COUNTERING TERRORIST BOMBS: Jim Dunnigan analyzes the strategy and tactics of portable barriers and “high-speed sandbags.”

JOHN KERRY ADMITS OBAMA’S SYRIAN RED LINE COST US: No kidding?

The president had blinked at making good on his own threat. Around the globe, US allies and enemies were on notice that America might not live up to its word.

Obama leaves a legacy of reckless fecklessness.

EVOLUTION UPDATE: Caesarean births “affecting human evolution.”

More mothers now need surgery to deliver a baby due to their narrow pelvis size, according to a study.

Researchers estimate cases where the baby cannot fit down the birth canal have increased from 30 in 1,000 in the 1960s to 36 in 1,000 births today.

COMEY’S FBI SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE HARD LEFT’S VIOLENT TANTRUMS: My latest NY Observer essay. (Bumped.)

COMMUNISM AND SOCIALISM UPDATE: North Korea bans train travel until February 2017.

North Korea’s response to the infrastructure issues, including a power shortage, has been to blame other countries.

Kim Jong Un knows the model. Back here in America, Hillary Clinton. Robby Mook and Jen Palmieri blame everybody else for Hillary’s loss.

JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT PEARL HARBOR: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will come to Hawaii in late December.

Abe said he was making the visit to Hawaii “to pay tribute” to military personnel from both sides of the Pacific who died in the war.

“We must never repeat the tragedy of the war,” he told reporters. “I would like to send this commitment. At the same time, I would like to send a message of reconciliation between Japan and the U.S.”

MOBSTERS RUN FAKE EMBASSY IN GHANA: You could make this stuff up but you don’t have to. The criminals were issuing (selling) fakes documents, except according to this Ghana source the “fake” U.S. visas were real visas.

The Connection Man in Ghana:

Due to the frustrating experience in acquiring a visa to travel, especially to Europe and the US, the phenomena of connection men has sprung up. While anyone familiar with visa issuance processes would disbelieve the effectiveness of these connection men to whom prospective travellers pay huge sums of money for visas, these incidents of the fake US Embassy and the example of the European country’s embassy in Ghana emphatically confirm that insiders work with these connection men to issue visas…

This fake US Embassy that operated for 10 years, which category of travellers was it serving? Could they have issued visas to human traffickers? Because $6000 is a colossal amount that very few ordinary travellers can afford. It would therefore, not be out of place to assume that most of the clients of this criminal gang were human traffickers.

The mobster embassy flew a U.S. flag and had a photo portrait of President Barack Obama.

Find the Reuters report of December 4 here.

PRESIDENT ASH CARTER SAYS U.S. AND ALLIES NEED TO REMAIN IN IRAQ AFTER ISIS DEFEAT: Semi-retired president Barack Obama was unavailable for comment. (Carter’s video interview with Bret Baier is worth the look.)

THE HARD LEFT’S VIOLENT REACTION TO TRUMP’S ELECTION IS VILE AND DANGEROUS: My latest NY Observer essay in “The War On Honesty” series. You might check an older one out as well. Written in the wee hours of Wednesday, November 9, it discusses why Trump’s thumping the mainstream media is a strategic victory for America. (Bumped.)

STOLEN AMBULANCE CHASE IN CENTRAL TEXAS: Ambulance chasing of a different order and degree. Read it to believe it. This weird thief purloined the ambulance from a hospital in downtown Austin, TX then drove it north toward Killeen, TX. The dude was finally apprehended near Killeen. (Killeen is where Fort Hood is located.)

SNOW UPDATE: Hawaii.

THE HARD LEFT’S VIOLENT REACTION TO TRUMP’S ELECTION IS VILE AND DANGEROUS: My latest NY Observer essay in “The War On Honesty” series. You might check an older one out as well. Written in the wee hours of Wednesday, November 9, it discusses why Trump’s thumping the mainstream media is a strategic victory for America.

BERGDAHL SEEKS PARDON TO AVOID TRIAL FOR DESERTION: No. Obama’d better not grant one. The court martial is scheduled for April. Bowe Bergdahl is also charged with misbehavior before the enemy.

JILL GLAM, HILLARY SCAM: They’re both ridiculous Tramtrumettes, but hey — it’s 2016!

I’M WITH SHAQ: Shaquille O’Neal says Donald Trump won “fair and square,” so forget calls for a recount and get over it.

POST-ELECTION VANDALISM, INTIMIDATION, PROTESTS AND RECOUNT: Seems a competent FBI would ask if there are connections…

MORE GREAT MAD DOG QUOTES: General Mattis has a way with words.

COMEY’S FBI NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE VIOLENT DEMOCRATIC TANTRUMS

EUROPOL VERSUS CYBER CRIME SYNDICATE: Report via VOA.

Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, said Thursday it has arrested five people in an online criminal enterprise and seized 39 computer servers following a four-year-long international investigation.

Police agencies spanning the globe and representing 30 countries participated in the effort, which closed down a criminal group that has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage through online cyberattacks, according to a written statement released by Europol.

The cops employed a technique called sinkholing.

Sinkholing refers to a technique used by police that redirects internet traffic coming from criminals to servers controlled by law enforcement. When fully implemented, the tactic stops criminals from gaining access to infected computers of their victims.

Congrats to Europol.

RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT MAY USE IRANIAN AIRBASE TO ATTACK SYRIA: The base would be used to launch airstrikes. The article notes that Russia used the base in August.

Russia is considering using Iran’s Hamadan airbase to launch airstrikes on insurgents in Syria if its aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, leaves Syria’s coastline on the Mediterranean for a new mission, Russian and Iranian officials said.

“The necessity to use the airfield of the airbase in Hamadan could emerge if Admiral Kuznetsov carries out another operation and [Russia] will not be able to use it for airstrikes against terrorists in Syria,” Viktor Ozerov on Saturday told RIA Novosti,, Russia’s state-operated international news agency.

Use of the base is a touchy subject for Iranians.

Iran allowed Russia to operate from the base in mid-August. The jets returned to Russia after completing their anti-terror mission one week later.

Iran became uneasy about the situation because the Iranian constitution prohibits the presence of any foreign forces on Iranian soil.

The New York Times reported Iran thought Russia was too public about the privilege.

“I’d like to emphasize that Iran never gave to Russia full control over the Noje base in Hamadan. This airbase belongs to Iran and all activities at the base are controlled by Tehran,” Sheikholeslam said.

FEWER FIGHTER PILOT FLIGHT HOURS: See Stephen Green’s post about the USAF fighter squadron shortage and his comment about decreasing flight hours (2:12 pm). Then read Jim Dunnigan’s discussion of this issue, which was published this morning on StrategyPage. His post includes a discussion about flight hours in World War 2.

SNATCH AND GRAB: Man steals $1.6 million in gold from armored truck. More here.

PRAISE BE, MISS NANCY RETAINED!: Pelosi, the perfect Democrat leader.

House Democrats elected Nancy Pelosi to another term as minority leader on Wednesday, rejecting a challenge from Rep. Tim Ryan, of Ohio, who called for a leadership shakeup after the party’s poor election performance.

Pelosi won with a little more than two-thirds of the vote, 134-63, a few weeks after she predicted that about two-thirds of the caucus would back her.

The early morning vote occurred in a House office building committee chamber. It was closed to the public and the media. Lawmakers made their choice via secret ballot. Pelosi’s victory came after a group of Democrats stood up and praised her as a strong leader who has kept the caucus united and who is “battle-tested, “seasoned,” and “tough.

Yes, she’s seasoned.

USMC WARGAMES IN NORWAY: The tone of this CNN report is a bit breathless but the article is worth the read. During the Cold War the Marines had equipment stored in Norway. The USMC, Royal Marines and a Canadian brigade were supposed to reinforce Norway if Russia attacked. At least at one time that was the plan. After Putin annexed Crimea the US and Norway agreed to pre-position more equipment in Norway.

Here’s some background (from 2015) on Russia provocations in the Nordic region.

UPDATE: Ought to link to my latest Creators Syndicate column which reviews Russia’s cyclic war in Ukraine. It’s definitely related to the USMC’s Norwegian exercise.

SO TOM PRICE WILL HEAD HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: Dr. Price is a great choice. Here’s a link to his website and info on his Empowering Patients First Act. He first introduced the legislation in 2009. Now, remember, the mainstream media and the Democrats (but I repeat myself) said the Republicans never offered any healthcare/medical insurance alternatives. What a complete and total lie. Here is Price on television in 2013. Like I said earlier this month, ObamaCare’s chickens have come home to roost. (The Observer essay contains a list of Republican alternative proposals.)