Category: Obama

Obama’s weakness strengthens Al-Shabaab

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

James Jay Carafano links America’s new posture of weakness and the probability of an attack from Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab in an op-ed piece today in the Washington Examiner. (That’s a paper well worth reading, by the way.)  He says:

Today, the group aims to be a world-class terrorist outfit, recruiting fighters under the banner of religious holy war. They are more than just a local band of fanatics. They may be plotting the next 9/11.  

When you start to “connect the dots,” (the phrase made famous by the 9/11 Commission), you find there are a lot of dots to connect.
Al-Shabaab is no home-grown terrorist boy’s club. Various news sources report “foreign fighters” have joined their ranks, some in high-level leadership positions. That suggests that group has an international perspective and sees itself as part of the global Islamist campaign.
 
Furthermore, government intelligence officials find unambiguous links between al Qaeda and Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab seems to see itself as the East African franchise of Osama Bin Laden International. Last month, the group released a video featuring a Somali training camp and members pledging their allegiance to Bin Laden.
 
As you know if you read RRW regularly,
 
Most troubling, Al-Shabaab definitely has links to the United States. There is a significant Somali Diaspora here. Most came in the wake of the civil war. Somali communities have sprung up across the country. About 25,000 live in Minnesota, where hundreds of Somali-owned businesses dot the state. 
 
Al-Shabaab has been recruiting fighters from the U.S. to help wage their holy war. An American Somali recently took part in the suicide bombing of an African Union peacekeeping base in Mogadishu. The question now is whether Al-Shabaab will use its network to launch attacks here. U.S. officials think they might.
 
And here is the important connection:
 
Sensing weakness in the U.S. effort in Afghanistan, the Islamist group may believe Bin Laden’s pronouncement that America has become a “paper tiger.” If so, now would be the time for them to strike.
 
Carafano is too kind. It’s certainly not just weakness in our Afghanistan effort. It’s also President Obama’s continuous groveling before our enemies and our Muslim “friends” like the king of Saudi Arabia. I’ll never forget that picture of Obama bowing to the king as long as I live! At the moment we are indeed a paper tiger, because no matter what our actual military strength, if our government is determined not to stand up for our interests we may as well not have a military. To be  clear, Carafano doesn’t mention Obama; just “the government.”
 
Carafano goes on to talk about counterterrorism measures:
 
Stopping any Al-Shabaab operation here will require solid counterterrorism operations and non-stop intelligence sharing. In particular, we are going to need the tools authorized under the Patriot Act which have helped foil at least 26 intended attacks on the U.S. since 9/11.
 
Some of these authorities, such as “roving wire taps” that let law enforcement agencies track suspected terrorists as they jump from cell phone to cell phone, are now up for renewal in  Congress.
And I’ll point out that if Congress doesn’t renew those measures we’ll be hurt two ways: One by losing the measures as weapons in our fight against terrorism on our land, and two by continuing and amplifying the signal that we’re weak, weak, weak.  Carafano’s conclusion:
 
Given all the misinformation that’s been spread by opponents of the Patriot Act, let me make one more important point right here. It would be a terrible idea to regard Somali immigrants as terrorist suspects. Profiling any group because of a few bad apples is simply un-American.
 
Somalis are professionals, teachers, barbers, factory workers, cab drivers, soccer moms, and members of the PTA. Communities should be working with them, building stronger ties, fighting extremist ideas, and helping them share the American dream. That’s counter radicalization, American-style. 
 
As Ann has shown, the situation is far more complex than that. But I think Carafano knows that. We do know that there are Somalis who are upset and distressed by the radicalization of their young men by imams and others. Just as in Iraq we worked with ordinary people who did not want jihad or civil war, we of course should find and strengthen those Somalis who reject radicalism. And that would be first and foremost the women. I wonder if our government has a clue about that.

Social Justice Movement: Drumming up support for immigrants’ rights through claims of “racial profiling”

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday I told you that law enforcement authorities were questioning more friends of Najibullah Zazi the Pakistani immigrant who has been indicted on planning a terrorist attack on New York City, here. 

Also yesterday a demonstration was held in the city to protest supposed “racial profiling” in the case.  Read the full story at Jihad Watch, before continuing to read this post.

As always I am most interested in the ‘community organizing’ groups that were responsible for bringing Obama to power, especially those that are groups working for “immigrant rights,” like this group leading the protest in NYC yesterday. 

The mission of the group DRUM-Desis Rising Up and Moving is as follows:

DRUM – Desis Rising Up and Moving is a multigenerational, membership organization of South Asian immigrants in New York City. Desi is a common term used by people of South Asian descent to identify as people from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and parts of the diaspora including Africa, England, Fiji, Guyana, and Trinidad.

DRUM was founded in early 2000 to build power of South Asian low wage immigrant workers, families fighting deportation, and youth in New York City. We organize through political education and membership led action for immigrant rights, racial, economic, and social justice.

DRUM builds the power of our members, particularly youth and women, to win full civil and economic rights for immigrants, including legalization and an end to deportation policies.

Our long-term vision is to build the power of immigrant workers in the U.S in unity with all low-wage workers and communities of color to win rights and dignity. We see our movements for justice in the U.S. rooted in working in solidarity with people of the Global South for just global trade, economic, and foreign policies.

Their ostensible leader and one of the organizers of yesterday’s demonstration is Monami Maulik who signed their one and only Form 990 with the IRS for 2007.  You will notice that DRUM took in just over $200,000 from ‘direct public support’ which I have learned is a catchall phrase that really means ‘we aren’t going to reveal where our funds come from.’   When you check out the mission statement link above, note the flashy website.  Then consider that Maulik makes $39,000 a year and there are another $110,000 in salaries (I’ve rounded the numbers).  Their rent is $25,000 a year and they own a printer, a couple of computers, some recording equipment and $634 worth of furniture. 

The point I am making is that these little organizations which aren’t much more than one man operations then drum up a lot of publicity, like yesterday, and the reporters all flock to them as if they are big and powerful.   This is a prime example of the Soros strategy of creating zillions of organizations to promote social justice causes.

But there is more.

DRUM says it was formed in 2000, but that isn’t true.   The organization was incorporated in the State of New York after 9/11.  In fact, the date was June 2, 2002 and the person incorporating DRUM was:

C/O KARL FRANKLIN
26 COURT STREET, STE. 2205
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, 11242

So who is Karl Franklin (aka Kamau Karl Franklin)?  If you are familiar with the bio of Van Jones, this will sound familiar.  According to Leftforum 2008:

Kamau Karl Franklin is an activist, attorney, and the new Racial Justice Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Rights,* the co-chair of the National Conference of Black Lawyers and he is on the Executive Committee of the National Lawyers Guild. In addition to his work as a lawyer, Franklin is a member of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM), a human rights organization committed to fighting ìBy Any Means Necessaryî for the rights of ìNew Afrikansî (Afrikans in the Americas). Franklin holds a MA in Political Science from Brooklyn College and his JD from Fordham University School of Law.

Here is a 2007 interview with Democracy Now that gives you a little more information about Franklin.  And, here are more Karl Franklin groups.

I’m sure there is a lot more information to be learned about Franklin, but the point I’m making is that radical American Leftists and Marxists are “community organizing” immigrants using the Alinsky model—keep the chaos going by fueling the war between the “have-nots” and the “haves” all under the mantle of “social justice.”   “Racial profiling” is the boogeyman, people like Franklin know well how to exploit.  Having run out of angry American blacks, now they use immigrants as their pawns.

* See more on the Center for Constitutional Rights at the Capital Research Center here.

Did Bill Ayers admit writing Obama’s “Dreams” book?

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Much to my surprise this morning I see old posts I wrote (here and here) on whether Bill Ayers is really the author of Obama’s very well-written “Dreams from my Father” are being visited anew.   Why do we care at RRW?  First, I find the subject interesting as hell and think it’s very funny that some conservative faux intellectuals actually supported Obama because he was a good writer.  And, secondly (if it’s true) because I believe the subject adds more evidence to my theory that this President has followed assiduously the Alinsky theme of the ‘means justify the ends.’

So, how does that fit with the subject of this blog?  I think there are some ‘brains’ at the top echelons of the Far Left who practice Alinsky’s theory of creating chaos to bring “change” by fueling the war of the “have-nots” against the “haves.”   To them the poor and angry immigrants and refugees are just pawns—more have-nots.  It is really the only reasonable explanation for why we are bringing in tens of thousands of refugees (especially in the recession) then, in many cases, not caring for them properly.

I’m digressing, but just check out Detroit, a city that is at least one third Arab today with more immigrants arriving daily.  Yesterday, thousands lined up in that city to claim a piece of the redistribution of wealth coming from Obama’s stimulus bill (Cloward and Piven anyone?).

Okay, now back to what I wanted to direct you to—at American Thinker, James Simpson, posted this article this morning about a chance meeting a blogger had with Ayers in Washington.

Anne Leary of  Back Yard Conservative was passing through Washington, DC’s Reagan National Airport yesterday, and was surprised to come across Bill Ayers at Starbucks: “scruffy, thinning beard, dippy earring, and the wire rims, heading to order.”

She struck up a conversation with him and snapped the accompanying photo.

So, what did Ayers tell Ms. Leary?  Go to American Thinker and Back Yard Conservative and then decide for yourself whether Ayers was just having fun or whether he was coming clean.

This post is appropriately filed in our growing “community destabilization” category. My apologies to readers who think I’m off track posting on this topic—I just can’t help myself!

State Department: Lousy economy, who cares, bring in more refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Wishful thinking, I guess, but I thought there was some possibility that the Obama Administration would take into account the rotten economy and high unemployment figures and slow the flow of refugees into the US (and on to our welfare rolls) this coming fiscal year.   Fat chance in light of recent revelations about the Democratic strategy of flooding the welfare system and changing the demographics of the US.

According to a report from President Obama to Congress as the new fiscal year begins tomorrow, we will keep record high numbers of refugees coming to America. Nevermind that in some areas of the country only 20% of refugees find work and fear eviction from their apartments after only a few months in their new homes.

I haven’t yet read the full report, “Proposed Refugee Admissions for FY2010, Report to Congress from the President,” but the chart on page 5 tells us all we need to know.   Incidentally in fiscal year 2009, a deep recession year which ends today, we resettled more refugees than any year since 9/11.  The ceiling* for 2009 was 80,000 and at the time of this report the projected actual resettlement number is 75,000 (in a few days we should know the actual number).

For Fiscal year 2010, the State Department and the Office of the President set the ceiling for admissions at 80,000 again.  That figure includes a substantial increase in the number of Africans proposed for resettlement while East Asia and the Near East/South Asia will have less slots for resettlement.  Which, of course, suggests that Iraq numbers may not be increasing (again I haven’t read the whole report, to see exactly what they say about the controversial Iraqi refugees).

I did note that. according to the report, there have been meetings of insiders in the refugee industry on reforming some aspects of the program, but surely they didn’t include any outside criticism from the likes of us or our readers.

Interesting stats from FY2008

The report also gives us some interesting information and statistics from 2008.  We learn that the twelve top states for refugee resettlement are (in decreasing order by number of refugees resettled):  CA, TX, FL, NY, MI, AZ, IL, GA, NC, WA, PA, IN.   Among the lowest receiving states are Arkansas (9), West Virginia(5), and Delaware (1).  And, of course, Wyoming doesn’t participate in the program and so has zero.

I have said this on many previous occasions, but I find it fascinating that Delaware takes virtually no refugees.  One might argue that it’s such a small state, but so is Rhode Island and it took 134 in 2008 to Delaware’s 1.  Why is that interesting, because former Senator, now VP, Joe Biden is one of the original sponsors of the Refugee Act of 1980 and I think somehow he (an elitist like Ted Kennedy, the chief sponsor) likes the idea of refugees, just not too close to home.   I even called Delaware officials once and got some gobbledegook answer about why that state took so few.

I’m sure we will have more on this report as we find time to digest it all!

 *”Ceiling” is an important word. It is not a goal per se, although the resettlement industry advocates are making it one.  Its original meaning was that we were not to go over that number, not necessarily shoot for it.

Clinton, Obama, Podesta, scandals, ACORN, Podesta, immigrants, diversity, Podesta, Tides, Soros, Podesta

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I guess you get my drift—John Podesta is in the middle of it all!   Podesta as we told you previously is the head honcho of the very far Left “think tank”  Center for American Progress.   He got our attention in January when his Center released a report and a plea to the incoming Obama Administration to airlift 100,000 Iraqis to the US —ASAP—this year—pronto!  

What made me think of him this morning was a column by Andrew Breitbart published in the Washington Times entitled, “Podesta spends Soros money stupidly.”  Breitbart tells us about a recent lunch date between Clinton and Obama and speculates that  they discussed how to manipulate their media friends away from scandals like the growing ACORN debacle.

A telling event occurred on Sept. 15, Day 6 of the drip, drip, drip ACORN video rollout. President Obama met for lunch with former President Bill Clinton at trendy Il Mulino in New York City.

For the second consecutive day, the New York Post featured the ACORN scandal on its cover – complete with James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles in their outrageous “pimp and ho” costumes.

Does anyone think the president and the former president were unaware that the city in which they were dining was mesmerized by the ACORN scandal – especially since ACORN had bragged that its employees had kicked Mr. O’Keefe and Ms. Giles out of their New York office?

[….]

No one in the morally superior media world has asked, why did Mr. Obama have lunch with Mr. Clinton that day? So let me take a guess, and it seems like an obvious answer. Mr. Obama, under siege by a video-a-day expose that was exposing the Democratic Party to an avalanche of consequences (ACORN defunded in the House and Senate, ACORN delinked from the census, etc.), needed advice from the last president to navigate through a major political scandal.

Well lookie here—the next day Mr. Fix-it Podesta is called in to “investigate” ACORN!

The next day, Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta, the Democratic Party’s top fix-it guy with control over much of the left’s well-funded vast attack machinery (think George Soros, the Tides Foundation, et al.), was among a small advisory group placed in charge of investigating the matter.

[….]

So, who is John Podesta? He runs the Center for American Progress think tank, which in 2004 helped launch Media Matters for America, the well-funded watchdog outfit run by ex-conservative journalist David Brock, which feeds the media reams of anti-conservative documents that attempt to diminish the credibility of alternative media outlets.

Now back to my interest in Podesta  (bio here) who ran the Obama transition team, is connected to the Tides Foundation, George Soros and immigrants and who is coincidentally from Chicago like so many of Obama’s other friends.   I wonder did the blogger at New Zeal ever learn anything about the Podesta family in Chicago—where apparently all old Communists went to live in the late 1940’s and ’50’s?

The Immigrant connection!

The Tides Foundation, George Soros, American Center for Progress are all Open Borders pushers.   Do they really care so much for the poor and angry immigrants they import—my answer is NO!  Immigrants are pawns.   Those ACORN tapes and the attitude of ACORN workers toward the idea of bringing young girls across the border illegally tells us that. It’s all about their political agenda and about winning.   With perfect timing I just got an e-mail from reader B.L. with this quote from Clinton about a Vast Right-wing conspiracy.

Yesterday, Clinton was asked on ‘Meet the Press’ (Limbaugh calls it ‘Meet the Depressed’) if he feared a Republican takeover of Congress in 2010 and he confidentally said no:

“There’s no way” that could happen, Clinton said, adding that “the country is more diverse….”

Get it!  Immigrants=diversity=Democratic voters.

Back to Breitbart who is morally outraged, as most of us are, at the idea of ACORN workers not batting an eyelash at the part of the scam involving underaged girls from El Salvador illegally entering the US.  Here he suggests Mr. Fix-it Podesta may have a harder time with this scandal.

Plus, unlike Mr. Clinton’s war-room blame-the-messenger excuse – “it’s just about the sex” – this year’s ACORN scandal won’t be pushed aside, because this time it includes 13-year-old sex slaves from El Salvador.

I hope he is right, but I wouldn’t be so sure.   Thirteen-year-old girls from El Salvador are a twofer for some Democrats.  Think about it!  Useful now, but in 5 years they could be counted on as reliable Democratic party voters.  Recall the Alinsky mantra:  the ends justify the means, any means!