-not-iran-now-us-s-top-enemy-1.269182">Gallup Poll: China, not Iran, now US's top enemy </a>-- Stars and Stripes/USA Today<br /><br /><b>My Comment: </b>China's unfavorables have actually been constant since the 1989 Tienanmen massacre. But I am still surprised that it is not higher.

Poll: China, Not Iran, Now America's No. 1 Enemy

Americans View China Mostly Unfavorably -- Gallop A majority again rate China as world's leading economic power WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Desp...

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Bitcoin Quote of the Day

<b>February 24, 2014</b><br /><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/pony-botnet-steals-bitcoins-digital-193830503.html">'Pony' botnet steals bitcoins, digital currencies - Trustwave</a><br /><br /><div style="color: #666666;"><i>A representative for the Bitcoin Foundation, a trade group that promotes adoption of the virtual currency, <span style="color: red;">advised bitcoin users to store their currency offline in a secure location</span> to prevent cyber criminals from stealing them.</i></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fDMv9gwWjCbVIyLu58-Hz3bpELZSr-GRnd8Dm_sBBwuJb77UWFSFQg-SYF5uy47JMMIuSvecj48iQ1N5C7Agk0av4j4owZooKQnqirBw4eBQQcDhRoI6zEqwqreJwsTf6OR8x6XYwVQ/s1600/Bitcoin+Safe.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fDMv9gwWjCbVIyLu58-Hz3bpELZSr-GRnd8Dm_sBBwuJb77UWFSFQg-SYF5uy47JMMIuSvecj48iQ1N5C7Agk0av4j4owZooKQnqirBw4eBQQcDhRoI6zEqwqreJwsTf6OR8x6XYwVQ/s320/Bitcoin+Safe.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />I have taken the liberty of modifying a real M1A2 TUSK Abrams tank to safely store one's virtual currency. The bitcoin access hatch (as can be seen on the front of the tank) can be camouflaged before delivery. This bitcoin safe's design emphasizes ease of use combined with TUSK (Tank Urban Survival Kit).<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abrams-transparent.png">File:Abrams-transparent.png (United States Army and User:ZStoler)</a>

Bitcoin Quote of the Day

February 24, 2014 'Pony' botnet steals bitcoins, digital currencies - Trustwave A representative for the Bitcoin Foundation, a trade...

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