ISIS' New Christian Threat





Brett Felton (right) wearing his ACU fatigues and carrying a
Hungarian AK-47 in front.

According to CBSnews, ISIS faces a new, more dangerous foe. This foe is one of true motive. His name is Brett Felton and he is an American veteran and a Christian. Felton may have gone back to Iraq on his own, but he is not alone in his fight. He went to train other Christians how to fight the terrorist organization. Felton is not afraid to admit that he is not fighting for any country, but for Christians. His exact quote, when interviewed, was, "I'm not here serving my country -- I'm here serving Christians." Felton actually wanted to return to Iraq as soon as he was discharged from the 10th Mountain Division, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment. When Felton began training the Christian militias in Iraq, he realized that "They're under-funded. They don't have good weapons. They're completely outgunned by the Islamic State." The correspondent for CBSnews' 60minutes, Lara Logan, stated the previous quote, but it was the entire reason as to Felton's return to Iraq. In the interview, Felton stated, "People say, 'You're crazy for doin' this.' I think people are crazy for not doing their part, to be honest with you." He added, "To me, for the Christians here, it would be an honor to give my life helping these people." Felton's reason for fighting is not unfounded either, as Christians have been greatly persecuted in that region of the world. Approximately 220 Christians have been abducted by members of ISIS. This number is as of February 26, 2015. While it is impossible to know for sure the exact number of Christians that have been attacked and/or abducted by the terrorist organization, it is suspected to be relatively accurate. Along with such abductions, members of ISIS have enslaved Christian women and destroyed Christian churches. I can only pray for the protection of the Christians over in the Middle East and for people such as Brett Felton. Hopefully Felton has the ability to save many of the Christians that are constantly persecuted by ISIS.

The Necessity of Private Armies

According to BBC, private military companies are becoming increasingly more present in locations of United Nations, or UN, occupation. There is date, though it may be incomplete, that suggests payment to such private militaries increased approximately 77 percent in 2010 from 2009. In 2009, around 44 million dollars was spent on contractors, but in 2010, approximately 76 million dollars was spent, according to one report. While the Global Policy Forum calls the use of the contractors "dangerous" and states that they are "unaccountable", a UN spokesman claims that the private contractors are "appropriate". Many fear contractors smuggling and selling arms in conflict zone. This argument does have some validity, as it has happened in Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and Somalia. However, to combat this statement, I shall ask a question; what about all the contractors, such as Travis Haley, that fought and continue to fight in the same manner as standard soldiers? The UN is not the only organization that recognizes the necessity for contractors. The Nigerian Army has hired contractors to aid in the fighting against Boko Haram. A non-commissioned officer even stated that South African and foreign contractors were the ones doing most of the fighting. While the Nigerian military and government admit to allowing contractors to fight alongside the Army, officials swear that the foreigners are only training. Why the officials would be worried about covering their own behinds by saying that the contractors are only training is beyond me. Contractors have done great work in all regions of the world, even if there have been a few bad apples. But as the old saying goes, "you cannot let a few bad apples spoil the whole batch." Only the bad actions of contractors are brought to the attention of the media, while the great actions of valor committed by contractors acted out by, once again, Travis Haley and his teammates at the battle of Najaf, Iraq. Contractors are not all bad and will continue to fight in the world. When state armies can no longer fight, contractors will be there to take their place.

Travis Haley speaks about the events at Najaf, Iraq.

Part 1 and part 2 of entire firefight.

Strong language and violence. Viewer discretion advised.

Chicago Needs to Get Their Head Out of the Clouds

According to Al Jazeera, the "wonderful" city of Chicago is getting prepared for another summer and year of violent crime and murder. On May 23 of this year, within just two hours, three shootings occurred, resulting in numerous dead and greatly injured. In just a weekend's time, 12 lay dead and 40 were wounded. This violence occurred just after Mayor Rahm Emanuel's inauguration. Mayor Emanuel has stated his intentions to attempt to end the violence in the city. One concept that many have stated in the past is programs that are alternatives to incarceration. However, there is also very controversial talk of passing a law stating that shootings would be marked as domestic terrorism. One mother had her son shot down after a party in Chicago's South Side. She states that she was told that approximately 200 people most likely witnessed her son's murder, yet not a single one has come forth with information to the police, due to Chicago's "no snitch" policy. Of course, as Chicago's weather heats up, so does the violence. It has actually been proven that there are much greater amounts of crime during the warmer seasons, especially the summer. However, if Chicago, along with other politically "Blue" cities in the country, pulled their heads out of their little gun control fairy tale land, they would realize that the problem is not firearms. Every time violence hits Chicago, they introduce more gun control, which results in criminals having more freedom and more innocent people dying because, let us face it, criminals are criminals because they do not follow laws, so they are not going to follow any new firearm laws. Cities need to realize that banning firearms will not end violence. England's crime rate is through the roof, and they ban all firearms. Clearly banning firearms causes a greater increase in crime. Hopefully, America's cities will take a hint from England's failures and allow firearms in their walls soon.

Iraqveteran8888: Eric and Barry explain why cities

should not determine the laws for everyone else in

the state, as well as the fact that cities cause a great

problem for many individuals.

Originally Called the "Devil's Music." Now the Most Popular Genre.

According to Vice, there was a surprising discovery in the world of music; heavy metal is the most popular genre that people are listening to. Of course, this may come as a surprise to some, as pop music and hip hop seem to be played on the radio constantly. However, according to Spotify, pop music comes in second place, while hip hop places sixth in the ranking. Even Electronic Dance Music, or EDM, placed far lower than all three, and that replaced my local "Hot Topic's" metal playlist. Also, no one could even place the argument that pop and metal are close, as pop was in second place, because metal had approximately 1 million loyal fans, while pop only had 760,000 loyal fans. That is a 240,000 fan difference! Also, this fan base may possibly have been passed from generation to generation. While pop and hip hop band create brand new fans, metal bands' music can be played from parents to children, resulting in a generational fan base. I know that my parents used to play "Led Zeppelin" when I was a baby to make me fall asleep. Perhaps that is why I am such a diehard rock and metalhead. "Led Zeppelin" started it all for me. Actually, my father owned a great deal of rock and metal tapes and CDs that were passed on to me. Some of which include "Iron Maiden" and "Metallica." These bands are just two of the ones most listened to on Spotify. Also, metal is not just an American thing. The great genre of heavy metal is enjoyed in Portugal, Norway, England, and even Egypt. While Egypt's metal scene remains underground, there is still a metal scene for people to enjoy. Egypt may be a land torn apart by war, but the shredding guitar solos and deep, throaty vocals continue to bring the people together. Metal is not just a genre of music that people enjoy "head-banging" to; it is a genre that has the ability to patch relationships and bring people together through hard times. All types of rock and metal are the only kinds of music I even listen to. Metal and rock-and-roll are the only genres that are even worth listening to. Many of my friends feel the same way. As the rock band "Hinder" sings, "Like what you like; it don't matter to me", but for this metalhead, rock and metal is the only way.

Godsmack - I Stand Alone

Disturbed - Another Way to Die

The AK Rifle: Now A Good Guys Gun?

The AK-107. The sanctions on Russian firearms must end
so this beautiful rifle can find its way into the United States.

According to ViceNews, due to the recent sanctions on Russian manufactured products, such as Kalashnikov firearms, the company has created plans to change the way the Avtomat Kalashnikov 47 (AK-47) is viewed. While the original design for the AK-47 was created in the year 1947 by a Russian peasant inventor named Mikhail Kalashnikov, the AK-47 has seen thousands of variants from dozens of countries. The image of the AK-47 can even be seen on various flags. The original AK-47 had seen combat in the Vietnam War and still finds its way to war-torn lands, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. However, a truly original milled receiver AK-47 from Russia is quite rare; most often, the stamped receiver AKMs (the "M" stands for "modern" or "modernized") from numerous countries around the world are used. Of course, third-world countries are not the only ones to use such a prominent firearm. Soviet and Russian forces obviously adopted it as their service rifle, as it was a Soviet creation. Surprisingly, the United States is another country that contains a wide array of Russian AK rifles, both milled and stamped. Russia actually exported approximately 80 percent of their Kalashnikov rifles to civilians. Around 90 percent of those exports went directly to the United States. However, due to the sanctions on such firearms, the company has stated its need to turn back to selling to militaries. Just recently, the Kalashnikov Group began manufacturing the AK-107. A semi-automatic, civilian version was produced, but the sanctions put a halt on shipping that beautiful rifle to the United States. Also, in an attempt to clear the name of the AK rifle, the company created an advertisement that transformed the firearm to look as if it was a "weapon of peace." When the ViceNews reporter for this story was brought to a shooting range in Moscow, he saw the concept of "weapon of peace" quite clearly. The Russian competition shooter that was with him brought an AK that was used by a member of a special forces team. This member used this rifle to fight terrorists and other individuals that would threaten the well-being of innocents. However, most Americans, besides those that own AKs, still seem to feel as if the AK rifle is the "bad guys gun." While I personally admire the design of the AK and wish to own a few, I can understand why many people feel that the AK is evil. The firearm is used in approximately 250,000 killings every year and every time a terrorist is seen in the media, they are usually holding an AK pattern rifle. However, the AK platform of firearm is continuing to become more and more popular in the shooting world. Personally, I cannot wait to be over 18 years old and purchase my first AK rifle. That will be a great day.

Finally, A Celebrity That Supports Firearms

According to FoxNews, the actor Vince Vaughn was in an interview when he was quoted saying, "I support people having a gun in public full stop, not just in your home. We don't have the right to bear arms because of burglars. We have the right to bear arms to resist the supreme power of a corrupt and abusive government. It's not about duck hunting, it's about the ability of the individual." He also stated that, "It's the same reason we have freedom of speech." Clearly, Mr. Vaughn is a man who knows what he is talking about. The actor had told the interviewer that, "It's well known that the greatest defense against an intruder is the sound of a gun hammer being pulled back." Vaughn explained that he also supported the idea of firearms protecting students in schools. He had clearly done his homework, as he explained all mass shootings occur in places that ban the legal carry of handguns. He also states, "Taking away guns, taking away drugs, the booze, it won't rid the world of criminality." Vaughn understands that banning something does not cause it to go away. Just look at the speakeasies and gang activities of the Prohibition Era in the 1930s. This "Taking away guns" as Vaughn had stated is exactly what was attempted after the Sandy Hook tragedy and other school shootings. There was even a lawsuit filed against Bushmaster, the company that produced the firearm that was used. However, what these plaintiffs fail to realize is that Bushmaster did not use the firearm, a madman did. Also, they do not understand that the tragedy would not have happened had there been an individual carrying a firearm to defend the children, whether it be private security or the teachers. If firearms are shown more often in the media when used to save the lives of innocents, maybe more individuals would share Vince Vaughn's and my beliefs.

The Civil War in Syria Rages On

According to ViceNews, a rebel force, now run by Al Qaeda leadership, continues to defend the country of Syria against corrupted government forces. This civil conflict has lasted approximately four years, but shows no signs of ending any time soon. Originally, the government regime appeared to have won the war against the rebels. However, in recent days, a new coalition has been able to take back much of the territory lost to the regime. Many of the rebels have been supplied and trained by the United States and Gulf Kingdoms. FSA mortar teams to bomb government run cities and roadways in an attempt to cut off their supply routes. While the rebel forces may have been able to take back much of the land they had lost, this does not mean they had not faced many casualties along the way. One of the city centers had been taken by the rebels entirely intact, but after countless aerial assaults from the government regime, the city has been left to ruin. The rebels have still managed to survive and call the city home, even with all the damage. With all their strength to push through the punishment the government continually throws at the rebels, the rebels managed to defeat the government regime in numerous occasions, resulting in the confiscation of government equipment. However, government snipers cover many of the routes used by the rebel forces. Also, the government forces barrel bomb cities, as many of their ground troops have been defeated. This barrel bombing has forced many families to run to safer locations, such as refugee camps and Turkey. However, many refugees find that they cannot flee to these locations, so they hide out in the mountains. This technique of barrel bombing was recently used in Aleppo, killing 75 individuals. Dozens of other people were injured by this barrel bombing in Aleppo. Personally, while I originally supported the rebel forces in Syria, due to the new Al Qaeda backing, I no longer support them. I most certainly do not support the government's agenda, though. The government over their is extremely corrupt and must be put to an end. However, the new government should not be Al Qaeda based, as we have all seen how that has turned out in the past. I understand that the Syrian rebels needed support, but Al Qaeda was most certainly a bad choice on their part. The world can only hope that the present Syrian government is brought down and the new government that takes its place is not backed by Al Qaeda.

Contains graphic content. Viewer discretion advised.