Friday, August 26, 2016

Night by, Elie Wiesel

Mr. Wiesel was a young boy of 15 when the Germans rounded up all of the Jewish people in his small town of Signet, Hungary. On April 10, 1044 an American tank drove into the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. He alone of all of his family survived after enduring hardship that I cannot conceive anyone could endure. He made it his mission in life to keep the memory of these events from disappearing over time. He was a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for this book and forty others he wrote. This one is only 120 pages and easily read. When I requested it at the library I was told that a large number of other people had also requested it. We had noticed his death notice in the paper and all wanted to read. This time I am not going to provide details, rather I am requesting that you also exhibit interest and read it yourself. As the survivors of WWII dramatically decrease in number, in a few years none will be left. Only books, museums and old movies will be left to keep the memory alive. Jack B Walters August 26, 2016

The Killing of Osama bin Laden by; Seymour M. Hersh

I had gone to the Library to pick up a book I had reserved. It is” Night” by Elie Wiesel. He was a survivor of the Holocaust. I will report later. As I was leaving I browsed the new book section and saw this book and of course just had to read. It is a small book, only 124 pages, but packed with dynamite. Many of my thoughts about Obama’s weak handling of Islamic Terrorists are confirmed. Some of you will quit reading at this point. All I can say is shame on you for not wanting to hear the truth. Hersh is not just some right-wing nut job. He is the real McCoy. It was he who exposed the My Lai, Vietnam massacre, for which he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. He has won the George Polk prize five times, the National Magazine Award for Public Interest twice, the LA Times Book Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Osama bin Laden We were told that Pakistan was not informed. That was a lie. General Kayani and General Pasha knew in advance. They made sure that the two helicopters could enter Pakistan without interference. The Generals wanted the release of military aid plus under the table personal incentives. By the way Saudi Arabia was financing bin Laden’s upkeep. The Generals even supplied the DNA proof that it was bin Laden. Another falsehood was that he would be taken alive if possible. The clear evidence is that he was to be killed and he was. The compound guards were under orders to leave as soon as they heard the rotors so there was no fire fight. The only shots fired were into bin Laden except one that hit the leg of one of his wives. There was no cache of computers only some books and papers which were collected. The agreement was to keep silent for a week but Obama spilled the beans as soon as the hit was confirmed. The Seals involved were forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement so as not to compromise Obama’s story. The claim that bin Laden was active in planning was also false. He was in ill health. The burial at sea was another lie. The picture we have seen so many times of Obama, Hillary and staff waiting with bated breath was just an act. The story told to the American people was sufficient to assure Obama’s election for a second term. The Red Line and the Rat Line In 2011 Obama led an allied military intervention in Libya without consulting Congress but before attacking Syria he asked the Congress to approve. The Red Line had been drawn in the sand by Obama threatening to strike Assad hard if he used chemical weapons against the rebel forces or civilians. There was a Sarin Gas attack on a Damascus suburb of Ghouta. Obama ordered our military to prepare to strike. A report from England proved that the type of gas used was not something Assad’s forces had. It had come from a rebel group instead. The French and English were ready to do their part. It was called off and the Russians persuaded Assad to remove his inventory. We, the American people were never told that Assad was not responsible for the gas attack. It is hard for me to understand as it would have removed the criticism of Obama for drawing a red line and then not taking action. The Rat line is something else altogether. Rat line was named by the CIA and refers to the program to send military hardware from the former Khadafy’s arsenal to the Syrian rebels fighting Assad. The Obama administration has never admitted to its role. This was done in cooperation with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It was authorized in 2012. Many of those receiving turned out to be jihadists, some affiliated with al-Qaida. The assault on the American Embassy and CIA compound in Benghazi which resulted in the death of Ambassador Stevens and three others was undoubtedly because Stevens was in Benghazi to expedite these shipments. This was never admitted to by Obama nor was the Congress ever advised we were doing this as required by law. The writer claims that Erdogan was responsible for the Sarin attack hoping Obama would be forced to enforce his red line threat. In 2013 al-Nusra and the Islamic State were being aided by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar allowing them to make enormous gains. Our effort to find and train so-called nice rebels failed miserably. Erdogan has hopes for re-establishing the Ottoman Empire. The author also states that Obama is wrong about removing Assad and that we should co-ordinate with Russia instead of resisting. A comment very disturbing was that Putin had seen a video of the murder of Gaddafi. He was sodomized by a bayonet. He didn’t want that outcome for Assad. Criticism of Obama by the Pentagon is not accepted. Those who disagree are quickly removed. The book should be a must read for anyone who cares. Jack B. Walters August 26, 2016

Sunday, August 14, 2016

The Blood Telegram by' Gary J. Bass

Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide I, sometimes think I am a student of history, but I have no recollection of the events written about in this book. In looking back, my career took me to Canada from 1963 through 1971. I have said many times that those years were the most peaceful of my life. I devoted my time and energy to my work and family. I became like a Canadian who understands that their country is too small to make a difference and therefor pay little attention to what is occurring around the world whereas as an American we feel responsible for everything and feel the need to participate. Those were the years of Martin Luther King, the Vietnam War, the hippies and overall turmoil in America. We were spared all of that. The year I returned 1971 is the basis for this book. It recalls the genocide of Hindus in East Pakistan by the Armed Forces of West Pakistan. The military leadership of General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan had allowed an election to take place in East Pakistan. The people overwhelmingly voted for a party completely at odds with him. They wanted separation from the West. He sent in his military arresting leaders and systematically driving Hindus out of the country. They bombed villages and killed as many as one million. This started in March. In the ensuing months over 10 million escaped to India seeking refuge. Many died as a result. India, a poor country, was ill equipped to handle. Aid from other countries was inadequate. The Blood Telegram was written by Archer Blood, the U.S. Consul General in Dacca, East Pakistan. He saw what was happening and sent this telegram to Washington. It infuriated Nixon and Kissinger. They were strong supporters of Gen. Khan and were not going to interfere with what they considered that country’s internal affairs. Blood was demoted and returned to Washington, his career blocked. Beginning with Eisenhower America had been providing weapons to Pakistan including jet fighters, troop transport planes, tanks, etc. This continued with Nixon. He had a fierce hatred for India. It was obvious that the killing was being done using American weapons. The liberal press and the Democrats led by Ted Kennedy raised a ruckus. The American public was pro-India. None-the-less he continued to ship arms while this was going on. Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. She turned to Russia for aid and support. This, of course, further angered Nixon. India started training and equipping male refugees and sent them back into the country to harass and kill the soldiers. Finally in November India and Pakistan went to war. Nixon tried to get China to send troops against India, they refused. He actually sent a nuclear carrier force from Vietnam to the Bay of Bengal to scare India. Pakistan lost; the new country of Bangladesh was created. It was very poor and struggled to establishing themselves. The book concludes with what happened in the decades following. First India and then Pakistan became Nuclear Powers. As a final thought, I have become increasingly distressed with our constant arming all of the countries in the Middle East, my one exception being Israel. One day a country is our friend then tomorrow our enemy. Countless Billions wasted. Without our involvement they would still be fighting on the backs of Camels. Now the devastation is horrendous and we are starting to become victims as well. Jack B. Walters August 14, 2016