I don't think I've been so excited about a male singer in years.
But he's something beyond excellent and great.
In The Lonely Hour is an amazing album and one I can't stop listening to.
Or couldn't.
A friend sent me Sam's new album.
It's got nine tracks.
It's actually a deluxe edition of the first album.
No, not the one that's called "deluxe" and offers four additional tracks.
This one is two discs -- the original album plus a disc of nine additional track.
It's entitled IN THE LONELY HOUR DROWNING SHADOWS EDITION.
So what do we get with this new disc?
There's a new version of "I'm Not The Only One" featuring a rapper and I don't care for it. I don't hate it. I just don't see the point.
Much better is the reworked "Stay With Me" -- as a duet with Mary J. Blige.
I love "Drowning Shadows."
You also have to hear his cover of Amy Winehouse's "Love Is A Losing Game."
He covers "How Will I Know" and you may have seen that on YouTube. But this is a studio recording of the Whitney Houston classic and not some sing along version.
He and John Legend take "Lay Me Down" to another level and "Latch" is given the acoustic treatment.
It's just amazing.
I love Sam Smith and have been craving a new album.
Until that happens, this is the next best thing.
(Although I'd love it if he'd release a live album while we're waiting for the next studio one.)
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Thursday, November 5, 2015. Chaos and violence continue, rains stop the
battle to retake Ramadi, Ahmed Chalabi continues to be remembered (and
misremembered), and much more.
Starting with US President Barack Obama's Operation Inherent Failure, the US Defense Dept announced today:
Strikes in Iraq
Attack, bomber, fighter, remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 20 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
-- Near Huwayjah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
-- Near Abu Hayat, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb, an ISIL mortar position, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL building, and an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Beiji, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Fallujah, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL bunkers and an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Mosul, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Ramadi, three strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit, and destroyed 18 ISIL fighting positions, four ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL mortar position, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL motorcycle, two ISIL resupply warehouses, and damaged three ISIL buildings.
-- Near Sinjar, eight strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL weapons caches, two ISIL assembly areas, eight ISIL fighting positions, and six ISIL staging areas.
-- Near Sultan Abdullah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
This is month 16 of Barack's 'plan' to 'liberate' Iraq from the Islamic State . . . by bombing Iraq. It has not been a success.
It's been a failure -- an inherent failure.
Since the operation began, there have been few true successes while there have been so many notable failures -- such as the April seizure of Ramadi.
Since May, the Iraqi forces have been fighting to retake Ramadi -- a city in Anbar Province -- and they have repeatedly failed.
As Xinhua reports today, the latest failure is penned on "heavy rains."
There is no success in Barack's 'plan' but the bombs dropped from planes flying overhead are destroying Iraq and terrorizing a people.
Barack's 'plan' faces mounting criticism.
Fox News offers:
British Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly has dropped plans for a parliamentary vote on extending anti-ISIS airstrikes to Syria, in the latest blow to President Obama’s attempts to form a stronger coalition against the Islamic terror group.
Though the U.K. has joined the U.S. in conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq since 2014, multiple U.K. media outlets including The Guardian and The Times of London reported Cameron was hoping to put a vote forward in the House of Commons on joining the U.S. as the Obama administration seeks to regain its foothold amid a surging Russian presence. Those outlets report Cameron has since shelved the move.
Throughout the illegal war, the US government has been able to count on the British government. What a blow to Barack should that prove to be no longer true.
In addition to talk of the 'coalition' possibly shrinking, there are other reactions as well.
Corky Siemaszko (New York Daily News) reports:
President Obama’s strategy for taking on the murderous Islamic State is not getting much traction with voters.
Six in 10 now reject Obama’s handling of the ISIS crisis, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll.
How will Barack continue the illegal war in the face of this majority American opinion?
A better question is: With 60% of Americans seeing the 'plan' as a failure, why is it there are no marches or rallies?
Why have the so-called 'leaders' of yesteryear -- Leslie Cagan in all her hirsute glory, for example -- failed to mount opposition and lead outcries?
Because they're unethical and dishonest.
Meanwhile Barack's bombings do nothing to stop the persecution of the Sunni population in Iraq.
The persecution continues.
And they wonder why the Islamic State (a Sunni extremist group which practices terrorism) took hold in Iraq?
Tuesday brought news that the vile Ahmed Chalabi died. Some idiots have taken to trying to redeem Chalabi by insisting he was taking on corruption.
Really?
The man whose corruption went unrivaled was now going to 'reform' Iraq?
More likely he was just going to use corruption charges (whether they were true or false) to yet again go after his enemies.
His enemies?
Leave it the Whore of Baghdad Jane Arraf to prove just how low anyone can go in a piece for POLITICO.
Jane deliberately did not report on the crimes of Saddam Hussein while he was in power.
She sugar coated reality as whores like her always do to curry favor with a government.
She refused to call out Nouri al-Maliki when he was in power as well.
She's just a whore to whomever is in power.
And today the old whore offers that Chalabi was a "patriot" who wanted an "integrated Iraq."
The lying never stops with Jane Arraf.
Chalabi went after Sunnis.
He didn't want an integrated Iraq.
She's a damn liar.
And with her long history of false 'reporting,' it's really past time she was either expected to get honest or to get out of the business.
Trudy Rubin (Philadelphia Inqurier) notes the life of Chalabi including his return to Iraq in 2003:
Once the Iraq invasion began, U.S. forces airlifted Chalabi into the southern city of Nasiriyah, expecting a crowd of thousands to welcome him. To make sure the numbers turned out, CIA operatives distributed bags of money to tribal leaders, as I was told at the time via satellite phone by sheikhs in the area who had been offered cash to show up.
But Chalabi - who had not stepped foot in Iraq since age 13 - had no support inside his country. The welcoming masses never appeared. Dreams of an Iraqi deGaulle were nothing but a mirage.
Nonetheless, Chalabi set up office in Baghdad's Sporting Club, a onetime retreat for the Iraqi elite; he remained on the Pentagon payroll, to the tune of $340,000 a week, until 2004. He was the driving force behind the country's de-Baathification policy, which deepened Iraq's sectarian divisions.
The editorial board of the Guardian newspaper also notes his return to Iraq and the reaction:
It was only the disillusionment of the Iraqis themselves, like anyone else who had ever trusted him, that put an end to his political career. Still, he died old, and rich, and out of jail, and back after exile in the country he had done so much to help ruin.
The obvious moral is that the wicked do sometimes prosper.
US House Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Tweeted this week on Iraq:
What is she Tweeting about? Yet another attack on the Ashraf community, Iranian dissidents who lived at Camp Ashraf and then were moved to Camp Liberty.
For an overview, we'll offer the remarks Senator Jack Reed made at the October 7th Senate Armed Services Committee hearing:
Senator Jack Reed: This morning, our hearing focuses on Iranian influence in Iraq and the plight of the nearly 2,400 residents at Camp Liberty in Iraq -- members of the Iranian dissident group the Mujahadeen-e-Khalq or MEK. The Iranian dissidents at Camp Liberty are in an increasingly perilous situation having repeatedly come under attack. And these attacks, which have killed more than 100 MEK members since 2009, clearly indicate the threat to this group from Iran and Iranian-backed militias seeking to eliminate and silence these dissidents. The deteriorating security situation in Iraq only highlights the urgent need to find safe refuge for these individuals outside that country. The United States have had a special relationship with the MEK dating back to the height of the Iraq War in the mid 2000s. This stems in part from the MEK's agreement at the US military's request to disarm and move into Camp Ashraf in north eastern Iraq. The US military extended under the Geneva Conventions to the Camp Ashraf residents. However, as the United States drew down its forces consistent with its obligations under the 2008 security agreements signed by President Bush and Prime Minister Maliki, US forces were no longer well positioned to provide for the safety and security of the Camp Ashraf residents. In December of 2011, the government of Iraq signed a memorandum with the United Nations in which the Iraq government committed to ensure the safety and the security of these residents as part of the process of relocating them to Camp Liberty outside Baghdad to facilitate the settlement process. However, the United States, through the State Dept, has had to repeatedly press the government of Iraq to live up to its obligations to provide for the safety and well being of the Camp Liberty residents and Camp Liberty residents remain in fear that the government of Iraq will extradite them to Iran at Tehran's request. The State Dept now is the lead US government agency advocating on behalf of the Camp Liberty residents. And the State Dept is working the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to find resettlement options for these residents outside of Iraq. It is my understanding that as of the beginning of this month, nearly 800 Camp Liberty residents have been processed by the UNHCR and resettled outside of Iraq. Unfortunately, this resettlement process has dragged on for years and much more still needs to be done to find homes for the remaining Camp Liberty residents. I would urge all participants in the resettlement process to cooperate fully to advance the resettlement of these very vulnerable individuals. One issue that I expect will arise this morning is whether the United States should accept more Camp Liberty residents for resettlement. While the MEK was removed from the list of foreign terrorists organizations in 2012, group members continue to be barred from admission to the United States because of their Tier Three status under US anti-terrorism laws. Nonetheless, I understand that the administration has adopted a policy that would allow Camp Liberty residents to be paroled in the United States if they renounce their affiliation with the MEK. Under this policy, some 29 Camp Liberty residents have ultimately resettled in the United States making the United States one of the larger recipient countries for these refugees. I hope the testimony of our witnesses this morning will help shine a light on what more can be done to accelerate the resettlement process so that the residents of Camp Liberty can be brought to safety outside of Iraq once and for all.
Reed is the Ranking Member of the Committee, Senator John McCain is the Chair of the Committee. Yesterday, McCain's office issued the following:
iraq
the philadelphia inquirer
trudy rubin
Starting with US President Barack Obama's Operation Inherent Failure, the US Defense Dept announced today:
Strikes in Iraq
Attack, bomber, fighter, remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 20 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
-- Near Huwayjah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
-- Near Abu Hayat, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb, an ISIL mortar position, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL building, and an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Beiji, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Fallujah, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL bunkers and an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Mosul, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Ramadi, three strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit, and destroyed 18 ISIL fighting positions, four ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL mortar position, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL motorcycle, two ISIL resupply warehouses, and damaged three ISIL buildings.
-- Near Sinjar, eight strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL weapons caches, two ISIL assembly areas, eight ISIL fighting positions, and six ISIL staging areas.
-- Near Sultan Abdullah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
This is month 16 of Barack's 'plan' to 'liberate' Iraq from the Islamic State . . . by bombing Iraq. It has not been a success.
It's been a failure -- an inherent failure.
Since the operation began, there have been few true successes while there have been so many notable failures -- such as the April seizure of Ramadi.
Since May, the Iraqi forces have been fighting to retake Ramadi -- a city in Anbar Province -- and they have repeatedly failed.
As Xinhua reports today, the latest failure is penned on "heavy rains."
There is no success in Barack's 'plan' but the bombs dropped from planes flying overhead are destroying Iraq and terrorizing a people.
Barack's 'plan' faces mounting criticism.
Fox News offers:
British Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly has dropped plans for a parliamentary vote on extending anti-ISIS airstrikes to Syria, in the latest blow to President Obama’s attempts to form a stronger coalition against the Islamic terror group.
Though the U.K. has joined the U.S. in conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq since 2014, multiple U.K. media outlets including The Guardian and The Times of London reported Cameron was hoping to put a vote forward in the House of Commons on joining the U.S. as the Obama administration seeks to regain its foothold amid a surging Russian presence. Those outlets report Cameron has since shelved the move.
Throughout the illegal war, the US government has been able to count on the British government. What a blow to Barack should that prove to be no longer true.
In addition to talk of the 'coalition' possibly shrinking, there are other reactions as well.
Corky Siemaszko (New York Daily News) reports:
President Obama’s strategy for taking on the murderous Islamic State is not getting much traction with voters.
Six in 10 now reject Obama’s handling of the ISIS crisis, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll.
How will Barack continue the illegal war in the face of this majority American opinion?
A better question is: With 60% of Americans seeing the 'plan' as a failure, why is it there are no marches or rallies?
Why have the so-called 'leaders' of yesteryear -- Leslie Cagan in all her hirsute glory, for example -- failed to mount opposition and lead outcries?
Because they're unethical and dishonest.
Meanwhile Barack's bombings do nothing to stop the persecution of the Sunni population in Iraq.
#IRAQ شمرية العراق
The persecution continues.
And they wonder why the Islamic State (a Sunni extremist group which practices terrorism) took hold in Iraq?
Tuesday brought news that the vile Ahmed Chalabi died. Some idiots have taken to trying to redeem Chalabi by insisting he was taking on corruption.
Really?
The man whose corruption went unrivaled was now going to 'reform' Iraq?
More likely he was just going to use corruption charges (whether they were true or false) to yet again go after his enemies.
His enemies?
Leave it the Whore of Baghdad Jane Arraf to prove just how low anyone can go in a piece for POLITICO.
Jane deliberately did not report on the crimes of Saddam Hussein while he was in power.
She sugar coated reality as whores like her always do to curry favor with a government.
She refused to call out Nouri al-Maliki when he was in power as well.
She's just a whore to whomever is in power.
And today the old whore offers that Chalabi was a "patriot" who wanted an "integrated Iraq."
The lying never stops with Jane Arraf.
Chalabi went after Sunnis.
He didn't want an integrated Iraq.
She's a damn liar.
And with her long history of false 'reporting,' it's really past time she was either expected to get honest or to get out of the business.
Trudy Rubin (Philadelphia Inqurier) notes the life of Chalabi including his return to Iraq in 2003:
Once the Iraq invasion began, U.S. forces airlifted Chalabi into the southern city of Nasiriyah, expecting a crowd of thousands to welcome him. To make sure the numbers turned out, CIA operatives distributed bags of money to tribal leaders, as I was told at the time via satellite phone by sheikhs in the area who had been offered cash to show up.
But Chalabi - who had not stepped foot in Iraq since age 13 - had no support inside his country. The welcoming masses never appeared. Dreams of an Iraqi deGaulle were nothing but a mirage.
Nonetheless, Chalabi set up office in Baghdad's Sporting Club, a onetime retreat for the Iraqi elite; he remained on the Pentagon payroll, to the tune of $340,000 a week, until 2004. He was the driving force behind the country's de-Baathification policy, which deepened Iraq's sectarian divisions.
The editorial board of the Guardian newspaper also notes his return to Iraq and the reaction:
It was only the disillusionment of the Iraqis themselves, like anyone else who had ever trusted him, that put an end to his political career. Still, he died old, and rich, and out of jail, and back after exile in the country he had done so much to help ruin.
The obvious moral is that the wicked do sometimes prosper.
US House Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Tweeted this week on Iraq:
Retweeted 187 times
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
I condemn the deadly terror attacks against #CampLiberty + demand #Iraq's govt provide safety 4 its residents.
What is she Tweeting about? Yet another attack on the Ashraf community, Iranian dissidents who lived at Camp Ashraf and then were moved to Camp Liberty.
For an overview, we'll offer the remarks Senator Jack Reed made at the October 7th Senate Armed Services Committee hearing:
Senator Jack Reed: This morning, our hearing focuses on Iranian influence in Iraq and the plight of the nearly 2,400 residents at Camp Liberty in Iraq -- members of the Iranian dissident group the Mujahadeen-e-Khalq or MEK. The Iranian dissidents at Camp Liberty are in an increasingly perilous situation having repeatedly come under attack. And these attacks, which have killed more than 100 MEK members since 2009, clearly indicate the threat to this group from Iran and Iranian-backed militias seeking to eliminate and silence these dissidents. The deteriorating security situation in Iraq only highlights the urgent need to find safe refuge for these individuals outside that country. The United States have had a special relationship with the MEK dating back to the height of the Iraq War in the mid 2000s. This stems in part from the MEK's agreement at the US military's request to disarm and move into Camp Ashraf in north eastern Iraq. The US military extended under the Geneva Conventions to the Camp Ashraf residents. However, as the United States drew down its forces consistent with its obligations under the 2008 security agreements signed by President Bush and Prime Minister Maliki, US forces were no longer well positioned to provide for the safety and security of the Camp Ashraf residents. In December of 2011, the government of Iraq signed a memorandum with the United Nations in which the Iraq government committed to ensure the safety and the security of these residents as part of the process of relocating them to Camp Liberty outside Baghdad to facilitate the settlement process. However, the United States, through the State Dept, has had to repeatedly press the government of Iraq to live up to its obligations to provide for the safety and well being of the Camp Liberty residents and Camp Liberty residents remain in fear that the government of Iraq will extradite them to Iran at Tehran's request. The State Dept now is the lead US government agency advocating on behalf of the Camp Liberty residents. And the State Dept is working the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to find resettlement options for these residents outside of Iraq. It is my understanding that as of the beginning of this month, nearly 800 Camp Liberty residents have been processed by the UNHCR and resettled outside of Iraq. Unfortunately, this resettlement process has dragged on for years and much more still needs to be done to find homes for the remaining Camp Liberty residents. I would urge all participants in the resettlement process to cooperate fully to advance the resettlement of these very vulnerable individuals. One issue that I expect will arise this morning is whether the United States should accept more Camp Liberty residents for resettlement. While the MEK was removed from the list of foreign terrorists organizations in 2012, group members continue to be barred from admission to the United States because of their Tier Three status under US anti-terrorism laws. Nonetheless, I understand that the administration has adopted a policy that would allow Camp Liberty residents to be paroled in the United States if they renounce their affiliation with the MEK. Under this policy, some 29 Camp Liberty residents have ultimately resettled in the United States making the United States one of the larger recipient countries for these refugees. I hope the testimony of our witnesses this morning will help shine a light on what more can be done to accelerate the resettlement process so that the residents of Camp Liberty can be brought to safety outside of Iraq once and for all.
Reed is the Ranking Member of the Committee, Senator John McCain is the Chair of the Committee. Yesterday, McCain's office issued the following:
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ),
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today sent a letter to
Secretary of State John Kerry expressing deep concern about the reported
attack on the Iranian dissidents at Camp Liberty, Iraq on October 29th
that killed more than 20 residents and injured dozens more.
“As Iran’s malign involvement in Iraq grows, the security situation around Camp Liberty is increasingly dire. It is clear that immediate actions must be taken to ensure the safety and security of the residents of Camp Liberty,” writes Senator McCain. “Yet despite the atrocious conditions and continued danger to residents, the United States has remained ineffective, and even reluctant, in responding to our humanitarian obligations to protect the residents and facilitate their swift relocation to a secure location. Again, I urge you to continue to push for the protection of the residents of Camp Liberty and to expedite the refugee resettlement process. We made a commitment to protect these Iranian dissidents and, as we move forward, I look forward to working with you to fulfill this commitment.”
The letter is below and here.
November 4, 2015
The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
U.S. State Department
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry,
I am writing you to register my deep concerns over reports of the October 29 attack on Camp Liberty that killed more than 20 residents and injured dozens more.
The Mukhtar Army, a Shiite militia supported by Iran, has claimed responsibility for the rocket attack on Camp Liberty and threatened more strikes as long as residents remain in Iraq. These threats are especially troubling as Iranian-backed Shia paramilitary groups have grown increasingly active and influential in Iraq, and they must be taken seriously. Moreover, continued attacks on residents and other recent events call into question the Iraqi government’s commitment to uphold its agreement to ensure the safety and well-being of these residents.
As Iran’s malign involvement in Iraq grows, the security situation around Camp Liberty is increasingly dire. It is clear that immediate actions must be taken to ensure the safety and security of the residents of Camp Liberty. With this in mind, please respond to the following questions:
Again, I urge you to continue to push for the protection of the residents of Camp Liberty and to expedite the refugee resettlement process. We made a commitment to protect these Iranian dissidents and, as we move forward, I look forward to working with you to fulfill this commitment.
Sincerely,
John McCain
“As Iran’s malign involvement in Iraq grows, the security situation around Camp Liberty is increasingly dire. It is clear that immediate actions must be taken to ensure the safety and security of the residents of Camp Liberty,” writes Senator McCain. “Yet despite the atrocious conditions and continued danger to residents, the United States has remained ineffective, and even reluctant, in responding to our humanitarian obligations to protect the residents and facilitate their swift relocation to a secure location. Again, I urge you to continue to push for the protection of the residents of Camp Liberty and to expedite the refugee resettlement process. We made a commitment to protect these Iranian dissidents and, as we move forward, I look forward to working with you to fulfill this commitment.”
The letter is below and here.
November 4, 2015
The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
U.S. State Department
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry,
I am writing you to register my deep concerns over reports of the October 29 attack on Camp Liberty that killed more than 20 residents and injured dozens more.
The Mukhtar Army, a Shiite militia supported by Iran, has claimed responsibility for the rocket attack on Camp Liberty and threatened more strikes as long as residents remain in Iraq. These threats are especially troubling as Iranian-backed Shia paramilitary groups have grown increasingly active and influential in Iraq, and they must be taken seriously. Moreover, continued attacks on residents and other recent events call into question the Iraqi government’s commitment to uphold its agreement to ensure the safety and well-being of these residents.
As Iran’s malign involvement in Iraq grows, the security situation around Camp Liberty is increasingly dire. It is clear that immediate actions must be taken to ensure the safety and security of the residents of Camp Liberty. With this in mind, please respond to the following questions:
- What information does the Administration have concerning the attack and the current security situation of Camp Liberty?
- Has the Administration undertaken an investigation to ascertain the full extent of this unprovoked attack and identify those responsible?
- Has the Administration investigated allegations that Iraqi government officials, including National Security Advisor Falah Fayyad who is responsible for oversight of Camp Liberty, were complicit in the attack?
- Is the Administration working with the Government of Iraq to procure protective T-walls, sandbags, bulletproof vests, and other non-lethal protective equipment to protect residents in the case of future rocket attacks?
- What further actions will be taken by the Administration to ensure the future safety of the residents?
- Given Camp Liberty’s proximity to Baghdad International Airport, has the Administration considered the requirements to bring Camp Liberty within the aerial perimeter of U.S. air protection to ensure that the firing of missiles or mortars would not be permitted on the camp?
- Why has the refugee resettlement process not been completed to date, and what is now being done to expedite the resettlement of the men, women, and children of Camp Liberty who continue to be under direct threat?
Again, I urge you to continue to push for the protection of the residents of Camp Liberty and to expedite the refugee resettlement process. We made a commitment to protect these Iranian dissidents and, as we move forward, I look forward to working with you to fulfill this commitment.
Sincerely,
John McCain
###
Related Files
iraq
the philadelphia inquirer
trudy rubin
