So that leads to the question: where did the AR-15 talking point come from?

(more…)

UNITED NATIONS — Careful not to blame either side for a deadly chemical weapon attack, U.N. inspectors reported Monday that rockets loaded with the nerve agent sarin had been fired from an area where Syria’s military has bases, but said the evidence could have been manipulated in the rebel-controlled stricken neighborhoods.
The U.S., Britain and France jumped on evidence in the report – especially the type of rockets, the composition of the sarin agent, and trajectory of the missiles – to declare that President Bashar Assad’s government was responsible.
Russia, Syria’s closest ally, called the investigators’ findings “deeply disturbing,” but said it was too early to draw conclusions. The Syrian government’s claims that opposition forces were responsible for the attack “cannot be simply shrugged off,” Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin insisted. (more…)

Here’s a general discussion thread to absorb / share information that might flow from the DC Naval Yard Shooting.

A good background on the shooter, Aaron Alexis, is posted at GateWay Pundit – CLICK HERE
The Smoking Gun has a breakdown on his previous encounters with the Law – CLICK HERE
A good consideration about DC being a “gun-free” zone, and ongoing information about the absence of a law enforcement Affirmative Responsibility, is available at The Examiner – CLICK HERE
A Timeline of the event, along with some additional details and photography, is available at the Daily Mail – CLICK HERE [However, some of the information from the Daily Mail about the weapons is incorrect]

Riddle Me This:

If the Syrian “Rebels” are not *TERRORISTS* then why does President Obama need to provide a Terrorist Waiver for the ‘Armed Control Export Act’ to provide them weapons?

WASHINGTON DC – President Obama waived a provision of federal law designed to prevent the supply of arms to terrorist groups to clear the way for the U.S. to provide military assistance to “vetted” opposition groups fighting Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.
Some elements of the Syrian opposition are associated with radical Islamic terrorist groups, including al Qaeda, which was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa., in 2001. Assad’s regime is backed by Iran and Hezbollah. (more…)

The Wash Navy Yard shooter had 3 guns including AR-15 assault rifle – same killing machine used at Aurora and Sandy Hook.

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 16, 2013

The FACTUAL CCTV shows a differing story – Piers Morgan is full of his typical nonsense:

(FROM NBC) […]  Surveillance video shows the gunman entered the NAVSEA building, at 1336 Isaac Hull Ave., with a shotgun, law enforcement officials told News4’s Jackie Bensen.

He shot a security officer in the head, killing him, and took his 9 mm pistol and a magazine of ammunition. The shooter then continued through the building and seemed to target his victims, who were mostly on the third and fourth floors, Bensen reported. (more…)

Flags at US Capitol to be lowered to half staff to honor the dead at Navy Yard blocks away. Will remain at half staff until sunset Friday.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) September 16, 2013

(Via Huf Post) One shooter is dead after opening fire Monday morning at the Washington Navy Yard and authorities are investigating the possibility of an additional shooter wearing a military-style uniform, Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier confirmed.
Thirteen people were killed including the shooter, Mayor Vincent Gray announced at a late afternoon press conference. No motive is known at this time.
Multiple news outlets identified Aaron Alexis, 34, as the deceased shooter. Originally of Fort Worth, Texas, Alexis recently began working at the Navy yard as a civilian contractor, NBC reports.
At approximately 2:45 p.m., DC police announced over Twitter that one of two possible additional suspects, a white male in a tan outfit, had been identified and “is not a suspect or person of interest.”  (Continue Reading)

Aaron Alexis, a 34 year old from Fort Worth, Texas has been identified as the gunman in the shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. He appears to have been a civilian doing work for the U.S. Navy. According to reports, he was armed with multiple weapons. He has been killed, but there are two other possible suspects who have not been apprehended. As many as twelve people may have been killed.

(Via Mediaite)  […]   According to the reports, Alexis is a Ft. Worth, Texas, native who recently worked as a civilian contractor in Washington, D.C. An arrest record from Tarrant County in September 2010 shows he was arrested for discharging his weapon.
(more…)

Syria’s Bashir al-Assad was questioned about “opposition” in his country by Charlie Rose for a 60 minutes interview.   Assad’s response was very direct.   Assad replied: “Opposition?  What  did you call the people who flew the airplanes into your World Trade Center twin towers”… “did you call them ‘the opposition'”? 

(UK Telegraph) Nearly half the rebel fighters in Syria are now aligned to jihadist or hardline Islamist groups according to a new analysis of factions in the country’s civil war.
Opposition forces battling Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria now number around 100,000 fighters, but after more than two years of fighting they are fragmented into as many as 1,000 bands.
The new study by IHS Jane’s, a defence consultancy, estimates there are around 10,000 jihadists – who would include foreign fighters – fighting for powerful factions linked to al-Qaeda..
Another 30,000 to 35,000 are hardline Islamists who share much of the outlook of the jihadists, but are focused purely on the Syrian war rather than a wider international struggle. (more…)

Tonight on CBS they put together a really good presentation about Syria.   The construct of the broadcast was to put the Syrian issues to the viewer with three interviews.

The first interview with Bashir Assad, Syria’s President.   The Second segment/interview with U.S. President Barack Obama.   The last segment with recently retired CIA #2, and White House advisor, Mike Morell.
If you want a great construct, which was actually quite free of bias in presentation, I think you will enjoy it.    Good, honest and factual airing of the surrounding issues.   If you are not too familiar with the issues, the format will assist an understanding.   If you are really familiar with the story, and up on current events – you’ll like the Morell interview.

CLICK HERE

Well done CBS.
After you watch please share your thoughts on current Syrian affairs.

From what can be gathered within a myriad of media reports is that Sec. Kerry / POTUS have agreed to leave “U.S. threat of force” out of U.N. resolution against Syria for non-compliance.   Meaning if Assad does not comply with U.N. mandate to disarm himself of chemical weapons, the U.S. had conceded a strike by us will not be one of the consequences.
Instead, the “stick” per se’, to non-compliance from Syria, would be a return to the U.N. Security Council for a resolution allowing the “use of force”.  
D’oh..  Russia can, by structural Security Council set-up, veto any such follow-up proposal.

[judo photo credit]  (Via Politico)  Journalists emerging from a closed-door briefing at the White House Friday afternoon were informed that President Barack Obama won’t insist that a U.N. resolution governing Syria’s surrender of chemical weapons include a threat of military force if President Bashar Assad doesn’t follow through. (more…)

(Via Fox News) Elizabeth O’Bagy, a pro-Syrian opposition analyst whose credibility has come under fire, might have even more explaining to do – as court documents show she once vouched for a rebel group whose website displayed extremist and anti-American images.
Among the pictures was one showing a burning U.S. Capitol.

O’Bagy was fired earlier this week by the Institute for the Study of War for allegedly lying about her academic credentials. Her writings had been used by U.S. officials to bolster their case for military action against the Assad regime.
O’Bagy discussed the rebel group in question in a June 19, 2013 signed affidavit filed in the case of American Eric Harroun, who was indicted for fighting alongside the terror group al-Nusra in Syria. (more…)