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Obama Gets Tough..II

Okay, I admit it. The first installment was just a set up for this post. So we've established that Russia and China hung us out to dry with the Iran sanctions. They are also collaborating with each other militarily and monetarily against US interests..see my earlier posts here and here.
That's all pretty bad news, and then you combine it with this...  Ω and get the really bad news.

Iran, China Lead the World in Stealing U.S. Military Technology According to Documents Uncovered by Judicial Watch
Contact Information:
Press Office 202-646-5172, ext 305
Washington, DC -- October 21, 2009

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Iran and China lead the world in stealing sensitive U.S. military equipment and technology according to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) from the Justice Department's National Security Division. The documents include a report entitled, "Significant Export Control Cases Since September 2001," which was prepared by the Counter Espionage Section (CES), and includes the charges, investigative agency, defendants and disposition of each case.

According to a Justice Department news release included in the documents released to Judicial Watch: "The illegal exports bound for Iran have involved such items as missile guidance systems, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) components, military aircraft parts, night vision systems and other materials. The illegal exports to China have involved rocket launch data, Space Shuttle technology, missile technology, naval warship data, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or 'drone' technology, thermal imaging systems, military night vision systems and other materials."
"These documents show that Iran and China have concerted efforts to obtain U.S. military technology in violation of our laws," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "The Obama administration needs to maintain vigilance against the illegal efforts of enemies such as Iran to obtain our sensitive technologies."

Yeah, that'll happen. They better watch out, he'll sanction them. Or something.

Obama Gets Tough

Hahahahahahaha! Had ya there for a second?
Don't worry, the Cubs didn't win a pennant, the Panthers didn't win a Super Bowl, and Obama is still a wimp. Hell has not frozen over.

So earlier this month, the story started out like this:  Ω

Dems frustrated with President Obama's hesitation over new Iran sanctions

By Kevin Bogardus - 10/06/09 02:27 PM ET

Lawmakers grew increasingly frustrated with the Obama administration on Tuesday as a State Department official refused to endorse a new package of sanctions on Iran that is expected to speed through Congress this year.

Steinberg said the administration is pursuing a dual-track strategy of engaging with the Iranians while threatening isolation if Iran does not grant concessions.

Pressed by Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), he acknowledged the administration has not asked Congress to pass new sanctions. He also said sanctions would be more effective if they were multilateral.

“Sanctions are not only more effective if they are broad-based, but it also takes away the political argument that Iran could make that it is just U.S. hostility,” Steinberg said.

But that could be difficult. Imposing multilateral sanctions through the United Nations would depend on the support of Russia and China, which have been reluctant in the past to take that step.

Hmmm, wonder how that strategy worked out....  Ω

China's Premier Touts Cooperation With Iran, Signals Opposition to New Sanctions

Saturday, October 17, 2009
Beijing - Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday that China intends to strengthen its cooperation with Iran, an indication Beijing would oppose growing calls in the West for additional sanctions against the Islamic regime for its nuclear program.

Oops. Oh well, there's still Russia...  Ω 

Russia's Putin Criticizes Sanctioning Iran

Sunday, October 18, 2009 

Beijing - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin criticized talk of sanctions against Iran on Wednesday, undermining U.S. efforts to present a united front against Tehran's nuclear program at a crucial moment.

I hope M'chelle has lots of burn ointment on hand for hubby. What on earth ever happened to the world loving us again once Obama was in charge? Did someone lose the reset button? Is it broken? Or perhaps..

Is Obama pushing the wrong buttons?

It's a must read, what are you still doing here?

SIGTARP

Or, “Every Government Entity Spawns At Least Three More Government Entities”  Ω

When the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was created under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Congress enacted several independent oversight entities and processes to ensure accountability and protect taxpayers including the Congressional Oversight Panel, GAO oversight and audits at Treasury, and an Inspector General to monitor the Treasury Secretary’s decisions. Mr. Barofsky presented SIGTARP’s third quarterly report to Congress and their first audit report on how recipients have used TARP funds at the hearing.

Where has all the TARP money gone? Looong time passin’……

The Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“SIGTARP”) was created by Section 121 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (“EESA”). Under EESA, SIGTARP has the responsibility, among other things, to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations of the purchase, management, and sale of assets under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”). SIGTARP is required to report quarterly to Congress to describe SIGTARP’s activities and to provide certain information about TARP over that preceding quarter. EESA gives SIGTARP the authorities listed in Section 6 of the Inspector General Act of 1978, including the power to obtain documents and other information from Federal agencies and to subpoena reports, documents, and other information from persons or entities outside of Government. EESA provided SIGTARP with an initial allocation of $50 million to fund its operations. The Special Inspector General, Neil M. Barofsky, was confirmed by the Senate on December 8, 2008, and sworn into office on December 15, 2008.

Page 9 of the SIGTARP Quarterly Report reads:  Ω

Although SIGTARP understands Treasury’s need to balance the public’s transparency interests, on one hand, with the interests of the participants and the desire to have wide participation in the programs, on the other, Treasury’s default position should always be to require more disclosure rather than less and to provide the investors in TARP — the American taxpayers — as much information about what is being done with their money as possible. Unfortunately, in rejecting SIGTARP’s basic transparency recommendations, TARP has become a program in which taxpayers (i) are not being told what most of the TARP recipients are doing with their money, (ii) have still not been told how much their substantial investments are worth, and (iii) will not be told the full details of how their money is being invested. In SIGTARP’s view, the very credibility of TARP (and thus in large measure its chance of success) depends on whether Treasury will commit, in deed as in word, to operate TARP with the highest degree of transparency possible.

Wonder how much work they have….

SIGTARP’s Investigations Division has developed rapidly and is quickly becoming a sophisticated white-collar investigative agency. Through June 30, 2009, SIGTARP has opened 37 and has 35 ongoing criminal and civil investigations. These investigations include complex issues concerning suspected accounting fraud, securities fraud, insider trading, mortgage servicer misconduct, mortgage fraud, public corruption, false statements, and tax investigations. Two of SIGTARP’s investigations have recently become public.

And in other news, Obama and Team are going to pay for their health bill with all the waste they’ll eliminate from Medicaid/care. Ω

Obama told a joint session of Congress Wednesday night that “reducing the waste and inefficiency in Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of this plan.” –I’m convinced.

And then he said “Let there be Dark”, and there was Dark.

Rewarding Failure

Leads to....more failure. Who could have guessed? 
U.S. bailout program increased moral hazard: watchdog Ω A must read!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government's $700 billion financial bailout program has increased moral hazard in the markets by infusing capital into banks that caused the financial crisis, a watchdog for the program said on Wednesday.

The special inspector general for the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) said the plan put in place a year ago was clearly influencing market behavior, and he repeated that taxpayers may never recoup all their money.
The bailout fund may have helped avert a financial system collapse but it could reinforce perceptions the government will step in to keep firms from failing, the quarterly report from inspector general Neil Barofsky said.

Wow, these guys are real mental giants. 

And handing out oodles of "free" taxpayer money leads toooooo... Lots of people trying to get their own piece of the money pie! Surprise! Ω 

WASHINGTON -- The House ethics panel said Thursday that it is investigating Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat who came under scrutiny for allegedly helping a bank with which she had ties secure a meeting with Treasury Department officials about obtaining bailout funds.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that Ms. Waters allegedly helped OneUnited Bank of Boston get a meeting with Treasury officials to negotiate a $12 million bailout. On Thursday, the ethics panel acknowledged for the first time that it is investigating her.

Sidney Williams, Ms. Waters's husband, was on the bank's board of directors until last year.

 Oops, another one.. Ω

Last November, Rangel and five other members of Congress took a junket to the Caribbean with $100,000 from Citigroup -- just weeks after Congress bailed out banks with $700 billion in taxpayer funds.

 Here's a chart I found interesting..


 
A link to view the full chart.  Ω   

And these people want to run health care.

"It's the End of the World..

As We Know It"
Barack Obama may attend Copenhagen summit if there is climate change progress  Ω

"The US is fully committed to trying to get a strong and pragmatic and solid agreement and the President is fully focused on that.

"We are not thinking about a Plan B either," he said.

 A communique issued at the end of the meeting agreed developed nations will be judged on targets while developing nations will have to prove they have taken action.

It also said that public finance, as well as private sector money from the carbon markets, should be used to help poor countries adapt to climate change and develop renewable energy. Gordon Brown has suggested this should be around £60 billion every year. 

Or as the treaty puts it...Ω  

The active participation of all stakeholders in this transition should be sought [, be they governmental, including subnational and local government, private business or civil society, including the youth and addressing the need for gender equity].]

From page 122-- 

17. [[Developed [and developing] countries] [Developed and developing country Parties] [All Parties] [shall] [should]:]
(a) Compensate for damage to the LDCs’ economy and also compensate for lost opportunities, resources, lives, land and dignity, as many will become environmental refugees

Steal from the rich and give to the poor. The thing is, America won't be rich much longer at this rate. Which is the whole idea behind the "carbon debt" concept. It's impossible to bring all these third-world countries up to our level, so we have to be brought down to theirs. It's Obama's wet dream brought to life and pumped full of steroids.

Lord have mercy.

Acorn Goes to Afghanistan...Part III

Karzai concedes he did not win Afghan election after UN finds that poll was rigged  Ω
Bright boy.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has conceded today that he fell short of victory in the country's August presidential election. --"fell short of victory", newspeak for "we got caught cheating".

He admitted he did not receive the 50 per cent vote share he needed, and has agreed to to a run-off election with his challenger, Dr Abdullah Abdullah.

--"John (Loser) Kerry threatened to tomahawk me with his face if I didn't follow orders." -attributed to a karacul-wearing used car salesman of uncertain parentage and overactive sebaceous glands.

A UN-backed fraud investigation that threw out nearly a third of Karzai's ballots.--dangling chads...

The Afghan president claimed he won an outright victory in the first round of elections but observers have said as many as one in four votes cast were suspicious.--"When in doubt, claim victory."-attributed to tyrants everywhere.

Investigators did not release enough figures to allow for an independent judgment, but it was clear that hundreds of thousands of Karzai votes were voided. In all, more than 5 million votes were cast in the election.  Hundreds of thousands out of 5 million...the American ACORN offices are taking notes!

Karzai has spoken out against a second round and has criticised the fraud investigation, which he hinted could have involved foreign meddling.--foreign devils!

Poor Karzai, he must be weeping and rending his aborted lambskin robes right now.

In an embarrassingly parsimonious display..

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said earlier that Karzai could opt for a run-off, or he could negotiate a power-sharing arrangement with Dr Abdullah, the country’s former Foreign Minister, who came second.

The US has previously made it clear it would prefer a power-sharing deal to avoid the expense and security risks of a second election.

Brilliant. Great idea. I can sooooooo see that working.