Though the words Conservative and Capitalist are in the title, the booklet is non-political in nature.
If you find my Memo efforts of interest and maybe even challenging , whether you agree or not with what I write and/or post, then consider this a personal appeal to support my effort to raise money for The Wounded Warrior project. Buy my book expressing my thoughts on raising children.
Please make your check for $10.99/copy to Paul laFlamme for a soft cover version and deduct half the cost as a donation to The Wounded Warrior Project. (Add $2.50 for postage and handling.)
If you want a pdf version you can download the cost is $5.99.
Click on WWW.Brokerberko.com
---
---
This is an Iranian propaganda film. If it ever comes to a military confrontation their air force, electrical grid and navy would be taken out in one or two days:
---
And the nuclear beat goes on. (See 1 below.)
Meanwhile, if Obama is unwilling to protect four Americans why would he protect Israelis? Netanyahu obviously has taken that into consideration. It would appear a future confrontation with Iran is inevitable for several reasons:
a) Iran now has enough nuclear fissionable material to make several bombs.
b)Iran is within months of perfecting a trigger device .
c) Iran has a missile capable of carrying a weapon.
d) Finally, has stated its intentions.
That said after U.S elections there has been talk that Iran will forgo taking any action at this time because:
a) It needs to repair its domestic economy.
b) t wants to bolster Syria's Assad
c)Therefore the Ayatollah's might be willing to renounce further development to buy time since they are virtually already there. (See 1a and 1b below.)
---
It is now down to the 'barbed' wire time. (See 2 and 2a below)
---
I continue to base my belief that Romney wins hands down on the following:
a) Obama's failed presidency.
b) Lack of enthusiasm among Obama's base will result in less voting whereas, Romney's base is more likely to turn out enmasse (that includes evangelicals who sat on their hands when McCain ran.).
c)The economy continues as a significant drag.
d) Obama's campaign might energize his base but it turned off the core middle
---
Dick
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1)SECRET IRAN NUCLEAR-BOMB PLANT EXPANDING
Neutron detonator, warhead design for missile nearly completed
Work surrounding Iran’s latest secret nuclear site continues unabated, new satellite images from DigitalGlobe show.
The site – Velayat 1 – which is in the province of Isfahan on the outskirts of the small city of Najafabad, was built for research and development and has a capacity of 800 centrifuges for uranium enrichment. It already has successfully tested a neutron detonator and implosion system for a nuclear bomb.
According to the source for the exclusive WND report, research at the site includes design of a nuclear warhead for the Iranian Shahab-3 ballistic missile, which is now almost complete. The source added that there is also a nuclear reactor at the site along with a separation plant as another path to acquire a nuclear bomb.
To avoid suspicion, the site was built below a medicine factory called Abu Reyhan. The facility beneath the factory has three levels, with two underground entrances away from the facility.
This is where the father of Iran’s nuclear program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi, assisted by 10 other scientists, is working on Iran’s nuclear bomb program, within the SEPAND project (known by the IAEA as SPND) and under the AMAD (weapons program) to build atomic warheads.
The new images of the above-ground facility show that main buildings have been completed.
This is an image by Google Earth that dates to early 2000:
Site several years ago
This is a new image by DigitalGlobe of the main installation:
This year
The new images also clearly show trees planted around the site, a routine measure by the Islamic regime to hide the facility, according to a specialist on proliferation of atomic weapons who is familiar with Iran’s nuclear program. The trees camouflage barbed wires surrounding the site.
Site overview
In parts of the vast site, earth has been covered, similar to what took place at the Natanz nuclear facility, a sign of underground building.
Covered surface area
More covered surface area
Other images show signs of digging and holes in the skirt of the nearby mountain which could corroborate the information about tunnels and passages underground.
Holes in the hillside
According to a source who has been in the underground facility, military trucks covered with tarps for disguise have transferred equipment with “radiation warning” signs to the facility. An entrance on the side of the so-called medicine factory leads to the underground facility.
Another entrance to the underground facility, according to the source, is far to the north of the “medicine factory.” Large equipment has been observed being transferred through the entrance, which is almost a third of the actual size of the factory itself.
Entrance 2
Pictures taken by the source from within the underground facility show a hazard sign for poisonous material. One image shows some kind of measuring device, though there is no official confirmation of its purpose. However, according to someone familiar with the device, it is a neutron detector. The white cylinder is a polyethylene moderator surrounding a detector tube, a common neutron detector setup.
Warning
Device
Peter Vincent Pry, executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, an advisory board to Congress, has experience analyzing imagery of underground facilities from his service at the CIA.
“It is difficult to ascertain the purpose of any underground facility just from imagery,” he cautioned. “We have been studying the Russian deep underground complex at Yamantau Mountain, which is the size of a small city, for years, and it is still a mystery. However, these photos of the facility in Iran have all the earmarks of an elaborate attempt to conceal an underground complex of significant size and strategic purpose by hiding it under a legitimate factory, concealing the original excavations, and elaborate and costly landscaping to screen everything from public view.
“Because an Iranian source of proven reliability claims this is a previously unknown nuclear facility, the allegation should be taken very seriously and regarded as credible,” Fry said. “Iran has a long history of successfully concealing its nuclear weapons program and nuclear facilities. What we know about is probably only the tip of the iceberg. Iran’s nuclear weapons program may well be larger, more sophisticated and more advanced than is generally suspected.”
Security post
The site operates under the control of the Revolutionary Guards to expand research and development of nuclear, plutonium and atomic warheads. Its activities include:
- Enriching uranium to weapons grade.
- Testing a neutron detonator and implosion system (chemical explosive lens). As a result of research at this facility, a test was done at Iran’s Parchin military site several months ago. After the revelation of the high-explosives experiment activity, Iran started to clean up the site but continues to stonewall on the IAEA’s request to inspect the Parchin site.
- Designing and building a nuclear warhead to arm Iran’s Shahab-3 ballistic missile.
- Separating plutonium for a plutonium implosion-type fission bomb. Iran’s heavy-water reactor near the city of Arak is nearing completion and is capable of providing spent fuel that, once processed, could produce plutonium for nuclear bombs. The separation of plutonium from fuel is an easy process requiring dual-use off-the-shelf equipment that Iran has already purchased.
The source indicated that Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi’s atomic warhead project seeks to build three nuclear warheads in its initial phase. Tests of the implosion system and neutron generator, the source said, have been successful and the design of the nuclear warhead is nearly complete.
Reza Kahlili is a pseudonym for a former CIA operative in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and author of the award-winning book “A Time to Betray” (Simon & Schuster, 2010). He serves on the Task Force on National and Homeland Security and the advisory board of the Foundation for Democracy in Iran (FDI).
1a)Iran suspends uranium enrichment. Gesture to boost Obama’s reelection
Other sources report that enrichment continued uninterrupted. Tehran is therefore poised to jump either way. Sources note that on Oct. 20, US media reported that President Barak Obama and Iran had agreed on one-on-one talks to resolve the nuclear issue directly after the elections if Obama was returned for a second term as president. The White House then denied those reports. However, two days before the election, Tehran is transparently throwing its weight behind Obama’s campaign by suggesting to the American voter that he is the best candidate to solve the nuclear crisis without resorting to the war option.
Obama’s staff has been building up to this critical moment, step by step. In late September,intelligence sources report, they met secretly with Iranian emissaries and agreed that direct negotiations would be launched after the election. A team in the White House went to work on position papers for the talks. It is headed by Gary Samore, coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction, and Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman who led the US delegation to the failed six-power negotiations with Iran.
This team was presented to Israel as the authors of an “endgame paper” that was to be put before Tehran as an ultimatum. But no such paper was ever shown to Jerusalem.
Last Tuesday, Oct. 30, Israel’s defense minister Ehud Barak, told the Daily Telegraph on his way to London that in August, Iran quietly chose to convert 38 percent of its 20-percent stockpile of enriched uranium into fuel rods for civilian research purposes, “thereby delaying the moment when it could have built a nuclear bomb and delaying the moment of truth by eight to 10 months.”
These remarks painted Iran’s leaders as rational politicians, at odds with the hate-filled fanatical face shown to and by Israel. Barak only “forgot” to mention that this “gesture” was also a cover-up: Tehran had just completed the clandestine transfer of the entire set of 3,000 advanced centrifuges to the underground enrichment plant in Fordo, thereby expanding its capacity to produce medium-enriched uranium and replenish its stock.
These remarks painted Iran’s leaders as rational politicians, at odds with the hate-filled fanatical face shown to and by Israel. Barak only “forgot” to mention that this “gesture” was also a cover-up: Tehran had just completed the clandestine transfer of the entire set of 3,000 advanced centrifuges to the underground enrichment plant in Fordo, thereby expanding its capacity to produce medium-enriched uranium and replenish its stock.
While acting in the Obama interest and appearing to vindicate his pro-diplomacy policy, Tehran gained both time for finalizing its nuclear aspirations and two big advantages:
1. Iran overtly sacrificed just over one-third of its 20-percent enriched uranium stock, enough for one nuclear device, for the sake of clandestinely pressing forward on the production of fissile material for a whole arsenal of four to six bombs.
2. Iran managed to get its top-performance centrifuges hidden away in an almost impregnable “immune zone.”
Last April, Barak himself declared that the transfer of Iran’s nuclear program into “immune zones” would be a red line for Israel. Having made it nonetheless, Tehran is again sitting pretty and already naming a price - lifting of sanctions - for an unofficial and unverifiable claim to have halted 20-percent enrichment. But with the US presidential election almost too close to call two days before the vote, it could tip the balance.
1b)Simulation: The first 48 hours after
an Iran strike
By YAAKOV LAPPIN
11/04/2012 00:52
The Institute for National Security Studies held a war game recently in which players representing regional actors simulated the first 48 hours after an IDF strike on the Islamic Republic.
The simulation was based on the scenario of a unilateral Israeli strike without US participation, after midnight on November 9
The Tel Aviv University-based institute began the game with the following “announcement”: “Al Jazeera reported that Israeli planes attacked nuclear sites in Iran in three assault waves. Following the reports, Israel officially announced it attacked nuclear sites in Iran, since it had no other choice.”
In this scenario, the strike successfully destroyed nuclear sites and set Iran’s nuclear weapons program back by three years.
As part of the exercise, Iran responded with full force, firing some 200 Shihab missiles at Israel in two waves, and calling on its proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas and other radical organizations, to attack Israel. At first, Iran refrained from striking US targets in the Persian Gulf region in the war game.
In the game, Israel, bolstered by a successful strike, attempted to absorb the attacks while trying to de-escalate the situation and reach an end to hostilities as soon as possible.
The international community remained paralyzed due to Russia’s attempts to exploit the situation to advance its strategic interests.
“After two days, the Iranians, and to a lesser extent, their allies, continue to attack Israel. The crisis did not appear to be approaching a solution,” the INSS concluded at the end of the war game.
Within the first 48 hours, Israel carried out a fourth air assault on Iran to complete the destruction of a main nuclear site.
“Israel’s strategic aim was to prevent a regional escalation and to strive to reach a level in which incidents were under control, in low intensity, as quickly as possible,” the INSS said.
Although the US was not notified in advance, Washington clearly sided with Israel and did not expose divisions, in order to show a united front and decrease the chances of a regional conflagration.
The US indicated its willingness to return to the negotiating table with Iran and to ease sanctions in exchange for Iranian restraint and an Iranian announcement that nuclear military activities had ceased.
The US stayed out of the fighting, based on a policy that it would only become involved if Iran were to shut off the globally important oil route of the Strait of Hormuz, or if Iran attacked US assets in the Gulf.
At first, Tehran shied away from a military confrontation with the US, but, the game’s participants found, “The more Iran was pushed into a corner and its options to act became limited, the more it understood that its principal card is to act against the US in the Gulf and to shut off the Strait of Hormuz,” the INSS said.
Iran’s Lebanese Shi’ite proxy Hezbollah found itself in a dilemma in the game. On the one hand, it was under heavy Iranian pressure to fire massive barrages of missiles and rockets at Israel. Tehran told Hezbollah that this was “judgement day” – the very reason Hezbollah had been provided with some 50,000 projectiles.
On the other hand, Hezbollah was deterred by the fear of once more causing widespread damage to Lebanon.
“Therefore, it chose to partially answer Iran’s demands, firing rockets and missiles at military targets in Israel, mainly airports and active defense systems,” the INSS said.
“Israel’s restrained response sharpened Hezbollah’s dilemma and strengthened its decision to fire relatively limited barrages, and to focus on military targets,” it added.
The player representing Hamas also chose a middle path in the game, displaying some commitment to Iran, but seeking to avoid giving Israel a reason to launch a large ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the Gulf states and Turkey all acted in their own interests, while distancing themselves from the conflict and looking to prevent a regional escalation.
The game’s participants all acted “very rationally, activating policies that were driven by essential interests only, and ignored internal and outside constraints,” the INSS noted.
The player representing Israel concluded that the Israeli public would be able to absorb an extended conflict, due to the public’s belief that the strike on Iran was justified, and because operational goals were achieved.
The player representing the Islamic Republic found himself with limited tools with which to directly attack Israel, relying heavily on proxies.
Tehran had more tools to take action against US interests in the Gulf and spike oil prices, but realized that the price of involving the US in the fighting would be immensely high.
The INSS said that the game was planned earlier this year, when it seemed that this fall would be a decisive time in resolving the Iranian nuclear question.
“Since then, things have calmed down a little, but after the elections, towards the spring, the question of an attack will resurface. It is therefore vital to continue to examine the possible consequences,” it added.
Within the INSS, there are two competing schools of thought regarding the outcome of an Israeli strike on Iran. The first foresees a major regional war that could develop beyond the area. The second believes that, due to the presence of restraining mechanisms, Iran’s ability to set the Middle East alight is limited.
Hard to believe that the guy who promised to “punish our enemies” is now talking about voting for “revenge.”
If you watch the clip itself, it’s not clear at all what Obama’s supporters are supposed to want revenge for. Obama mentions Romney’s name in the context of his run for the Senate in Massachusetts — back when Romney was quite the moderate — and the audience starts to boo. Obama says “no, no. Don’t boo. Vote. Vote. Voting is the best revenge.” Revenge for what? Him running for the Senate? Revenge for Romney daring to challenge Obama? I understand Obama is bitter. That’s been obvious for a while. But it’s just a weird and narcissistic assumption that his supporters want “revenge” too. Doesn’t mean it’s wrong, though. Which makes the whole thing even creepier.
Meanwhile, here’s Romney’s response:
This week's top honors go to Ms. Attkisson whose work deserves your attention. I can only summarize some of the highlights of her work, and I urge you to read it all.
She reports that during the crisis the Administration did not call upon "its top interagency counterterrorism resource: The Counterterrorism Security Group, (CSG)."
Her sources reveal that key responders were ready and available to deploy for a rescue but were never called upon to do so. She details the protocols that were in place to call upon the services of the CSG and says they were never followed:
Another senior counter terrorism official says a hostage rescue team was alternately asked to get ready and then stand down throughout the night, as officials seemed unable to make up their minds.A third potential responder from a counter-terror force stationed in Europe says components of AFICOM -- the military's Africa Command based in Stuttgart, Germany -- were working on course of action during the assault. But no plan was put to use. [snip]According to a public military document, the directive was designed to "synchronize the efforts of all the government agencies that have a role to play in the Global War on Terrorism." The Administration also didn't call on the only interagency, on-call, short notice team poised to respond to terrorist incidents worldwide: the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST). FEST's seasoned experts leave within four hours of notification and can provide "the fastest assistance possible." FEST Teams deployed immediately after al Qaeda bombings of US embassies in East Africa in 1998, and the USS Cole in 2000, but were not used for Benghazi, to the chagrin of some insiders. It's likely that the CSG task force, if contacted, would have recommended FEST aid." First a tactical response was needed," says a senior U.S. counterterrorism official, "and while that was being implemented, the holistic response could have been developed and deployed within hours" which could have allowed the FBI investigate safely on site well ahead of the "24 days it took." [/quote]Counterterrorism officials also indicated to her that -- despite the Administration's fairytale about the trailer for the video spurring the attack -- "they concluded almost immediately that the attack was by terrorists and was not spontaneous."
Blogger Doug Ross of Director Blue has labored hard and provided a chart with timeline of the events as they unfolded in Benghazi and Washington. Together these accounts are damning for the Administration, which on November 15, after the election, will be questioned in a closed Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. Luckily for voters, so many people have access to the truth, share our disgust, and are talking to reporters now when it most matters we know what kind of Administration this is.
There's no reason to act surprised about the Administration's handling of this crisis, after all. Did you assume as apparently pundits like Peggy Noonan and David Brooks did that a community organizer known largely for voting "present" was up to the task? Or did they miss this luftmensch's blather in 2007?
Hit & run explains:
"In 2007, Obama was asked in a Democratic primary debate what he would do if terrorists launched an attack on US soil, and we knew it was the work of al Qaeda. Although Libya is half a world away, given that the consulate is sovereign US territory, it isn't completely incomparable.Obama responded thusly:'Well, the first thing we'd have to do is make sure that we've got an effective emergency response, something that this administration failed to do when we had a hurricane in New Orleans. And I think that we have to review how we operate in the event of not only a natural disaster, but also a terrorist attack.The second thing is to make sure that we've got good intelligence, A, to find out that we don't have other threats and attacks potentially out there; and B, to find out do we have any intelligence on who might have carried it out so that we can take potentially some action to dismantle that network.But what we can't do is then alienate the world community based on faulty intelligence, based on bluster and bombast. Instead, the next thing we would have to do, in addition to talking to the American people, is making sure that we are talking to the international community.Because as has already been stated, we're not going to defeat terrorists on our own. We've got to strengthen our intelligence relationships with them, and they've got to feel a stake in our security by recognizing that we have mutual security interests at stake.'"
And there you have it. I am sure this is the real reason we did nothing to help those trapped in Benghazi. We couldn't get the interim government of Libya to okay a rescue initiated from outside the country and we held back from even allowing our own people on site to go while the president dithered over whether "the international community" -- aka, the weak, make believe Libyan government we put in place, and perhaps the Moslem Brotherhood forces in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East, the consequences of the Administration's foolish Arab Spring initiative -- would go along with this mission of rescuing our own people on what is at law our own land.
Speaking of emergency responses, the situation in New York, most particularly Staten Island, is dire. People lack housing, clothing, food, water, and transport, and once again Nemesis seems to have struck at those journalists who attack Mitt Romney without warrant.
This week, Andrea Mitchell criticized Romney for gathering relief supplies for the storm victims, saying really people should just send money to the Red Cross. Before the week was out the President of Staten Island was cursing the ineffective Red Cross and begging for relief supplies. Maybe MSNBC can airdrop Ms. Mitchell into Staten Island for a live report .
And Mike Bloomberg is lucky that New York City must be short of pikes and spears because he announced that the marathon would go on as scheduled this weekend, only to retreat in the face of city residents outraged at the diversion of resources away from those who needed them. That would have meant three generators that could provide needed electricity to countless beleaguered New Yorkers without electrical power would be in use to maintain the press tent for the marathon; that food, water, and police forces they need are going to be stationed along the marathon routes for the runners, not the citizens, and the only route to get supplies to Staten Island , the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, would be closed on occasions for the race.
Vote like your life depends on it on Tuesday, because it probably does.
