You’d think that a nation that has allowed the shredding of the civil liberties enshrined in its founding document might deserve to know who the dastardly enemy is to justify such a dramatic transgression, right? Wrong. Amazingly, Carl Levin (D-Michigan) asked the Pentagon to define who exactly the “Al-Qaeda affiliates” we are at war with are. While Mr. Levin received and answer, guess what he told the public? Yep, you guessed it. It’s classified.
From ProPublica:
In a major national security speech this spring, President Obama said again and again that the U.S. is at war with “Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associated forces.”
So who exactly are those associated forces? It’s a secret.
At a hearing in May, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., asked the Defense Department to provide him with a current list of Al Qaeda affiliates.
The Pentagon responded – but Levin’s office told ProPublica they aren’t allowed to share it. Kathleen Long, a spokeswoman for Levin, would say only that the department’s “answer included the information requested.”
A Pentagon spokesman told ProPublica that revealing such a list could cause “serious damage to national security.”
There’s that “national security” line again.
“Because elements that might be considered ‘associated forces’ can build credibility by being listed as such by the United States, we have classified the list,” said the spokesman, Lt. Col. Jim Gregory. “We cannot afford to inflate these organizations that rely on violent extremist ideology to strengthen their ranks.”
During the May hearing, Michael Sheehan, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, said he was “not sure there is a list per se.” Describing terrorist groups as “murky” and “shifting,” he said, “it would be difficult for the Congress to get involved in trying to track the designation of which are the affiliate forces” of Al Qaeda.
Let me fill in the blanks for you: Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, the ACLU, Oath Keepers, We are Change, P.A.N.D.A., the EFF, short sellers, gold buyers and critical thinkers.
Thanks for playing America.
Full article here.
In Liberty,
Mike
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“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.” — Frank Zappa
“national insecurity” is more like it…
I’m surprised Sen Levin wasn’t told that we are at war with Eurasia on odd months, and Eastasia on even months.
Pentagon: Why Senator Levin have you not passed the war appropriations bill approving money for the war against Al Qauda?
Sen Levin: Sorry can’t tell you it’s classified.
Carl Levin, and his cohorts, are very fearful of the growing anti-“israeli” sentiment permeating the American people. The US created Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is just the proverbial bogeyman. Washington continues to distance themselves from the people in the 50 states, and this cannot last.
The US government and their toadies are sending money and equipment to al-Qaeda in Syria. I guess if you want a cooperating enemy it’s going to cost something.
You left Christians off your list.
When they ask you anything, just say “sorry that’s classified and you don’t have the clearance” 🙂