Based on “intercepts”, contents are not made public of course, the Obama State Department gang that can’t shoot straight, announced the closure of 22 Embassies and consulates in the Middle East.
King Hussein shaking hands with me at an official function
It was apparently a ‘monster’ threat. The detail was specific enough that officials could say that, but not detailed enough that they could say what country, or for sure what part of the world!
Anyone else see something wrong with this picture. I suppose most Americans will say something like: “well better safe that sorry…” Yet, anyone who knows the Middle East will quickly realize the propaganda coup we have handed the Al Qaeda franchises all over the world, and the embarrassment we should feel in relations with our allies. Al Qaeda speaks and we panic.
“Easy for you to say”, the critics will say, “You are not in one of those embassies”.
Well I once was, so I will write a little story about this and how America has changed…… and not for the better. It is a public humiliation for the US. I very well know how most Arabs and our islamist enemies will view this.
The following is the gist of an email I wrote to my fellow West Point classmates on this debacle.
It seems the reaction to our cowardly exit from the Middle East is muted at best. I should not be surprised I suppose, given the mainstream media love affair with Obama. I wonder if people realize how far we as a nation have declined as a bastion of human aspirations and power to oppose the evil in the world. More importantly, I wonder how many people really care. On the basis of some intercepts we run away from 22 embassies and consulates? The jokes about Italian or Egyptian martial abilities will be replaced by jokes about Americans.Folks, I was in an embassy in Jordan in 1970 that was surrounded by Palestinian gunmen for two weeks, We were mortared, the embassy building was pockmarked by bullets, and every window was shot out my predecessor, the assistant military attache had been murdered in front of his family by Palestinian terrorists, two embassy personnel were abducted. two American women raped.. Our previous ambassador had been declared persona non grata by King Hussein and our new ambassador, L. Dean Brown arrived at the embassy in an armored vehicle.. there was no thought of securing safe passage. We were issued M-1 carbines and I don’t remember anyone even discussing closing the embassy. We were guarded by a handful of marines and a squad of loyal Jordanian beduin soldiers. We had plentiful food but not enough water as the tank holding our water supply on the roof was shot to pieces. The marines went out on foraging expeditions at night to procure water from the deserted homes surrounding the embassy. We were never sure we would not be stormed by gunmen.For weeks prior to the outbreak of the all-out conflict between the Jordanian army and the Palestinian organizations we were constantly stopped at checkpoints by various Palestinian groups, FATAH, PFLP, PDFLP. The two latter organizations were pure terror organizations and being stopped by them could mean held hostage or worse. BUT FOLKS…… WE STAYED AND THE EMBASSY WAS NEVER CLOSED .
Retired artillery colonel, many years in a number of positions in the Arab world. Graduate of the US Military Academy and the American University of Beirut.
MA in Arab studies from the American University in Beirut along with 18 years as Middle East Seminar Director at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Served in Vietnam with 1st Inf Division, Assignments in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, plus service with Trucial Oman Scouts in the Persian Gulf. Traveled to every Arab country on the map including Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
King Hussein shaking hands with me at an official function