Beltway Insider: ISIS/ISIL Strikes Back; G20 Summit Meet; Chilly Russian Reception, China Visit; ACA

ISIS/ISIL has decisively responded to the United States government decision to deploy additional troops to support and train Iraqi military with the execution of American hostage Peter Kassig, a Syrian Aid worker and former Army Ranger, kidnapped October 2013.  

 

According to Gallup, President Obama's job approval, over the past week, increased two percentage points to 41% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President decreased five percentage points to 51%. 

ISIS/ISIL Strikes Back; Hostage Executed

Peter Kassig, a Humanitarian worker and former Army ranger, is the latest victim of the terror group ISIS/ISIL as they retaliate against the involvement of the United States in stopping its focused, diligent march of terror.

The United States has confirmed the video released Sunday morning did, in fact, depict the execution, by beheading, of Peter Kassing, the fifth westerner and third American to be killed by the homegrown terror organization.

If ISIS/ISIL were only taunting President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron with unwarranted threats of violence and unsubstantiated claims of capabilities, reach and strength and had yet to penetrate the world Obama and the coalition has built than its people could understand the lack of retaliation and protection of U.S. and allied citizens.

The unfortunate and sad truth as Americans awoke Sunday morning to full media reports of another beheading by the militant terror group ISIS/ISIL is President Obama, his coalition and governments of the world seem useless against the ground war waged citizen to citizen by the group.

Americans reactions are equally strong in resolve to deconstruct this Osama bin Laden spawn, piece by piece, terrorist by terrorist, until every member of its organization is found, brought to justice or executed.

Coalition members are not simply looking to the United States as a leader in the terror fight, as a coalition continues to form, the violence against coalition citizens increases and all then have an vested interest in dismantling ISIS/ISIL.

Americans believe that ISIS/ISIL poses a great threat to global peace and increased terror attack throughout the world.

Announced at the end of the annual G20 Summit, the timing of the ISIS/ISIL message was geared to place the group on the forefront and overshadow the positive engagements stemming from the G20.

ISIS/ISIL is intent on dominance and with deepening commitment on all fronts and every coalition country they may become the next governing body.

A military coup, and expansion into neighboring Turkey, is not out of the question for the extremely well funded terror group even as ISIS/ISIL brands itself as the future of Iraq.

ISIS/ISIL is not simply attacking hostages from the west; they are without loyalties to the countries who have supported and funded it efforts. Dozens of Kurdish, Lebanese and oddly 75 Syrian soldiers has also faced execution.   

Jihad John, the knife welding, former British one hit wonder would be rapper, identified as the killer who carries out the execution orders has reportedly been wounded in an air strike. Those reports have not been confirmed by the British government.

G20 Summit Held in Australia; Obama, Foreign Leaders Punish Putin

The G20 Summit, the annual gathering of the world's 20 leading industrialized nations, has concluded in Brisbane, Australia on a positive note even as the world leaders demand, although politely, Putin withdraw his support and troops from the Ukraine.

President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin did speak, briefly, as the beleaguered Soviet leader met the President upon his arrival welcoming him to the summit and the two cordially exchanged pleasantries.

Russia remains under heavy global sanction over the continued violations of Ukraine territorial sovereignty that began February 2014 when Russian troops rolled into the Crimean peninsula effectively re-claiming the 10,000 Square Mile Bridge that borders Russian and Ukraine for it own.  

Since that time, the Russian leader has faced increasing sectorial sanctions from all collation nations, has been expelled from the G8, which has been renamed the G7 and has faced incrementally increasing and continual sanctions.

Putin and the Continuing Cost of Ukraine Invasion

Russian President Putin faced continued outrage over the events that began with the annexation of Crimea.

As Ukraine has followed its intended path toward democracy and independence, Putin has continued to fund and participate in the destabilization of the Ukraine by maintaining the stronghold on the eastern Ukraine pass that borders the two countries.

Putin continues to insist, eight months into it that the troops are for military exercises only, and menacing, harassment and intimidation are not his intent.

Unable to escape the repeated and continual badgering by G20 leaders to withdraw all military presence, Putin remained upbeat, focused, dedicated to presenting Russia as a progressive nation maintaining his obligations. Putin even appeared charmed by the Kola Bear cubs the leaders held during a photo opportunity.

The statements from all leaders, however, were clear withdraw from the Ukraine and allow them to continue on the path of stability and independence or face continued and increased sectorial sanctions. The sanctions continue to undermine the balance of global growth and undermine the growth of Russia's economy.  

Brisbane's Action Plan

The global economy, even as the United States is experiencing steady economic growth, is slower in regaining the economic strength it possessed in 2009, pre global economic collapse.

"This year we set an ambitious goal to lift the G20's GDP by at least an additional two per cent by 2018. Analysis by the IMF-OECD indicates that our commitments, if fully implemented, will deliver 2.1 per cent.  This will add more than US$2 trillion to the global economy and create millions of jobs," said the G20 leaders in a released statement.

The Brisbane Action Plan specifically addressed economic areas which would lend, in theory, to assisting all nations experience the buoyancy of economic recovery.

Proposals of the Brisbane Plan Committed to by the G-20 include:

  • The G-20 made a new commitment to bring more women into the workforce and improve the quality of their jobs.  All G-20 countries committed to reduce the gap between the share of men and women in the workforce by 25 percent by 2025.  That would bring an additional 100 million women into the formal workforce and increase global GDP.
  • Endorse a new set of Principles on Energy Collaboration that outline key elements for future G-20 energy and climate change work.
  • Send a clear signal that G-20 Leaders support strong and effective action to address climate change by reaffirming their resolve to adopt a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force at the UN climate negotiations in Paris in 2015. 
  • An Energy Efficiency Action Plan that will guide efficiency work in six important sectors.  Central to this Action Plan is an agreement to develop country-specific plans in 2015 to improve efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles – trucks, buses, and other large vehicles which account for as much as half of all vehicle emissions even though they represent only 10 percent of all vehicles.
  • The G-20 also demonstrated its ability to respond to new and fast-breaking challenges to the global economy, such as the threat posed by the Ebola epidemic.  In a statement released yesterday, G-20 leaders called for faster action to end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.  Participating countries also committed to take steps to build the capacity to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to future outbreaks – before they become epidemics.
  • G-20 leaders today agreed on a set of concrete steps that will reduce the cost of sending money home for people working overseas.  These remittances are a life-line for millions of people in the developing world and a critical source of development financing for emerging and developing economies. 

APEC Summit

President Obama met with China's President Xi Jinping at The Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit also held this past week, to discuss global economic issues and the impact of the global shift in power.

As the communist nation's bourgeoning economy will soon overtake the United States to become the largest economy in the world, the effect on the global economic forums and structures are of concern to the President and the United States.

With the United States forging alliances with other nations within the Pacific Rim, China, who remains dedicated to limited reforms outside of Hong Kong which was British Rule until 1999, remains united with Russia.

Human Rights issues continue to be a driving force between the two nations as even Obama with his persuasive coalition ability is unable to move China into reforms that will allow its people to thrive, freely.

The people of China are, however, seeing continual reforms and western influence as the strengthening economy brings additional opportunities to increase wealth. When wealth is increased consumer confidence increases and discretionary, non-essential, optional or unrestrictive, spending increases and fuels the economy.

Australia, Japan, United States

President Obama also took part in the Pan-Asian summit in China where issues directly related to the larger scale relationship between the United States and China and other Asian nations were addressed, before continuing on to the G-20.

In the margins of the G20 Summit, President Obama also met in tri-lateral meetings with Prime Minister Tony Abbot of Australia, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.

The definitive and common engagements between the governments were the eradication of Ebola, the continuing deconstruction and dismantling of ISIS/ISIL as well as the united front on the continuing effort and increasing sanctions directed against the Russian government and current policy which includes annexation of the Ukraine.

United States, Japan Address Green Climate Fund (GCF)

President Obama remained committed to working with the leaders of the world in a concerted effort to address the issue of climate change and the cause and effects of greenhouse gas emissions.

"Making good on our commitment to support efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience worldwide, the United States and Japan announced a total of up to $4.5 billion in pledges to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).  This includes up to $3 billion from the United States and up to $1.5 billion from Japan, subject to respective domestic procedures and based on strong contributions from other donors.  Our pledges build on those already announced by Germany, France, and other donors, which include developed and developing countries," the leaders of both nations said in a released statement.

The Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Round Two

The Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, the heath reform law that ensured millions of Americans, who previously denied healthcare, had the opportunity through government health expansion programs and through private marketplaces is opening its second open enrollment season.

Like an open enrollment period, Americans who in the rush to adhere to the law, chose any plan, can now return with more knowledge and find a lower cost option or do nothing.

The affordable Care Act, which will be the first law signed during the Obama Administration that will be rescinded should a republican president be elected, has seen its share of blistering and scathing reviews over the poor craftsmanship in building the initial website which was filed repeatedly as it could not hold the traffic.

President Obama has assured the American people that over the year,  the ACA team has had sufficient time to work out the kinks and Healthcare.gov should remain up and running throughout the enrollment period that began November 15, 2014 and runs for three months, until February 15, 2015.

To find out more about the Affordable Care Act follow these links www.Healthcare.gov , www.CuidadoDeSalud.gov , or call 1-800-318-2596.

For more information on President Barack Obama: www.whitehouse.gov

Sources: Whitehouse.org, Wikipedia.com,

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