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October 26, 2001, President George W. Bush Signs the Patriot Act

On this day in 2001, President George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act, an anti-terrorism law drawn up in response to the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Just 45 days after the attacks of September 11, the Congress passed the Patriot Act nearly unanimously in the Senate (98-1) and easily in the House of Representatives (357-66).

The USA PATRIOT Act, as it is officially known, is an acronym for “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.” The stated goals of the Patriot Act were to strengthen domestic security and broaden the powers of law-enforcement agencies in order to identify and stop future terrorists from hitting America again.

There have been many people critical of the controversial act and there, of course, two sides of the coin. Supporters claim that it gave the government the tools it needed to identify, investigate and arrest terrorists. Some argued that the US didn’t have the same rules for terrorists that it did in investigating the Mafia. Critics claim that this act gave the government too much power, threatened our civil liberties, and undermined the very democracy that it claims to protect. But before going further, some quick background information on it.

Background and beginnings: On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four aircraft taking off on the East Coast. Two of those aircraft were flown into both of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Another flew into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The fourth was en route to Washington when the plane’s passengers attempted to take over the flight back from the terrorists after learning what happened to the other aircraft and in the ensuing melee, the plane crashed into the rural countryside of Pennsylvania. Over 3000 Americans died.

Just a couple of days later, the White House announced that the terrorists were from Al Qaeda. The terrorists were headquartered in Afghanistan but had cells all over the world. The hijackers had support cells working here in the United States. The Global War on Terrorism had begun.

Not long after that US Attorney General John Ashcroft submitted to Congress the changes the government was requesting in regards to investigating terrorist activity. Many of these changes were resisted by the Congress in the past and had been pushed back, but 9/11 changed all of that.

The Patriot Act sailed thru the Senate 98-1, with the only nay vote coming from Senator Russell Feingold (D-Wis). It then sailed easily thru the House with a 357-66 vote. The final bill encompassed 342 pages of legalese and changed many of the existing laws. Most of the items that Ashcroft and the Justice Department requested were adopted.

The intention of the law, in President Bush’s words, was to “enhance the penalties that will fall on terrorists or anyone who helps them.” The act increased intelligence agencies’ ability to share information and lifted restrictions on communications surveillance, which includes everyday communication between citizens.

Law enforcement officials were given much more leeway in what they were allowed to do to fight financial counterfeiting, smuggling and money laundering schemes that funded terrorist organizations. The Patriot Act allows the FBI increased powers to access personal information such as medical and financial records and superseded all state laws.

In the uncertainty following 9/11, some advocates for the Patriot Act felt like the bill didn’t go far enough. Others such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), argued that this gave the government far too much power to curtail civil liberties and would give the government carte blanche to investigate ordinary Americans with no checks and balances reminiscent of the 1960s and early 1970s. Some aspects of the Patriot Act were set to expire in 2005, but in 2006, President Bush renewed the so-called “sunset clauses” that were expiring.

The Patriot Act: President Bush signed the bill into law on October 26. He spoke about fighting a new danger “a threat like no other our Nation has ever faced.” He also sought to allay some fears by stating that the Patriot Act “upholds and respects the civil liberties guaranteed by our Constitution.”

The term “domestic terrorism in the new law is defined actions that are taking place within the United States that are dangerous to human life and are designed to:

to intimidate or coerce a civilian population
to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion
to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping

While Congress has debated several features of the Patriot Act, including the controversial “National Security Letters”, how long the FBI can hold records, and forcing the government to provide more information and explanation for their reasons for requesting search warrants, surveillance or subpoenas, it has remained intact.

Has it Worked? The biggest question is just that, has the Patriot Act worked? Are we safer as a nation now than before? The entire basis of the Patriot Act from the government was that in the face of terrorist threats, Americans must balance their freedom with the need for security. Is that fair?

Certain countries such as Israel live in a very dangerous place where terrorist attacks happen far too frequently and the people live in a perpetual fishbowl it seems. They’ve balanced the very real need for security with the civil liberties they enjoy, where they are freer than any other country in the Middle East.

Since 9/11, several terrorist attacks from organizations such as Al Qaeda or the Islamic State have been thwarted before they could begin. Is it because of the Patriot Act itself or just a heightened awareness after 9/11 and the resultant better communication between agencies, which failed us in 2001? The Justice Department claims that the roving wiretaps and surveillance authorized under the Patriot Act has been instrumental in defeating terrorist operations before they begin.

Critics of the law point to one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin said, “those who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety.”

Critics even worked in a quote by none other than Julius Caesar about being wary of being whipped into a patriotic frenzy by the war and the law. Later it was proven to be false, Caesar never did say that, but dead men and politicians always make for great quote machines. So while JC never did utter these words….we’ll give whoever did write this, their due (they were brilliant):

“Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and
blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar.”

The scope of the government’s surveillance collection was revealed when Edward Snowden released the extent of the NSA’s collection of American citizens’ communications. Those programs remain intact.

While some in Congress want to repeal or amend it others such as Senator John McCain, (R-AZ) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have continued to argue that had those laws been in place in 2001, 9/11 may have never happened.

The debate will go on and as events change our perceptions, this too shall change. One way or another.

Photo: Wikipedia

Nikki Haley: Africa’s Violence Could Become US Security Problem

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley is making a tour to the South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the first visits to the continent by the upper echelon of the Trump administration. She spoke to leaders there about how the violence and humanitarian disasters on the continent of Africa could spread and become security issues for the United States.

She is making these visits attempting to show that the US is a firm partner for these countries facing issues. Haley met with several country leaders as well as the African Union and stated that she hoped this was the beginning of “a stronger relationship with the AU and our African partners.”

“The United States very much sees Africa as a very important part of the world. We see great opportunities in Africa. We see challenges in Africa, but we want to support and help in those situations. But most importantly, we want to see how we can partner together. Whether if that is through economic development, whether it is through strategic practices, whether it is through political solution,” she said.
Haley said she also plans to meet with South Sudan President Salva Kiir and Congolese President Joseph Kabila to “deliver a strong message that their governments need to stop making the work of aid workers and peacekeepers more difficult.”
“Our goal is that we should have one voice and one voice is that we have to see peace in South Sudan, we have to see that women are being taken care of. We can’t see any more death. We can’t see any more famine. We’ve got to start seeing the situation get better and I think the pressure is only going to continue until President Kiir makes a difference in that area,” she said.

With problems systemic in many of the countries in the African continent, there are no easy solutions. But Haley’s visits are a first step, a baby-step if you will that the US is a willing partner to help, as it has traditionally done in times of humanitarian crisis.

To read the entire article from The Voice of America, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Trump’s “Calm Before the Storm” Comment at Military Dinner an Omen?

During a photo shoot with the press before a scheduled dinner with top military advisers and their spouses, President Trump repeated a couple of mysterious remarks that set the tongues in Washington and elsewhere wagging.

As the group posed for pictures, Trump grinned and asked the press photographers, “do you guys know what this represents? And then without waiting for an answer, he said, “maybe it is the calm before the storm.” Then once pressed by the media what that meant, he repeated it.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to one of a handful of thorny military or foreign policy areas — North Korea, the fight against ISIS, Iran’s nuclear program, or the recent deaths of three U.S. soldiers in Niger — or simply making a joke about the dinner to follow.
“We have the world’s great military people in this room, I will tell you that. And uh, we’re gonna have a great evening, thank you all for coming.”
“What storm, Mr. President?” NBC News’ Kristen Welker asked again.
“You’ll find out,” Trump replied, before reporters were ushered out of the room.

The official White House press release for the event was, as usual rather dry, stating the President thanked the members of the military and spoke about the “pressing matters of national security” that are confronting our country.

The released transcript also added that the President mentioned: “challenges that we really should have taken care of a long time ago, like North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, ISIS, and the revisionist powers that threaten our interests all around the world.”

To read the entire article from NBC News, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Trump Urges Afghan President to Close Taliban Office in Qatar

President Donald Trump is urging that a Taliban diplomatic mission in Qatar be closed. He’s reported to be in talks with Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani to formally ask the government of Qatar to close the office.

The Taliban office, in Qatar, has been used as a hub for dialogue for more than six years but has failed to generate any headway. President Ghani, according to sources has not reached a final decision on the closure but is expected to agree.

The Afghan leadership sees the 36-strong informal delegation in Doha – which the Taliban calls its “political office” – as doing nothing to facilitate peace talks, merely conferring political legitimacy on a group Kabul views as no more than a tool of Pakistan.
Trump is said to be hostile to the maintenance of the Taliban office for several reasons. He portrays it as a failed initiative of his predecessor that has not led to the peace negotiations Barack Obama had hoped for. Meanwhile, the Saudi and Emirati monarchies have been pressing for its closure since its inception, seeing it as a symbol of Doha’s diplomatic prestige and US-Qatari ties.

It was this Taliban office in Doha where the Taliban secured the release of five detainees that were being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in an exchange for US serviceman Bowe Bergdahl.

The presence of this Taliban diplomatic mission has always been a thorn in the side of the Afghan government, not only because it gave the Taliban a degree of legitimacy in the diplomatic world but it left the door open for third-party governments to begin peace talks with the Taliban which the Afghan government insists, and rightfully so, that the process must go through Kabul.

The Saudis, Bahrain, Egypt, and UAE have stated for some time now that the government in Doha supports Iran and the Islamists and funds terrorism. Trump’s actions are seen as support for Saudi Arabia’s claims.

To read the entire article from The Guardian click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

The NFL, The National Anthem, and The President Make an Explosive Mix

OP-Ed: They knew it wasn’t going to be popular with many of their fans. But many NFL players felt like they had to take a stand against what they felt was a direct slight by President Trump on Friday when he called for NFL owners “to fire the sons of bitches” who refuse to stand for the national anthem.

But it wasn’t just the players who pushed back. It was the owners of NFL teams as well. Several of them Republicans, a few like New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, are considered close friends of the President. Kraft released a statement where he struck a diplomatic pose by stating “he was disappointed” by the tone of the President’s message.

And many players struck back by taking a knee during the National Anthem prior to Sunday’s NFL games. Many fans, including those here in New England, booed their players when they saw them taking a knee before the anthem and there were several shouts for the players to “Stand UP!”. Veterans, including many of our readers here at SpecialOperations.com and SOFREP.com were largely incensed at the kneeling during the anthem which the vast majority of which, took as a swipe at the flag, the country as a whole and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in our country.

The entire flap over the National Anthem began in 2016 with then San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick who refused to stand for the anthem because of the racial inequality against people of color as well as what considered police brutality. Kaepernick’s early protests were mostly ignored but then began to generate momentum around the league. He didn’t help his own cause when he came to press conference wearing a Fidel Castro t-shirt. Castro was hardly the poster child for racial equality or human rights. But the more that people pushed back against Kaepernick the more than other NFL players began to support his stand, Castro shirt notwithstanding.

I’ve seen this argument from both sides of the equation. I am a veteran of the US Army Special Forces and I too feel strongly about standing for the national anthem and nothing irks me more than people who refuse to remove their hats during it or can’t shut their pie-hole for two minutes while it is being played at sporting events I attend.

But I’ve also covered the NFL and have had media access to the New England Patriots. While I won’t tell you that I know any of the players, (that would be BS), however, from seeing many of them frequently, you can get a sense of who these guys are and what they’re all about. But I can tell you it is seeing the perspective from both sides. New England has a Navy officer (Ensign Joe Cardona who is the long-snapper for the team) and when they travel Cardona wears his uniform, so the players understand where others who may disagree are coming from.

Are they extremely well compensated? Absolutely. But one must remember that for most of them, their NFL careers are woefully short. But do they act like entitled brats that many people seem to feel? No. The vast majority are young men who know they have been blessed with a unique opportunity. The Patriots front office tries to keep their feet grounded by insisting that all players take part in a number of community events during the year. Most go well beyond the requirement, several, including team captain Devin McCourty, Jordan Richards, Matthew Slater and others try to attend every community event to give back to the people, the fans who pay their salaries. It isn’t a duty that they take lightly.

The vast majority of these young men are African-American and although they won’t admit to it perhaps publically, they are also being pulled by the African-American community to “not forget where they came from.” And the fact of the matter is the vast majority of African-Americans in this country, don’t trust this President, don’t feel he represents them or their families and they don’t feel he’s working for them.

So when President Trump sent out that tweet on Friday, not only did it hit home with the players, the SOBs comment was to most of them a personal affront. And they felt that they had to respond.

There are problems in this country, racial mistrust, inequalities, and issues among the people of color with the police that do exist. I haven’t walked in their shoes growing up so I can’t sit here and tell them how they should or shouldn’t feel. If they feel a sense of mistrust towards the police, then to them it is a truth. That is something we have to fix because to leave it alone or sweep it under the rug will mean it will only fester and grow worse.

So, when these players take a knee during the anthem, they’re answering the call from their own communities as well as what they perceive as an insult by President Trump. The one thing they aren’t trying to do is to denigrate or disrespect anything that has to do with the military. They’re aware that men and women, including many people of their own race, put their lives on the line to protect us and our way of life. There is the disconnect.

McCourty tried to explain his and his teammates’ rationale by saying,“We wanted to come together first and foremost,” McCourty said. “We hate that people are going to see it as we don’t respect the military and the men and women that are way braver than us, that go and put their life on the line every day for us to have the right to play football.

“Guys have family members – fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters that serve – and they were really conflicted about it. But we just wanted to send a message of unity and being together and not standing for the disrespect and different ways guys felt. So many different things going through a lot of guys heads and it was unique to see guys kind of come together and bond together as a group before the game, and do that.”

Brandin Cooks has relatives in the military and offered this to the media after Sunday’s game. “One statement I would just like to make is that a lot of people think we’re disrespecting the flag and the military, but my father and uncle were Marines, and I have the utmost respect for the men and women that fight for our freedom. I feel conflicted in a sense because I have no courage to do something like that, so I understand the magnitude that they’re fighting across the world for our freedom.

“The message we’re trying to send is that we want respect and unity, and there’s only so many ways that you can do it,” Cooks said. “We decided before the game that we were going to do it and I’m glad we went through with it.”

“I have nothing but respect for the flag. I love my country, but I just wanted to support my teammates,” Cassius Marsh, whose girlfriend served in the armed forces, said. “I think it’s a unifying thing in every locker room. You support your guys, you’re standing up for your teammates. “It’s not about choosing sides or anything like that,” added Marsh. “My side is people. I love the people in this country.”

Personally, I respect their right to protest, and as I’ve stated above, I haven’t walked in their shoes, so far be it from me to tell them that should or should not feel a certain way. This country has always had the right, paid for in blood, to stand up and say something that others may find uncomfortable. I also reserve the right to feel that the way they went about their protest was not the right way.

Why so many military members feel so strongly about the standing for the flag. (Wikipedia photo)

A better way? It is too late now since most people have cemented their own ideas on what has transpired, however, since the television networks rarely air the national anthem anyway, their message is getting lost to the majority of viewers. Wait until kickoff time, when the game is supposed to start. Then both teams walk out to midfield, take a knee or stand arm-in-arm and have a minute of silence for reflection, prayer etc. That message will get carried across the television screens in every home on the major networks carrying the games. Your message gets hammered home without another segment of the population feeling that now they are being disrespected. Since the message being sent by the players is “coming together”, wouldn’t this make more sense?

We live in a country where it seems we’re being pulled apart every day a little bit more. Instead of pointing fingers as to whose fault it is, which is self-defeating and only adds to the problem, we need to come together and show some mutual respect for one another. No one thinks this country is perfect, we are a beautifully flawed Republic, that still has a long way to go. But in the 241 years, we have been a beacon for others around the world to look up to and aspire to be. Having traveled around the world and visiting over 40 countries in my life thus far, there’s no place better. So I agree with McCourty, we do need to come together. And we need to listen to one another.

Photo: television screenshot

Hurricane Maria Devastation Has Puerto Rico Calling for More Relief Aid

The utter devastation suffered from Hurricane Maria on the US territory of Puerto Rico has the citizens desperate for help from federal agencies as the conditions are reaching a critical stage for many. Some of the people are feeling like the US federal government has forgotten them.

“It looks like a bomb went off,” said Monique Casablanca, 37, by phone from Ocean Park in the capital of San Juan.

“I’ve seen very little to no police presence, I’ve seen zero military presence. Nights are excruciating, there’s screaming, there’s gunshots. It’s hot, so it’s hard to sleep right now I haven’t slept in 48 hours,” said Casablanca, a rental property manager.
Federal agencies rescuing people and delivering humanitarian aid to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria faced an island that remains largely without power, running water, fuel and access to cell service on Monday, five days after the storm first made landfall.
More than 10,000 federal staff, including 700 FEMA personnel, were on the ground in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, assisting with rescue efforts, restoring power and getting badly needed supplies to parts of the islands, a FEMA spokesperson said on Monday evening.

The scenes around the island are similar, the devastating damage done by the massive storm has wreaked havoc on the Puerto Rican fragile economy. FEMA and National Guard troops assigned to relief efforts are working diligently but are overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the issue.

Many areas are still flooded, and the heat which on Monday topped 94 degrees is taking a toll on the people, especially the old and sick since no air conditioners can run without electricity being restored. Potable water is also in short supply. About 60 percent of the people have no clean water restored.

To read the entire article from NBC News, click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

Chinese Troops Live Fire Exercise Show of Force in Djibouti

Chinese troops from their first overseas base took part in their first live-fire drills in a show of combat readiness. The exercise on Friday in the African country of Djibouti took place at the national training range and involved dozens of troops according to a People’s Liberation Army Navy press release.

Troops arrived at the base – China’s first overseas garrison – less than two months ago and the drill was meant to test the personnel’s capacity to handle a range of weapons and tasks in extreme heat, humidity, and salinity, the report said.

“This is the first time our soldiers stationed in Djibouti have left the camp to conduct combat training,” base commander Liang Yang was quoted as saying.
“The live-fire training will help explore a new training model for the [Chinese] overseas garrison.”
Footage aired by state-run CCTV showed PLA marine corps using various weapons – from pistols to automatic rifles, sniper rifles and machine guns – to fire at targets.
Beijing-based military expert Li Jie said the troops had to be on combat alert at all times because of the region’s complex political conditions and Djibouti’s geographic importance.

The Chinese also claimed that a PLA ship docked in Djibouti was probed by combat divers from a Japanese ship docked nearby. One of China’s official newspapers the Procuratorial Daily reported that the Chinese used strong lights and signals to drive away the Japanese divers.

The Chinese also claimed that the live-fire drills were a message to the local militias in the unstable African country “not to harass” the Chinese.

“Since the political situation in Djibouti is very unstable, the troops need to let local armed groups know of their combat strength. They need to tell them that the Chinese forces are there not only to set up the logistics base but must also be able to deal with all kinds of security challenges,”

To read the entire article from The South China Post, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

September 25, 1780, Benedict Arnold Defects to the British

Almost every American school kid remembers (when they actually still taught history) the name of Benedict Arnold. He was roundly reviled in the American Revolution as a traitor and his name will, in American folklore be used as a synonym for being a turncoat.

But there was more to Arnold’s treachery than meets the eye. He was, at the start of the Revolution, a fervent Patriot. But later events, partly of his own doing, would cause him to eschew the cause and go over to the British.

Arnold was born in the Colonies in Rhode Island in 1741. He was as close as one could get to being royalty in New England. His grandfather was one of the founding fathers of the colony and his family were considered respected upper crust there. But his father, was a drunkard and an embarrassment to the family, having moved them to Norwich, Connecticut.

Arnold moved away at first chance and became a very successful apothecary and seagoing merchant. But ever aware of any slight due to his childhood, he was extremely petty and overly sensitive, taking umbrage to anything, he fought more than a few duels because of it. It would cause him much heartburn later in life.

Arnold was outraged over the Boston Massacre and when he heard of the fighting in Lexington and Concord in April of 1775, he seized some of the gunpowder of New Haven and quickly assembled a group of volunteers and marched north.

Arnold met with and convinced Dr. Joseph Warren in Massachusetts, one of the leaders of the nascent revolution, that the revolution needed to capture Fort Ticonderoga in New York State. It was a formidable star-shaped target with 80 cannons. Arnold and Warren knew the Revolution could use those cannons. But since the end of the French-Indian War, the British let the amount of troops lag and by 1775, the garrison contained only about 50 men.

Arnold and his troops met up with Ethan Allen and his “Green Mountain Boys and marched to the fort on the shores of Lake Champlain. There they surprised the British garrison that was still sleeping. It was the first victory for the Revolution and the cannons would be well used during the upcoming siege of Boston.

There would be controversy when Allen’s men were busy consuming the fort’s rum supply while Arnold, would capture and take command of a small fleet of warships on Lake Champlain giving the Colonials control of the lake and fight a battle there in 1776.

One of the Colonial leaders, Colonel James Easton dared to ridicule Arnold for his self-styling name as “Commodore of the American Navy” at Lake Champlain, something the thin-skinned Arnold wouldn’t tolerate and he proceeded to “kick him very heartily.”

It would forever burn his bridges with Easton, as he and a number of other American officers would ostracize and eventually drive him away.

Despite this, Arnold’s men and even many of his detractors would characterize him as an excellent officer and leader. His men always had confidence in his abilities.

Arnold’s first wife died in 1775 and he was grief-stricken and couldn’t bear to remain in New Haven alone. He left his children with a relative and threw himself into the workings of the Revolution. And for the next three years, he was a model officer and became an indispensable member of General Washington’s staff.

He met his second wife, Peggy Shipton, daughter of Philadelphia aristocracy and British loyalists in 1778. While stationed there, he was living well above his means, trying to keep his new wife in the standard of living that she was used to.

Another enemy Arnold made during his time in Philadelphia was that of Joseph Reed, who had been a close friend of General Washington but had burned his bridges there with his annoying habit of antagonizing everyone around him including his friends. Reed as a member of the Supreme Executive Council began documenting a case against Arnold as the military governor.

Reed made a flimsy, eight charge indictment of Arnold that had zero chance of ever getting a conviction. Washington knew this and took neither side but Reed persisted, despite lacking any evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Arnold.

By the spring of 1779, with Reed refusing to let go of his vendetta against him, Arnold began to have second thoughts on the revolution. With the court-martial and the digging of Reed’s barbs hanging over his head, Arnold read where the British newspapers were speaking more highly of his talents than his own were. The Royal Gazette of London wrote, “General Arnold heretofore had been styled another Hannibal, but losing a leg in the service of the Congress, the latter considering him unfit for any further exercise of his military talents, permit him thus to fall into the unmerciful fangs of the executive council of Pennsylvania.”

Arnold then saw his betrayal to the Revolution as a way out of his predicament. In financial trouble as well as his legal issues hanging over his head with Reed. A British captain, John Andre knew his wife and was living in New York City. Arnold sent him a letter to feel out the British and wondering how much they would compensate him for his services.

Washington finally ended the court-martial with a reprimand and gave Arnold the command of the fort of West Point. In 1780, Arnold made plans with Andre to turn over West Point to British General Henry Clinton. Andre was caught with the documents and executed. Arnold himself narrowly eluded capture by Washington and escaped on the British sloop Vulture down the Hudson River.

The British made Arnold a Brigadier General with an annual pension of £360, and a lump sum of over £6,000. He led British troops in Virginia and conducted raids in both Groton and New London, Connecticut. After the British defeat at Yorktown, he and his wife moved to London, where incidentally, Arnold never received the full amount of money due him.

He and his sons briefly ran a business in New Brunswick, but he soon returned to London and there he remained until his death in 1791.

While the incessant poking of Reed and the jealousy of seeing several junior officers to himself get promoted ahead of him weighed heavily on him, in the end it was money that was the driving force that caused Arnold to betray the revolution.

Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

Former Army Ranger, Steeler Villanueva Stands Alone for National Anthem

It is hard to miss Alejandro Villanueva, on or off the football field. The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman stands 6’9, 320-pounds and is one of the biggest men in a sport populated with large human beings. But on Sunday, he was conspicuous for another reason. He was the only member of the Pittsburgh Steelers to leave the locker room and stand for the playing of the national anthem.

Villanueva is a former Army Ranger and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and stood alone with his hand over his heart for The Star-Spangled Banner before the Steelers’ game against the Chicago Bears.

The gesture came after President Donald Trump spoke Friday about NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a b—- off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,’” Trump said at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama.
NFL teams, players, and coaches have spoken about his comments. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had told CBS Sports the team wouldn’t take part in the national anthem “to remove ourselves from the circumstance.”

Villanueva served three tours in Afghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor. The entire kneeling for the national anthem scenario arose with Colin Kaepernick in 2016 and Villanueva, in an interview with ESPN made his feelings known.

“I don’t know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that’s providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year … when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year,” he said.

“I will be the first one to hold hands with Colin Kaepernick and do something about the way minorities are being treated in the United States, the injustice that is happening with police brutality, the justice system, inequalities in pay,” he added. “You can’t-do it by looking away from the people that are trying to protect our freedom and our country.”

While most of the Steelers players were understanding of Villanueva’s stance on the matter a few others, notably James Harrison and Coach Mike Tomlin made comments against his appearance. Tomlin in his post-game press conference stated that “I wanted 100 percent participation.”

To read the entire article from Fox Sports click here:

Photo courtesy NFL.com

US Bombs ISIS Camp in Libya, 17 Terrorists Dead

The United States conducted six airstrikes on an ISIS camp on Friday that killed 17 terrorists and destroyed three vehicles. The US Africa Command said in a statement that the strikes targeted an ISIS site about 240 km (170 miles) southeast of Sirte, once a stronghold of ISIS in the country.

“The camp was used by ISIS to move fighters in and out of the country; stockpile weapons and equipment; and to plot and conduct attacks,” AFRICOM said.

“ISIS and al-Qaeda have taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Libya to establish sanctuaries for plotting, inspiring and directing terror attacks,” it said, using another acronym for ISIL.
The strikes were carried out in coordination with Libya’s Government of National Accord, it added.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the air raids were carried out by armed drones.

After the fall of the Gadhafi regime in 2011, ISIS took advantage of a power vacuum and moved into Sirte in 2015 and imposed their strict regime in the city. The used that area as one of their largest bases to bring in foreign fighters and according to AFRICOM, controlled about 250 km of the Mediterranean coastline.

But they were forced out by a combination of Libyan troops and US airstrikes and have had to move their operations out into the desert. The political situation in Tripoli is still fluid with three competing factions vying for power.

However, as this shows, the Trump administration, while not choosing to get involved on the ground in Libya in a large way, has not forgotten about ISIS and will continue to target the terrorist group when the opportunity arises.

This was the first airstrike in Libya against ISIS since President Trump took office, but probably won’t be the last.

To read the entire article from Al Jazeera, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia