DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... A Street Corner Organizer vs ISIS

Hmm...i wonder if in a parallel universe, Trump and Clinton ran on the same ticket together. Prez/VP

You really think those two egos could coexist? That would be a really strange universe.

I'd say yes, as vietnam and korea were international/overseas wars.

the civil war and depression....even still, isn't the same as terrorism, imo.

sorry but it hasn't changed our values. nor should it. did 9/11 stop women in the us, fat or skinny, from wearing skinny jeans, leggings, and two piece bikini's?

no.

did it stop us from doing anything really? no.

this is what happened. people got outraged, and within a couple days/weeks it was business as usual.

and it shouldn't. the depression and Civil war changed us, as it should've.

power and greed always find a way to coexist. i think you've made a similar point on this board before.

International, not global. Hell, McCarthyism changed our world view.

The biggest change was the end of the cold war, as we Americans lost a lot of our national pride after that. Now we are being told by our federal government that we are one of the biggest problems in the world, not the best solution. Yes, I know we're not always right, but we do more good than anyone else.

that depends on your perspective, which i believe was the entire point.

of course we feel like we do more good than anyone else. we're americans.

those people in the middle east think we are the terrorist. so it's a matter of perception.

Power and greed do, but usually in the same person. I don't think either one could play second fiddle to the other.

Here's my Clinton for Prez:

Sanders for VP?

If you can't guarantee with 100% certainty that not one of those three year old orphans disguised as military age men are a danger to me or mine, or you and yours or them and theirs (anyone want to continue this list?) then I think you should tone down the 'wish you all had some balls' and 'keyboard warriors' crap.

I was already in and out of the service before you started kindergarten.

Ok, you did something about it.

That means I wasn't talking about you.

Hussein Obama did take a stand in Syria, remember he drew a line in the sand. By the way, I love you Libby's on here still yelling "Bush did it", you folks give me a good belly laugh. Hussein Obama better hope there is not an attack on America because his "legacy" will go down the crapper with him.

wonder how many profile pics gonna change in support of Mali. probably none, and we all know why.

Islamic extremists attack hotel in Mali's capital

http://news.yahoo.com/army-20-hostages-freed-mali-hotel-105616806.html

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Islamic extremists armed with guns and throwing grenades stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali's capital Friday morning, killing at least three people and initially taking numerous hostages, authorities said.

The Brussels-based Rezidor Hotel group that operates the hotel said the assailants had "locked in" 140 guests and 30 employees.

Malian troops reacted quickly. As people ran for their lives near the hotel along a dirt road, the soldiers in full combat gear pointed the way to safety. Within hours, local TV images showed heavily armed troops in what appeared to be a lobby area. Malian state TV reported that 80 people in the hotel when the assault began have been freed.

Malian special forces were freeing hostages "floor by floor," Malian army commander Modibo Nama Traore told The Associated Press.

Traore said at least one guest earlier reported that the attackers instructed him to recite verses from the Quran before he was allowed to leave the hotel.

It was not immediately clear which Muslim extremist groups might be behind the attack, which unfolded one week after the attacks on Paris that killed 129 people. A handful of jihadi groups seized the northern half of Mali — a former French colony — in 2012 and were ousted from cities and towns by a French military intervention.

View galleryPeople run to flee from the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, …
People run to flee from the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali, Friday, Nov. 20, 2015. The company t …
French President Francois Hollande said: "We should yet again stand firm and show our solidarity with a friendly country, Mali."

Traore said 10 gunmen had stormed the hotel shouting "Allahu Akbar," or "God is great," in Arabic before firing on the guards. A staffer at the hotel who gave his name as Tamba Diarra said over the phone that the attackers used grenades in the assault.

The U.S. Embassy in Mali told citizens to shelter in place amid reports of an "ongoing active shooter operation" at the hotel in Bamako.

Monique Kouame Affoue Ekonde, from Ivory Coast, said she and six other people, including a Turkish woman, were escorted out by security forces as the gunmen rushed "toward the fifth or sixth floor."

"I think they are still there. I've left the hotel and I don't know where to go. I'm tired and in a state of shock," she said.

View galleryMap locates Bamako, Mali; 1c x 3 inches; 46.5 mm x …
Map locates Bamako, Mali; 1c x 3 inches; 46.5 mm x 76 mm;
A top official at the French presidency said French citizens were in the hotel but could not give more. The official spoke anonymously in line with presidency policy.

Belgian foreign minister Didier Reynders said that four Belgians were registered at the hotel but their whereabouts were unknown.

Citing Chinese diplomats in Mali, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that about 10 Chinese citizens were sheltering inside their hotel rooms. The embassy was in phone contact with them and all were reported safe, according to the report. All are employees of Chinese companies working in Mali.

Five Turkish Airlines personnel were among the freed hostages, Turkey's state-run news agency said.

The website of the official China Daily newspaper also cited an unidentified witness as saying one Chinese citizen had been rescued.

View galleryOnlookers gather near the Radisson Blu hotel after …
Onlookers gather near the Radisson Blu hotel after gunmen stormed the building in Bamako, Mali, Frid …
The U.N. mission said it was sending security reinforcements and medical aid to the scene. Ambulances were seen rushing to the hotel as a military helicopter flew overhead.

Even after the French-led military intervention in early 2013 that forced the extremists from northern towns and cities, the north remains insecure and militant attacks have extended farther south this year, including the capital. In March masked gunmen shot up a restaurant in Bamako that is popular with foreigners, killing five people.

About 1,000 French troops remain in the country. The Netherlands also has troops working with the UN mission in Mali. According to the Dutch defense ministry, some 450 Dutch military personnel are taking part in the mission along with four Apache and three Chinook helicopters. Most of the Dutch force is based in Gao, but there are a few officers at the U.N. mission headquarters in Bamako.

__

Ahmed reported from Kaolack, Senegal. AP writers Robbie Corey-Boulet in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Christopher Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this report.

I am beginning to agree with the PM of France and the others who are saying we are seeing the beginning of WWIII.

Mine won't change. And it has nothing to do with race. Mine didn't change over the Paris attack either.

For me, while I feel bad about the situation. It doesn't affect my life in the slightest..Guess that makes me a racist..oh well:/

I actually tried to get my hands on a Mali Browns Backers shirt some time ago when they had a club.

No, it really doesn't change my opinions. I was never a supporter of Mali, nor will I be now. I know little to nothing about the country, other than it's in western Africa near the equator. It also doesn't change my opinion of the radical islamists that are waging a terror war there. This is a war of conquest. If we stop it now by killing all of them, we will lose thousands. If we wait until it comes here, we will lose 100s of thousands or more.

TSA Didn't Catch 73 Airport Workers on Terror Watchlist
DHS: PROBLEM IS TSA ISN'T ALLOWED TO RECEIVE EVERY BIT OF TERRORISM-RELATED DATA

By Jenn Gidman, Newser Staff
Posted Jun 8, 2015 11:19 AM CDT
STORY COMMENTS (38)

(NEWSER) – The good news from the Department of Homeland's Security new report on the TSA's "multi-layered process to vet aviation workers for potential links to terrorism": That process is "generally effective." The bad news: There were still 73 individuals who should never have gotten jobs with airlines because they were tagged with terrorism-related category codes. The main problem, the report notes, is that, under current interagency watchlist policy, the TSA isn't allowed to receive every bit of terrorism-related data, meaning airlines often have to fend for themselves in determining whether a job applicant is properly vetted, including whether an applicant is lawfully allowed to work in the US and if the applicant has committed any crimes that would disqualify him from gaining unsupervised access to secure airport areas. The TSA and airports aren't permitted to conduct "recurrent criminal history vetting," meaning the applicant would have to self-report, the DHS report notes.

How the DHS conducted its analysis: The agency asked the National Counterterrorism Center to cross-reference more than 900,000 records of current aviation workers against the NCTC's terror watchlist. The list's terrorism codes associated with the 73 individuals in question were not shared with the TSA during the vetting process due to current interagency rules that prohibit such sharing, the report finds. It also notes that "thousands of records" pored over during the vetting process contained incomplete info; sometimes applications would only include an initial for a candidate's first name or would be missing a Social Security number. The workers who slipped through "were employed by major airlines, airport vendors, and other employers," the report adds, and were cleared for access to secure areas, "despite representing a potential transportation security threat."

Newsweek June 2015

These are the types of things that happen during vetting... and these are Americans where we have much better access to their records. So while I appreciate those who think the Syrians are being vetted, the possibility of mistakes is very very real. And I'm growing weary of the fact that those who have concerns are being painted as somehow unAmerican or unChristian... Sorry, I have my concerns.

I don't do the "change your profile pic" thing... didn't do the rainbow, didn't do the French flag, won't do it here... but I will pray for the folks of Mali.

I wouldn't feel sorry..I'm amazed it hasn't come here on a much higher level.

I've read your post's through the years and agree with a lot of what you say..and if questioning the type of people our leader's want to bring in makes you unAmerican then so be it.

It took you 4 posts to compliment me? What took you so long?

Seriously, thanks and welcome aboard.

I'm a little slow:) But thank you for the welcome..

Seeing as our administration has stated that isis is contained, which was followed by the Paris attack, and al queda is neutralized, right before the Mali attack, maybe we ought to get our administration to shut up.

That's the point though.

Where's the outrage when it happens to these people?

And that's my point. People like to pick and choose.

Something can happen in Kenya right now, no national outrage or support.

Let something happen in Spain or something and watch the 24/7 news coverage.

It couldn't possibly have anything to do with major news outlets in this country having offices in places like the UK, Paris, Berlin, etc. I don't think they have very many (if any) in Bamako, Mali. That's just business, not racism as you are implying. As you were so keen to start up a business in Africa not so long ago, I would suggest an American news outlet in Mali. Maybe Fox News will back you.

I highly doubt that, sorry.

Y'all can chalk it up to me calling y'all racist. That's not my intent, but honestly, I don't care what you think I'm calling you.

If the shoe fits, I'll buy you multiple pair.

The fact is that a lot of these American journalist flew over to cover the incident in Paris.

So why aren't people flying down in the same numbers to Mali?

Your shoe doesn't fit me at all. You might also want to consider that there are 3 TV stations in Mali. The US press services have agreements with many news outlets in Europe. If you would have been paying attention, the American reporters still took 2 days or more to get to Paris. Before that, they used the local reporters. I'm also quite sure they would have used local videographers once the 'talent' people from the US got there. Maybe you should give them a day or two before you start your accusations.

As for Mali, they have an unstable government, so I wouldn't expect many reporters to show up there. They had a military coup as recently as 2012.

So because they have problems, it doesn't warrant as much attention as Paris?

Compassion. I see people on this board does lack it.

When do you have your flight scheduled?

He doesn't..he would rather tell you what a pile of poo you are for not having one..

I'm not a journalist.

And I've also done 3 months in AFRICOM.

When's your flight ?

What's the point? My response is consistent...

I'm sure you know the answer to the second question but if you want me to answer it, so you can see it in print... I will answer it.

Mali is a poor, African, and black, France is romantic, white, and European.... Mali is a country with a murder rate significantly higher than the United States and WAY higher than France. There is a sense that things like this are supposed to happen there, they are not supposed to happen to partying white kids in Paris.

The media is almost exclusively run by white people for a white audience, they are going to run with what gets them the most viewers, which in turn will make it a bigger story... Many Americans have been to France, they've been to Paris, they love Paris, they have ancestors from France, and they love the shopping and the food, we play Olympic events against France, we can relate to them... most of them couldn't find Mali on a map, have no idea what the language is or what they might be served for dinner, and they don't care to find out.

See, we have sympathy for Mali. We feel bad for them, we really do. But, we have empathy for Paris because they are similar to us, we can relate to them, on a subconscious level we can feel their pain.... empathy is a much stronger emotion than sympathy.... Sympathy is passing, empathy is much deeper, much stronger, and lasts much longer.

that's why when an inner city black kid gets shot for no reason, my sympathy is no match for your empathy and it never will be. I can feel bad for that person but it's more distant because I can't relate to them... you can feel the pain because you've been there, you see yourself in that kid, or your kids in that kid... I cannot. And the easy way out is to say, "But we are all human beings, isn't that enough?" and the answer is no, it's not. The emotions of sympathy and empathy are not consciously controlled. I can't control my ability to empathize with a person from Mali any more than you can control your ability to empathize with the Queen of England...

I hope that answers your question, at least from my perspective.

Pass the Freedom Fries!

I hope you are well Pit..You probably don't remember me but when you asked for prayer's some years back about your back surgery, I responded and offered any help you needed because I lived close to you.

Then gave you a little insight into my situation with my surgery on my neck.

I'm doing much better than I was before the surgery. Thanks for asking.

I do seem to remember that conversation but I don't recognize your current screen name.

It is not the same screen name...I posted for your situation and haven't posted since..Lucky Dawg was the name I used back then. I've lurked on this forum for years and just never posted:)

I'm not a journalist either, but I won't use that weak excuse. I think Mali is another case radical muslims trying to force their world view on those around them. More reason for the world to come together and take these guys out. Other than that, I never had any plans to go there, so I don't know that much about their culture, lands, or lifestyles. As I never see myself going to Mali, that is probably about a curious as I will ever be. I've never intended to go to Paris either, as my wife has never had much good to say about that city. I got tired of the coverage on Paris very quickly, once the action stopped. The 'all tragedy, all the time' news cycles annoy me.

The amount of travel and relations between the US and Mali are a lot less than the travel and relations between the US and France. For most Americans, Mali is a far away place they have no interest in and will never go. Lots of people want (or wanted) to go to Paris, though. There's just more of a connection. It has nothing to do with race, and so much more to do with familiarity.

Question for anybody who cares to answer...

What do you think ISIS thinks they gain by attacking a country like Mali? From what I've seen, ISIS attacks for two reasons:

1. to inflict pain and suffering on those it hates
2. to recruit new members

so what is the benefit to attacking Mali? Or is it just an attack on a relatively soft target to remind the world they are out there and it has no real immediate goal other than add to global fear and confusion and the feeling that nobody is safe?