NC Renegades

The US and China are racing towards a maritime conflict stemming from Beijing’s construction of what Washington has condescendingly called “sand castles” in the Spratly archipelago.

Atop these man-made islands are cement plants, air strips, and soon-to-be lighthouses, as China boldly asserts its territorial claims on what are heavily-contested waters though which trillions in seaborne freight pass each year.

Now, with Beijing set to enforce what is effectively a no-fly zone over its new sovereign ‘territory’ we bring you the following graphic from WSJ which shows that when it comes to sheer size, China’s air force and Navy are beyond compare.

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by Bill Gertz

Iran has dispatched additional paramilitary forces to Yemen to aid pro-Tehran rebels seeking to take control of the strategic southern Arabian state, according to recent U.S. intelligence reports.

The Iranian leadership earlier this month ordered militants from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force, along with Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, to Yemen, where Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab states are seeking to defeat an insurgency led by Houthi rebels that currently control large parts of the country.

The influx of Iranian forces was outlined in several classified intelligence reports circulated within government over the past two weeks, said U.S. officials familiar with the reports.

A State Department official said the Sunni Arabs in nearby states are opposing the Houthis and seeking to prevent Iran from establishing a foothold on the peninsula.

Estimates put the number of both Iranian and Iraqi Shi’ite forces helping the Houthis in Yemen at around 5,000 people. The number of Lebanese Hezbollah members in Yemen is not known.

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Source

From Ocean’s Eleven to Star Trek, weapons that wipe out enemy electronics are a staple of science fiction films.

For years, scientists have been attempting to create such a weapon as part of Champ, or the Counter-electronics High-powered microwave Advanced Missile Project.

Now, the US Air Force claims it has advanced the technology, and says it can deploy it using the stealthy Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM).

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h/t Kathie P

And, in case you didn’t know, Arabic is the number one language of refugees entering the US right now.

From The Tennessean (hat tip: Joanne):

Starting this fall, Metro Nashville Public Schools will begin offering Arabic language classes.

The creation of the classes expands on the district’s foreign language offerings of Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, Latin and German, according to a press release from the district.

All of the Arabic classes will be offered in grades 7-12 and are being installed in six South Nashville schools. The area is one of the most diverse in the district and includes a high number of English Language Learners.

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What else do you call an “executive director” who sends out misleading information in an attempt to justify illegal activity by the pResident? For some information on Ms. El-Amine, click here.

For those few who believe that the Republic is still valid:

The President… shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur….

ARTICLE II, SECTION 2, CLAUSE 2

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TPP is not a trade negotiation: it is a treaty which must be approved by a supermajority of the Senate. The House of Representatives has no part in this process. If this treaty was so beneficial, why is it secret? We all know the end game of domestic enemies. The only question is how long will the people’s liberty be trampled upon by the government before we rise up?

David DeGerolamo

Friend —

The debate over trade in Congress right now is about whether President Obama should have the authority to negotiate trade agreements — something nearly every president since 1934 has had.

The Senate cast a bipartisan vote late last week to grant the President that authority. Now, the debate goes to the House.

If you agree that the Obama administration should get to negotiate trade agreements, then add your name.

There’s a healthy debate going on — and that’s a good thing, because we have to get trade right this time. Any agreement we sign ​must ​reflect our values​ of protecting our workers and caring for our environment.

That’s why President Obama is insisting on tough, enforceable labor and environmental standards.

And with the President’s track record in fighting for the middle class, this is a chance to reach the most progressive trade agreement in our history. We can establish rules for the global economy — expanding opportunities for the middle class at home by selling goods made in America to the rest of the world.

Now’s the time to stand up and fight alongside President Obama — add your name:

http://my.barackobama.com/Lead-On-Trade

Thank you,

Sara

Sara El-Amine
Executive Director
Organizing for Action

Stephan Bauman is CEO of World Relief and one of 5 employees making a six-figure salary largely on your dime while advocating for 65,000 Syrians be resettled in your towns and cities! Photo: http://worldrelief.org/leadership

What do I mean by that?

I mean that because federal resettlement contractor, World Relief (National Association of Evangelicals), decided to target that town, of all places, we have made an enormous leap in our understanding of how the secretive UN/US State Department Refugee Admissions and Resettlement program operates.

Additionally we are gaining a model for citizen involvement and a blueprint for what needs to happen going forward.

Spartanburg also ties in to the much larger issue in Washington right now—-should we do what the UN wants and admit 65,000 Syrians to the US in the next year or so?  World Relief is on record with a resounding—YES!

And, to top it all off, since Spartanburg happens to fall in the district of the chairman of the subcommittee responsible for the US Refugee Program, we hold out hope that oversight hearings will be scheduled soon to begin to review a program that has literally become a multi-billion dollar a year industry that is way too large and way too secretive.

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