Oubai Shahbandar edition
2004
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2004-04-08/news/token-arab/full/ (PROCLICK) posted:Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Oubai (pronounced OH-bay) Shahbandar has made his American dream a nightmare for some ASU students, faculty and administrators by attacking the university milieu of student advocacy groups through his own Web log, and a slew of conservative Webzines. A self-described neo-conservative who calls anti-war protesters "terrorists," Shahbandar rails against the "leftist Ivory Tower of American academia" he says dominates ASU's political landscape.
He scoffs at student organizations like the gay and lesbian Lambda League and the Black African Coalition, dismissing them by declaring, "No one in America is oppressed."
He calls certain ASU professors with a liberal bent "socialists," and has posted their names and photos on a Web page called "The Socialist Professor of the Month." At a feminist rally on campus, he shouted, "All you need is a good man!"
While his face is unrecognizable to a majority of the 50,000 students on campus, his name and his legend have reached urban myth proportions. There are allegations Shahbandar forged, plagiarized and verbally harassed his way through college -- the latter making way for Shahbandar's near-expulsion from ASU almost two years ago.
But while most on campus find Shahbandar's antics comical, some fear how close the 22-year-old may get to the political stardom he seeks. The fearful include members of ASU's Muslim Students Association, who Shahbandar once called "Taliban in training."
2005-2013
LinkedIn https://archive.is/Xo8P8 posted:Foreign Affairs Officer
Department of Defense
2005 – 2013 (8 years) | Washington D.C.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/oubai-shahbandar-/ posted:With over seven years of experience working for the Department of Defense as a strategic analyst and foreign affairs specialist, Mr. Shahbandar has an extensive and diverse background in developing national security policy throughout the Middle East and South Asia. He served a one-year tour in Iraq from 2007 to 2008 during General Petraeus' surge as a strategic analyst supporting counterinsurgency operations and the U.S. military's outreach to the Sons of Iraq program.
From 2010 to 2011, Mr. Shahbandar served as a senior civilian advisor to the Combined Forces Special Operations Command-Afghanistan, working on the critical Village Stability Operations program. He served for four years in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as a Foreign Affairs Specialist focusing on Middle Eastern and Gulf Security Affairs.
He also provided strategic communication and political support to the Syrian Opposition negotiating delegation in Geneva, Switzerland.
2013-2014
LinkedIn posted:Senior Advisor
Syrian Coalition
August 2013 – December 2014 (1 year 5 months) | Washington, D.C.
"advisor" to the "coalition" lol
news article from Sep 2013 https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/reportsfeatures/congresss-battle-for-syria posted:Oubai Shahbandar, vice president of Middle East operations for the Syrian Support Group, said that SSG, alongside the Syrian Emergency Task Force and the Syrian-American Council “are working hand in hand with the (Syrian Opposition Coalition) in launching a comprehensive media and lobbying campaign in support of the strikes.”
Shahbandar told NOW that the President’s announcement to seek congressional authorization was not received positively by the opposition. “Disappointment would be an understatement,” he said, “and the delay in the strike is providing the regime ample opportunity to prepare itself… It is crucial that the American government takes action with haste.”
SSG website Jan 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102224304/http://www.syriansupportgroup.org/about-us/staff/ posted:Oubai Shahbandar– Vice President of Middle East Operations
something something Toyota Hilux
2015 - Where Is He NOw??
LinkedIn posted:Principal
Dragoman Partners
2015 – Present (less than a year) | Dubai
April 2015 bio http://www.huffingtonpost.com/oubai-shahbandar-/ posted:Oubai Shahbandar is a Syrian-American, former Department of Defense official, and currently serves as a Strategic Communications Advisor to the Syrian Coalition.
Maybe he has just had one job since 2005 and he is still just doing that one job really...????
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-syrian-electronic-armys-most-dangerous-hack posted:The SEA claims to have also hacked into the email accounts of Louay Sakka, founder of the SSG; Mazen Asbahi, the former president of the SSG; and Oubai Shahbandar, a former Pentagon analyst and an advisor to the Syrian Opposition Coalition.
Other than the obvious prize of Idris’s email address, it’s Shahbandar that the hackers were happier to hit, because, as Th3 Pr0 claimed, “he is an American agent.” When asked what he meant by that, Th3 Pr0 simply sent a series of military (.mil) email addresses purporting to belong to Shahbandar.
“He used all of them, and redirect some emails from them to his Gmail account,” Th3 Pr0 said.
But Shahbandar told Motherboard that his email was never compromised, and when I told him about the military email addresses, he said, “Amusing, for Iranian lap dogs to cast that stone.”
Shahbandar declined to elaborate, but he was probably referring to rumors that the SEA has been founded, and perhaps even funded, by Iran.
Edited by Flying_horse_in_saudi_arabia ()
“Amusing, for Iranian lap dogs to cast that stone.”
Small dogs shouldn't throw stones in glass houses Mr Shagbender
The White Helmets are an American NGO who aim at establishing a no-fly zone in Syria by pushing chlorine barrel bomb stories. Now...what are these guys doing with Jabhat al-Nusra at an execution in Haritan (North of Aleppo)?
the tweet: https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/596898954685587456
the video: https://www.facebook.com/DRNyheder/videos/924418937608631/?type=1&theater
edit: they've done it before, DR News had to release a statement (some where claiming it was "Kobani", never even Aleppo)
Edited by Crow ()
It's been a couple years since the ISIS victory over Gaddafi. You might be saying "Well hey, isn't the country being destroyed by sectarian warfare?". I have a hard time believing that. After all, there was a parade.
{Ghaddafi's} demise meant the war was all but over. In Ottawa, officials in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Privy Council Office went to work planning the largest military victory parade the country had seen in decades.
The Conservative government wanted a major event: a flypast of CF-18 fighter jets and other aircraft, a parade, a choir and a feting of hundreds military personnel in the Senate chambers.
...
The event attracted only a couple of dozen Libyan-Canadians who waved flags as cannons sounded a 21-gun salute.
So what happened to the men of ISIS Bomber Command who made this happen?
Lieutenant General Joseph Jacques Charles Bouchard
aka Charlie aka Tobruk Chuck
Charlie was the commander of ISIS/NATO's mission in Libya. While it was allegedly a last minute attempt to stop Gaddafi from destroying Benghazi, the target list was flexible. So when the people of Majar tried to defend themselves from ISIS, well, it was time to KICK THE TIRES AND LIGHT THE FIRES.
...Survivors told the Times that one tactic used by NATO was to restrike targets minutes after the first attack, a practice that killed civilians rushing to aid the wounded.
NATO said it didn’t have any figures about such fatalities, but critics countered that the alliance never tried to compile any.
One of the most controversial NATO attacks happened in August in the farming community of Majar. Five women and seven children were killed in the initial attack. Minutes later, NATO aircraft were back dropping bombs, killing four more. When neighbours rushed to help dig people from the rubble, another bomb hit, killing 18 more civilians.
A year after the bombing campaign Bouchard retired and vowed to destroy the Royal Canadian Air Force, rendering it incapable of ever carrying out another campaign. This made him a perfect fit at Lockheed Martin, producer of the F-35 fighter plane.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird
Mr. Baird proudly signed a bomb destined for release by a Canadian plane. “Free Libya. Democracy,” he wrote. The minister then declared, after his lightning visit, “The one thing we can say categorically is that they {the rebels} wouldn’t be any worse than Col. Gadhafi.”
Minister Baird eventually resigned from parliament in order to avoid new pension rules that wouldn't allow him to retire at 55. He's since taken a job as an international advisor for Barrick Gold Corp., a mining company that was in the news when their security contractors committed gang rape in Papa New Guinea.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Libya+Mission+Year+Later+victory+what+price/6178518/story.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/nato-bombs-cleared-the-path-for-is-in-libya/article23044006/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/document-archive/pgs-287-293-291-jw-v-dod-and-state-14-812-2/
Defense Intelligence Agency report, 12 August 2012:
DIA posted:R 050839Z AUG 12
…
THE GENERAL SITUATION:
A. INTERNALLY, EVENTS ARE TAKING A CLEAR SECTARIAN DIRECTION.
B. THE SALAFIST, THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, AND AQI ARE THE MAJOR FORCES DRIVING THE INSURGENCY IN SYRIA.
C. THE WEST, GULF COUNTRIES, AND TURKEY SUPPORT THE OPPOSITION; WHILE RUSSIA, CHINA AND IRAN SUPPORT THE REGIME.
…
3. (C) Al QAEDA – IRAQ (AQI):… B. AQI SUPPORTED THE SYRIAN OPPOSITION FROM THE BEGINNING, BOTH IDEOLOGICALLY AND THROUGH THE MEDIA…
…
4.D. THERE WAS A REGRESSION OF AQI IN THE WESTERN PROVINCES OF IRAQ DURING THE YEARS OF 2009 AND 2010; HOWEVER, AFTER THE RISE OF THE INSURGENCY IN SYRIA, THE RELIGIOUS AND TRIBAL POWERS IN THE REGIONS BEGAN TO SYMPATHIZE WITH THE SECTARIAN UPRISING. THIS (SYMPATHY) APPEARED IN FRIDAY PRAYER SERMONS, WHICH CALLED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT THE SUNNI’S IN SYRIA.
…
7. (C) THE FUTURE ASSUMPTIONS OF THE CRISIS:
A. THE REGIME WILL SURVIVE AND HAVE CONTROL OVER SYRIAN TERRITORY.
B. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CURRENT EVENTS INTO PROXY WAR: …OPPOSITION FORCES ARE TRYING TO CONTROL THE EASTERN AREAS (HASAKA AND DER ZOR), ADJACENT TO THE WESTERN IRAQI PROVINCES (MOSUL AND ANBAR), IN ADDITION TO NEIGHBORING TURKISH BORDERS. WESTERN COUNTRIES, THE GULF STATES AND TURKEY ARE SUPPORTING THESE EFFORTS. THIS HYPOTHESIS IS MOST LIKELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DATA FROM RECENT EVENTS, WHICH WILL HELP PREPARE SAFE HAVENS UNDER INTERNATIONAL SHELTERING, SIMILAR TO WHAT TRANSPIRED IN LIBYA WHEN BENGHAZI WAS CHOSEN AS THE COMMAND CENTER OF THE TEMPORARY GOVERNMENT.
…
8.C. IF THE SITUATION UNRAVELS THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A DECLARED OR UNDECLARED SALAFIST PRINCIPALITY IN EASTERN SYRIA (HASAKA AND DER ZOR), AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE SUPPORTING POWERS TO THE OPPOSITION WANT, IN ORDER TO ISOLATE THE SYRIAN REGIME, WHICH IS CONSIDERED THE STRATEGIC DEPTH OF THE SHIA EXPANSION (IRAQ AND IRAN)
8.D.1. …ISI COULD ALSO DECLARE AN ISLAMIC STATE THROUGH ITS UNION WITH OTHER TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IN IRAQ AND SYRIA, WHICH WILL CREATE GRAVE DANGER IN REGARDS TO UNIFYING IRAQ AND THE PROTECTION OF ITS TERRITORY.
Urbandale posted:im reading this declassification + the pentagon leak fingering Clinton for Libya as the DoD asserting itself as a political actor ('odd' given how much attention they seriously pay to depoliticizing the rank and file) but why and against who
We already know the pentagon went behind Clinton's back for diplomacy with the Qaddafi regime and that Clinton was the primary force behind that war.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/28/hillary-clinton-undercut-on-libya-war-by-pentagon-/
and that the military blames Hillary for that war's inevitable failure
http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/29/pentagon-official-americas-failure-is-hillary-incs-2016-politics/
http://www.aim.org/benghazi/declaration-of-the-citizens-commission-on-benghazi/
I would guess this is an attempt to keep Hillary from winning even if there's some collateral damage. Wouldn't surprise me if the DOD personally hates Hillary.
babyhueypnewton posted:Urbandale posted:im reading this declassification + the pentagon leak fingering Clinton for Libya as the DoD asserting itself as a political actor ('odd' given how much attention they seriously pay to depoliticizing the rank and file) but why and against who
We already know the pentagon went behind Clinton's back for diplomacy with the Qaddafi regime and that Clinton was the primary force behind that war.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/28/hillary-clinton-undercut-on-libya-war-by-pentagon-/
and that the military blames Hillary for that war's inevitable failure
http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/29/pentagon-official-americas-failure-is-hillary-incs-2016-politics/
http://www.aim.org/benghazi/declaration-of-the-citizens-commission-on-benghazi/
I would guess this is an attempt to keep Hillary from winning even if there's some collateral damage. Wouldn't surprise me if the DOD personally hates Hillary.
how would you describe as hilary's style of imperial policy vs the DOD's?
if she gets elected & they clash could this mean anything more than superficial damage to empire?
guess im grasping for positives
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iraq-lacks-will-to-fight-isis-u-s-says-1.3085549?fb_action_ids=10101130291818741&fb_action_types=og.shares
tank gunner: hey there's some ISIS guys up ahead
tank driver: oh shit let's jump out of the tank and run away so we're safe
chickeon posted:there's always been "smarter" imperialists in the DOD and intelligence opposing various maneuvers going on for strategic reasons and it's never amounted to anything for the victims of empire, I doubt we'll see anything of consequence arise no matter what happens in 2016
Yeah I would say it's closer to the business community and parts of the State Dept turning against the Vietnam War after 1968 than any kind of genuine opposition to imperialism. You have to be an idiot to not see the only winners in Iraq/Libya/Syria/Yemen have been Iran and China who are watching the U.S. flail about and laughing, and I'd say only half of the gov't are idiots. Hillary happens to be one, she probably believes the bullshit about her husband's "humanitarian legacy" in Rwanda and Yugoslavia.
babyhueypnewton posted:chickeon posted:there's always been "smarter" imperialists in the DOD and intelligence opposing various maneuvers going on for strategic reasons and it's never amounted to anything for the victims of empire, I doubt we'll see anything of consequence arise no matter what happens in 2016
Yeah I would say it's closer to the business community and parts of the State Dept turning against the Vietnam War after 1968 than any kind of genuine opposition to imperialism. You have to be an idiot to not see the only winners in Iraq/Libya/Syria/Yemen have been Iran and China who are watching the U.S. flail about and laughing, and I'd say only half of the gov't are idiots. Hillary happens to be one, she probably believes the bullshit about her husband's "humanitarian legacy" in Rwanda and Yugoslavia.
I don't know, I think actually the US is achieving alot of its short and medium term objectives with this chaotic war model (like disrupting pipeline deals, for example) and knocking down alot of holdouts from their finance capital power (Ukraine and Libya standout). not to mention Africom has expanded to full strategic coherence. China & Russia trade and military deals are basically indications that non-partner countries are aligning closer out of defense against the increasing threat. While the imperial system is in decay, it's also at the height of its power
Edited by Crow ()
Crow posted:babyhueypnewton posted:chickeon posted:there's always been "smarter" imperialists in the DOD and intelligence opposing various maneuvers going on for strategic reasons and it's never amounted to anything for the victims of empire, I doubt we'll see anything of consequence arise no matter what happens in 2016
Yeah I would say it's closer to the business community and parts of the State Dept turning against the Vietnam War after 1968 than any kind of genuine opposition to imperialism. You have to be an idiot to not see the only winners in Iraq/Libya/Syria/Yemen have been Iran and China who are watching the U.S. flail about and laughing, and I'd say only half of the gov't are idiots. Hillary happens to be one, she probably believes the bullshit about her husband's "humanitarian legacy" in Rwanda and Yugoslavia.
I don't know, I think actually the US is achieving alot of its short and medium term objectives with this chaotic war model (like disrupting pipeline deals, for example) and knocking down alot of holdouts from their finance capital power (Ukraine and Libya standout). not to mention Africom has expanded to full strategic coherence. China & Russia trade and military deals are basically indications that non-partner countries are aligning closer out of defense against the increasing threat. While the imperial system is in decay, it's also at the height of its power
I agree, the American defeat in Vietnam was also a victory in killing enough people and destroying enough land/industry that developing socialism was near impossible in Indochina. I think the same thing applies here, ISIS is both a failure of the initial imperialist war aims of the U.S. and a success as it's basically destroyed the region for everyone. However, in the long term this is always a failure. The only thing that emerges out of the ashes of imperialism and fascism is socialism, and as Mao says after the next imperialist war there won't be much room left on Earth for the imperialists.
Edited by babyhueypnewton ()
babyhueypnewton posted:chickeon posted:there's always been "smarter" imperialists in the DOD and intelligence opposing various maneuvers going on for strategic reasons and it's never amounted to anything for the victims of empire, I doubt we'll see anything of consequence arise no matter what happens in 2016
Yeah I would say it's closer to the business community and parts of the State Dept turning against the Vietnam War after 1968 than any kind of genuine opposition to imperialism. You have to be an idiot to not see the only winners in Iraq/Libya/Syria/Yemen have been Iran and China who are watching the U.S. flail about and laughing, and I'd say only half of the gov't are idiots. Hillary happens to be one, she probably believes the bullshit about her husband's "humanitarian legacy" in Rwanda and Yugoslavia.
Are you are talking about the woman who pushed healthcare reform for nearly two decades, never giving up, never surrendering?
The woman who ranked consistently among the absolutely most liberal senators during her time in the senate? That Hillary? I mean, our hearts may tell us that Obama is more liberal than Hillary, but their voting record shows that Hillary is to the left of Obama ( http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...nator/?page=all ).
Could it be that you are talking about the Hillary Clinton who worked tirelessly as First Lady of Arkansas, then First Lady of the U.S., then as the senator of New York, to expand access to college and increase tuition assistance? Not simply voting for them, but writing and sponsoring bills on the subject especially vis-a-vi outreach to marginalized populations so that they would know how to apply for financial aid/grants. http://correctrecord.org/hillary-cl...-affordability/
And who as a presidential candidate is giving speeches about how saddling kids with college debt is ridiculous and that college should be debt-free http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5982928 .
Surely you aren't talking about our Secretary of State with all her work on climate change treaties following a solid career as a senator supporting environmental regulation?
The Hillary Clinton who put her money where her mouth is - when she became wealthy in her middle age since she was born the daughter of an enlisted man and a secretary - by founding a charity and giving it tens of millions of dollars of her own money to help the environment while providing people with health care and education?
Just to be clear, you are calling this woman a flip flopper/ etch a sketch with no principles, Yes?
Do you also think Paul Ryan is a numeric whiz kid and Mr. Rogers a vulgar man?
getfiscal posted:New York Times
Well what are the effects
Flappo posted:babyhueypnewton posted:chickeon posted:there's always been "smarter" imperialists in the DOD and intelligence opposing various maneuvers going on for strategic reasons and it's never amounted to anything for the victims of empire, I doubt we'll see anything of consequence arise no matter what happens in 2016
Yeah I would say it's closer to the business community and parts of the State Dept turning against the Vietnam War after 1968 than any kind of genuine opposition to imperialism. You have to be an idiot to not see the only winners in Iraq/Libya/Syria/Yemen have been Iran and China who are watching the U.S. flail about and laughing, and I'd say only half of the gov't are idiots. Hillary happens to be one, she probably believes the bullshit about her husband's "humanitarian legacy" in Rwanda and Yugoslavia.
Are you are talking about the woman who pushed healthcare reform for nearly two decades, never giving up, never surrendering?
The woman who ranked consistently among the absolutely most liberal senators during her time in the senate? That Hillary? I mean, our hearts may tell us that Obama is more liberal than Hillary, but their voting record shows that Hillary is to the left of Obama ( http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...nator/?page=all ).
Could it be that you are talking about the Hillary Clinton who worked tirelessly as First Lady of Arkansas, then First Lady of the U.S., then as the senator of New York, to expand access to college and increase tuition assistance? Not simply voting for them, but writing and sponsoring bills on the subject especially vis-a-vi outreach to marginalized populations so that they would know how to apply for financial aid/grants. http://correctrecord.org/hillary-cl...-affordability/
And who as a presidential candidate is giving speeches about how saddling kids with college debt is ridiculous and that college should be debt-free http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5982928 .
Surely you aren't talking about our Secretary of State with all her work on climate change treaties following a solid career as a senator supporting environmental regulation?
The Hillary Clinton who put her money where her mouth is - when she became wealthy in her middle age since she was born the daughter of an enlisted man and a secretary - by founding a charity and giving it tens of millions of dollars of her own money to help the environment while providing people with health care and education?
Just to be clear, you are calling this woman a flip flopper/ etch a sketch with no principles, Yes?
Do you also think Paul Ryan is a numeric whiz kid and Mr. Rogers a vulgar man?
Hello Mr. Besser. I'm rude to you sometimes on web because I think you've gotten lazy but please understand I have the utmost respect for what you did for your artform & the comedy scene in general.