Video Surfaces Threatening Terrorist “Surprise Package” for the Winter Olympics in Sochi … Are the Olympics Safe from Terrorism?

A new video was posted Sunday on a Chechen terrorist extremist web site threatening terror attacks for the upcoming Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia. The video threatens jihad and that, “We’ll have a surprise package for you,” one of the men said in the militants’ video. “And those tourists that will come to you, for them, too, we have a surprise.” This comes on the foot-heals of two terrorist bombings in the Russian city of Volgograd. One was a suicide bombing at a train station killing 14, and the other aboard a trolley bus.

Citing a new “surprise package” for Russia and Olympic spectators, Islamist militants in the North Caucasus Sunday launched a new threat to the Sochi Olympics with a purported “martyrdom” video by two suicide bombers who attacked a transit hub 400 miles away.

The video posted on a Chechen extremist site considered a credible platform for militant statements featured two unidentified men before the black flag of jihad and cradling AKMS rifles.

The duo — dressed in street clothes and without the usual trappings of jihadis — casually explained that Russians and those attending the Winter Games next month will not be safe as long as forces sent by President Vladimir Putin occupy the North Caucasus region near Sochi, Russia.

“We’ll have a surprise package for you,” one of the men said in the militants’ video. “And those tourists that will come to you, for them, too, we have a surprise. If it happens [the Olympics], we’ll have a surprise for you. This is for all the Muslim blood that is shed every day around the world, be it in Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, all around the world. This will be our revenge.”

VIDEO – CNN

The American Thinker asks, Can the Russians pull off a terror-free Olympics? My personal opinion is I sure hope so; however, I have to agree with TAT, I don’t trust the Russians to be competent enough either. Also, these Muslim, Islamist, Chechen extremists are highly motivated and off the chain insane when it comes to martyrdom in the name of Allah.

I don’t trust the Russians to be competent enough to prevent attacks and protect the Olympics. To me, it’s not a question of “if” but “when” an attack will happen. People are willing to die to make Putin look bad. That does not bode well for the safety of tourists or athletes at the games.

The U.S. State Department today urged Americans traveling to the Winter Olympics in Sochi in southern Russia to be “vigilant and exercise good judgment” during the Games because of the continuing terrorist threat to the region.

The Russian government is devoting considerable resources to ensure the Sochi Olympics are safe and incident-free.  Large-scale public events such as the Olympics present an attractive target for terrorists, as did the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996.  Travelers should expect increased police presence and enhanced security measures in and around the Olympic venues.

Acts of terrorism, including bombings and hostage takings, continue to occur in Russia, particularly in the North Caucasus region.  Additionally, between October 15 – December 30, 2013 there were three suicide bombings targeting public transportation in the city of Volgograd, two of which occurred within the same 24-hour period. Other bombings have occurred at Russian government buildings, airports, hotels, tourist sites, markets, entertainment venues, schools, and residential complexes.  There have also been large-scale attacks on public transportation including subways, buses, trains, and scheduled commercial flights.

UPDATE I: Putin pledges stepped up security.

Putin has pledged that visitors to Sochi for the Winter Olympics will be kept safe.

“We will try to make certain that the security measures are not intrusive or too conspicuous, so they are not too noticeable for the athletes, the Olympics’ guests or journalists,” Putin said, according to the interview transcript.

“But at the same time, we will do our utmost to ensure that they are effective.

UPDATE II: Just curious, how in the hell did Sochi actually get awarded the 2014 Winter Olympics when it was in such a terror rich environment? How does the Olympic comity even contemplate a place like this in a hot bed of terrorism as the location for an Olympics?  Sochi is due west of Grozny, Chechnya, and is about a 13 hour drive. Also, the Boston Marathon bombers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the ethnic Chechen brothers lived in Dagestan, which neighbors the Chechnya region in southern Russia. What’s there next pick, Iran, Palestine, how about Syria?

Freelance journalist Ilya Mouzykantskii (@ilyamuz) has put together a map of all terrorist attacks near Sochi since Russia was awarded the Olympic games

Former NFL Defensive Back Darren Sharper Faces Two Rape Charges in Los Angeles, CA … NFL Network Suspends Sharper

38 year old former NFL defensive back Darren Sharper was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of rape in Los Angeles, California. According to LAPD’s ‘s sexual assault section of its robbery-homicide unit, Sharper has been “linked to two sexual assaults in West Los Angeles” that allegedly happened in October 2013 and this month. Sharper was freed from jail after posting a $200,000 bond. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department web site shows that Sharper was arrested and booked Friday on a felony charge.  He faces a February 14 court appearance. Darren Sharper is  also being investigated for a sexual assault that allegedly happened in New Orleans on September 24, 2013.

Darren Sharper – Facebook

Sharper, 38, was arrested Friday afternoon by the Los Angeles Police Department’s sexual assault section of its robbery-homicide unit, according to LAPD spokeswoman Sally Madera.

The Miami Beach, Florida, resident has been “linked to two sexual assaults in west Los Angeles” that allegedly happened in October 2013 and this month, an LAPD news release said.

Madera said the charges concern California Penal Code 261(A)(30). The code section involves a rape “where a person is prevented from resisting by any intoxicating or anesthetic substance, or any controlled substance, and this condition was known, or reasonably should have been known by the accused.”

The NFL network  has suspended analyst Darren Sharper without pay in the wake of the arrest.

“Darren has been suspended without pay until further notice, effective immediately,” said Alex Riethmiller, a spokesman for NFL Network.

Other troubles for for Sharper in New Orleans, NOPD confirms local sex assault probe.

In New Orleans, police said they received a report of sexual assault on Sept. 24, and the case remains open. Sharper, 38, who lives in Miami, has not been arrested or charged in that probe.

“As with every case alleging sexual assault, information gathered is extremely sensitive, and the top priority of the detectives is to protect the person who filed the complaint,” NOPD spokeswoman Remi Braden said in a written statement. “Because this is an ongoing criminal investigation, we cannot provide additional information at this time.”

NOPD referred the case to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office for review. “That case is presently under investigation by our office, and pursuant to office policy, we don’t comment on open investigations,” said Assistant District Attorney Christopher Bowman, the office spokesman.

A-ROD Suspended for 2014 Season: Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz Reduces Ban From 211 to 162 Games … Alex Rodriguez Plans to Sue in Federal Court

A-ROD STRIKES OUT … SUSPENDED FOR 2014 BASEBALL SEASON.

Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz has handed down his decision and it bans the New York Yankee’s Alex Rodriguez for the entire 2014 MLB season. Horowitz’ ruling actually reduced A-Rod’s suspension from 211 games to 162; however, it is still the longest penalty ever for a drug violation. The 162 game ban plus any post-season games in 2014 of the 14-time All-Star and three-time Most Valuable Player is a 100% endorsement of Major League Baseball’s accusations that Rodriguez scored an array of PEDs from Biogenesis.

Alex Rodriguez get hit by pitch by Ryan Dempster of Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park as the crowd boos A-ROD and then cheers after he is hit … A-ROD’s  a CHEATER!!!

Alex Rodriguez has been suspended for the entire 2014 season by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz, who handed down a 162-game ban to the New York Yankees third baseman for his involvement in Major League Baseball’s Biogenesis scandal.

The suspension also includes all potential playoff games in 2014.

Horowitz’s ruling upholds a good portion of the original 211-game suspension levied by MLB, which banned Rodriguez in August after concluding its investigation. Rodriguez continued playing after appealing the decision.

A-Rod vowing to take the fight to federal court.

Statement from Alex Rodriguez:

“The number of games sadly comes as no surprise, as the deck has been stacked against me from day one. This is one man’s decision, that was not put before a fair and impartial jury, does not involve me having failed a single drug test, is at odds with the facts and is inconsistent with the terms of the Joint Drug Agreement and the Basic Agreement, and relies on testimony and documents that would never have been allowed in any court in the United States because they are false and wholly unreliable.

“This injustice is MLB’s first step toward abolishing guaranteed contracts in the 2016 bargaining round, instituting lifetime bans for single violations of drug policy, and further insulating its corrupt investigative program from any variety of defense by accused players, or any variety of objective review. I have been clear that I did not use performance enhancing substances as alleged in the notice of discipline, or violate the Basic Agreement or the Joint Drug Agreement in any manner, and in order to prove it, I will take this fight to federal court. I am confident that when a Federal Judge reviews the entirety of the record, the hearsay testimony of a criminal whose own records demonstrate that he dealt drugs to minors, and the lack of credible evidence put forth by MLB, that the judge will find that the panel blatantly disregarded the law and facts, and will overturn the suspension. (more)

UPDATE I: MLB statement on A-Rod arbitration ruling.

“For more than five decades, the arbitration process under the Basic Agreement has been a fair and effective mechanism for resolving disputes and protecting player rights. While we believe the original 211-game suspension was appropriate, we respect the decision rendered by the panel and will focus on our continuing efforts on eliminating performance-enhancing substances from our game.”

Dennis Rodman Defended His Basketball Diplomacy Visit to North Korea with Former NBA Players, Saying it was a “Great Idea for the World.”

Is this a sign of the Apocalypse … Dennis Rodman defends his visit to North Korea with other former “useful idiots” NBA players as a part of his “basketball” diplomacy saying it is a “Great Idea for the World.”

So Dennis Rodman is the loose canon and the voice of America in North Korea. Isn’t that special. Rodman claimed his visit and this game was a great idea for the world. Hey Dennis, don’t tell the dead uncle of Kim Jong Un that it was a great idea. We would have liked to have reached him for a comment, but it turns out he has been executed. After seeing Rodman loses his cool with Chris Cuomo, and the unintellectual rant he goes on, I think it is no wonder to anyone why the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, is his friend and he loves his friend.

Watch Rodman go mental … then again, how is that any different than the last 25 years?

CNN:

The trip takes place just weeks after North Korea shocked the world by announcing the purge and execution of Kim’s once-powerful uncle. There are also concerns for the welfare of U.S. citizen Kenneth Bae, who’s been detained there for more than a year.

The other former NBA players are due to take part in a controversial basketball game on the birthday of Kim Jong Un, the country’s young, unpredictable leader. The friendly contest with North Korea’s team is planned for Wednesday, when Kim is believed to turn 31.

Apparently referring to Kim, Rodman said, “I love my friend. This is my friend.”

Asked if he would take the opportunity to ask North Korean leaders about Bae, Rodman suggested the Korean-American had done something wrong but did not say what that was.

Just how ignorant are the former NBS basketball players who accompanied Rodman to North Korea, maybe the following statement will give you an idea. Really? Do you keep up with current events there buddy? Let alone, who thinks that it is ever a good idea to do anything that Dennis Rodman would come up with?

Smith said they had no idea that the negative press “would extend this far.”

“We’re apologetic we did not know that it was going to take this type of negative spin on what we were doing because we’re not politicians, we’re not ambassadors,” Smith said.

Alabama Crimson Tide Mom (Michelle Pritchett) Goes all Red Neck on Oklahoma Sooner Fan at Sugar Bowl (VIDEO) (Update: Mom Flips OU Fans the Double Bird)

WOW, can I just be the first to remind everyone … its just a game and you are not playing it.

Michelle Pritchett, the Bama, ‘Roll Tide’ mom that is seen in the video below going after some OU Sooner fans and going all redneck at Thursday night’s Sugar Bowl said that she did so because the Oklahoma fans were taunting her and then crossed the line and taunted her 16 year old son. Hmm, that may be true or not, but the manner in how this was handled could not have been more wrong. She is actually lucky she did not harm anyone or get injured herself. Pritchett regrets that the situation got out of hand but says that if she had to do it again.

In the video, you can see Pritchett jump onto a group of Oklahoma fans and then begin kicking them while fans at the game tried to pull her away.

Pritchett said a phone interview with Yellow Hammer that she regrets how things escalated and wanted to apologize to “Bama Nation.” She goes on to say that if she had to do it again, she would.

She also said that she wasn’t intoxicated. Pritchett admits to having a couple of drinks, but claims she was not drunk at the time of the incident.

You’ve heard of the Lambeau leap, Looks like we have the “redneck” leap now

The insanity really begins at the 33 second mark

This incident brings to mind two things. One, what a double standard; and Two, what ever happened to individuals acting with any civility at sporting events anymore. No wonder parents no longer want to bring their children to games anymore.

First, who thinks that if a man, a dad, did the same thing that he would not have been arrested on assault charges? Two, what the hell are people thinking these days? And I am talking on both sides. The OU fans for obviously crossing a line and taunting another individuals and the mom for not being mature enough to just act like an adult. The fine art of trash talking does not include cursing, vulgar comments, threats or abusive language or gestures. Sadly, a clueless and ignorant society has forgot that.

Before anyone wants to jump to the defense of this was a mamma bear protecting her cub they might want to take a look to the video below where Alabama mom is giving the double bird to the OU Sooner fans that were giving her a hard time. Yup, real mature.

ALABAMA MOM GIVES THE DOUBLE MIDDLE FINGER TO OU FANS