Obama Calls Cliimate Change An Immediate National Security Risk

Recently, President Obama told the graduating class of Coast Guard cadets that climate change and global warming are immediate risks to our national security.  Well, if that is true, and they truly endanger the security of the U.S., why aren't we at war with India and China over their massive increases in carbon output?

The fact is that, no matter how much we do to control our CO2 output, China and India will easily offset our lowered  levels.

And, I only made that "war" comment to show how ridiculous the President's "national security" argument is. Of course, if he truly believes what he is saying, then maybe we should be at war against the polluters.

References:

Obama: Climate Change an 'Immediate Risk' to National Security: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/05/20/obama-climate-change-an-immediate-risk-to-national-security

Global CO2 Emissions: Increases Dwarf Recent U.S. Reductions: http://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2013/07/global-co2-emissions-increases-dwarf-recent-u-s-reductions/

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Reductions Outpace Rest of World: http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/analysis/u-s-carbon-dioxide-reductions-outpace-rest-world/

The Politics of Calling Right-Wing Extremists a Bigger Threat Than ISIS

It is incredible to me to see what great lengths the Obama Administration will go to politicize almost anything and everything.  While, at the same time, try to downplay the threat of terrorism.  As if 9/11 never happened. Nor the Boston Marathon bombing or the slaughter at Fort Hood.

In the latest iteration, CNN is reporting that the President's Department of Homeland Security is circulating a report that suggests that the greatest threat to our American homeland is not ISIS but, instead, right-wing extremist groups such as the skinheads and those angry white and anti-American militia cells.  Of course, this implies that there are no political left-wing groups we should fear. The basis of their assessment is that there are approximately 100,000 core right-wing extremists in this country, and that, in the last 5 calendar years, there have been a total of 24 violent acts committed by these groups; mostly against law enforcement.  That's right, 24!  Of course this is less than 5 incidents per year and ignores the fact that, on average, 150 cops are killed each year by violent offenders like gang members.  It also ignores the fact that, in 2008, the FBI called left-wing Eco-terrorism the biggest threat facing the country.

In my opinion, gangs pose the biggest threat to the lives of too many Americans.  They are a subculture who doesn't believe in our societal values or laws.  To more fully understand this, here are some excerpted bullet points from the FBI's own threat assessment:

• There are approximately 1.4 million active street, prison, and OMG [Outlaw Motorcycle Gang] gang members comprising more than 33,000 gangs in the United States. 
• Gangs are responsible for an average of 48 percent of the violent crime in most jurisdictions and up to 90 percent in several others, according to NGIC analysis.
• Gang infiltration of the military continues to pose a significant criminal threat, as members of at least 53 gangs have been identified on both domestic and international military installations. Gang members who learn advanced weaponry and combat techniques in the military and are at risk of employing these skills on the street when they return to their communities.
• Gang members are acquiring high-powered, military-style weapons and equipment which poses a significant threat because of the potential to engage in lethal encounters with law enforcement officers and civilians. 

Everyday, hundreds of people in this country are killed or seriously injured by gang members. Gangs are the key element in drug, weapon, and human trafficking.  Simply, violence is their mainstay and our Department of Homeland Security ignores this and considers 24 violent acts by right-wing groups the biggest threat?  

Lastly, there's another reason to worry about gangs.  Most of their members have served and/or will serve time in prison in the future.  Increasingly our prisons have become a hotbed for converting inmates to radical Islam.  There should be a concern that at some point, some gangs, may revert to terrorist tactics to undermine the police and government agencies like the FBI or use terrorism against the civilian population.

References:

DHS intelligence report warns of domestic right-wing terror threat: http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/19/politics/terror-threat-homeland-security/

FBI: Eco-Terrorism Remains No. 1 Domestic Terror Threat : http://www.foxnews.com/story/2008/03/31/fbi-eco-terrorism-remains-no-1-domestic-terror-threat/

Cops killed each year: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+cops+killed+each+year&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

FBI: Gangs: They poison our streets with drugs, violence, and all manner of crime: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/vc_majorthefts/gangs

Radical Islam in Prison: Made in the USA: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/spearit/radical-islam-prison_b_880733.html

America's Cage War Against Radical Islam:  Gang members operating as the "fifth column" are providing aid to the the terrorists from inside the United States: http://www.policemag.com/blog/gangs/story/2011/07/gangs-america-s-fifth-column.aspx

Why ISIS 'Is' A Credible Threat

We keep hearing from the Obama Administration (specifically the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security) that ISIS poses no direct credible threat to the United States.  My only problem with that is that it was the FBI who interviewed both the Fort Hood shooter and the Boston Marathon bomber before they committed their acts of violence and, who seemed not to think these people posed a threat either.

In my opinion, ISIS should literally scare the whatever out of every American.

First of all, they are growing in size and strength.  In June, they were 10,000 strong. Now, the CIA has estimated their number to be at about 31,500.  That's a growth rate of almost 7,000 fighters per month.  If this continues, it could mean that, in just 10 more months, ISIS could reach 100,000.   That is a force that could easily takeover much of the territory in the Middle East besides major chunks of both Syria and Iraq.

What should be more worrisome to the U.S. and the world is the fact that passport carrying Europeans and American citizens are also joining. The problem with ISIS-friendly passport holders is that they can freely enter many European countries and the U.S. without having to apply for a visa.  They can simply buy an airplane ticket, say they are tourists, and land anywhere in the U.S. on a 24/7 basis with no one really questioning their purpose or intent.  As a result, there is now an unprecedented access to our homeland that hasn't been seen before with any other terrorist group; including Al Qaeda.

But, the biggest threat to our safety is the huge amounts of cash that ISIS is amassing.  It is now estimated that they have acquired $2 billion dollars from contributions and from looting, ransoming, and theft activities.  When they took Mosul, for example, their looting of that city's bank gave them half a billion dollars in gold and cash.  Beyond that, their newly found access to oil wells in Syria and Iraq is netting them an estimated $3 million a day from oil sold on the black market.

With all that cash ISIS doesn't need to hijack an aircraft in a 9/11-style terrorist attack.  They could simply buy some used commercial cargo jets at a cost of less than $2 million dollars each.  That cash also gives them the ability to buy shoulder-mounted rocket launchers and grenade launchers on the black market.  Both weapons can be used to bring down planes in takeoff or landing or to do serious damage to land-based targets like shopping malls or railroad trains. It also means that they could buy radioactive material to build a dirty bomb or acquire highly explosive C-4 to take out bridges and other infrastructure. Smuggling these weapons into the U.S. might be as simple as paying "coyotes" to cross them over our currently porous southern border.

To say that ISIS is not a credible threat is simply irresponsible.  They are a threat and they have the money, manpower, weapons, and potential access to carry out horrendous attacks on our own soil. The two video beheadings of Americans proved we are a target, with Obama's name clearly spoken in both. Further, they have already said that their goal is to fly their flag over the White House.  In the late 1990's the then-President ignored Bin Laden, and the result was 9/11.  Now, we seem to have another President ignoring the ISIS threat.  Will we, once again, wait for the next attack before we seriously take this enemy out?

References:

FBI: No credible threats to US from Islamic State: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/22/fbi-no-credible-threats-to-us-from-islamic-state/

FBI & DHS: Islamic State Poses No Credible Threat to US: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/08/25/FBI-DHS-Islamic-State-Poses-No-Credible-Threat-to-US-Sec-Hagel-Says-Opposite

 FBI interviewed dead Boston bombing suspect years ago: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-interviewed-dead-boston-bombing-suspect-years-ago/

 Fort Hood Shooting: FBI Ignored Evidence Against Nidal Hasan For Political Correctness, Report Says: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/19/fort-hood-shooting-fbi-nidal-hasan-political-correctness_n_1685653.html

Number of ISIS fighters has swelled to as many as 31,500, CIA says: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/09/12/number-isis-fighters-has-swelled-to-as-many-as-31500-cia-says/

ISIS' half-a-billion-dollar bank heist makes it world's richest terror group: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10899995/ISIS-half-a-billion-dollar-bank-heist-makes-it-worlds-richest-terror-group.html

How ISIS managed to acquire $2B in assets: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101761986

Boeing 727-200 for Sale: http://www.globalplanesearch.com/jets/airliners/boeing/727_200.htm

Corruption, greed fuel black market for arms: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2003-08-14/news/0308140153_1_surface-to-air-missile-weapons-of-war-black-market

New ISIS Video: ‘We Will Raise Black Flag Over White House’: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/08/08/new-isis-video-%E2%80%98we-will-raise-black-flag-over-white-house%E2%80%99