That Was Easy! Or Not...

Obama solves the Mt. Sinjar crisis!

Militants’ Siege on Mountain in Iraq Is Over, Pentagon Says

WASHINGTON — Defense Department officials said late Wednesday that United States airstrikes and Kurdish fighters had broken the Islamic militants’ siege of Mount Sinjar, allowing thousands of the Yazidis trapped there to escape.

An initial report from about a dozen Marines and Special Operations forces who arrived on Tuesday and spent 24 hours on the northern Iraqi mountain said that “the situation is much more manageable,” a senior Defense official said in an interview.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, speaking to reporters Wednesday night at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., said it was “far less likely now” that the United States would undertake a rescue mission because the assessment team reported far fewer Yazidis on the mountain than expected, and that those still there were in relatively good condition.

That's good news, and solves Obama's humanitarian dilemma about using ground non-troops in a non-combat role.

But not so fast!

Despite U.S. Claims, Yazidis Say Crisis Is Not Over

ISTANBUL — Yazidi leaders and emergency relief officials on Thursday strongly disputed American claims that the siege of Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq had been broken and that the crisis was effectively over, saying that tens of thousands of Yazidis remained on the mountain in desperate conditions.

...

Speaking from her hospital bed here, Vian Dakhil, an Iraqi member of Parliament and a Yazidi leader who was injured in the crash of a helicopterdelivering aid to the mountain on Tuesday, said she was aware of the American claims and had discussed them with Yazidi leaders still in the area.

“It’s not true,” she said.

“It’s better now than it had been, but it’s just not true that all of them are safe — they are not,” Ms. Dakhil said. “Especially on the south side of the mountain, the situation is very terrible. There are still people who are not getting any aid.”

She estimated the number of Yazidis trapped on the southern flanks of Mount Sinjar at 70,000 to 80,000.

Ms. Dakhil’s assessment of the seriousness of the Yazidis’ plight was supported by United Nations humanitarian officials, who on Thursday were unequivocal that there remained a major crisis among the Yazidis on Mount Sinjar.

“The crisis on Mount Sinjar is by no means over,” said David Swanson, the spokesman for the United Nations coordinator of humanitarian affairs in northern Iraq, interviewed by telephone from Dohuk, in northern Iraq. “Although many people managed to escape from the north side, there are still thousands of others up there, under conditions of extreme heat, dehydration and imminent threat of attack. The situation is far from solved.”

Hmm. I can see why Yazidi and UN officials might want to exaggerate, but I can also see why the Pentagon might feel pressured to declare everything to be hunky-dory. Normally it is CNN news crews that find and promote the next humanitarian crisis, so I guess we need to stay tuned.

Comments

[Ignatz]

Let's see; crazy Arab's and Kurds locked in a brutal war with maniacs in a far away utterly isolated wasteland and in dire need of support in that war and therefore with massive reasons to lie and exaggerate to receive aid and the abominably dishonest and unreliable UN vs guys who work for Barry.
Who should we believe? Hmmmm.......

[anonamom]

test

[daddy]

Missouri Governor Nixon (of no Party identification by the MSM) is making a speech on FOX on what is going to happen in Ferguson, and off the bat he praises Eric Holder for his assistance in initiating a Federal Investigation. He is appointing an African American head of the State Highway Patrol (who happened to grow up in the local area of Ferguson), to come in take over policing duties in Ferguson.

[MarkO]

Bluto: What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

[anonamom]

I am not able to post a link to Scott Walker's donation site.

He's in a dead heat with what's her name; they say he has to win this WI governor's election to be a viable candidate in 2016.

[Miss Marple]

I smell a rat, variety democratus horribilis behind that Pentagon statement.

I think I will go check the UK papers to see what's really happening.

[narciso]

General Suleimani, told Maliki to scram, before blood got on his suite, meanwhile, ISIS is overrunning Kirkuk

[Miss Marple]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2725142/Mystery-20-000-cash-withdrawn-accounts-four-passengers-went-doomed-Flight-MH370.html

This is the one that went missing, not the one which was shot down.

I KNEW that we would hear about that darn plane again!

[daddy]

According to the latest Fox News poll, more respondents say they would rather vacation with Bill and Hillary Clinton, 42 percent, than Barack and Michelle Obama, 25 percent.

Just came upon this on catch-up and I was thinking which of these 4; Hil, Bill, Obama, or Mochelle, would I rather have to spend time with than the other 3.

My guts reply that I would rather have to spend time with Bill than the other 3. I think it is because deep down I viscerally know that the other 3 despise me and my country, whereas I don't believe Bill Clinton despises this country.

[Jim Eagle]

Watching the Governor of MO., the County Exec of St. Louis County, the Mayor of St, Louis and the Mayor of Ferguson twist themselves in knots.

Can you guess which political party they ALL belong to?

[Danube on iPad]

"they say he has to win this WI governor's election to be a viable candidate in 2016."

I would think so.

[daddy]

Can you guess which political party they ALL belong to?

JiB, If they were Republicans we'd have it tattooed on our foreheads by now.

[lyle]

whereas I don't believe Bill Clinton despises this country.

Tell him you vote Republican, daddy, and note his response.

[Jim Eagle]

For our San Diego contingent: 11 Lobster Dishes You Must Try in San Diego

http://www.zagat.com/b/san-diego/11-lobster-dishes-you-must-try-in-san-diego?utm_content=national&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

In Southampton at The Clanman you can get a 1/12# Lobster Dinner with potatoes and cole slaw for $15.95 on Monday - Wednesday {its a fish monger and all to go).

[narciso]

Another misunderstood lad:

:

[Eric in Boise]

I think I will go check the UK papers to see what's really happening

Exactly, MM. I was going to suggest monitoring the Daily Mail rather than CNN.

If things go south and egg ends up on Barry's face I'd also expect Fox to mention it.

[Captain Hate]

I don't believe Bill Clinton despises this country.

He went to great pains, possibly illegal, to get out of serving in arms for it.

[Miss Marple]

Latest scoop on the Yazidis:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2724658/Were-not-leaving-Yazidis-refusing-come-mountain-300-women-stolen-ISIS-impregnated-smash-blond-bloodline.html

[Miss Marple]

I am off to the weekly auction to hopefully get some deals for resale. Otherwise, I will sell some stuff I have in the garage.

Enjoy your evening, folks. I will be back later.

[Captain Hate]

I will be commenting from a sleep disorder center after 9 tonight; the last step on my cardio journey.

[lyle]

He went to great pains, possibly illegal, to get out of serving in arms for it.

And we know with no uncertainty he despises this country's military.

[MarkO]

Clinton would be entertaining. The others are stone stupid and uneducated.

If nothing more, he could tell some grand stories.

[lyle]

Good luck on your journey, CH. I've done that sleep disorder biz, myself. Also, I'm pretty sure my doc will be recommending a stress test when I see him next month.

[James D.]

According to the latest Fox News poll, more respondents say they would rather vacation with Bill and Hillary Clinton, 42 percent, than Barack and Michelle Obama, 25 percent.

Did they give an option for: "I would rather commit suicide in the most painful, drawn-out and degrading manner imaginable, than spend thirty seconds in the presence of any of them." ?

If not, it's a faulty poll.

[daddy]

I don't believe Bill Clinton despises this country.

He went to great pains, possibly illegal, to get out of serving in arms for it.

Good points Lyle and Captain.

How about you guys? If you were forced to spend an evening with 1 of those 4 which one would be the least repulsive to you?

[James D.]

I must have missed CH's comment about sleep disorders.

I've got sleep apnea, and I have the CPAP machine, and it makes a huge difference in being able to sleep through the night for me.

[(A)Nuther Bub]

Carry over from last thread: Jim Miller: Speaking of Inouye, I think there is an Inouye connection to the old Jackson Visitor Center on Mt. Rainier.

Haha. I knew exactly which local architectural firm that would turn out to be, Jim, even before following your link. Hugely important contributors. Let it snow, let it snow!

[NKinLimbo]

"which one would be the least repulsive to you?"

For me, Billy C. He'd have some 'local talent' around for eye candy.

[James D.]

I've got a secondhand Bill Clinton story.

A former coworker had their kid in the same daycare as one of the Rodham siblings. There was a birthday party (I think for the Rodham spouse) at the home of another acquaintance who also had a kid in the same daycare.

Bill came to the party, and brought his dog. Which proceeded to poop on the rug. And bill never said a word, or cleaned it up. He didn't mention it, and just left it behind for the owner of the house to deal with.

I doubt anyone here is very surprised by that behavior.

[daddy]

some 'local talent' around for eye candy.

LOL, NK.

[narciso]

A ransom of red chief exercise:

the previous failed link was of a misunderstood
lad at Gitmo, who ended up the lead religious
authority in the AQAP, guess what country he's from.

[jimmyk]

I will be commenting from a sleep disorder center after 9 tonight

I hope your experience is better than mine. With all the wires and doodads attached to me (plus the request to go to sleep at 9:30 vs. my usual 1am) I could not fall asleep virtually the entire night (which is not a problem I generally have). And the one time I did doze off the idiot technician came in and woke me up because he wasn't sure if all the wires were still connected (they were). I gave up after the second try.

[daddy]

Charles Paine on Neil Cavuto's show just said this about Ferguson. (Not verbatim but fairly close):

One thing we're all missing here is that if we had a better economic situation in Ferguson a lot of this would be avoided. If these guys in Ferguson had to get up tomorrow and go to work instead of hanging out all day without any responsibilities and receiving welfare much of this would be avoided.

[henry]

I just did the stress test thing on Tuesday (found nothing bad). It seems to me the echo sonogram test interpretation is a bit like doing satellite imagery analysis through a fogged lens. Finding nothing may not mean much, but still beats finding something.

The medical records dance sucks, but I think a copy was sent to my primary care H1-B guy... No doubt more tests to follow on goofy carp like acid reflux and thyroid. I am glad I avoided the medical establishment for 35 years,mits a complete PITA.

CH, I assume if you are posting, you are not sleeping. Hope your docs get you sorted out!

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

I am glad I avoided the medical establishment for 35 years,mits a complete PITA.

Unless, of course, it keeps you alive for 35 years, henry;>). In that case it is only sometimes a PITA.

[Captain Hate]

I must have missed CH's comment about sleep disorders.

No, this is the first time I've talked about it. henry, I could sleep through a tornado but I snore a lot and it probably isn't a restful sleep and this was advised. Btw, the final verdict on my cardio travails is that my aortic valve is smaller than normal but it's nothing to currently be concerned about but to monitor every six to eight months to make sure the status is roughly the same.

[Old Lurker]

Hey Jim, you are a special case! It takes a couple of dozen Henries to offset your medical file.

How are you feeling this week? Back to normal?

[henry]

Jim, that may be the case for the next 35. ; )

[Old Lurker]

Ya gotta love Drudge.

LUN

[anonamom]

henry, re: reflux--lots of people I know have it go away when they quit eating processed carbs.

I'd hang with Bill ANY day over the other three. Agree that he'd have great stories; also think he's genuinely interested in other people.
I've felt all along that he, understandably in light of what we know of his momma's farming him out as a child, has that need to be liked/to please/to be validated, which often leads to great entertainment skills.

I think Michelle haes white people; Obama is a massive narcissist, and thus only sees others in terms of their utility to him, and Hillary is ... just boring, I guess.

[Jim Eagle]

henry,

May I suggest a prostate exam and colonoscopy while you are so enlightened? Use Vodka with the PEG. Goes a lot easier.

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

Thanks for asking, OL. I am feeling much better than last week. Back mostly to recuperation and losing the 10-12 lbs of fluid they pumped into me to protect my ailing kidneys from the dye used for the angioplasty. I was told that will take about a week or so from my discharge. So far I have lost 7 lbs of that stuff, so things are moving right along.

Things are going a bit slower than I have experienced in the past, but I am older and have never been the hospital for ten days before so I think that is understandable.

[Beasts of England]

Slick Willie is the smartest of the bunch, and as someone mentioned above, cares about our country; so I'd suffer through his narcissism for the period in question.

[anonamom]

Oh, CH, the first thing they are going to tell you is not blue light
(computer screen ) after eight---
CPAP is a great tool. You don't want to know what happens to your heart when you snore.

[Old Lurker]

Glad to hear that report, Jim. Losing 12# of extra fluid means a lot of time in the mens' room I think, particularly if you are adding them at the other end after ten days with no cocktail hour...

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

I resumed my cocktail hour the day after returning home, OL. For medicinal purposes only you understand.

I am so dependent on my CPAP I have a portable power source in my BR for when we lose electricity. Can no longer sleep without it.

[henry]

JiB, you sound like my mom. : )

anonamom, I'll ask my brother about the snoring thing, he can be laid back while explaining 60 ways you can die from merely waking up in the morning. (After whatever test results are in, then I'll ask how his Epic implementation is going for payback).

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

Willie the Slick would be my choice for drinks. I suspect he enjoys being around people of all kinds. The others don't.

[Beasts of England]

Dang, henry - are you the youngest one here?

[daddy]

Good post by Cecil on the tail end of the other thread, showing the Military Vehicles at Ferguson and the Military vehicles we left for ISIS in Iraq.

[daddy]

OL,

Re: the "Fur Lined Handcuffs" in your 05:14 link to that story at Drudge.

About late 90's I was co-pilot landing in Taiwan. It was a short leg so there were only 2 of us, but since the next leg the following day was scheduled for over 8 hours, we were to pick up a 3rd guy as a reserve pilot when we left the hotel the following day.

Anyhow we meet the 3rd guy leaving the hotel and as we drive in the taxicab to the airport he tells us that it may take a little longer than normal when we try to go thru Taiwanese Customs.

What had happened he tells us on the drive to the airport is that his current girlfriend in Anchorage (he had already gone thru 3 wives) had given him a Christmas Gift, which he was not to open until etc. Turned out it was "Fur Lined Handcuffs", which appearing on the X-Ray machine on arrival Taipei and being an illegal item apparently for citizens to have coming to Taipei, they had him open up his bags. Inside were the "Fur Lined Cuffs", plus some dirty magazines which also at the time were prohibited. So Customs got all these Customs agents and Customs girls together, and took out each of these items in a big show, publicly shaming him, and sealing these things in some translucent plastic wrap, all while barking at him in Chinese and the Customs girls sneering at him like a pervert:)

Naturally my Captain and I took this, not with commiseration, but with general hilarity!

Upon arrival at Customs, the Captain and I went thru first with no problems, then we stood there waiting for about 20 minutes as the opposite of what had happened on arrival happened again to our degenerate buddy. They called over Customs agents and girls, brought out the illegal items, unwrapped each slowly in a grand humiliation exercise with barked Chinese comments, and gave them back one by one to him, and told him with finger pointed as his face to get out of the country.

I don't know if I've made that sound as funny as it was, but 20 years later he still goes by the nickname we gave him that day, and whenever we all sit around at bars swapping fun stories about our idiocy, that story pops up and draws rave reviews if I'm telling it.

And don't even get me started on "Dilbert and the can of Raid," or 'Stone and the Tokyo 'gurgitation."

[Jim Eagle]

That poll only poves that the Hamptons are more desirable than the Vineyard:)

Next summer we will have a Metro NYC meet up there: peter, jimmyk, NK, tonto & Harry, etc, Am I missing anyone? How about the CT contingent like TM and others (who are they?)

[Old Lurker]

What wife # is he up to now, daddy?

[Old Lurker]

I'd pop over for that one, JiB. JFK->ACK = 28 minutes.

[Jim Eagle]

OL,,

Did you play your gifted round yet?

[AliceH]

I notice only men are choosing the Bubba as their co-vacationer.

If forced to choose, I'd probably opt for Obama precisely because he hates people who don't actively flatter him. I'd expect the result to be he'd leave me to my own devices while he goes off to play golf.

[henry]

Beast, I had my fill of orthopedics in college. I am roughly your age (plus a bit).

[daddy]

OL,

There has not been a 4th Mrs Handcuffs!

I remember his saying one night that his downfall each time was moving in together, because after you did that it was impossible to not get married, so after number 3 he had established a policy that never again was he going to allow moving in together, and as of a couple years ago that policy was working well.

[Captain Hate]

Slick's brand of bullshit doesn't work on me. At all. I'd agree with AliceH and choose 404 hoping he'd leave me alone but it would be a miserable day in my life. Maybe I'd challenge him at basketball; that might be fun.

[Thomas Collins]

Lunch with Michelle Robinson for me. As a politics junkie, I would use the lunch to inquire about the thought process that went into her Princeton thesis. Whether I concluded there was indeed a thought process or she was just repeating the talking points of some of her profs, I think it would be more interesting to me than lunch with Barry or Bill or Hill.

But if I could choose which living leader or living spouse of leader to dine with, I'd say Bibi Netanyahu would be my choice.

[Captain Hate]

You don't want to know what happens to your heart when you snore.

Mrs. H has been on me about that for a while. She said I've stopped doing the thing when I stop breathing and then explosively snore which she said is *really* bad but this is something I should've dealt with a while back.

[daddy]

In the category of

we get this from New Jersey:
A 44-year-old Muslim convert says it was news to him that the flag he hung outside his house is the same banner waved by the murderous jihadist group known as Islamic State.

"I hang it every Friday and every Ramadan which ended not too long ago and I keep it up a little longer than I normally do,” Dunaway told FoxNews.com. “I guess some people saw it and got offended so I took it down.

The flag has been seen in use since 2001 and is dubbed “The Black Flag of Jihad and has been used by Al Qaeda, al-Shabaab, the Islamic Courts Union and Hizbul islam.

Dunaway said he had never even heard of Islamic State until this week.

[Captain Hate]

But if I could choose which living leader or living spouse of leader to dine with, I'd say Bibi Netanyahu would be my choice.

Isn't it sad that we're so bereft of towering statesmen that Bibi is alone at the top? Does anybody else even come to mind? Maybe Angela Merkel as a very distant second but the fact that nobody else comes to mind pretty much proves my point.

[peter]

For me, vacationing with the Obamas would be the hands down choice. He's one of the most deranged persons ever to occupy the Oval Office, and for historic reasons I would like to see that close up. sort of like the morbid curiosity one has when rubbernecking a traffic accident.

[AliceH]

But if I could choose which living leader or living spouse of leader to dine with

Oooh - Lech Walesa, no question.

[AliceH]

I'd not be hard pressed to dine w/ John Howard, either.

[henry]

If you expand the rules, Dick Cheney.

[Extraneus]

I wondered why Fox would only pick those two horrid pairings as the choices in their stupid survey. Why not the Bushes, Romneys, Cruzes, Cheneys or any of a hundred other political couples? Who thinks up these questions, anyway? Maybe AB could tell us.

[Captain Hate]

For the record, I didn't mention Lech Walesa because he's not a current leader. He would certainly be more of a no spin person than BOR could ever hope to attain and be great to converse with.

[Extraneus]

I was going to post that earlier, daddy. I just couldn't remember the Muslim word for lying to infidels.

[Captain Hate]

Speaking of statesmen:

If you're worried about how all this Presidenting was getting in the way of Obama enjoying his well earned vacation, it took him 7 minutes to get to the golf course after finishing his statement.

[Beasts of England]

Living leader or spouse? Carla Bruni. I'd choose her... But only because she plays the guitar.

[Ignatz]

--If nothing more, he could tell some grand stories.--

Like how to rape a woman and get away with it?
I wouldn't step in the same room with that misogynistic, slimy maggot unless it was to spit on his shoes and invite him out side and give him first crack at my jaw.

In keeping with my depoliticization of the personal I'd much prefer to dine with a hideous, nose-in-the-air Marxist like Barry who at least doesn't publicly humiliate his wife or prey on women than that two bit POS punk from Hopeless Arkansawww.

[Jim Eagle]

I'd invite Trey Gowdy and his family to Southampton for a nice vacation break and let him ride in the my dad's Agwam Engine Company fire truck in the 4th of July parade just to watch the heads spin:)

He'd be a hero at Silvers's and Plaza Cafe, though and standing ovation at Sip 'N Soda.

[Danube on iPad]

Silvio Berlusconi, four gypsy girls, a Great Dane and a riding crop.

[Captain Hate]

James D's 4:52 sounds like something a modern day Faulkner would write about one of the Snopes.

[Rick B]

Taquiya (Arabic) describes the religiously approved Mahometan tenet of lying without specificity regarding infidels.

[Stephanie]

I'd choose Slick and have it tape recorded for use at trial later. :)

[Extraneus]

Ok, I'm going with the Cheneys. I'd love to get a few drinks into Dick and ask him what he thinks of Obama, Holder, Hillary, Kerry, etc., and then watch Lynne pat him on the arm to calim him down. I'd even bring him a hat.

[Rick B]

Right now, I'd pick Vaclav Klaus for his assessment of Russian strategy and goals.

[jimmyk]

Barry who at least doesn't publicly humiliate his wife

Well there was this, though it doesn't compare to what Bill Jeff did.

[Extraneus]

Isn't that the one that allows them to renounce Islam, Rick? I thought there was another that simply allowed lying to infidels.

[MarkO]

OK, then, Elizabeth Taylor.

[Extraneus]

But here's Taqiyya and Kitman, so I guess I'm remembering that wrong.

[Stephanie]

I'd choose Slick and have it tape recorded for use at trial later. :)

Amended:

I'd choose Slick and have it tape recorded for use at the criminal and civil trials later.

Who says retirement planning is hard. ;)

[Stephanie]

Left an answer on the other thread, anonamom.

[(A)Nuther Bub]

Who thinks up these questions, anyway? Maybe AB could tell us.

Matter of fact, I can. The lowest level most recently acquired intern, probably working without pay.

[Extraneus]

Do their contracts typically allow flogging, AB?

[jimmyk]

The leaders I admire most, like Tony Abbott, might not make the most exciting companions for a night out on the town, but at least I wouldn't feel a need to take a shower immediately afterwards. And I might actually learn something about them, as opposed to hear a bunch of BS.

[hit and run]

DoT:
Silvio Berlusconi, four gypsy girls, a Great Dane and a riding crop.

Hold up just one minute.

You'd go with Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden.

It ain't even up for debate.

[Danube on iPad]

The three men who have lived in my lifetime with whom I'd most like to have shared cocktails and dinner are Wm. F. Buckley, Richard Burton and Christopher Hitchens.

[Bori]

Daddy,

I believe it is possible for that guy not to know about the flag. There are many useful idiots that spouse things that they have no concept of. The Che shirt's wearing idiots for instance.

[narciso]

It's not really as cut and dry, as first presented, shocker;

http://minx.cc:1080/?post=351172

[Laura White]

HRC is charmless in public but there are loads of unstupid people who say she's loose as a goose in private--and genuinely funny. That said, all four are treasonous reprobates whose names should everywhere be a byword and a hissing.

[(A)Nuther Bub]

The Obamas would be extraordinarily boring lunch companions, I'm certain. They're both humorless and too self engaged to be even mildly interesting.

I don't suppose Bill Clinton will be phoning any time soon, but I'd join his table happily. I'd expect him to be good company and very entertaining. I judge his infidelity less harshly that most commenters here. Would blame him mainly for the hypocrisy of his support for various sex-harassment-in-the-workplace regulations. I have a certain cynicism about whether most men with good looks, power and wealth -- or any two of the three -- practice strict fidelity to their wives. Present company excepted, of course.

[Jim Miller]

One thing I like about Tony Abbot is that he has been a volunteer fireman for years -- and that he went on duty after he had been elected prime minister, but before he moved into The Lodge (which is what they call their equivalent fo the White House).

In reading about him before the election, he struck me as one of those people who would be easy to get along with in private, but doesn't come off that way, in public.

(Naturally, some leftists in Australia were sure he was doing the volunteer firmena bit for publcity, even though he hadn't asked for any coverage.)

[MarkO]

Buckley, if I can't have Liz.

St. Matthew, because I would be reluctant to cross examine Jesus.

Churchill, just to hear the words.

Mozart, to ask him how.

[Beasts of England]

Thanks for that caveat (A)B!

[Rick B]

I'll take the Clinton's if we can make it waterboarding rather than lunch.

[narciso]

Walesa would be great, so would Netanyahu,the
guitar, beasts