Consolidated Syria Conflict Thread

[LongBlade]

Obama administration counter-terrorism officials have trained domestic Homeland Security law enforcement officers to focus on the behavior of people entering the United States, rather than their political, ideological or religious background.

The training directives from top Homeland Security officials raise questions about the effectiveness of the screening process for Syrian refugees.

source: http://dailycaller.com/2015/11/19/obama-officials-trained-to-focus-on-behavior-not-religion-or-ideology/

Oh please! 

It sounds crazy, but statistics show that if you combine this method with a pinky-swear it's highly effective.

[Bison]

I rest my case.

[panzerde]

Now, now...they're going to run them all through TSA checkpoints at the airport. You know those guys will catch any potential terrorists! Right? Right?!

[JasonPratt]

To be fair, behavior screening might throw up indicators which someone could more easily lie about on questions of mere religion or ideology.

For example, "Do you think it's a good idea to invade Russia in the winter?"

[Gusington]

CNN has a story running today on how more Mexicans are leaving the US than are coming in.

[LongBlade]

CNN has a story running today on how more Mexicans are leaving the US than are coming in.

Yeah, Fox has been reporting that most immigrants these days are from Central America.

Well, and maybe Syria.

[Bison]

I'm not sure how anyone can justify not giving 2 cents about who and where people are coming into the country from.  Just illness and disease should be enough to warrant at least some precautions not to mention drugs, human trafficking, and JV terrorism.

[Gusington]

Get your sound logic away from their inane argument.

[bbmike]

This just rolled across my email this morning. It's a defense of allowing refugees into the country - from a highly unlikely source.

I haven't vetted the numbers for accuracy yet but if they're true it's a thought worth considering.
Defenseone.com continues, that there are two reasons this isn't as big a problem as you may think ...

" ... The first is that there is a key difference between people seeking placement in the U.S. as refugees and the millions of people who have flooded into Europe seeking asylum. The Syrians in Europe in many cases are already at or over the border, having come directly from Syria in to Turkey and then Greece and elsewhere; that situation is more akin to the thousands of Cubans who have fled by boat to South Florida or the migrant workers from Central America who gathered at the U.S.-Mexico border last summer. A refugee applying for resettlement in the U.S., by contrast, must endure a screening process that takes as long as two years before stepping foot on American soil."

Wait, I don't get it. How can we allow 10,000 to enter the US over the next year if the bold part is correct? I know it says 'as long as' but I still don't see it.

[LongBlade]

This just rolled across my email this morning. It's a defense of allowing refugees into the country - from a highly unlikely source.

I haven't vetted the numbers for accuracy yet but if they're true it's a thought worth considering.
Defenseone.com continues, that there are two reasons this isn't as big a problem as you may think ...

" ... The first is that there is a key difference between people seeking placement in the U.S. as refugees and the millions of people who have flooded into Europe seeking asylum. The Syrians in Europe in many cases are already at or over the border, having come directly from Syria in to Turkey and then Greece and elsewhere; that situation is more akin to the thousands of Cubans who have fled by boat to South Florida or the migrant workers from Central America who gathered at the U.S.-Mexico border last summer. A refugee applying for resettlement in the U.S., by contrast, must endure a screening process that takes as long as two years before stepping foot on American soil."

Wait, I don't get it. How can we allow 10,000 to enter the US over the next year if the bold part is correct? I know it says 'as long as' but I still don't see it.

Good point.

No idea.

Defenders seem to indicate all these checks will take place, so "let them in" may be a misnomer. "Start the process" may be a better way to say it.

[LongBlade]

These inconvenient truths keep popping up...

Fox News is told by a source close to the CENTCOM analysts that the pressure on them included at least two emails saying they needed to "cut it out" and "toe the line."

Separately, a former Pentagon official told Fox News there apparently was an attempt to destroy the communications. The Pentagon official said the email warnings were "not well received" by the analysts.

Those emails, among others, are now in the possession of the Pentagon inspector general. The IG's probe is expanding into whether intelligence assessments were changed to give a more positive picture of the anti-ISIS campaign.

source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/11/23/emails-show-dod-analysts-told-to-cut-it-out-on-isis-warnings-ig-probe-expands.html?intcmp=hpbt1

[undercovergeek]

Turkey shoots down Russian plane

[Atilla60]

Turkey shoots down Russian plane

Yup, as if it wasn't messy enough down there already
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/621613/Turkey-shoots-jet-airspace

I guess it was bound to happen, but what the heck was a Russian jet doing in Turkish airspace?

That is assuming the Turkish claim is right.

[Airborne Rifles]

This could get ugly real fast...

[undercovergeek]

russia says not in air space and shot down from the ground

Turkey says in air space shot down by air force  :-\