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US prepares $130m military aid package for Syrian rebels
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  Source: Gitmo Nation News
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:33
  ''The US readied a package Saturday of up to $130m in non-lethal military aid to Syrian opposition forces while European countries consider easing an arms embargo, moves that could further pressure the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
  US secretary of state John Kerry was expected to announce the plans about the defensive military supplies at a meeting Saturday that was bringing together the Syrian opposition leadership and their main international allies.
  The supplies possibly could include body armor, armored vehicles, night vision goggles and advanced communications equipment.
  US officials said the details and costs were to be determined at the meeting. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss Kerry's announcement.
  Kerry met with Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib before the conference began.''
  Read more here: US prepares $130m military aid package for Syrian rebels | World news | guardian.co.uk.
New Discovery: NASA Study Proves Carbon Dioxide Cools Atmosphere
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  Source: Stuff Ain't Right » Uncategorized
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:32
  Written by H. Schreuder & J. O'Sullivan
  A recentNASA reportthrows the space agency into conflict with its climatologists after new NASA measurements prove that carbon dioxide acts as a coolant in Earth's atmosphere.
  NASA's Langley Research Center has collated data proving that ''greenhouse gases'' actually block up to 95 percent of harmful solar rays from reaching our planet, thus reducing the heating impact of the sun. The data was collectedbySounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry, (orSABER). SABER monitors infrared emissions from Earth's upper atmosphere, in particular from carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitric oxide (NO), two substances thought to be playing a key role in the energy balance of air above our planet's surface.
  NASA's Langley Research Center instruments show that the thermosphere not only received a whopping 26 billion kilowatt hours of energy from the sun during a recent burst of solar activity, but that in the upper atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide molecules sent as much as 95% of that radiation straight back out into space.
  The shock revelation starkly contradicts the core proposition of the so-called greenhouse gas theory which claims that more CO2 means more warming for our planet. However, this compelling new NASA data disproves that notion and is a huge embarrassment for NASA's chief climatologist, Dr James Hansen and his team over at NASA's GISS.
  Already, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been in full retreat after having to concede a 17-year stall in global warming despite levels of atmopheric CO2 rising almost 40 percent in recent decades. The new SABER data now forms part of a real world double whammy against climatologists' computer models that have always been programmed to show CO2 as a warming gas.
  The SABER evidence also makes a mockery of the statement on the NASA GISS website (by Hansen underling Gavin Schmidt) claiming, ''the greenhouse effect keeps the planet much warmer than it would be otherwise.'' [1]
  As NASA's SABER team at Langley admits:
  ''This is a new frontier in the sun-Earth connection,'' saysassociate principal investigator Martin Mlynczak, ''and the data we're collecting are unprecedented.''
  Over at Principia Scientific International (PSI) greenhouse gas effect (GHE) critic, Alan Siddons is hailing the findings. Siddons and his colleagues have been winning support from hundreds of independent scientists for their GHE studies carried out over the last seven years. PSI has proved that the numbers fed into computer models by Hansen and others were based on a faulty interpretation of the laws of thermodynamics. PSI also recently uncovered long overlooked evidence from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) that shows it was widely known the GHE was discredited prior to 1951. [2]
  Pointedly, a much-trumpeted new book released this month by Rupert Darwall claims to help expose the back story of how the junk GHE theory was convenientlyresuscitatedin the 1980'²s by James Hansen and others to serve an environmental policy agenda at that time. [3]
  As the SABER research report states:
  A recent flurry of eruptions on the sun did more than spark pretty auroras around the poles. NASA-funded researchers say the solar storms of March 8ththrough 10thdumped enough energy in Earth's upper atmosphere to power every residence in New York Cityfor two years.
  ''This was the biggest dose of heat we've received from a solar storm since 2005,'' says Martin Mlynczak of NASA Langley Research Center. ''It was a big event, and shows how solar activity can directly affect our planet.''
  As PSI's own space scientists have confirmed, as solar energy penetrates deeper into our atmosphere, even more of its energy will end up being sent straight back out to space, thus preventing it heating up the surface of our earth. The NASA Langley Research Center report agrees with PSI by admitting:
  ''Carbon dioxide and nitric oxide are natural thermostats,'' explains James Russell of Hampton University, SABER's principal investigator. ''When the upper atmosphere (or 'thermosphere') heats up, these molecules try as hard as they can to shed that heat back into space.''
  To those independent scientists and engineers at Principia Scientific International this is not news. The ''natural thermostat'' effect of CO2 has long been known by applied scientists and engineers how have exploited it's remarkable properties in the manufacturer of refrigerators and air conditioning systems. The fledgling independent science body has repeatedly shown in it's openly peer reviewed papers that atmospheric carbon dioxide does not cause global warming nor climate change.
  Some diehard climate alarmists will still say that in the lower atmosphere the action of carbon dioxide is reversed, but there is no actual proof of this at all. PSI suggests it is time for the SABER team to have a word with James Hansen. Watch the full NASA video on Youtube.
  '--'--'--'--'--'--'---
  [1] Schmidt, G., 'Taking the Measure of the Greenhouse Effect,' (October, 2010), http://www.giss.nasa.gov (accessed online: March 26, 2013).
  [2] Brooks, C.E.P. (1951). ''Geological and Historical Aspects of Climatic Change.'' In Compendium of Meteorology, edited by Thomas F. Malone, pp. 1004-18 (at 1016). Boston: American Meteorological Association. It shows the American Meteorological Society had refuted the concept of a GHE in 1951 in its Compendium of Meteorology. The AMS stated that the idea that CO2 could alter the climate ''was never widely accepted and was abandoned when it was found that all the long-wave radiation [that would be] absorbed by CO2 is [already] absorbed by water vapor.''
  [3] Darwall, R., 'The Age of Global Warming: A History,' (March, 2013), Quartet Books, London.
  Principia Scientific Intl | New Discovery: NASA Study Proves Carbon Dioxide Cools Atmosphere.
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BOSTON BOMBING '' Did you notice this? '' YouTube
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  Source: Stuff Ain't Right » Uncategorized
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:29
  I'm just an obscure Midwestern singer/songwriter. Sometimes I just look around for stuff that ain't right. I don't endorse or completely agree with everything I put on my blog. I just find them interesting and worth re-posting for folks that might run across them. If you disagree or agree with the views in these articles, then that's your right. You can comment, complain or whatever. I might agree with you or I might not. That's my right, I guess. Either way, there's some stuff out there that ain't right. I think we can agree on that.
Do Government Surveillance Cameras Make Us Safer?
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:09
MSNBC's Witt On FBI Failure To Monitor Boston Bomber After Interview: 'Hindsight Is 20-20'
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  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:08
  If the player does not load, please check that you are running the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.
  On her MSNBC show, Alex Witt, commenting on the decision of the FBI not to monitor Tamerlan Tzarnaev after having interviewed him in 2011, following up on inquiries from Russian intelligence regarding his possible radical Islamic ties, Alex Witt says "hindsight is 20-20."
Maher to Guest Defending Islam in the Wake of Boston Bombing: 'That's Lberal Bulls--t'
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  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:07
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
How the Obama administration justifies not reading Boston bomber his Miranda rights | The Daily Caller
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:03
  The Obama administration has announced that it will employ the little-used public-safety exception to question Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev without reading him his Miranda rights.
  It's an uncommon justification that the FBI explains dates back to September 11, 1980, and involves neutralizing remaining threats to public safety before ''Mirandizing'' a suspect.
  According to the FBI:
  The origin of the public safety exception to Miranda, the case of New York v. Quarles, began in the early morning hours of September 11, 1980. While on routine patrol in Queens, New York, two New York City police officers were approached by a young woman who told them that she had just been raped. She described the assailant as a black male, approximately 6 feet tall, wearing a leather jacket with ''Big Ben'' printed in yellow letters on the back. The woman told the officers that the man had just entered a nearby supermarket and that he was carrying a gun.
  The officers drove to the supermarket, and one entered the store while the other radioed for assistance. A man matching the description was near a checkout counter, but upon seeing the officer, ran to the back of the store. The officer pursued the subject, but lost sight of him for several seconds as the individual turned a corner at the end of an aisle. Upon finding the subject, the officer ordered him to stop and to put his hands over his head. As backup personnel arrived, the officer frisked the man and discovered he was wearing an empty shoulder holster. After handcuffing him, the officer asked where the gun was. The man gestured toward empty milk cartons and said, ''The gun is over there.'' The officer found and removed a loaded handgun from a carton, formally placed the man under arrest, and then read the Miranda rights to him. The man waived his rights and answered questions about the ownership of the gun and where it was purchased.
  The state of New York charged the man, identified as Benjamin Quarles, for criminal possession of a weapon. The trial court excluded the statement ''The gun is over there,'' as well as the handgun, on the grounds that the officer did not give Quarles the warnings required by Miranda v. Arizona. After an appellate court affirmed the decision, the case was appealed to the New York State Court of Appeals.
  Ultimately, the case reached the Supreme Court, which decided that such public-safety exceptions do exist. ''Miranda need not be strictly followed in situations 'in which police officers ask questions reasonably prompted by a concern for the public safety,''' says the FBI.
  In Tsarnaev's case, it remains unclear whether there are remaining imminent threats to public safety, but the Obama administration seems to be proceeding with caution.
  President Obama is also under outside pressure to forgo reading those Miranda rights to Tsarnaev, with some Republican lawmakers calling on the president to treat the American citizen as an ''enemy combatant.''
  ''If captured, I hope [a]dministration will at least consider holding the Boston suspect as enemy combatant for intelligence gathering purposes,'' Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted Friday afternoon.
  ''The last thing we may want to do is read Boston suspect Miranda Rights telling him to 'remain silent,''' he wrote.
  Follow Vince on Twitter
Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev attended same high school as Matt Damon, Ben Affleck | Fox News
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:00
  The Cambridge Latin and Rindge School is seen on the left. Actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon pose together in a 1998 file photo, right.Google/ Reuters
  Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev reportedly attended the Cambridge Latin and Rindge School, a high school that boasts many famous alumni, including childhood pals Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
  The school's website has a section dedicated to its prominent graduates, and details that friends Damon and Affleck attended the school and graduated two years apart.
  ''Matt Damon (1988) and Ben Affleck (1990), friends from high school days, teamed up and co-starred in the film 'Good Will Hunting' for which they also won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay in 1998,'' the school's website states.
  Actor Orson Bean and retired NBA star Patrick Ewing also attended the school.
  According to an article on Boston.com Tsarnaev, 19, received a $2,500 City Scholarship when he was a senior at the Cambridge Latin and Rindge School.
  Affleck, 40, expressed his emotions following Monday's tragic bombings. Though he tweets somewhat sporadically, Affleck was quick to post a message about the attacks.
  ''Such a senseless and tragic day. My family and I send our love to our beloved and resilient Boston,'' he wrote.
  His friend Damon was less vocal following the attacks that left three dead and more than 170 injured on Patriot's Day. But in an essay published in March by the Boston Globe, Damon raved about the annual event and described watching his father run the race.
  ''On the third Monday in April, Comm. Ave. transforms into a sporting spectacle like no other, overwrought with nerves and excitement as enervated runners from around the world confront the historic Heartbreak Hill(s),'' he wrote.
  As of press time, neither Affleck nor Damon, who does not have an official Twitter account, had commented on reports that Tsarnaev attended Cambridge Latin and Rindge School.
  A rep for Affleck did not immediately return a request for comment. A rep for Damon and administrators at the school could not immediately be reached for comment.
No Joke: Cops Request "Dunkin Donuts" in Boston Remain Open During $333 Million City Shutdown - | Intellihub.com
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:00
  By JG VibesIntellihub.comApril 19, 2013
  It was reported by Bloomberg Business that it would cost $333 million dollars per day to shut down the city of Boston. The loss of business from this shut down could put many struggling businesses under or put them at risk of being short on their rent.
  To add insult to injury, the police have once again proven the age old cliche about cops spending their days arresting potheads and eating donuts.
  Even though Boston is under a strict lockdown during the manhunt for bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Massachusetts-based Dunkin' Donuts remains open to serve first responders, BuzzFeed reports.
  A Newton store manager told BuzzFeed, ''There was an automated message going around telling businesses to close, but because we're Dunkin' Donuts, we called the police department and they said we didn't have to.''
  ''At the direction of authorities, select Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the Boston area are open to take care of needs of law enforcement and first responders,'' spokeswoman Lindsay Harrington told Boston.com. ''We are encouraging our guests to stay home today and abide by the lockdown, per the Governor's recommendation.''
  The problem with this situation really doesn't have as much to do with cops and donuts as it does the arbitrary orders that are being passed down by those in authority. Only those who can directly serve the kings guards are allowed to operate their businesses or move about freely, everyone else is forced to stay indoors, have their houses searched by military agents and be subject to a total police state.
  Additional sources:
  ^http://www.businessinsider.com/boston-dunkin-donuts-stays-open-2013-4#ixzz2Qx3SAP00
  ******
  Read more articles by this author HERE.
  J.G. Vibes is the author of an 87 chapter counter-culture textbook called Alchemy of the Modern Renaissance, a staff writer, reporter for Intellihub.com and Executive Producer of the Bob Tuskin Radio Show.You can keep up with his work, which includes free podcasts, free e-books & free audiobooks at his website www.aotmr.com
Jews reach out to Chechen refugees | JTA - Jewish & Israel News
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:36
  By Brianne Korn · February 21, 2000
  NEW YORK, Feb. 21 (JTA) '-- An American Jewish organization has launched a major fund-raising campaign to aid both Jewish and non-Jewish Chechen refugees fleeing Russian troops.
  ''We've found that Jews want to respond to not only narrowly defined Jewish concerns,'' according to Martin Horowitz, director of the Jewish Community Development Fund in Russia and Ukraine, which will help disseminate money raised by the American Jewish World Service.
  The International Rescue Committee will distribute emergency supplies such as mattresses, blankets and raw materials for shelters. The frigid weather in Chechnya is making a ''deplorable situation'' even worse, said Gillian Gunn, emergency coordinator for the IRC. Plans for an educational program for refugee children are also in the works.
  The Russian Jewish Congress is playing a large part in identifying Jewish Chechen refugees and helping them escape and resettle. The RJC, which hopes to raise between $2.5 million and $3 million, has already made plans to supply refugees with apartments in Moscow and Israel.
  Horowitz said 400 Jewish refugees have been identified by the RJC but the real number may be much higher.
  ''The Russian Jewish Congress branch in the Northern Caucasus and Dagestan have just begun to work on the ground there,'' Horowitz said. ''They're continuing to work on the area.''
  Horowitz, who said he hopes to raise at least $500,000, plans to secure funds for the campaign through advertisements on the Internet and through news releases he will send out to ''socially involved synagogues who have responded in the past.''
  Approximately 250,000 refugees have fled Chechnya since fighting broke out last September over Chechnya's desire to gain independence from Russia. Russian military officials have sealed off the capital of Grozny to rid the district of mines and to prevent rebels from re-entering.
  Acting Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed control over the area last month, and Russian officials have expressed hopes of ending the war before the March 26 presidential elections.
  Donations to Chechen refugees can be made to American Jewish World Service/Chechnya Relief, 989 Avenue of the Americas, 10th floor, New York, N.Y. 10018, or by calling AJWS at 1-800-889-7176. Online donations may be made at http://www.ajws.org.
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  This article was made possible by the support of readers like you. Donate to JTA now.
Saudi News Site: Michelle Obama Visited Saudi National in Hospital on Thursday - Yahoo! News
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:35
  The well-known Saudi Arabian news site Okaz.com released a report claiming first lady Michelle Obama visited two young Saudi Arabian nationals -- including one once considered a person of interest and who sources tell TheBlaze was being considered for deportation -- in the hospital Thursday following the Boston attacks and reassured them of their health status.
  Below is a screenshot of the Okaz report:
  Okaz
  Steven Miller, a researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, translated the Arabic-language article into English for TheBlaze.
  "Yesterday, Michelle Obama, the wife of the American President, visited the Saudis in the hospital who were injured in the Boston bombing, Abdul Rahman Ali Isa al-Salmi al-Harbi and Noura Khaled Saleh al-Ajaji, to reassure them of their health," begins the article before explaining the students' injuries.
  "Noura al-Ajaji underwent a third surgery yesterday to repair and beautify the thigh area, just above the knee, treat skin damage caused by shrapnel, and remove fragments. This was the third round of the treatment plan for al-Ajaji; the first phase focused on sterilizing the wounds, and the second focused on healing the gash caused by glass shrapnel. Medical reports issued by the hospital yesterday confirmed the complete integrity of her knee and thigh."
  "Al-Ajaji, who is a master's student in cosmetic dentistry, was injured by flying glass fragments from the nearby Colby glasses store, which she was nearby during the Boston Marathon bombings, resulting in an 11 centimeter gash in the thigh area."
  The Saudi news report is plausible given that the first lady along with President Obama visited victims of the Boston bombings at several different area hospitals Thursday afternoon.
  The visits were closed to the media and scheduled with little advance notice due to security reasons.
Michelle Obama Visited Saudi National Accused Of Boston Bombing, Saudi Publications Claims
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:35
  Michelle Obama visited a Saudi national once considered a person of interest in Monday's bombing at the Boston Marathon, a Saudi news site is claiming.
  The First Lady reportedly visited two different Saudi nationals on Thursday, checking on their health after the blast.
  While there were no American news outlets reporting the hospital meeting between Michelle Obama and the Saudi national, some echoed the original report from Saudi Arabian news site Okaz.com.
  The Saudi report noted that Michelle Obama took time to meet with two who were injured in the bombing '--Abdul Rahman Ali Isa al-Salmi al-Harbi and Noura Khaled Saleh al-Ajaji.
  The Saudi nationals both suffered serious injuries in the bombing, the report noted. Noura al-Ajaji reportedly had surgery to repair the thigh area just above the knee, the third round of treatment after Noura already received treatment to sterilize the wound and treat a gash from flying glass.
  ''Al-Ajaji, who is a master's student in cosmetic dentistry, was injured by flying glass fragments from the nearby Colby glasses store, which she was nearby during the Boston Marathon bombings, resulting in an 11 centimeter gash in the thigh area,'' the Saudi report read.
  The meeting has not been verified by the White House, and joins other unconfirmed information making its way around in the days after the bombing. Several news outlets and online sites have shot from the hip, reporting on rumors or police conjecture that has often turned out to be untrue.
  This was seen in the hours after the bombing, when the New York Post and Fox News reported that the Saudi national was being held as a suspect. Police later made a statement that they had no one in custody and the Saudi report was incorrect.
  There could be some truth to the report that Michelle Obama met with the Saudi national, however. She and President Obama visited victims at several Boston-area hospitals on Thursday, though the meetings were not open to the public or the press.
Massachusetts Governor Hopes Bomb Suspect 'Survives' to Answer Questions - ABC News
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:33
  Investigators were unable to grill the surviving Boston Marathon bomb suspect today because he is so badly injured that he is unable to communicate.
  Gov. Deval Patrick indicated the grave danger for suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev when he said to reporters today that authorities "hope he survives, because we have a million questions."
  Tsarnaev, 19, is under heavy guard at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where he is listed in serious but stable condition. Officials said the suspect is unable to communicate.
  He is in the same hospital where his brother Tamerlan, 26, was brought early Friday after a shootout with police. Tamerlan died of his wounds.
  When Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was taken into custody from the bottom of a boat in the backyard of a Watertown home Friday night, the suspect was bleeding badly and too weak to resist any longer, officials said.
  Police believe Tsarnaev he was initially wounded Thursday night in the gunbattle that killed his brother. Police said they found blood in a car he abandoned and blood at a house. Police said he went undetected by the massive manhunt because he had managed to get just one block outside the search perimeter.
  It is unclear whether Tsarnaev was hit again during a final volley before his arrest in the boat.
  Investigators -- who are expected to be the country's elite counterterror unit -- are hoping that Tsarnaev survives because they are intent on determining what triggered the shocking attack and whether he had any help. The bombing killed three, including a young boy, and wounded about 170. An MIT security officer was allegedly killed by the duo on Wednesday night and a Boston transit cop was badly wounded in a subsequent shootout.
  One focus of the probe so far is a six month trip Tamerlan Tsarnaev took to the semi autonomous Russian province of Dagestan in 2012. Dagestan has become a hotbed of militant Islamic activity.
  The capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev set off a night of celebration in Watertown and Boston, a spontaneous relief after the region was ordered indoors for an entire day as heavily armed SWAT teams searched for the surviving suspect. Jubilant residents high fived police and chanted "Boston strong" and USA.
  RELATED: Boston Bomb Suspect Captured Alive in Backyard Boat
  "It brings a sigh of relief and I think that it really allows us to start the healing process," Boston resident Heather Budda said, according to ABC News Radio. "He's still alive so we still have a chance to hear what the reasoning behind it is."
  Crowds gathered around Boylston Street in Boston, the sight of Monday's twin bombing at the finish line of the marathon.
  RELATED: Boston Bomb Suspect's Dad Tells Him to Surrender, Warns ' Hell Will Break Loose' if Son Dies
  "Let's go Boston," was chanted while others climbed trees and draped themselves in American flags.
  The dragnet came to an end shortly after the lockdown was lifted and Watertown homeowner David Henneberry walked into his backyard and saw something amiss with his boat, according to Henneberry's neighbor, George Pizzuto.
  RELATED: Watertown Hero David Henneberry Points Police to Bomb Suspect
  "He looked and noticed something was off about his boat, so he got his ladder, and he put his ladder up on the side of the boat and climbed up, and then he saw blood on it, and he thought he saw what was a body laying in the boat," Pizzuto said. "So he got out of the boat fast and called police."
  Henneberry notified police, and minutes later gunfire erupted and dozens of law enforcement officers rushed to secure a perimeter around Franklin Street in Watertown, where residents were immediately warned to stay indoors and "shelter in place."
  According to police, a helicopter with infrared technology then located Tsarnaev in the boat and noted that he was moving about within it. The helicopter directed officers on the ground to the boat, where they briefly exchanged gunfire shortly before 7 p.m.
  Police halted their gunfire and sent hostage negotiators to try and talk Tsarnaev out of the boat Davis said. But the suspect was not responsive, and after about an hour and 45 minutes, officers went to the boat and took Tsarnaev into custody.
  A senior Justice Department official told ABC News that federal law enforcement officials are invoking the public safety exception to the Miranda rights, so that Tsarnaev will be questioned immediately without having Miranda rights issued to him.
Operation Northwoods - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:21
  Operation Northwoods was a series of false flag proposals that originated within the United States government in 1962, but were rejected by the Kennedy administration.[2] The proposals called for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or other operatives, to commit perceived acts of terrorism in U.S. cities and elsewhere. These acts of terrorism were to be blamed on Cuba in order to create public support for a war against that nation, which had recently become communist under Fidel Castro.[3] One part of Operation Northwoods was to "develop a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington".
  Operation Northwoods proposals included hijackings and bombings followed by the introduction of phony evidence that would implicate the Cuban government. It stated:
  The desired resultant from the execution of this plan would be to place the United States in the apparent position of suffering defensible grievances from a rash and irresponsible government of Cuba and to develop an international image of a Cuban threat to peace in the Western Hemisphere.
  Several other proposals were included within Operation Northwoods, including real or simulated actions against various U.S. military and civilian targets. The plan was drafted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, signed by Chairman Lyman Lemnitzer and sent to the Secretary of Defense. Although part of the U.S. government's Cuban Projectanti-communist initiative, Operation Northwoods was never officially accepted; it was authorized by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but then rejected by President John F. Kennedy.
  According to currently released documentation, none of the operations became active under the auspices of the Operation Northwoods proposals.
  [edit]Origins and public releaseThe main proposal was presented in a document entitled "Justification for U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba (TS)", a top secret collection of draft memoranda written by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).[1] The document was presented by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara on 13 March 1962 as a preliminary submission for planning purposes. The Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended that both the covert and overt aspects of any such operation be assigned to them.
  The previously secret document was originally made public on 18 November 1997, by the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board,[4] a U.S. federal agency overseeing the release of government records related to John F. Kennedy's assassination.[5][6] A total 1,521 pages of once-secret military records covering 1962 to 1964 were concomitantly declassified by said Review Board.
  "Appendix to Enclosure A" and "Annex to Appendix to Enclosure A" of the Northwoods document were first published online by the National Security Archive on 6 November 1998 in a joint venture with CNN as part of its 1998 Cold War television documentary series[7][8]'--specifically, as a documentation supplement to "Episode 10: Cuba," which aired on 29 November 1998.[9][10] "Annex to Appendix to Enclosure A" is the section of the document which contains the proposals to stage terrorist attacks.
  The Northwoods document was published online in a more complete form (i.e., including cover memoranda) by the National Security Archive on 30 April 2001.[11]
  [edit]ContentIn response to a request for pretexts for military intervention by the Chief of Operations of the Cuba Project, Brig. Gen. Edward Lansdale, the document listed methods, and outlined plans, that the authors believed would garner public and international support for U.S. military intervention in Cuba. According to Jacob Hornberger:
  The plan called for U.S. personnel to disguise themselves as agents of the Cuban government and to engage in terrorist attacks on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay. It also called for terrorist attacks within the United States that would be conducted by pro-U.S. forces disguising themselves as Cuban agents.
  One of the most fascinating aspects of Operation Northwoods involved the proposed hijacking of an American passenger plane. The JCS proposed that a real plane containing American passengers would be hijacked by friendly forces disguised as Cuban agents. The plane would drop down off the radar screen and be replaced by a pilotless aircraft, which would crash, purportedly killing all the passengers. Under the plan, the real passenger plane would be secretly flown back to the United States.[12]More specifically, the plan called for the following:
  Since it would seem desirable to use legitimate provocation as the basis for U.S. military intervention in Cuba a cover and deception plan, to include requisite preliminary actions such as has been developed in response to Task 33 c, could be executed as an initial effort to provoke Cuban reactions. Harassment plus deceptive actions to convince the Cubans of imminent invasion would be emphasized. Our military posture throughout execution of the plan will allow a rapid change from exercise to intervention if Cuban response justifies.A series of well coordinated incidents will be planned to take place in and around Guantanamo to give genuine appearance of being done by hostile Cuban forces.a. Incidents to establish a credible attack (not in chronological order):Start rumors (many). Use clandestine radio.Land friendly Cubans in uniform "over-the-fence" to stage attack on base.Capture Cuban (friendly) saboteurs inside the base.Start riots near the base main gate (friendly Cubans).[13]Blow up ammunition inside the base; start fires.Burn aircraft on air base (sabotage).Lob mortar shells from outside of base into base. Some damage to installations.Capture assault teams approaching from the sea or vicinity of Guantanamo City.Capture militia group which storms the base.Sabotage ship in harbor; large fires'--naphthalene.Sink ship near harbor entrance. Conduct funerals for mock-victims (may be in lieu of (10)).b. United States would respond by executing offensive operations to secure water and power supplies, destroying artillery and mortar emplacements which threaten the base.c. Commence large scale United States military operations.A "Remember the Maine" incident could be arranged in several forms:a. We could blow up a U.S. ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba.b. We could blow up a drone (unmanned) vessel anywhere in the Cuban waters. We could arrange to cause such incident in the vicinity of Havana or Santiago as a spectacular result of Cuban attack from the air or sea, or both. The presence of Cuban planes or ships merely investigating the intent of the vessel could be fairly compelling evidence that the ship was taken under attack. The nearness to Havana or Santiago would add credibility especially to those people that might have heard the blast or have seen the fire. The United States could follow up with an air/sea rescue operation covered by U.S. fighters to "evacuate" remaining members of the non-existent crew. Casualty lists in U.S. newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation.We could develop a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington.[14]The terror campaign could be pointed at refugees seeking haven in the United States. We could sink a boatload of Cubans en route to Florida (real or simulated). We could foster attempts on lives of Cuban refugees in the United States even to the extent of wounding in instances to be widely publicized. Exploding a few plastic bombs in carefully chosen spots, the arrest of Cuban agents and the release of prepared documents substantiating Cuban involvement, also would be helpful in projecting the idea of an irresponsible government.A "Cuban-based, Castro-supported" filibuster could be simulated against a neighboring Caribbean nation (in the vein of the 14 June invasion of the Dominican Republic). We know that Castro is backing subversive efforts clandestinely against Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Nicaragua at present and possible others. These efforts can be magnified and additional ones contrived for exposure. For example, advantage can be taken of the sensitivity of the Dominican Air Force to intrusions within their national air space. "Cuban" B-26 or C-46 type aircraft could make cane-burning raids at night. Soviet Bloc incendiaries could be found. This could be coupled with "Cuban" messages to the Communist underground in the Dominican Republic and "Cuban" shipments of arm which would be found, or intercepted, on the beach.Use of MIG type aircraft by U.S. pilots could provide additional provocation. Harassment of civil air, attacks on surface shipping and destruction of U.S. military drone aircraft by MIG type planes would be useful as complementary actions. An F-86 properly painted would convince air passengers that they saw a Cuban MIG, especially if the pilot of the transport were to announce such fact. The primary drawback to this suggestion appears to be the security risk inherent in obtaining or modifying an aircraft. However, reasonable copies of the MIG could be produced from U.S. resources in about three months.[15]Hijacking attempts against civil air and surface craft should appear to continue as harassing measures condoned by the government of Cuba. Concurrently, genuine defections of Cuban civil and military air and surface craft should be encouraged.It is possible to create an incident which will demonstrate convincingly that a Cuban aircraft has attacked and shot down a chartered civil airliner en route from the United States to Jamaica, Guatemala, Panama, or Venezuela. The destination would be chosen only to cause the flight plan route to cross Cuba. The passengers could be a group of college students off on a holiday or any grouping of persons with a common interest to support chartering a non-scheduled flight.a. An aircraft at Eglin AFB would be painted and numbered as an exact duplicate for a civil registered aircraft belonging to a CIA proprietary organization in the Miami area. At a designated time the duplicate would be substituted for the actual civil aircraft and would be loaded with the selected passengers, all boarded under carefully prepared aliases. The actual registered aircraft would be converted to a drone.b. Take off times of the drone aircraft and the actual aircraft will be scheduled to allow a rendezvous south of Florida. From the rendezvous point the passenger-carrying aircraft will descend to minimum altitude and go directly into an auxiliary field at Eglin AFB where arrangements will have been made to evacuate the passengers and return the aircraft to its original status. The drone aircraft meanwhile will continue to fly the filed flight plan. When over Cuba the drone will begin transmitting on the international distress frequency a "MAY DAY" message stating he is under attack by Cuban MIG aircraft. The transmission will be interrupted by destruction of the aircraft which will be triggered by radio signal. This will allow ICAO radio[16] stations in the Western Hemisphere to tell the United States what has happened to the aircraft instead of the United States trying to "sell" the incident.It is possible to create an incident which will make it appear that Communist Cuban MIGs have destroyed a USAF aircraft over international waters in an unprovoked attack.a. Approximately 4 or 5 F-101 aircraft will be dispatched in trail from Homestead AFB, Florida, to the vicinity of Cuba. Their mission will be to reverse course and simulate fakir aircraft for an air defense exercise in southern Florida. These aircraft would conduct variations of these flights at frequent Intervals. Crews would be briefed to remain at least 12 miles off the Cuban coast; however, they would be required to carry live ammunition in the event that hostile actions were taken by the Cuban MIGs.b. On one such flight, a pre-briefed pilot would fly tail-end Charley at considerable interval between aircraft. While near the Cuban Island this pilot would broadcast that he had been jumped by MIGs and was going down. No other calls would be made. The pilot would then fly directly west at extremely low altitude and land at a secure base, an Eglin auxiliary. The aircraft would be met by the proper people, quickly stored and given a new tail number. The pilot who had performed the mission under an alias, would resume his proper identity and return to his normal place of business. The pilot and aircraft would then have disappeared.c. At precisely the same time that the aircraft was presumably shot down, a submarine or small surface craft would disburse F-101 parts, parachute, etc., at approximately 15 to 20 miles off the Cuban coast and depart. The pilots returning to Homestead would have a true story as far as they knew. Search ships and aircraft could be dispatched and parts of aircraft found.[17]James Bamford wrote on Northwoods:
  Operation Northwoods, which had the written approval of the Chairman and every member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for innocent people to be shot on American streets; for boats carrying refugees fleeing Cuba to be sunk on the high seas; for a wave of violent terrorism to be launched in Washington, D.C., Miami, and elsewhere. People would be framed for bombings they did not commit; planes would be hijacked. Using phony evidence, all of it would be blamed on Castro, thus giving Lemnitzer and his cabal the excuse, as well as the public and international backing, they needed to launch their war.[18][edit]Related Operation Mongoose proposalsIn addition to Operation Northwoods, under the Operation Mongoose program the U.S. Department of Defense had a number of similar proposals to be taken against the Cuban regime of Fidel Castro.
  Twelve of these proposals come from a 2 February 1962 memorandum entitled "Possible Actions to Provoke, Harass or Disrupt Cuba," written by Brig. Gen. William H. Craig and submitted to Brig. Gen. Edward Lansdale, the commander of the Operation Mongoose project.[19][6]
  The memorandum outlines Operation Bingo, a plan to; "create an incident which has the appearance of an attack on U.S. facilities (GMO) in Cuba, thus providing an excuse for use of U.S. military might to overthrow the current government of Cuba."
  It also includes Operation Dirty Trick, a plot to blame Castro if the 1962 Mercury manned space flight carrying John Glenn crashed, saying: "The objective is to provide irrevocable proof that, should the MERCURY manned orbit flight fail, the fault lies with the Communists et al. Cuba [sic]." It continues, "This to be accomplished by manufacturing various pieces of evidence which would prove electronic interference on the part of the Cubans."
  Even after General Lemnitzer lost his job as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Chiefs of Staff still planned false-flag pretext operations at least into 1963. A different U.S. Department of Defense policy paper created in 1963 discussed a plan to make it appear that Cuba had attacked a member of the Organization of American States (OAS) so that the United States could retaliate. The U.S. Department of Defense document says of one of the scenarios, "A contrived 'Cuban' attack on an OAS member could be set up, and the attacked state could be urged to take measures of self-defense and request assistance from the U.S. and OAS."
  The plan expressed confidence that by this action, "the U.S. could almost certainly obtain the necessary two-thirds support among OAS members for collective action against Cuba."[18][20]
  Included in the nations the Joint Chiefs suggested as targets for covert attacks were Jamaica and Trinidad-Tobago. Since both were members of the British Commonwealth, the Joint Chiefs hoped that by secretly attacking them and then falsely blaming Cuba, the United States could incite the people of the United Kingdom into supporting a war against Castro.[18] As the U.S. Department of Defense report noted:
  Any of the contrived situations described above are inherently, extremely risky in our democratic system in which security can be maintained, after the fact, with very great difficulty. If the decision should be made to set up a contrived situation it should be one in which participation by U.S. personnel is limited only to the most highly trusted covert personnel. This suggests the infeasibility of the use of military units for any aspect of the contrived situation."[18]
  The U.S. Department of Defense report even suggested covertly paying a person in the Castro government to attack the United States: "The only area remaining for consideration then would be to bribe one of Castro's subordinate commanders to initiate an attack on [the U.S. Navy base at] Guantanamo."[18]
  [edit]ReactionThe continuing push against the Cuban government by internal elements of the U.S. military and intelligence communities (the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Project, etc.) had already prompted President John F. Kennedy to attempt to rein in burgeoning hardline anti-Communist sentiment that was intent on proactive, aggressive action against communist movements around the globe. After the Bay of Pigs, Kennedy had fired CIA director Allen W. Dulles, Deputy Director Charles P. Cabell, and Deputy Director Richard Bissell, and turned his attention towards Vietnam. Kennedy had also stripped the CIA of responsibility for paramilitary operations like the Bay of Pigs and turned them over to the U.S. Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which, as Commander in Chief, Kennedy could more directly control. Personally, Kennedy expressed outrage to many of his associates about the CIA's growing influence on civilians and government inside America[citation needed], and his attempt to curtail the CIA's extensive Cold War and paramilitary operations was a direct expression of this concern.
  Kennedy personally rejected the Northwoods proposal, and it would now be the Joint Chiefs' turn to incur his displeasure. A JCS/Pentagon document (Ed Lansdale memo) dated 16 March 1962 titled MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT, 16 MARCH 1962 reads: "General Lemnitzer commented that the military had contingency plans for U.S. intervention. Also it had plans for creating plausible pretexts to use force, with the pretext either attacks on U.S. aircraft or a Cuban action in Latin America for which we could retaliate. The President said bluntly that we were not discussing the use of military force, that General Lemnitzer might find the U.S so engaged in Berlin or elsewhere that he couldn't use the contemplated 4 divisions in Cuba."[21] The proposal was sent for approval to the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, but was not implemented.
  (Some fifty years later when asked about the plot by journalist David Talbot, Robert McNamara drew a blank. "I have absolutely zero recollection of it. But I sure as hell would have rejected it," McNamara said, adding, "I really can't believe that anyone was proposing such provocative acts in Miami. How stupid!" [22])
  Following presentation of the Northwoods plan, Kennedy removed Lemnitzer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, although he became Supreme Allied Commander of NATO in January 1963. American armed forces leaders began to perceive Kennedy as going soft on Cuba, and the President became increasingly unpopular with the military, a rift that came to a head during Kennedy's disagreements with the service chiefs over the Cuban Missile Crisis.
  On 3 August 2001, the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba (the main legislative body of the Republic of Cuba) issued a statement referring to Operation Northwoods and Operation Mongoose wherein it condemned such U.S. government plans.[23]
  [edit]See also[edit]References^ abU.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, "Justification for US Military Intervention in Cuba (TS)", U.S. Department of Defense, 13 March 1962. The Operation Northwoods document in PDF format on the website of the independent, non-governmental research institute the National Security Archive at the George Washington University Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. Direct PDF links: here and here.^Ruppe, David (May 1, 2001). "U.S. Military Wanted to Provoke War With Cuba". ABC News. Retrieved January 21, 2012. ^Zaitchik, Alexander (3 March 2011) Meet Alex Jones, Rolling Stone^"The Records of the Assassination Records Review Board,"National Archives and Records Administration.^"Media Advisory: National Archives Releases Additional Materials Reviewed by the Assassination Records Review Board,"Assassination Records Review Board (a division of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration), 17 November 1997. A U.S. government press-release announcing the declassification of some 1500 pages of U.S. government documents from 1962 to 1964 relating to U.S. policy towards Cuba, among which declassified documents included the Operation Northwoods document.^ abTim Weiner, "Documents Show Pentagon's Anti-Castro Plots During Kennedy Years,"New York Times, 19 November 1997; appeared on the same date and by the same author in the New York Times itself as "Declassified Papers Show Anti-Castro Ideas Proposed to Kennedy," late edition'--final, section A, pg. 25, column 1.^"National Security Archive: COLD WAR: Documents,"National Security Archive, 27 September 1998 '' 24 January 1999.^U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, "Appendix to Enclosure A: Memorandum for Chief of Operations, Cuba Project" and "Annex to Appendix to Enclosure A: Pretexts to Justify U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba,"U.S. Department of Defense, c. March 1962. First published online by the National Security Archive on 6 November 1998, as part of CNN's Cold War documentary series. "Annex to Appendix to Enclosure A" is the section of the Operation Northwoods document which contains the proposals to stage terrorist attacks.^"Episode 10: Cuba; Cuba: 1959''1968,"CNN (Cable News Network LP, LLLP).^"Cold War Teacher Materials: Episodes," and "Educator Guide to CNN's COLD WAR Episode 10: Cuba,"Turner Learning (Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.).^"Pentagon Proposed Pretexts for Cuba Invasion in 1962,"National Security Archive, 30 April 2001.^Hornberger, Jacob (2011-02-24) Don't Northwoods Iran, Future of Freedom Foundation^Annex to Appendix to Enclosure A: Pretexts to Justify U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba, p. 7, media.nara.gov, accessed 3 September 2009^Annex to Appendix to Enclosure A: Pretexts to Justify U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba, p. 8, media.nara.gov, accessed 3 September 2009^Annex to Appendix to Enclosure A: Pretexts to Justify U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba, p9, media.nara.gov, accessed 3 September 2009^Annex to Appendix to Enclosure A: Pretexts to Justify U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba, p10, media.nara.gov, accessed 3 September 2009^Annex to Appendix to Enclosure A: Pretexts to Justify US Military Intervention in Cuba, p11, media.nara.gov, accessed 3 September 2009^ abcdeBamford , James (2002). Body of secrets: anatomy of the ultra-secret National Security Agency. Random House. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-385-49908-8. ^Mike Feinsilber, "At a tense time, plots abounded to humiliate Castro,"Associated Press (AP), 18 November 1997; also available here.^Mike Feinsilber, "Records Show Plan To Provoke Castro,"Associated Press (AP), 29 January 1998.^Lansdale Memo of 16 Mar 1962. This memo records a high-level meeting in the White House 3 days after McNamara was presented with Operation Northwoods. [1]^Brothers by David Talbot.^"Statement by the National Assembly of People's Power of the Republic of Cuba,"National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba, 3 August 2001; also available here.[edit]Further readingJon Elliston, editor, Psywar on Cuba: The Declassified History of U.S. Anti-Castro Propaganda (Melbourne, Australia and New York: Ocean Press, 1999), ISBN 1-876175-09-5.James Bamford, Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency From the Cold War Through the Dawn of a New Century (New York: Doubleday, first edition, 24 April 2001), ISBN 0-385-49907-8. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 4: "Fists" of this book.[edit]External linksThe Full Operation Northwoods document in both JPEG and fully searchable HTML format.High resolution scans from the National Archives, main pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Scott Shane and Tom Bowman with contribution from Laura Sullivan, "New book on NSA sheds light on secrets: U.S. terror plan was Cuba invasion pretext,"Baltimore Sun, 24 April 2001.Ron Kampeas, "Memo: U.S. Mulled Fake Cuba Pretext,"Associated Press (AP), 25 April 2001.Bruce Schneier, "'Body of Secrets' by James Bamford: The author of a pioneering work on the NSA delivers a new book of revelations about the mysterious agency's coverups, eavesdropping and secret missions,"Salon.com, 25 April 2001.David Ruppe, "U.S. Military Wanted to Provoke War With Cuba; Book: U.S. Military Drafted Plans to Terrorize U.S. Cities to Provoke War With Cuba,"ABC News, 1 May 2001."The Truth Is Out There'--1962 memo from National Security Agency,"Harper's Magazine, July 2001.Chris Floyd, "Head Cases,"Moscow Times, 21 December 2001, pg. VIII; also appeared in St. Petersburg Times, Issue 733 (100), 25 December 2001.
Chechnya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  The Chechen Republic (pron.:/ËtÊƒÉ›tÊƒÉ¨n/; Russian: Ð§ÐµÑ‡ÐµÌÐ½ÑÐºÐ°Ñ Ð ÐµÑÐÑƒÌÐ±Ð>>Ð¸ÐºÐ°, Chechenskaya Respublika; Chechen: Ð'Ð¾Ñ…Ñ‡Ð¸Ð¹Ð½ Ð ÐµÑÐÑƒÐ±Ð>>Ð¸ÐºÐ°, Nox§iyn Respublika), commonly referred to as Chechnya (/ËtÊƒÉ›tÊƒniÉ/; Russian: Ð§ÐµÑ‡Ð½ÑÌ, Chechnya; Chechen: Ð'Ð¾Ñ…Ñ‡Ð¸Ð¹Ñ‡Ð¾ÑŒ, Nox§iy§¶), also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria (English: Land of Minerals), is a federal subject (a republic) of Russia. It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the North Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny. As of the 2010 Census, the republic had a population of 1,268,989.[6]
  After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Chechen-Ingush ASSR was split into two: the Republic of Ingushetia and the Chechen Republic. The latter proclaimed the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, which sought independence. Following the First Chechen War with Russia, Chechnya gained de facto independence as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Russian federal control was restored during the Second Chechen War. Since then there has been a systematic reconstruction and rebuilding process, though sporadic fighting continues in the mountains and southern regions of the republic.
  HistoryPrehistoryThe oldest settlement found in the region dates back to 125,000 BCE. In these mountain cave settlements, people lived who used tools, mastered fire, and used animal skin for warmth and other purposes.[11][12] Traces of human settlement that date back to 40,000 BCE were found near Lake Kezanoi. Cave paintings, artifacts and other archaeological evidence indicate that there has been continuous habitation for some 8,000 years.[11]
  Early historyIn classical times, the northern slopes of the Caucasus mountains were inhabited by the Circassians on the west and the Avars on the east. In between them, the Zygians occupied Zyx[citation needed], the areas of north Ossetia, the Balkar, the Ingush and the Chechen republics today.
  The North Caucasus was devastated by the Mongol invasions of the 13th century and those of Tamerlane in the 14th.[13]
  Chechnya was a country in the Northern Caucasus which has been in almost constant battle against foreign rule since the 15th century. Eventually the Chechens converted to Sunni Islam, largely encouraged by the motive of receiving help from the Ottoman Empire against Russian encroachment.[14][15] The Russian Terek Cossack Host was secretly established in Chechnya in 1577 by free Cossacks resettled from the Volga to the Terek River. Later Ermolow declared Chechnya as a part of Russian Empire.
  Caucasian WarsMain article: Caucasian WarIn 1785, Russia and the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti (which was devastated by Turkish and Persian invasions) signed the Treaty of Georgievsk, according to which Kartl-Kakheti received protection from Russia. In order to secure communications with Georgia and other regions of the Transcaucasia, the Russian Empire began spreading its influence into the Caucasus mountains. The current resistance to Russian rule has its roots in the late 18th century (1785''1791), a period when Russia expanded into territories formerly under the dominion of Turkey and Persia. The territories of Georgia and Chechnya were transferred to Russia by Persia/Iran as a result of the Russo-Persian War (1804''1813) and the Treaty of Gulistan. Under Mansur Ushurma'--a Chechen Naqshbandi (Sufi) Sheikh'--with wavering support from other North Caucasian tribes. Mansur hoped to establish a Transcaucasus Islamic state under shari'a law, but was unable to fully achieve this because in the course of the war he was wounded and captured, and for unknown reasons, died. Its banner was again picked up by the AvarImam Shamil, who fought against the Russians from 1834 until 1859.
  Soviet ruleChechen rebellion would characteristically flare up whenever the Russian state faced a period of internal uncertainty. Rebellions occurred during the Russo-Turkish War, the Russian Revolution of 1905, the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Russian Civil War (see Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus), and Collectivization. Under Soviet rule, Chechnya was combined with Ingushetia to form the autonomous republic of Chechen-Ingushetia in the late 1930s.
  The Chechens again rose up against Soviet rule during the 1940s, resulting in the deportation of the entire ethnic Chechen and Ingush populations to the Kazakh SSR (later Kazakhstan) and Siberia in 1944 near the end of World War II.[16][17]Joseph Stalin and others argued this was punishment to the Chechens for providing assistance to the German forces. Although the German front never made it to the border of Chechnya, an active guerrilla movement threatened to undermine the Soviet defenses of the Caucasus (noted writer Valentin Pikul claims that while the city of Grozny was preparing for a siege in 1942, all of the air bombers stationed on the Caucasian front had to be re-directed towards quelling the Chechen insurrection instead of fighting Germans at the siege of Stalingrad). The Chechens were allowed to return to their "own ethnic land" after 1956 during de-Stalinization under Nikita Khrushchev.
  The Russification policies towards Chechens continued after 1956, with Russian language proficiency required in many aspects of life and for advancement in the Soviet system.[citation needed]
  Since 1990On November 26, 1990 the Supreme Council of Chechen-Ingush ASSR adopted the "Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Chechen-Ingush Republic". This declaration was part of the reorganization of the Soviet Union. This new treaty would have been signed August 22, 1991 which would have transformed 15 republic states into more than 80. The August Coup (August 19''21, 1991) led to the abandonment of this reorganization. With the impending dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, an independence movement, initially known as the Chechen National Congress, was formed and led by ex-Soviet Air Force general and new Chechen President Dzhokhar Dudayev that rallied for the recognition of Chechnya as a separate nation. This movement was ultimately opposed by Boris Yeltsin's Russian Federation, which first argued that Chechnya had not been an independent entity within the Soviet Union'--as the Baltic, Central Asian, and other Caucasian States had'--but was part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and hence did not have a right under the Soviet constitution to secede; second, that other republics of Russia, such as Tatarstan, would consider seceding from the Russian Federation if Chechnya were granted that right; and third, that Chechnya was a major hub in the oil infrastructure of the Federation and hence its secession would hurt the country's economy and energy access.
  In the ensuing decade, the territory was locked in an ongoing struggle between various factions, usually fighting unconventionally and forgoing the position held by the several successive Russian governments through the current administration. Various demographic factors including religious ones have continued to keep the area in a near constant state of war.
  First Chechen WarThe First Chechen War took place over a two-year period lasting from 1994 to 1996, when Russian forces attempted to regain control over Chechnya, which had already established independence since November 1991 (generally falling in line with other entities seceding from the USSR, except that Checheno-Ingushetia had previously been a division within Russia). Despite overwhelming manpower, weaponry and air support, the Russian forces were unable to establish effective permanent control over the mountainous area due to many successful Chechenguerrilla raids. The Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis in 1995 shocked the Russian public and discredited Chechen guerrillas. Widespread demoralization of the Russian forces in the area and a successful offensive on Grozny by Chechen resistance forces led by Aslan Maskhadov prompted Russian PresidentBoris Yeltsin to declare a ceasefire in 1996 and sign a peace treaty a year later.
  Inter-war periodAfter the war, parliamentary and presidential elections took place in January 1997 in Chechnya and brought to power new President Aslan Maskhadov, chief of staff and prime minister in the Chechen coalition government, for a five-year term. Maskhadov sought to maintain Chechen sovereignty while pressing Moscow to help rebuild the republic, whose formal economy and infrastructure were virtually destroyed.[18] Russia continued to send money for the rehabilitation of the republic; it also provided pensions and funds for schools and hospitals. Most of these funds were taken by Chechen authorities and divided between favoured warlords.[19] Nearly half a million people (40% of Chechnya's prewar population) had been internally displaced and lived in refugee camps or overcrowded villages.[20] There was an economic downturn. Two Russian brigades were permanently stationed in Chechnya.[20]
  In lieu of the devastated economic structure, kidnapping emerged as the principal source of income countrywide, procuring over $200 million during the three-year independence of the chaotic fledgling state,[21] although victims were rarely killed.[22] In 1998, 176 people were kidnapped, 90 of whom were released, according to official accounts. President Maskhadov started a major campaign against hostage-takers, and on October 25, 1998, Shadid Bargishev, Chechnya's top anti-kidnapping official, was killed in a remote-controlled car bombing. Bargishev's colleagues then insisted they would not be intimidated by the attack and would go ahead with their offensive. Political violence and religious extremism, blamed on "Wahhabism", was rife. In 1998, Grozny authorities declared a state of emergency. Tensions led to open clashes between the Chechen National Guard and Islamist militants, such as the July 1998 confrontation in Gudermes.
  Second Chechen WarThe War of Dagestan began on 7 August 1999, during which the Islamic International Brigade (IIPB) began an unsuccessful incursion into the neighbouring Russian republic of Dagestan in favor of the Shura of Dagestan who sought independence from Russia. In September, a series of apartment bombings that killed three hundred Russian civilians took place in several Russian cities, including Moscow, which were blamed on the Chechen separatists. However, many journalists as well dissident Litvinenko (later murdered by poisoning), contested the official explanation, instead blaming the Russian Secret Service for blowing up the houses to initiate a new military campaign against Chechnya. Journalist Anna Politkovskaya and Head of the Defense Council of Russian Duma (Parliament) were also killed[when?][where?] after making similar claims. In response, after a prolonged air campaign of retaliatory strikes against the Ichkerian regime, a ground offensive began in October 1999 which marked the beginning of the Second Chechen War. Much better organized and planned than the first Chechen War, the military actions by the Russian Federal forces enabled them to re-establish control over most regions. The Russian forces used brutal force, killing sixty Chechen civilians during a mop-up operation in Aldy, Chechnya on February 5, 2000. After the re-capture of Grozny in February 2000, the Ichkerian regime fell apart. However, Chechen rebel forces continued to fight Russian troops as well as conducting terrorist attacks,[23] seizing a theater in Moscow in October 2002. The Moscow theater hostage crisis involved nearly 50 armed Chechens and 900 hostages, and resulted in a large death toll mostly due to the effects of an aerosol anesthetic pumped through the building by Russian special forces to render those inside unconscious.[24][25][26]
  In response to the attack, Russia tightened its grip on Chechnya as well as expanded its anti-terrorist operations throughout the region. Russia was also successful in installing a pro-Moscow Chechen regime, and the most prominent separatist leaders were killed, including former president Aslan Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev. In April 2009, Russia ended its counter-terrorism operation and pulled out the bulk of its army.[27] Three months later, the leader of the separatist government, Akhmed Zakayev, called for a halt to armed resistance against the Chechen police force starting on August 1, 2009. [28]
  GeographySituated in the eastern part of the North Caucasus, partially in Eastern Europe, Chechnya is surrounded on nearly all sides by Russian Federal territory. In the west, it borders North Ossetia and Ingushetia, in the north, Stavropol Krai, in the east, Dagestan, and to the south, Georgia. Its capital is Grozny.
  Area: 15,300 kilometers (9,500 mi)Borders:Rivers:
  Cities and towns with over 20,000 peopleAdministrative divisionsDemographicsAccording to the 2010 Census, the population of the republic is 1,268,989,[6] up from 1,103,686 recorded in the 2002 Census.[29] As of the 2010 Census,[6]Chechens at 1,206,551 make up 95.3% of the republic's population. Other groups include Russians (24,382, or 1.9%), Kumyks (12,221, or 1%), Ingush (1,296 or 0.1%) and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population. The Armenian community, which used to number around 15,000 in Grozny alone, has dwindled to a few families.[30][dead link] Birth rate was 25.41 in 2004. (25.7 in Achkhoi Martan, 19.8 in Groznyy, 17.5 in Kurchaloi, 28.3 in Urus Martan and 11.1 in Vedeno). According to the Chechen State Statistical Committee, Chechnya's population had grown to 1.205 million in January 2006.[31]
  At the end of the Soviet era, ethnic Russians (including Cossacks) comprised about 23% of the population (269,000 in 1989).
  According to some Russian sources, from 1991 to 1994 tens of thousands of people of non-Chechen ethnicity (mostly Russians, Ukrainians and Armenians) left the republic amidst reports of violence and discrimination against the non-Chechen population, as well as widespread lawlessness and ethnic cleansing under the government of Dzhokhar Dudayev, which is called by their source "ethnic cleansing".[32][33]
  However, regarding this exodus, there is an alternative view. According to the Russian economists Boris Lvin and Andrei Iliaronov,
  The Chechen authorities are regularly accused of crimes against the population, especially the Russian-speaking people. However, before the current war the emigration of the Russian-speaking population from Chechnya was no more intense than that from Kalmykia, Tuva and Sakha-Yakutia. In Grozny itself there remained a 200,000 strong Russian-speaking population which did not hasten to leave it.[34][35]
  The languages used in the Republic are Chechen and Russian. Chechen belongs to the Vaynakh or North-central Caucasian language family, which also includes Ingush and Batsb. Some scholars place it in a wider Iberian-Caucasian super-family.
  Chechnya has one of the youngest populations in the generally aging Russian Federation; in the early 1990s, it was among the few regions experiencing natural population growth. Since 2002, Chechnya has experienced a classic post-conflict baby-boom.[36] Chechen demographers in 2008 termed highly implausible the reported overall population growth as infant mortality in Chechnya was said to be 60 percent higher than the Russian average in 2007 and to have risen by 3.9 percent compared with 2006.[36] Many experts have expressed doubts about the increase from 1.1 million in the 1990 to an estimated nearly 1.3 million in 2010 following two devastating wars that displaced hundreds of thousands people and virtually eliminated the large ethnic Russian minority in the republic.[37] According to Russian demographer Dmitry Bogoyavlensky, the 2002 census results were clearly manipulated in the North Caucasus: an estimated 800,000 to 1 million non-existent people were added to the actual population of the region.[37] Another Russian demographer, Anatoly Vishnevsky, pointed out that according to the 2002 census, some age groups, like those born in 1950, appeared to be larger in 2002 than in 1989.[37] With the 2002 census, Moscow wanted to show there were not too many casualties and that the refugees had returned to Chechnya, while the local authorities wanted to receive more funds and thus needed a higher population to justify their demands.[37] Also, in the multiethnic republics of North Caucasus normally unlike in other parts of Russia, government positions are distributed among the ethnicities according to their ratio in the general population.[37] So ethnicities are zealously guarding their numbers in order not to be outnumbered by others and thereby left with less representation in the government and the local economy.[37] Some 40 percent of newborns had some kind of genetic defect.[36]
  Vital statisticsSource: Russian Federal State Statistics ServiceAverage population (x 1000)Live birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)20031,11727,7747,19420 58024.96.418.420041,13328,4966,34722,14925.25.619.520051,15028,6525,85722,79524.95.119.820061,16727,9895,88922,10024.05.018.920071,18732,4495,63026,81927.34.722.620081,21035,8975,44730,45029.74.525.220091,23536,5236,62029,90329.65.424.220101,26037,7537,04230,71130.05.624.420111,27537,3356,81030,52528.95.323.620121,30234,0567,10126,95525.95.420.5Total fertility rate: 2012 - 3.12(e)
  Ethnic groups(in the territory of modern Chechnya)[38]
  Ethnicgroup1926 Census1939 Census1959 Census1970 Census1979 Census1989 Census2002 Census2010 Census1Number %Number %Number %Number %Number %Number %Number %Number %Chechens293,29867.3%360,88958.0%238,33139.7%499,96254.7%602,22360.1%715,30666.0%1,031,64793.5%1,206,55195.3%Russians103,27123.5%213,35434.3%296,79449.4%327,70135.8%307,07930.6%269,13024.8%40,6453.7%24,3821.9%Kumyks2,2170.5%3,5750,6%6,8650.8%7,8080.8%9,5910.9%8,8830.8%12,2211.0%Avars8300.2%2,9060.5%4,1960.5%4,7930.5%6,0350.6%4,1330.4%4,8640.4%Nogays1620.0%1,3020.2%5,5030.6%6,0790.6%6,8850.6%3,5720.3%3,4440.3%Ingushes7980.2%4,3380.7%3,6390.6%14,5431.6%20,8552.1%25,1362.3%2,9140.3%1,2960.1%Ukrainians11,4742.6%8,6141.4%11,9472.0%11,6081.3%11,3341.1%11,8841.1%8290.1%13,7161.1%Armenians5,9781.4%8,3961.3%12,1362.0%13,9481.5%14,4381.4%14,6661.4%4240.0%Others18,8404.13%18,6463.0%37,5506.3%30,0573.3%27,6212.8%25,8002.4%10,6391.0%12,515 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.[39]ReligionIslam is the predominant religion in Chechnya. Chechens are overwhelmingly adherents to SunniIslam,[40] the country having converted to Islam between the 16th and the 19th centuries. Due to historical importance, many Chechens are Sufis, of either the Qadiri or Naqshbandi orders. Most of the population follows either the Shafi'i, Hanafi,[41] or Maliki[42] schools of jurisprudence, fiqh. The Shafi'i school of jurisprudence has a long tradition among the Chechens,[43] and thus it remains the most practiced.[44]
  The once-strong Russian minority in Chechnya, mostly Terek Cossacks and estimated as numbering approximately 25,000 in 2012, are predominately Russian Orthodox, although presently only one church exists in Grozny. In August 2011, Archbishop Zosima of Vladikavkaz and Makhachkala performed the first mass baptism ceremony in the history of Chechen republic in the Terek River of Naursky District in which 35 citizens of Naursky and Shelkovsky districts were converted to Orthodoxy.[45]
  PoliticsSince 1990, the Chechen Republic has had many legal, military, and civil conflicts involving separatist movements and pro-Russian authorities. Today, Chechnya is a relatively stable federal republic, although there is still some separatist movement activity. Its regional constitution entered into effect on April 2, 2003 after an all-Chechen referendum was held on March 23, 2003. Some Chechens were controlled by regional teips, or clans, despite the existence of pro- and anti-Russian political structures.
  Regional governmentThe former separatist religious leader (mufti) Akhmad Kadyrov, looked upon as a traitor by many separatists, was elected president with 83% of the vote in an internationally monitored election on October 5, 2003. Incidents of ballot stuffing and voter intimidation by Russian soldiers and the exclusion of separatist parties from the polls were subsequently reported by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitors. On May 9, 2004, Kadyrov was assassinated in Grozny football stadium by a landmine explosion that was planted beneath a VIP stage and detonated during a parade, and Sergey Abramov was appointed to the position of acting prime minister after the incident. However, since 2005 Ramzan Kadyrov (son of Akhmad Kadyrov) has been caretaker prime minister, and in 2007 was appointed a new president. Many allege he is the wealthiest and most powerful man in the republic, with control over a large private militia referred to as the Kadyrovtsy. The militia, which began as his father's security force, has been accused of killings and kidnappings by human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch.
  In 2009, the American organization Freedom House included Chechnya in the "Worst of the Worst" list of most repressive societies in the world, together with Burma, North Korea, China's Tibet and others.[46]
  Separatist governmentIn addition to the Russian regional government, there was a separatist Ichkeria government that was not recognized by any state (although members have been given political asylum in European and Arab countries, as well as the United States).
  Ichkeria is/was a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. Former president of GeorgiaZviad Gamsakhurdia deposed in a military coup of 1991 and a participant of the Georgian Civil War, recognised the independence of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in 1993.[47] This recognition is no longer in effect.[citation needed] Diplomatic relations with Ichkeria were also established by the partially recognized Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan under the Taliban government on January 16, 2000. This recognition ceased with the fall of the Taliban in 2001.[48] However, despite Taliban recognition, there were no friendly relations between the Taliban and Ichkeria- Maskhadov rejected their recognition, stating that the Taliban were illegitimate.[49] Ichkeria also received vocal support from the Baltic countries, a group of Ukrainian nationalists and Poland; Estonia once voted to recognize, but the act never was followed through due to pressure applied by both Russia and the EU.[49][50][51]
  The president of this government was Aslan Maskhadov, the Foreign Minister was Ilyas Akhmadov, who was the spokesman for Maskhadov. Aslan Maskhadov had been elected in an internationally monitored election in 1997 for 4 years, which took place after signing a peace agreement with Russia. In 2001 he issued a decree prolonging his office for one additional year; he was unable to participate in the 2003 presidential election, since separatist parties were barred by the Russian government, and Maskhadov faced accusations of terrorist offences in Russia. Maskhadov left Grozny and moved to the separatist-controlled areas of the south at the onset of the Second Chechen War. Maskhadov was unable to influence a number of warlords who retain effective control over Chechen territory, and his power was diminished as a result. Russian forces killed Maskhadov on March 8, 2005, and the assassination of Maskhadov was widely criticized since it left no legitimate Chechen separatist leader with whom to conduct peace talks. Akhmed Zakayev, Deputy Prime Minister and a Foreign Minister under Maskhadov, was appointed shortly after the 1997 election and is currently living under asylum in England. He and others chose Abdul Khalim Saidullayev, a relatively unknown Islamic judge who was previously the host of an Islamic program on Chechen television, to replace Maskhadov following his death. On June 17, 2006, it was reported that Russian special forces killed Abdul Khalim Saidullayev in a raid in a Chechen town Argun. The successor of Saidullayev became Doku Umarov. On October 31, 2007 Umarov abolished the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and its presidency and in its place proclaimed the Caucasian Emirate with himself as its Emir.[52] This change of status has been rejected by many Chechen politicians and military leaders who continue to support the existence of the republic.
  Human rightsIn 2006 Human Rights Watch reported that pro-Moscow Chechen forces under the command, in effect, of chapter of republic Ramzan Kadyrov, as well as federal police personnel, used torture to get information about separatist forces. "If you are detained in Chechnya, you face a real and immediate risk of torture. And there is little chance that your torturer will be held accountable," said Holly Cartner, Director Europe and Central Asia division of HRW.[53]
  Human rights groups criticized the conduct of the 2005 parliamentary elections as unfairly influenced by the central Russian government and military.[54]
  The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre reports that after hundreds of thousands fled their homes following inter-ethnic and separatist conflicts in Chechnya in 1994 and 1999, more than 150,000 people still remain displaced in Russia today.[55]
  On September 1, 1997, Criminal Code reportedly being implemented in the Chechen Republic-Ichkeriya, Article 148 punishes "anal sexual intercourse between a man and a woman or a man and a man". For first- and second-time offenders, the punishment is caning. A third conviction leads to the death penalty, which can be carried out in a number of ways including stoning or beheading.[56]
  On February 1, 2009, the New York Times released extensive evidence to support allegations of consistent torture and executions under the Kadyrov government. The accusations were sparked by the assassination in Austria of a former Chechen rebel who had gained access to Kadyrov's inner circle, 27-year old Umar Israilov.[57]
  On July 1, 2009, Amnesty International released a detailed report covering the human rights violations committed by the Russian Federation against Chechen citizens. Among the most prominent features was that those abused had no method of redress against assaults, ranging from kidnapping to torture, while those responsible were never held accountable. This led to the conclusion that Chechnya was being ruled without law, being run into further devastating destabilization.[58]
  On March 10, 2011, Human Rights Watch reported that since Chechenization, the government has pushed for enforced Islamic dress code and other traditions which violently repress women.[59] The president Ramzan Kadyrov is quoted as saying "I have the right to criticize my wife. She doesn't. With us [in Chechen society], a wife is a housewife. A woman should know her place. A woman should give her love to us [men]... She would be [man's] property. And the man is the owner. Here, if a woman does not behave properly, her husband, father, and brother are responsible. According to our tradition, if a woman fools around, her family members kill her... That's how it happens, a brother kills his sister or a husband kills his wife... As a president, I cannot allow for them to kill. So, let women not wear shorts...".[60] He has also openly defended honour killings on several occasions.[61] All this is occurring despite being illegal under Russian law and international laws.
  EconomyDuring the war, the Chechen economy fell apart. Gross domestic product, if reliably calculable, would be only a fraction of the prewar level. Problems with the Chechen economy had an effect on the federal Russian economy'--a number of financial crimes during the 1990s were committed using Chechen financial organizations. Chechnya has the highest ratio within Russian Federation of financial operations made in U.S. dollar to operations in Russian rubles. There are many counterfeit U.S. dollars printed there. In 1994, the separatists planned to introduce a new currency, but that did not happen due to Russian troops re-taking Chechnya in the Second Chechen War.[citation needed] As an effect of the war, approximately 80% of the economic potential of Chechnya was destroyed. Much of the money spent by the Russian federal government to rebuild Chechnya has been wasted. According to the Russian government, over $2 billion was spent on the reconstruction of the Chechen economy since 2000. However, according to the Russian central economic control agency (Schyotnaya Palata), not more than $350 million was spent as intended.[citation needed] The economic situation in Chechnya has improved considerably since 2000. According to the New York Times, major efforts to rebuild Grozny have been made, and improvements in the political situation have led some officials to consider setting up a tourism industry, though there are claims that construction workers are being irregularly paid and that poor people have been displaced.[62] See the main article Grozny.
  TourismAfter the war, and until about 2007 tourism in the country was in decline, but today there is some work for its resuscitation. At present, people from North Ossetia, Ingushetia and Dagestan, often visit Chechnya for trade reasons, and rare groups from central Russia appear in the republic for the purposes of extreme tourism.
  Notable peopleFor a list of notable Chechens, see List of Chechen people.
  References^ÐŸÑÐµÐ·Ð¸Ð´ÐµÐ½Ñ‚ Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ Ð¤ÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ñ†Ð¸Ð¸. Ð£ÐºÐ°Ð· '–849 Ð¾Ñ‚ 13 Ð¼Ð°Ñ 2000 Ð". Ðž ÐÐ¾Ð>>Ð½Ð¾Ð¼Ð¾Ñ‡Ð½Ð¾Ð¼ ÐÑÐµÐ´ÑÑ‚Ð°Ð²Ð¸Ñ‚ÐµÐ>>Ðµ ÐŸÑÐµÐ·Ð¸Ð´ÐµÐ½Ñ‚Ð° Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ Ð¤ÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ñ†Ð¸Ð¸ Ð² ÑÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ð>>ÑŒÐ½Ð¾Ð¼ Ð¾ÐºÑÑƒÐ"Ðµ>>. Ð'ÑÑ‚ÑƒÐÐ¸Ð>> Ð² ÑÐ¸Ð>>Ñƒ 13 Ð¼Ð°Ñ 2000 Ð". ÐžÐÑƒÐ±Ð>>Ð¸ÐºÐ¾Ð²Ð°Ð½: "ÐÐ¾Ð±ÑÐ°Ð½Ð¸Ðµ Ð·Ð°ÐºÐ¾Ð½Ð¾Ð´Ð°Ñ‚ÐµÐ>>ÑŒÑÑ‚Ð²Ð° Ð Ð¤", '–20, ÑÑ‚. 2112, 15 Ð¼Ð°Ñ 2000 Ð". (President of the Russian Federation. Decree #849 of May 13, 2000 On the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in a Federal District. Effective as of May 13, 2000.).^Ð'Ð¾ÑÑÑ‚Ð°Ð½Ð´Ð°ÑÑ‚ Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ Ð¤ÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ñ†Ð¸Ð¸. '–ÐžÐš 024-95 27 Ð´ÐµÐºÐ°Ð±ÑÑ 1995 Ð". ÐžÐ±Ñ‰ÐµÑÐ¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ ÐºÐ>>Ð°ÑÑÐ¸ÑÐ¸ÐºÐ°Ñ‚Ð¾Ñ ÑÐºÐ¾Ð½Ð¾Ð¼Ð¸Ñ‡ÐµÑÐºÐ¸Ñ… ÑÐµÐ"Ð¸Ð¾Ð½Ð¾Ð². 2. Ð­ÐºÐ¾Ð½Ð¾Ð¼Ð¸Ñ‡ÐµÑÐºÐ¸Ðµ ÑÐ°Ð¹Ð¾Ð½Ñ‹>>, Ð² ÑÐµÐ´. ÐÐ·Ð¼ÐµÐ½ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ '–5/2001 ÐžÐšÐ­Ð . (Gosstandart of the Russian Federation. #OK 024-95 December 27, 1995 Russian Classification of Economic Regions. 2. Economic Regions, as amended by the Amendment #5/2001 OKER. ).^Constitution, Article 5.1^Official website of the Chechen Republic. Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov(Russian)^Ð¤ÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ð>>ÑŒÐ½Ð°Ñ ÑÐ>>ÑƒÐ¶Ð±Ð° Ð"Ð¾ÑÑƒÐ´Ð°ÑÑÑ‚Ð²ÐµÐ½Ð½Ð¾Ð¹ ÑÑ‚Ð°Ñ‚Ð¸ÑÑ‚Ð¸ÐºÐ¸ (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "ÐÐµÑÑÐ¸Ñ‚Ð¾ÑÐ¸Ñ, Ñ‡Ð¸ÑÐ>>Ð¾ ÑÐ°Ð¹Ð¾Ð½Ð¾Ð², Ð½Ð°ÑÐµÐ>>Ñ‘Ð½Ð½Ñ‹Ñ… ÐÑƒÐ½ÐºÑ‚Ð¾Ð² Ð¸ ÑÐµÐ>>ÑŒÑÐºÐ¸Ñ… Ð°Ð´Ð¼Ð¸Ð½Ð¸ÑÑ‚ÑÐ°Ñ†Ð¸Ð¹ ÐÐ¾ ÑÑƒÐ±ÑŠÐµÐºÑ‚Ð°Ð¼ Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ Ð¤ÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ñ†Ð¸Ð¸ (Territory, Number of Districts, Inhabited Localities, and Rural Administration by Federal Subjects of the Russian Federation)". Ð'ÑÐµÑÐ¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ°Ñ ÐÐµÑÐµÐÐ¸ÑÑŒ Ð½Ð°ÑÐµÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ 2002 Ð"Ð¾Ð´Ð° (All-Russia Population Census of 2002) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved 2011-11-01. ^ abcd"Ð'ÑÐµÑÐ¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ°Ñ ÐÐµÑÐµÐÐ¸ÑÑŒ Ð½Ð°ÑÐµÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ 2010 Ð"Ð¾Ð´Ð°. ÐÐ¾Ð¼ 1" [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1)]. Ð'ÑÐµÑÐ¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ°Ñ ÐÐµÑÐµÐÐ¸ÑÑŒ Ð½Ð°ÑÐµÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ 2010 Ð"Ð¾Ð´Ð° (2010 All-Russia Population Census) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2012. ^The density value was calculated by dividing the population reported by the 2010 Census by the area shown in the "Area" field. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox is not necessarily reported for the same year as the population.^ÐŸÑÐ°Ð²Ð¸Ñ‚ÐµÐ>>ÑŒÑÑ‚Ð²Ð¾ Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ Ð¤ÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ñ†Ð¸Ð¸. ÐŸÐ¾ÑÑ‚Ð°Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ðµ '–725 Ð¾Ñ‚ 31 Ð°Ð²Ð"ÑƒÑÑ‚Ð° 2011 Ð". Ðž ÑÐ¾ÑÑ‚Ð°Ð²Ðµ Ñ‚ÐµÑÑÐ¸Ñ‚Ð¾ÑÐ¸Ð¹, Ð¾Ð±ÑÐ°Ð·ÑƒÑŽÑ‰Ð¸Ñ… ÐºÐ°Ð¶Ð´ÑƒÑŽ Ñ‡Ð°ÑÐ¾Ð²ÑƒÑŽ Ð·Ð¾Ð½Ñƒ, Ð¸ ÐÐ¾ÑÑÐ´ÐºÐµ Ð¸ÑÑ‡Ð¸ÑÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ Ð²ÑÐµÐ¼ÐµÐ½Ð¸ Ð² Ñ‡Ð°ÑÐ¾Ð²Ñ‹Ñ… Ð·Ð¾Ð½Ð°Ñ…, Ð° Ñ‚Ð°ÐºÐ¶Ðµ Ð¾ ÐÑÐ¸Ð·Ð½Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ð¸ ÑƒÑ‚ÑÐ°Ñ‚Ð¸Ð²ÑÐ¸Ð¼Ð¸ ÑÐ¸Ð>>Ñƒ Ð¾Ñ‚Ð´ÐµÐ>>ÑŒÐ½Ñ‹Ñ… ÐŸÐ¾ÑÑ‚Ð°Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ð¹ ÐŸÑÐ°Ð²Ð¸Ñ‚ÐµÐ>>ÑŒÑÑ‚Ð²Ð° Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ Ð¤ÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ñ†Ð¸Ð¸>>. Ð'ÑÑ‚ÑƒÐÐ¸Ð>> Ð² ÑÐ¸Ð>>Ñƒ ÐÐ¾ Ð¸ÑÑ‚ÐµÑ‡ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ð¸ 7 Ð´Ð½ÐµÐ¹ ÐÐ¾ÑÐ>>Ðµ Ð´Ð½Ñ Ð¾ÑÐ¸Ñ†Ð¸Ð°Ð>>ÑŒÐ½Ð¾Ð"Ð¾ Ð¾ÐÑƒÐ±Ð>>Ð¸ÐºÐ¾Ð²Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ñ. ÐžÐÑƒÐ±Ð>>Ð¸ÐºÐ¾Ð²Ð°Ð½: "Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ°Ñ Ð'Ð°Ð·ÐµÑ‚Ð°", '–197, 6 ÑÐµÐ½Ñ‚ÑÐ±ÑÑ 2011 Ð". (Government of the Russian Federation. Resolution #725 of August 31, 2011 On the Composition of the Territories Included into Each Time Zone and on the Procedures of Timekeeping in the Time Zones, as Well as on Abrogation of Several Resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation. Effective as of after 7 days following the day of the official publication.).^Official the whole territory of Russia according to Article 68.1 of the Constitution of Russia.^Constitution, Article 10.1^ abJaimoukha, Amjad M. (2005-03-01). The Chechens: a handbook (1st ed.). Routledge. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-415-32328-4. Retrieved 2009-08-14. ^History of Chechnya^John B. Dunlop Russia Confronts Chechnya: Roots of a Separatist Conflict (Cambridge University Press, 1998) p.3^Anciennes Croyances des Ingouches et des Tch(C)tch¨nes.Mariel Tsaro¯eva ISBN 2-7068-1792-5^Lecha Ilyasov. The Diversity of the Chechen Culture: From Historical Roots to the Present.ISBN 978-5-904549-02-2^Kavkazcenter.com. "European Parliament recognizes deportation of Chechens as act of genocide". Retrieved 2007-01-23. ^"Remembering Stalin's deportations". BBC News. 2004-02-23. Retrieved 2013-04-19. ^Chechnya, reference article by Freedom House publications.[dead link]^Leon Aron. Chechnya, New Dimensions of the Old Crisis. AEI, 01.02.2003^ abAlex Goldfarb and Marina Litvinenko. "Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB." Free Press, New York, 2007.ISBN 978-1-4165-5165-2.^Tishkov, Valery. Chechnya: Life in a War-Torn Society. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004, p. 114.^"Four Western hostages beheaded in Chechnya". CNN. Archived from the original on 2002-12-03. ^Andrew Meier. Chechnya: To the Heart of a Conflict^"Gas "killed Moscow hostages", ibid". BBC News. 2002-10-27. Retrieved 2013-04-19. ^"Moscow court begins siege claims", BBC News, 24 December 2002^"Moscow hostage relatives await news". BBC NEWS. 27 Oct 2002. Retrieved 30 May 2011. ^"Russia 'ends Chechnya operation'". BBC News. April 16, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-14. ^Chechen self-proclaimed government-in-exile lays down weaponsRussia Today Retrieved on July 29, 2009^"Ð§Ð¸ÑÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð½Ð¾ÑÑ‚ÑŒ Ð½Ð°ÑÐµÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¸, ÑÑƒÐ±ÑŠÐµÐºÑ‚Ð¾Ð² Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ Ð¤ÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ñ†Ð¸Ð¸ Ð² ÑÐ¾ÑÑ‚Ð°Ð²Ðµ ÑÐµÐ´ÐµÑÐ°Ð>>ÑŒÐ½Ñ‹Ñ… Ð¾ÐºÑÑƒÐ"Ð¾Ð², ÑÐ°Ð¹Ð¾Ð½Ð¾Ð², Ð"Ð¾ÑÐ¾Ð´ÑÐºÐ¸Ñ… ÐÐ¾ÑÐµÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ð¹, ÑÐµÐ>>ÑŒÑÐºÐ¸Ñ… Ð½Ð°ÑÐµÐ>>Ñ‘Ð½Ð½Ñ‹Ñ… ÐÑƒÐ½ÐºÑ‚Ð¾Ð² '' ÑÐ°Ð¹Ð¾Ð½Ð½Ñ‹Ñ… Ñ†ÐµÐ½Ñ‚ÑÐ¾Ð² Ð¸ ÑÐµÐ>>ÑŒÑÐºÐ¸Ñ… Ð½Ð°ÑÐµÐ>>Ñ‘Ð½Ð½Ñ‹Ñ… ÐÑƒÐ½ÐºÑ‚Ð¾Ð² Ñ Ð½Ð°ÑÐµÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸ÐµÐ¼ 3 Ñ‚Ñ‹ÑÑÑ‡Ð¸ Ð¸ Ð±Ð¾Ð>>ÐµÐµ Ñ‡ÐµÐ>>Ð¾Ð²ÐµÐº" [Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities'--administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000]. Ð'ÑÐµÑÐ¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ°Ñ ÐÐµÑÐµÐÐ¸ÑÑŒ Ð½Ð°ÑÐµÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ 2002 Ð"Ð¾Ð´Ð° (All-Russia Population Census of 2002) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. May 21, 2004. Retrieved February 9, 2012. ^Ishkhanyan, Vahan, ArmeniaNow.com. "The case for Chechnya". Retrieved 2008-05-12. ^Prague Watchdog: (2008-02-11). "Chechnya '' The week in brief: 4''11 Feb, 2008". Reliefweb.int. Retrieved 2013-04-19. ^O.P. Orlov; V.P. Cherkassov. "Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ñ '-- Ð§ÐµÑ‡Ð½Ñ: Ð...ÐµÐÑŒ Ð¾ÑÐ¸Ð±Ð¾Ðº Ð¸ ÐÑÐµÑÑ‚ÑƒÐÐ>>ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ð¹" (in Russian). Memorial. ^Sokolov-Mitrich, Dmitryi. "Ð—Ð°Ð±Ñ‹Ñ‚Ñ‹Ð¹ Ð"ÐµÐ½Ð¾Ñ†Ð¸Ð´". Izvestia. Retrieved on July 17, 2002.^Written by economists Boris Lvin and Andrei Illarionov. Moscow News. Feb 24- March 2, 1995^Note: This source is written in 1995; it should be noted that in the modern day, however, the Russian population is far less than 200000^ abcLiz Fuller (3 November 2010). "Preliminary Chechen Census Findings Unveiled". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 12 March 2011. ^ abcdefDzutsev, Valery (2010). 2010 Census Data is Adjusted to Meet Kremlin Priorities in the North Caucasus7 (207). Retrieved 12 March 2011. ^"Ð'•Ð'•ŸÑ'--‚Ð'•£Ð'•(C)Ð'•£Ð'•Ð'•...Ð'•£ Ñ'--¤Ð'•£Ñ'--¤Ð'•Ð'•...". Ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru. Retrieved 2013-04-19. ^"ÐŸÐµÑÐµÐÐ¸ÑÑŒ-2010: ÑÑƒÑÑÐºÐ¸Ñ… ÑÑ‚Ð°Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‚ÑÑ Ð±Ð¾Ð>>ÑŒÑÐµ". Perepis-2010.ru. 2011-12-19. Retrieved 2013-04-19. ^http://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/ponars/pm_0388.pdf^McDermott, Roger. "Shafi'i and Hanafi schools of jurisprudence in Cechnya". Jamestown.org. Retrieved 2013-04-19. ^[1] Chechnya, Wahhabism and the invasion of Dagestan^[2] Djihad in the Northern Caucus Ch3^Mairbek Vatchagaev (September 8, 2006). "The Kremlin's War on Islamic Education in the North Caucasus". Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Chechnya Weekly, Volume 7, Issue 34 (September 8, 2006)^Interfax Information Services Group. "Chechnya saw the first mass baptism in its today's history". Retrieved 2012-07-09.^Worst of the Worst: The World's Most Repressive Societies (PDF), Freedom House, March 2009^in 1993, ex ''President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia recognized Chechnya ` s independence..,^Are Chechens in Afghanistan? --By Nabi Abdullaev, Dec 14, 2001 Moscow Times^ abKullberg, Anssi. "The Background of Chechen Independence Movement III: The Secular Movement". The Eurasian politician. 1 October 2003^Kari Takamaa and Martti Koskenneimi. The Finnish Yearbook of International Law. p147^Kuzio, Taras. "The Chechen crisis and the 'near abroad'". Central Asian Survey, Volume 14, Issue 4 1995, pages 553''572^"What is Hidden Behind the Idea of the Caucasian Emirate?" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-04-19. ^Human Rights Watch:Chechnya: Research Shows Widespread and Systematic Use of Torture^Chechnya Holds Parliamentary Vote, Morning Edition, NPR, November 28, 2005.^Government efforts help only some IDPs rebuild their lives, IDMC, August 13, 2007^Amnesty International:Amnesty International working against laws punishing sexual relations between men, 1 September 1997.^New York Times:Slain Exile Detailed Chechen Ruler's Systematic Cruelty, February 1, 2009.^Amnesty International:Russian Federation Rule Without Law: Human Rights violations in the North Caucasus, July 1, 2009.^Human Rights Watch:''You Dress According to Their Rules'' Enforcement of an Islamic Dress Code for Women in Chechnya, March 10, 2011^Interview with Ramzan Kadyrov, Komsomolskaya Pravda, September 24, 2008, http://www.kp.ru/daily/24169/380743/ (accessed December 7, 2010)^Chechen President Kadyrov Defends Honor KillingsSt. Petersburg Times March 3, 2009^Kramer, Andrew E. (April 30, 2008). "Chechnya's Capital Rises From the Ashes, Atop Hidden Horrors". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2010. Sources23 Ð¼Ð°ÑÑ‚Ð° 2003 Ð". ÐšÐ¾Ð½ÑÑ‚Ð¸Ñ‚ÑƒÑ†Ð¸Ñ Ð§ÐµÑ‡ÐµÐ½ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ Ð ÐµÑÐÑƒÐ±Ð>>Ð¸ÐºÐ¸>>. (March 23, 2003 Constitution of the Chechen Republic. ).Further readingKhassan Baiev. The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire. ISBN 0-8027-1404-8Vyacheslav Mironov. Ya byl na etoy voyne. (I was in this war) Biblion '' Russkaya Kniga, 2001. Partial translation available online [3].Vyacheslav Mironov. Assault on Grozny DowntownVyacheslav Mironov. I was in that war.Matthew Evangelista, The Chechen Wars: Will Russia Go the Way of the Soviet Union?. ISBN 0-8157-2499-3.Roy Conrad. Grozny. A few days...Olga Oliker, Russia's Chechen Wars 1994''2000: Lessons from Urban Combat. ISBN 0-8330-2998-3. (A strategic and tactical analysis of the Chechen Wars.)Charlotta Gall & Thomas de Waal. Chechnya: A Small Victorious War. ISBN 0-330-35075-7Paul J., Ph. D. Murphy. The Wolves of Islam: Russia and the Faces of Chechen Terror. ISBN 1-57488-830-7Anatol Lieven. Chechnya : Tombstone of Russian PowerISBN 0-300-07881-1John B Dunlop. Russia Confronts Chechnya: Roots of a Separatist ConflictISBN 0-521-63619-1Paul Khlebnikov. Razgovor s varvarom (Interview with a barbarian). ISBN 5-89935-057-1.Marie Bennigsen-Broxup. The North Caucasus Barrier: The Russian Advance Towards the Muslim World. ISBN 1-85065-069-1Anna Politkovskaya. A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from ChechnyaISBN 0-226-67432-0Chris Bird. "To Catch a Tartar: Notes from the Caucasus" [ISBN 0-7195-6506-5]Carlotta Gall, Thomas de Waal, Chechnya: Calamity in the Caucasus [ISBN 0-8147-3132-5]Yvonne Bornstein and Mark Ribowsky, "Eleven Days of Hell: My True Story Of Kidnapping, Terror, Torture And Historic FBI & KGB Rescue" AuthorHouse, 2004. ISBN 1-4184-9302-3.Ali Khan, The Chechen Terror: The Play within the PlayHunter Hammer and Heaven, Journeys to Three World's Gone Mad, by Robert Young Pelton (ISBN 1-58574-416-6)Arkady Babchenko "One Soldier's War In Chechnya" Portobello, London ISBN 978-1-84627-039-0Asne Seirstad. The Angel of Grozny. ISBN 978-1-84408-395-4Scott Anderson. The Man Who Tried to Save the World. ISBN 0-385-48666-9Chechnya: The Case For Independence by Tony Wood Book review in The Independent, 2007External links
VIDEO-West, Texas Explosion "WTH" - YouTube
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Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801
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  France signalled on Friday it would push to modify a U.S. proposal to the United Nations to allow U.N. peacekeepers to monitor human rights in the disputed Western Sahara before deciding which way it would vote.
  The dispute, dating back to 1975, pits Morocco, which says the Western Sahara is its territory, against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which says it is an independent state.
  Morocco and France, its former colonial master, have resisted the idea that the peacekeepers should report on rights abuses in Western Sahara, a sparsely populated tract of desert that has phosphates, fisheries and, potentially, oil and gas.
  The U.S. draft resolution to the Security Council, designed to extend the mandate of the U.N. mission in Western Sahara for another year, was circulated this week to the so-called Group of Friends on Western Sahara, which includes the United States, France, Spain, Britain and Russia.
  ''It (modifying the text) is one of the possible options and the object of discussions taking place,'' French Foreign Ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot told reporters. ''We are not at the stage today to say whether we will vote for or against it.''
  U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned that the conflict in Mali, where France deployed troops and air power to oust Islamist rebels, threatens to spill into Western Sahara, with the possibility of infiltration by foreign militants.
  Paris may have decided to soften its position given the crisis in Mali. Indeed, President Francois Hollande, in a trip to Morocco at the start of the month, said the situation in the Sahel region meant that there was ''greater urgency'' to resolve the Western Sahara problem.
  ''CREDIBLE SOLUTION''
  Paris, Morocco's traditional protector on the 15-nation U.N. Security Council, has previously vetoed resolutions on the issue, supporting Rabat unconditionally.
  But diplomats said on Thursday that it was unlikely this time to use its veto to block the U.S. draft.
  Lalliot said Paris' general position was unchanged.
  ''We believe that the status quo is in the interest of nobody and we have supported for a long-time a fair, lasting and mutually agreeable solution. We have always said we support the Moroccan autonomy plan, which is a serious and credible solution,'' Lalliot said.
  He said that given the reaction of Morocco, a temporary Security Council member, those who had put forward the text would need to evaluate how it could be modified to see how Rabat could approve it.
  The U.S. resolution prompted Rabat to cancel planned joint U.S.-Moroccan military exercises in response. It has dispatched diplomats to all the countries negotiating the text in the hope of derailing or softening the resolution, officials said.
  ''This is endangering the whole region and the negotiation process,'' Moroccan government spokesman Mustapha Khalfi said.
  The idea of making U.N. human rights monitoring one of the tasks of the U.N. peacekeeping mission for Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, is something Morocco opposes but rights groups and the Polisario have long advocated.
  A vote on the resolution is due by the end of April.
  The United Nations brokered a settlement in 1991 with the understanding that a referendum would be held on the fate of the region. The referendum never took place and attempts to reach a lasting deal since then have foundered.
Just Seeing Hillary Clinton's Face Improves Women's Public Speaking | Popular Science
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  A new study finds women give longer and more confident political speeches when they are exposed to images of female role models.
  Encouraging HillaryLawrence Jackson
  What do women in politics need? Strong female role models.
  A new paper in the May issue of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests that even just seeing images of female role models can help women speak publicly and perform as leaders.
  Previous research has found that the presence of female leaders in government has a significant effect on girls' educational goals, and seeing other women in STEM careers can help women want to pursue those careers themselves. However, other studies have found that seeing high-level female leaders can actually make women feel inferior about their own leadership qualities.
  To dig deeper, scientists asked 149 students from a Swiss university (81 women, 68 men) to give a persuasive political speech against increasing student fees, within the context of a virtual reality program that put them in front of an audience of six men and six women. For some participants, the back wall of the virtual room featured a hanging picture of Hillary Clinton. For others, it showed a portrait of Bill Clinton or Angela Merkel, and for some the wall remained blank.
  The researchers timed and videotaped the speech, then asked the students to evaluate their performance. A separate group of people unaware of the experimental conditions watched the speeches and rated them based on fluency and body language.
  Virtual Politics: Latu et al.
  Both the people watching the speeches and those giving them perceived longer speeches as being more positive. When there was no role model in view, men spoke longer than women. The same held true for speaking under the withering gaze of Big Bill.
  Female role models eliminated the gender gap, though. Women gave longer speeches and evaluated themselves more positively when they were primed with with images Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel than when they saw Bill Clinton or weren't primed at all. The outside observers also rated their speeches higher.
  "Female political role models can inspire women and help them cope with stressful situations that they encounter in their careers, such as public speaking," the authors write. "A lack of female powerful role models leads to a vicious circle, because if women fail to take leadership positions, they also fail to provide role models for junior women to follow."
  They go on to recommend that "active steps should be taken in order to increase the number of women in leadership positions, which would consequently increase their visibility and empower other women on their path to leadership."
  [via Research Digest]
exsanguinated - definition of exsanguinated by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
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  exsanguinate[ÉªkËs...Å‹gwÉªneÉªt]vb(Medicine) (tr)Rare to drain the blood from[from Latin exsanguinÄre]
  exsanguination n
  ex'san'gui'nate(É›ksËs...Å‹ gwÉËŒneÉªt)v.t.-nat'ed, -nat'ing.
  to drain of blood.
  [1790''1800; < >ex'san`gui'na'²tion,n.
Feiz Mohammad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  Feiz Mohammad (born 1970/1971) is an AustralianMuslim preacher of Lebanese descent and formerly the head of the Global Islamic Youth Centre in Liverpool, a suburb of Sydney. He was featured on a British television documentary called Undercover Mosque. He is noted in media sources for his fundamentalist beliefs, and has been referred to as a Wahhabi.[1]
  He is of Lebanese origin, and was born in Sydney, Australia. He spent 4-years studying Islamic law at the Islamic University of Medinah in Saudi Arabia before returning to Australia and opening the Global Islamic Youth Centre. He is a former boxer.[2] Mohammad fled to Lebanon in November 2005, but relocated to Malaysia to continue Islamic studies.[3][4]
  [edit]Controversy[edit]Blaming women for being rapedIn March 2005, he gained notoriety for blaming women for being rape victims. At a $15-a-head lecture to more than one thousand people, he said:
  "A victim of rape every minute somewhere in the world. Why? No one to blame but herself. She displayed her beauty to the entire world...
  "Strapless, backless, sleeveless, showing their legs, nothing but satanic skirts, slit skirts, translucent blouses, miniskirts, tight jeans: all this to tease man and appeal to his carnal nature.
  "Would you put this sheep that you adore in the middle of hungry wolves? No... It would be devoured. It's the same situation here. You're putting this precious girl in front of lustful, satanic eyes of hungry wolves. What is the consequence? Catastrophic devastation, sexual harassment, perversion, promiscuity.[2]
  [edit]Death Series DVDsIn 2007, the Australian Federal Police investigated whether 16 DVDs of Mohammed's sermons, called the Death Series, broke laws against sedition, racial vilification, and inciting violence and terrorism.[1][5] The DVDs came to public attention when they were featured in the documentary Undercover Mosque, which aired on Britain's Channel 4; the DVDs were being sold by children in the parking lot of a Birmingham mosque.
  [edit]Other lecturesIn the documentary, he says of non-Muslims, in his 'Signs of the Hour' speech', in one DVD, Mohammed said that children should be encouraged to become jihadists: "We want to have children and offer them as soldiers defending Islam... Teach them this: there is nothing more beloved to me than wanting to die as a mujahid. Put in their soft, tender hearts the zeal of jihad and a love of martyrdom."[1] Elsewhere, he said, "Jews are pigs that will be killed at the end of the world".[4] He also said concerning Jews, "They have got the most extreme racial pride in them. They say that every single non-Jew is a slave created to serve the Jews ... Their time will come like every other evil person's time will come."[6]
  He has since apologized in an interview for referring to Jews as pigs, and said that his reference to jihad was misunderstood.[5]
  [edit]Call for beheadingIt became known in September 2010 that in an Internet conference, Mohammad incited Muslim followers in the Netherlands to behead the Dutch politician Geert Wilders, the reason being that those who insult the teachings of Islam must be killed.[7][8] The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf released an excerpt of the talk.[9]
  [edit]Taj El-Din Hilaly DenouncementIn March 2011 retired cleric Sheikh Taj El-Din Hilaly denounced Feiz Mohammad, saying his preaching "can lead young people to move away from their family and community [and] to distance and isolate themselves."[10] Feiz Mohammad had responded to requests of authorities to remove videos by Anwar al-Awlaki on his website.[10][11]
  [edit]Link to Boston Marathon Bombings SuspectOne of the suspects in the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings had a YouTube page featuring videos with Feiz Mohammad, and also two videos about terrorism. [12][13][14]
  [edit]References^ abc"'Jihad' sheik to face new probe", by Simon Kearney, The Australian, 19 January 2007^ ab"Muslim cleric: women incite men's lust with 'satanic dress'", by Miranda Devine, The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 April 2005.^"Police probe sheik's DVDs", by Luke McIlveen, staff and wires, News.com.au, 18 January 2007^ ab"Sheikh sparks outrage", by Carolyn Webb, The Age, 19 January 2007^ ab"Fiery Australian cleric claims jihad remarks were misunderstood", by Meraiah Foley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 January 2007^"Video nasty attacks Jews", by Jano Gibson and Nick O'Malley, The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 January 2007^Berkowitz, Ben (September 3, 2010). "Muslim cleric calls for beheading of Dutch politician". Reuters. Retrieved October 25, 2011. ^Hassprediger fordert die Enthauptung von Wilders. Die Welt, 3 September 2010^Haatprediker roept op tot doden Wilders. De Telegraaf, 3 September 2010^ abYoni Bashan (March 20, 2011). "Sheik Feiz Mohammed denounced". The Sunday Telegraph. News Corporation. ^Yoni Bashan (March 20, 2011). "Al-Qaeda video featured on Sheik's website". The Sunday Telegraph. News Corporation. ^"Boston bombing suspects showed few radical signs". Reuters. ^"Bombing suspects followed Harry Potter-hating Australian sheikh". Fox News. ^"Celebrations after Boston bombing suspect caught". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. [edit]External linksPersondataNameFeiz, MohammadAlternative namesSheikh Feiz MohammadShort descriptionAustralian Islamic figureDate of birth1970Place of birthSydney, AustraliaDate of deathPlace of death
Tamerlan Tsarnaev YouTube Page: Alleged Account Praises Feiz Mohammed
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  Tamerlan Tsarnaev YouTube Page Alleged Account Praises Feiz Mohammed
  As everyone scours the internet for anything and everything related to the Tsarnaev brothers in an attempt to understand the reasoning behind the attack at the Boston Marathon on Monday, a YouTube account under the name of Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been found. The largely Russian-language YouTube, page which allegedly belongs to the dead suspect, features links to various YouTube videos under four distinct playlists '' two of them being 'Terrorists' and 'Islam.' However, while the YouTube page might reveal a deeply and radically religious man, judging by the younger brother Dzhokhar, who remains at large, and his alleged tweets, the young men weren't deeply pious at all. In fact, all that is revealed through these mediums of social media is one simple truth '' they were deeply troubled and extremely confused.
  Of the links featured on the older brother, Tamerlan's page, one is called ''And they say, it's only Sunnah,'' nearly an hour long lecture by a notoriously radical and controversial Australian Islamic preacher, Sheik Feiz Mohammed.
  An Australian of Lebanese descent, a Wahhabi and, like Tamerlan, a former boxer, Mohammed gained notoriety worldwide when he blamed women for being rape victims rather than the rapists themselves. At a lecture, he said,
  "A victim of rape every minute somewhere in the world. Why? No one to blame but herself. She displayed her beauty to the entire world... Strapless, backless, sleeveless, showing their legs, nothing but satanic skirts, slit skirts, translucent blouses, miniskirts, tight jeans: all this to tease man and appeal to his carnal nature."
  He has also been known to encourage children to become jihadists, saying, "We want to have children and offer them as soldiers defending Islam ... Teach them this: there is nothing more beloved to me than wanting to die as a martyr."
  However, despite the videos linked to the suspect's YouTube page which promote nothing but an extremely radical and Wahhabi brand of Islam, the younger brother's tweets don't show them to be very religious at all. In fact, the twitterfeed belonging to the younger brother features various references to drugs, women and getting rich '' unfortunately, fairly unremarkable for the average 19-year old guy, but fairly extraordinary for two men claiming to be devout holders of their faith.
  In fact, Tamerlan had previously been arrested in 2009 for assaulting his girlfriend and had said that he did not smoke or drink anymore, all signs that he wasn't raised in a very religious or cultural environment.
  With so much information surfing through the internet and speculation coming from left and right, it's difficult to remember that at the end of the day, there is little that we know to be concrete. Although social media has granted us some insight into what these men were like, it is still too early to assume the reasoning behind this attack.
Texas fertilizer plant flew under Dept. Homeland Security radar '-- RT USA
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  The fertilizer plant which exploded, killing at least 14 and partially razing a small Texas town, failed to alert the DHS it was storing 1,350 times the amount of ammonium nitrate allowable without mandatory safety checks, Reuters reports.
  West Fertilizer, the owner of the plant, shirked its obligation to tell the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) it was holding such massive quantities of the chemical compound which is widely used in explosives, a source familiar with the agency told Reuters.
  Fertilizer plants and depots must report to the DHS when they hold 400 pounds or more of ammonium nitrate due to its widespread use in the manufacture of bombs.
  However, at the time of the blast, at least 540,000 pounds (270 tons) of ammonium nitrate was in a storage building, according to recent filings with both the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which were not passed on to the DHS. The plant was also holding anhydrous ammonia and several other agriculture chemicals.
  Pentagon explosives experts say that a blast entailing 270 tons of ammonium nitrate would dwarf virtually any non-nuclear weapons in the US arsenal.
  It was also more than 100 times the weight of the ammonium nitrate and fuel-oil mix used in the deadly 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 and injured over 800.
  The company, however, had previously told Texas regulators that any accident at the facility would not be large enough to cause an explosion. A risk management plan filed by the company in 2011 had further failed to mention the presence of ammonium nitrate at the site, the LA Times reports.
  While the EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are responsible for overseeing safety at such fertilizer plants, they do not regulate the handling or storage of ammonium nitrate.
  That responsibility falls mostly under the DHS, which is tasked with aiding in the measurement of plant risks and devising relevant safety plans once the relevant information is passed on by the company.
  Under this scheme of self-reporting, fertilizer operations can be fined or shut down for failing to inform the DHS of significant volumes of hazardous chemicals. More than 4,000 sites are currently subject to the DHS program.
  Although the DHS is empowered to carry out on the spot inspections at such facilities, budgetary constraints and a
  ''small number'' of field auditors have hindered the department's monitoring regime, the source told Reuters.
  Failing to receive a so-called top-screen report from West Fertilizer, the plant flew under the DHS radar, bypassing the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Act (CFATS).
  The DHS focuses
  "specifically on enhancing security to reduce the risk of terrorism at certain high-risk chemical facilities," Reuters cites departmental spokesman Peter Boogaard as saying.
  "The West Fertilizer Co. facility in West, Texas is not currently regulated under the CFATS program." Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D-MS), a ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, described West Fertilizer as being
  ''willfully off the grid'' in the run-up to the explosion.
  "This facility was known to have chemicals well above the threshold amount to be regulated under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Act (CFATS), yet we understand that DHS did not even know the plant existed until it blew up," he said in a statement.
  Investigative reporter David Lindorff told RT that such accidents were the result of "the entire regulatory apparatus'' falling into the hands of corporations who benefit from lax regulations.
  ''We essentially have a free-for-all in the United States for dangerous factories and producers of these kinds of explosive chemicals. They can build them anywhere they want -- right next to a hospital, a nursing home, a school, and there's no controls at all.''
Obama Deports Top Saudi Terrorist After Boston Kill Plot Foiled
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  World's Largest English Language News Service with Over 500 Articles Updated Daily
  "The News You Need Today'...For The World You'll Live In Tomorrow."
  What You Aren't Being Told About The World You Live In
  IronMountainApocalypse: The True Story Of 2013
  A ''must have'' book for those seeking to understand the true events surrounding the most troubled years of our modern times. (Continued)
  Picking up the Pieces: Practical Guide for Surviving Economic Crashes, Internal Unrest and Military SuppressionBy: Sorcha Faal ''In the span of less than 3 months gasoline prices will rise 500%. The prices of both food and shelter rise over 300%. (Continued)
  Partisans Handbook:By: Sorcha Faal ''Essential Survival Guide For Resisting Foreign Military Occupation, Escape And Evasion Techniques, Surviving Interrogation, Facing Execution, Wilderness Survival (Continued)
  April 20, 2013
  Obama Deports Top Saudi Terrorist After Boston Kill Plot Foiled
  By:Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers
  The Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) is reporting today that President Barack Obama [photo top left bowing to Saudi king] has deported from the United States the top Saudi-linked terrorist responsible for the Boston Marathon Bombing citing ''national security reasons'' for the swift expulsion of Abdulrahman Al Harbi [photo 2nd left] from America.
  As we had previously reported in our 17 April report ''Obama Warned Is ''True Target'' Of Boston Massacre'' and 19 April report ''Saudis Claim MOSSAD ''Hit Squad'' Responsible For Boston Massacre,'' Federal Security Service (FSB) analysts had stated that President Obama was the ''true target'' of this terror attack as he was meant to be targeted during his 18 April trip to Boston to visit the wounded and participate in a memorial ceremony for the victims.
  These same FSB analysts further detailed in their reports how Saudi Arabia had previously warned the United States, in secret meetings with both Obama and US Secretary of State John Kerry, that a MOSSAD''hit squad'' comprising Saudi, Chechnya and Yemeni nationals were responsible for this massacre and was being protected by ''certain elements'' within the American intelligence community.
  Most curious about Obama's 18 April visit to Boston, this report says, is why the US Secret Service, and other American intelligence agencies, would allow their President to enter an established ''combat-terror zone'' where a known cell of terrorists were operating and had yet to be captured or killed.
  Going from the mere curious to outright amazement, this report continues, was that during Obama's 18 April visit to Boston, his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, visited the Saudi terrorist Abdulrahman Al Harbi in hospital while he was under guard and immediately prior to her husband, the President, ordering him deported about an hour later.
  First Lady Michelle Obama's hospital visit with Abdulrahman Al Harbi is made even more puzzling, the GRU says, given that he is the nephew of the feared Saudi terrorist, and close friend of the late Osama bin Laden, Khaled bin Ouda bin Mohammed al-Harbi, who is also the son-in-law of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current leader of the militant Islamist organization al-Qaeda.
  Important to note is that even as the so called ''mainstream'' US media continues to ignore this Saudi terrorist, the same cannot be said of the conservative American media personality Glen Beck, who yesterday issued a warning that unless the true facts surrounding Abdulrahman Al Harbi are made public by the government, by Monday 22 April, he will expose their complicity in the Boston Marathon Bombing.
  To if elements within the US government were indeed complicit in this horrific terror attack, this report says, there does appear to be ''strong evidence'' due to the large number of American military personal and intelligence agents pre-posted all around the Boston Marathon route immediately prior to the bombing.
  Also, this GRU report says, prior to the Boston Marathon starting, US police and military elements detonated an explosive device in what they described as a ''controlled explosion'' and stated to the runners witnessing this event that it was a part of a drill they were conducting and told everyone to ''remain calm.''
  Even more suspicious, this report continues, were the US Navy Seals seen near the finish line bombings wearing large black backpacks. The popular American alternative news site Infowars.com is further reporting today that when they attempted to post pictures and information to their Facebook page about these US Navy Seals they were blocked from doing so.
  What remains ''inexplicable,'' this GRU report says, is that shortly after Obama left the Boston ''combat-terror zone'' on 18 April, and signed the deportation order for Saudi terrorist Abdulrahman Al Harbi, the FBI released to the media photographs of brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev [photos 3rd and 4th left] naming them as ''Suspects #1 and #2'' in the Boston Marathon Bombing.
  This FBI action, according to the GRU, is ''highly suspect'' as both of these brothers, and various other members of their families, have been under continued surveillance by US intelligence agencies since their coming to the United States under a refugee programme started over a decade ago by the Jewish Community Development Fund in Russia and Ukraine resettling Chechnya displaced persons.
  Within hours of the Tsarnaev brothers being named as suspects by the FBI, GRU analysts say in this report, their actions (as evidenced by their continued use of social media sites Facebook, You Tube and Twitter) resemble those of ''scared children'' rather than their being highly-trained terrorists, who were nevertheless targeted by US police and military authorities for elimination.
  To if either of these brothers were, indeed, terrorists this GRU report does not speculate on, other than it noting that if they were, their actions, both prior and subsequent to the Boston Marathon Bombing, show a ''level of sophistication bordering on the absurd.'' In fact, this report says, the younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, as recently as 15 March, posted on his Twitter account pictures of his new, black Chevrolet Camaro, an action deemed ''highly unlikely'' by the GRU for a supposed terrorist.
  The parents of these two brothers, Anzor Tsarnaev and Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, both living in Russia, further deny their sons involvement in this terror plot with their mother, Zubeidat, stating that her biggest suspicion surrounding the case was the constant FBI surveillance she said her family was subjected to over the years. She further stated that she is surprised that having been so stringent with the entire family, the FBI had no idea the sons were supposedly planning a terrorist act.
  Their father, Anzor, further stated about his sons, ''I'm sure about my children, in their purity. I don't know what happened and who did this. God knows and he will punish them. Somebody might have set them up. I don't know who and because of their cowardice killed the boy.''
  Ruslan Tsarni, these brothers uncle living in the US, also stated to the US media, ''I strongly believe they were just puppets and executors of something of bigger scale.''
  Russian 'Alpha' Special Forces team-veteran and vice-president of its International Association, Aleksey Filatov, in an interview with RT News, said he believes there is more to the case than meets the eye. He emphasizes, firstly, that the origin and religious beliefs of the suspect(s), along with the specifics of the bombing, have all been carefully pre-meditated and planned by someone within the United States in order to distract the public from the true identity and long-term aims of the actual planners.
  To what the ''true identity'' and ''long term aims'' are for the ''actual planners'' of terror attack, and its aftermath, which turned one of America's largest city into a war zone, this GRU report only notes that the United States has become the ''undisputed masters'' in staging these ''terror dramas'' for purposes designed to enrich their political, banking and corporate elites at the expense of everyone else through war.
  And with up to 20,000 US troops now flooding into Jordan awaiting Obama's order to invade Syria, the ''new war'' these Americans always seem to crave appears nearer than any of them really know.
  April 20, 2012 (C) EU and US all rights reserved. Permission to use this report in its entirety is granted under the condition it is linked back to its original source at WhatDoesItMean.Com. Freebase content licensed under CC-BY and GFDL.
  [Ed. Note: Western governments and their intelligence services actively campaign against the information found in these reports so as not to alarm their citizens about the many catastrophic Earth changes and events to come, a stance that the Sisters of Sorcha Faal strongly disagrees with in believing that it is every human beings right to know the truth. Due to our missions conflicts with that of those governments, the responses of their 'agents' against us has been a longstanding misinformation/misdirection campaign designed to discredit and which is addressed in the report ''Who Is Sorcha Faal?''.]
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BBC do hit piece on Gold [video]
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Sen. Lindsey Graham: Boston bombing "is Exhibit A of why the homeland is the battlefield".
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  U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
  I spoke with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) by phone just a few minutes ago. He said of the Boston bombers: ''They were radicalized somewhere, somehow.'' Regardless of whether they are international or ''homegrown,'' he said, ''This is Exhibit A of why the homeland is the battlefield.'' Recalling Sen. Rand Paul's filibuster, Graham noted that he took to the Senate floor specifically to object to Rand's notion that ''America is not the battlefield.'' Graham said to me, ''It's a battlefield because the terrorists think it is.'' Referring to Boston, he observed, ''Here is what we're up against,'' and added, ''It sure would be nice to have a drone up there [to track the suspect.]'' He also slammed the president's policy of ''leading from behind and criminalizing war.'' I'll have more on my interview with Sen. Graham on Sunday.
  Meanwhile, in a separate conversation this morning I spoke with Sen. Marco Rubio's communications director Alex Conant, who rebuffed the idea that the Boston incident would disrupt immigration reform. He told me, ''It's a developing sttory. It's way too early to draw political conclusions. People who are have already made up their minds [on immigration.]'' In a written statement released later, Conant stated: ''There are legitimate policy questions to ask and answer about what role our immigration system played, if any, in what happened. Regardless of the circumstances in Boston, immigration reform that strengthens our borders and gives us a better accounting of who is in our country and why will improve our national security. Americans will reject any attempt to tie the losers responsible for the attacks in Boston with the millions of law-abiding immigrants currently living in the US and those hoping to immigrate here in the future.'' I will have more of this interview as well on Sunday, including the Rubio team's view of how things are going with his immigration plan roll out.
U.S. Intel Chief Says Iran Isn't Building Nukes.
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:10
  Is Anybody Listening?U.S. Intel Chief Says Iran Isn't Building Nukes.By Nima Shirazi
  April 19, 2013 "Information Clearing House" -"WAIA" - In testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday March 12, 2013, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reaffirmed what the U.S. intelligence community has been saying for years: Iran has no nuclear weapons program, is not building a nuclear weapon and has not even made a decision to do so.
  The annual ''Worldwide Threat Assessment,'' which compiles the collective conclusions of all American intelligence agencies, has long held that Iran maintains defensive capabilities and has a military doctrine of deterrence and retaliation, but is not an aggressive state actor and has no intention of beginning a conflict, let alone triggering a nuclear apocalypse.
  While the U.S. intelligence community assumes that Iran already has the technical capability to produce nuclear weapons, ''should a decision be made to do so,'' Clapper's report states (as it has for years now), ''We do not know if Iran will eventually decide to build nuclear weapons.''
  Were this decision ever to be made, Iran wouldn't even be able to secretly start building a nuclear bomb. ''[W]e assess Iran could not divert safeguarded material and produce a weapon-worth of WGU [weapons-grade uranium] before this activity is discovered,'' Clapper told Congress.
  Even Clapper, who is no stranger to alarmism, acknowledges that ''Iran prefers to avoid direct confrontation with the United States'' and would only act defensively ''in response to perceived offenses.'' Iran's ''decision making is guided by a cost-benefit approach'' based on considerations of ''security, prestige and influence, as well as the international political and security environment,'' Clapper said, thereby dismissing allegations that the Islamic Republic is an irrationalmartyr state. Speaking at a national security conference in Herzliya on Thursday, Israel's own military intelligence chief concurred with Clapper's assessment. While sure to continue advancing its nuclear program in the coming year, he said, Iran had not actually decided to build a bomb.
  Such findings are wholly consistent with past assessments.
  In April 2010, Defense Intelligence Agency director Ronald Burgess told the Senate Committee on Armed Services, ''Iran's military strategy is designed to defend against external threats, particularly from the United States and Israel'' and ''to slow an invasion and force a diplomatic solution to hostilities.'' The following year, he explained that ''Iran is unlikely to initiate or intentionally provoke a conflict or launch a preemptive attack,'' and reiterated this conclusion in early 2012.
  With these findings in mind '' assessed and reaffirmed as they are year after year '' it is alarming indeed that journalists, pundits, establishment think tank analysts, and a wide array of governmentofficials continue to parrot the claim that Iran is ''the world's most dangerous state'' and ''one of the gravest threats to international security.''
  Such hysteria and fear-mongering, as always, is simply not borne out by the facts.
  UPDATE:April 18, 2013 - Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee today and reiterated the same assessment regarding Iran as was delivered in March 2013.
  The exact same statements - verbatim - were included in Clapper's unclassified report, including the assessment that "Iran is developing nuclear capabilities to enhance its security, prestige, and regional influence and give it the ability to develop nuclear weapons, should a decision be made to do so. We do not know if Iran will eventually decide to build nuclear weapons."
  Of course, as Clapper notes, Iran's ability to potentially manufacture the components is inherent to its advanced nuclear infrastructure and is not an indication of an active nuclear weapons program, which all U.S. intelligence agencies agree Iran does not have.
  As such, Clapper told the Senate Committee, "Iran has the scientific, technical, and industrial capacity to eventually produce nuclear weapons. This makes the central issue its political will to do so."
  In his testimony, Clapper stated that, were the decision to weaponize its nuclear energy program to be made by Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran could theoretically reach a "breakout" point within "months, not years." His report repeats the assessment, though, that "[d]espite this progress, we assess Iran could not divert safeguarded material and produce a weapon-worth of WGU before this activity is discovered."
  Again, undermining the bogus claims that Iran is an irrational and reckless actor, Clapper maintained the judgment that "Iran's nuclear decisionmaking is guided by a cost-benefit approach," balancing its own domestic interests with "the international political and security environment." Iran also has a defensive - not aggressive - military posture, one based on "its strategy to deter - and if necessary retaliate
  against - forces in the region, including US forces" were an attack on Iran to occur.
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Setting the Stage for War: US Troops Deployed to Jordan, Preparations to Invade Syria?
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  Archived Version
  Source: Set You Free News
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:09
  In testimony before the US Senate Armed Forces Committee on Wednesday, top US defense officials announced that they are deploying 200 troops of the 1st Armored Division to Jordan. They will establish headquarters near the Syrian-Jordanian border and plan for a rapid build-up, involving 20,000 or more US troops, awaiting orders from the White House to invade Syria.
  By Alex Lantier | Global Research
  A US invasion force would reportedly include Special Forces troops and regular units preparing for operations inside Syria, as well as air defense units guarding against possible retaliatory Syrian air strikes on Jordan.
  US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the Senate committee that these deployments are part of ''robust military planning for a range of contingencies,'' carried out by the United States and its European and Middle Eastern allies.
  At the same time, Washington is carrying out an international diplomatic offensive setting the stage for war with the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The topic of US military operations against Syria will reportedly be on the agenda of US Secretary of State John Kerry's discussions in Turkey this weekend, of General Martin Dempsey's talks with Chinese officials next week, and of Hagel's upcoming talks with military officials in Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
  As US officials admitted, invading Syria would likely involve the United States in a regional war throughout the Middle East. Hagel said that a US intervention in Syria ''could have the unintended consequence of bringing the United States into a broader regional conflict or proxy war.'' He noted that this ''could embroil the US in a significant, lengthy, and uncertain military commitment.''
  He detailed the streams of cash Washington is pouring into the anti-Assad opposition, including $117 million for ''communications and medical equipment'' as well as undisclosed US State Department and US Agency for International Development funding. Hagel explained, ''The goal is to strengthen those opposition groups that share the international community's vision for Syria's future and minimize the influence of extremists.''
  Hagel was apparently referring to Washington's fears that ultra-right Islamist terrorist groups active in the opposition and funded by the United States' Middle Eastern allies could take over Syria, should the Assad regime collapse. The Al Nusra Front, the military spearhead of the US-backed opposition in Syria, recently swore loyalty to Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. (See ''Syrian opposition militia declares allegiance to Al Qaeda'')
  Though the US has been fighting a proxy war with Syria since 2011, Hagel's comments were the first public confirmation that the Obama administration is preparing a direct US invasion of Syria. Launching such a neo-colonial war would be a historic crime against the population of the Middle East on the scale of the Bush administration's unprovoked invasion of Iraq.
  That such a war is being planned 10 years after the unpopular US war in nearby Iraq'--which cost over a million Iraqi lives, tens of thousands of US casualties, and trillions of dollars'--is a devastating exposure of the decay of American democracy.
  The Obama administration and the Democratic Party, having come to power in 2008 with cynical and false appeals to popular opposition to the Iraq war, is pursuing similar policies, with total contempt for popular opposition to war in the US and Middle Eastern population.
  In pursuing regime change in Syria, US imperialism is seeking to impose its hegemony on the entire Middle East. Besides Syria, it is targeting and trying to isolate Syria's main regional ally, oil-rich Iran, which has emerged as the strongest regional power in the Persian Gulf. It also hopes that by eliminating Assad, it will cut off the flow of arms and money to forces and groups in Lebanon and the Occupied Territories opposed to Israel.
  The Obama administration's official justifications for the war'--that war is necessary to secure Syria's chemical weapons, or to restrain terrorist forces operating inside the US-backed opposition but that are somehow opposed by Washington'--are absurd lies. They are contradicted even by the testimony of US officials.
  Speaking in a separate meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Kerry made clear that Washington is working very closely with the countries that are funding Al Qaeda-linked forces in Syria. He said, ''The United States policy right now is that we are not providing lethal aid, but we are coordinating very, very closely with those who are.''
  As for Syria's chemical weapons, General Dempsey told the Senate committee that he was not confident that a US invasion of Syria would secure them, as the Assad regime has been moving them to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile, Al Qaeda-linked fighters. Dempsey explained, ''They have been moving [the stockpiles], and the number of sites is quite numerous.''
  Dempsey indicated that he was not sure that the US can ''clearly identify the right people'' to support inside the Islamist-dominated Syrian opposition. He added, ''The introduction of military power right now certainly has the possibility of making the situation worse.''
  The Senate Armed Forces Committee chairman, Democratic Senator Carl Levin, criticized Hagel and Dempsey's testimony for not threatening Assad strongly enough. He told reporters that after the hearing, he had asked Hagel and Dempsey if they wanted to send a ''tough message'' to Assad, adding: ''Their answer is yes. That's not what came out in their testimony. We didn't hear it.''
  Levin recently co-wrote a letter with Republican Senator John McCain to Obama, calling on him to establish a ''safe zone'' for US-backed opposition fighters in Syria. The letter stated that ''the time has come to intensify the military pressure on Assad.''
  On Wednesday, the anniversary of Syria's independence from French colonial rule, Assad gave a televised address denouncing the US-led war in Syria. While Assad's reactionary regime is no friend of the working class'--having imposed free-market policies in Syria and repeatedly made deals with US imperialism to crush opposition to Israel'--Assad hit the nail on the head when describing the imperialist forces arrayed against him. They are waging a military campaign to re-impose colonial shackles on the Middle East.
  He said, ''The truth is, what is happening is a war. It is not security problems. It is a war in every sense of the word. There are big powers, especially Western powers, who historically never accepted the idea of other nations having their independence. They want those nations to submit to them.''
  Asked about other Middle Eastern countries' role in stoking the war on Syria, he said: ''We mustn't blame those countries, because they're not independent. The decision is made by foreign countries.'' Assad tartly dismissed claims by the US and its European allies that they are waging ''humanitarian'' war in Syria, noting: ''We saw their humanitarian intervention in Iraq, in Libya, and now we see it in Syria.''
TSA Chief: Chechen Women With Explosive Bras Inspired U.S. Airport Pat Downs. (video)
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:08
  Man gets TSA pat down at Denver International Airport on Nov. 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Craig Walker)
  (CNSNews.com) - Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole said at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in 2010 that his agency's policy of doing intrusive pat downs of U.S. air passengers was inspired by two Chechen women who were able to blow up two Russian airliners because "they had explosives in their bras and around their waists."
  In fact, a November 2005 report by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security specifically stipulated that TSA's pat down policy had been initiated in response to the in-air bombing of two Russian airliners by Chechen women who smuggled explosives in their clothing.
  ''In September 2004, the TSA made changes to strengthen its screening procedures in response to the August 2004 midair explosions of two Russian airliners, believed to have been caused by Chechen women transporting explosive devices concealed under their clothing,'' said the inspector general's report.
  ''New passenger screening procedures included more frequent use of pat-down inspections, more latitude for screeners to refer individuals for additional screening, and increased use of explosives trace detection machines for passenger carry-on bag inspections,'' said the inspector general.
  Women gets a TSA pat down at Denver International Airport. (AP Photo/Craig Walker)
  On Aug. 24, 2004, Amanat Nagayeva and Satsita Dzbirkhanova boarded separate flights at Domodedovo Airport outside Moscow," the New York Times reported at the time. Both flights exploded in the air, killing all 90 people who were on board the two planes. It was the beginning of an horrendous Chechen terror spree in Russia.
  A week later, another Chechen women committed a suicide bombing at a Moscow subway station. That bomb, as reported by the New York Times, included not ball bearing and nails (like the bombs that exploded at the Boston Marathon this week), but was "packed with bolts or other bits of metal."
  Just days after the 2004 Moscow subway bombing, a group of Chechen terrorists held approximately 1,200 people hostage'--most of them children'--at a school in Beslan in southern Russia. That crisis ended when a bomb exploded in the school and Russian troops laid siege to the facility. Most of the 338 victims of that terrorist attack were students.
  About three weeks later, in September 2004, as reported by the Washington Post, Shamil Basayev, the Islamist terrorist who had previously served as prime minister of Chechnya, took credit for the airplane bombings, the subway bombing and the Beslan school massacre.
  That same month, as the inspector general reported, TSA instituted a more aggressive pat down policy at airports. Then, in the face of widespread public complaints about those pat downs, TSA modified its policy in December 2004.
  ''In December 2004, TSA modified the September 2004 additional screening procedures to reflect a more targeted, less intrusive pat-down inspection,'' said the inspector general's report. ''Following implementation of the modified procedures, pat-down complaints received by TSA declined significantly.''
  In November 2010, however, the Obama administration instituted its own aggressive patdown policy. ''If a full-body scanning machine shows something strange or a passenger declines to go through the machine--which is now in use in the Washington region's three major airports--an officer will perform a more personal search,'' the Washington Post reported at that time. ''The examinations routinely involve the touching of breasts and genitals, invasive searches designed to find weapons and suspicious items.''
  At the same time, some news organizations ran videos showing intrusive pat downs. The Washington Times, for example, described an interview TSA Administrator Pistole had with CNN that month in which the network ''showed him video of a woman whose breasts were being felt and a man with his hand in another man's pants.''
  At a Nov. 22, 2010 Christian Science Monitor breakfast a reporter asked Pistole about video footage of intrusive pat downs. Pistole pointed back to the 2004 Chechen suicide bombings of Russian planes--which he mistakenly said occured in 2006.
  ''Well, I think it shows something that people have not seen before,'' said Pistole. ''But I think back to two Russian airliners, I believe it was in the fall of '06, that were taken down--the best intelligence is by two female suicide bombers about 90 minutes apart, where they had explosives in their bras and around their waists.
  "Now the question is: What was the screening on that? Was there some others issues?" said Pistole. "But I think there were 134 people were killed between those two terrorist attacks, and the belief was they were Chechens, black widows as they referred to them, who brought those airliners down. So, that is the challenged that we deal with.''
LA Times: Alex Jones has a sick theory about the Boston Marathon bombings
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  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:08
  Usually, it would be best to ignore conspiracy-mongers such as Alex Jones and not reward him and his angry gaggle of paranoiac followers with any sort of attention. But, in a week when thoughts of the dead and maimed victims of the Boston Marathon bombings weigh heavy on the hearts and minds of most Americans, it is worth pointing out what a worthless waste of skin and bones Jones and his minions happen to be.
  Nearly as soon as I heard about the bombings on Monday, I was certain that somewhere in the nutty right-wing blogosphere someone was already concocting a storyline that would blame the crime on PresidentObama and the federal government. Alex Jones came through with impressive rapidity.
  Jones runs a radio show from Austin, Texas. He describes himself as a libertarian and an ''aggressive constitutionalist.'' The Southern Poverty Law Center says he has stirred up racial animus ''to appeal to the fears of the antigovernment Patriot movement.'' He certainly appeals to fear. Jones asserts that both the Oklahoma City bombing and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were perpetrated by the U.S. government as part of a scheme to promote a New World Order through ''exploitable hysteria.''
  So it is no surprise that he is now pushing the idea that the Boston bombings were the nefarious handiwork of federal agents. At Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's press briefing just a few hours after the explosions, one of Jones' minions, Dan Biondi, was on hand to ask the governor if this was a "staged attack to take our civil liberties and promote homeland security while sticking their hands down our pants on the streets?"
  "No," Patrick replied tersely. "Next question."
  Meanwhile, Jones was on the air, on Twitter and on the Internet pushing his claim that the FBI engineered the bombings under the ''false flag'' of a terrorist group as a pretense for expanding the power of the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration. He warned of TSA groping teams at sporting events ''coming soon.''
  Jones is asking Americans to believe that their own government is responsible for all of the worst terrorist attacks in the country's history and that the motivation for the latest one is a desire to grope sports fans. All of this is, of course, total ping-pong-balls-for-brains nonsense. It would be laughable if it were not for the fact that this conspiracy kook claims 2 million radio listeners and more online followers than Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh combined.
  Jones is a purveyor of the neo-Confederate brand of ''patriotism'' that has gained currency on the far starboard side of American politics. I do not think he should shut up or be shut down; he has the same 1st Amendment rights as I do. But he deserves to be exposed for what he is: a delusional, self-promoting bully who is slandering the very people who are right now doing the truly patriotic work of bringing the Boston bombers to justice.
Boston Bomb suspect's marijuana use blamed for terror attacks.
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  Archived Version
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:08
  Christine Tatum Blames Boston Bombs on Weed (click for full-size)
  It's 4:20 '' the first one! '' here in the Mile High City. I am up late, as I usually am before a big gig, getting all the digital stuff in its place, ironing clothes, and catching up on what has been a horrific week for news in America. My live coverage of the first Cannabis Cup in America (that healthy people can enjoy fully) begins tomorrow on 420RADIO.org at Noon Mountain Time. I am also enjoying my Colorado Constitutional right to possess and smoke some very pleasant marijuana my Lakewood friends and hosts supplied me. It's nice to smoke weed legally. Even though I smoke weed all the time and it's pseudo-quasi-legal in Portland, Oregon, it feels better toking free.
  Today, law enforcement captured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was allegedly caught on camera allegedly dropping a backpack at the Boston Marathon that allegedly contained a bomb that blew the legs off thirty-odd people. Allegedly. Everyone deserves a trial and a fair defense'... even (especially!) terrorists.
  A few of the Twitter and Facebook accounts I follow in the online marijuana community were aghast at the door-to-door searches and lockdowns of the towns. ''False flag!'' a tiny minority cried, supposing that scores of people in the highest municipal, state, and federal government conspired to kill and maim marathon fans in order to something NDAA drones facism corporations sheeple yada yada yada. Others lamented the loss of the 4th Amendment in an emergency, some just hate cops no matter what they are doing.
  I can understand. When your government has declared you a criminal and a danger to children, broken down your door and shot your dog, terrorized your family, imprisoned you for mandatory minimums even rapists don't earn, stolen all of your property and money, and forced you to check the ''Have you ever been convicted of something so we won't hire you?'' box on job applications for the rest of your life, it can make you a little anti-law enforcement.
  However, I was thrilled to see SWAT being used for its actual purpose for once! Not serving marijuana warrants and drug warrants to overwhelmingly peaceful people who will be flooding Denver this 4/20 to experience freedom!
  When we marijuana aficionados celebrate 4/20, it's not because we're looking for a excuse to party and get high. We're getting high already; we don't need a calendar and a watch for that. No, what we are celebrating is our culture and identification as members of an oppressed minority. 4/20 isn't just our ''Stoner Holiday'', it's also like our ''Pride Parade''. It's our stand against those who seek to keep us second-class citizens. It's our rejection of being forced to hide in a smoky garage while our friends drink beer openly in almost every public accommodation. It's our fellowship in shared traditions borne of outlaw status, like taking a furtive toke in a bathroom, blowing smoke through the ventilation fan, using eyedrops and Febreze and a lighted match to disguise the evidence of our ''criminal'' acts. It's a collective rememberance of our friends and family who lost anything from a job or scholarship to their freedom or their life because nature's most human-beneficial plant is banned.
  As I was finishing up my preparations for my 4/20 presentations tomorrow, I received the embedded picture above from a friend. It is from the Facebook account of Christine Tatum. She is a journalist and anti-pot crusader who I've mocked in the past for her over-the-top reefer madness. But this post, on 4/20, blaming marijuana for two young men's destructive lunacy, moves her from the ''mocking'' column to ''righteous indignation'' column on my ''To Do'' list.
  Let's see, there are 26.1 million annual tokers, 17 million monthly tokers, and 2 million daily tokers in America. Two of them are alleged terrorists. That's literally, at best, a one-in-a-million risk.
  Christine Tatum Blames School Shootings on Marijuana (click for full-size)
  Meanwhile, here's a homework assignment for Christine Tatum and you, the reader. Learn a little about the link between anti-depressants and violence. You know, the drugs the FDA has said are safe medicines, unlike marijuana, even as they add a ''black box warning'' that the drugs ''may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults'...'' and may lead to ''acting aggressive, being angry, or violent'' and ''acting on dangerous impulses''. Then, when you learn that many of the school shooters were on these anti-depressants, you might wish they'd have chosen marijuana instead.
  What must 4/20 be like for someone like Christine Tatum who sees violent evil behind the pot leaf? I hope to make it as uncomfortable for her as I can by livestreaming all the peaceful friendly people '' our people '' and educating everyone I can reach about the crucial need to end marijuana prohibition and restore our cannabis hemp heritage. Today, on the first 4/20 in post-legalization Colorado and Washington, we vow to continue legalization of cannabis until all fifty states and all their pot P.O.W.s are free.
  Light it up! Here's to making the Christine Tatums, Paul Chabots, Kevin Sabets, and especially the Gil Kerlikowskes of the nation irrelevant!
Anonymous calls for 'Internet Blackout Day' to protest CISPA
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  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:08
  6:30 PMThe Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which passed the House of Representatives this week, has drawn a lot of criticism from activist groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation for potentially undermining users' online privacy. In particular, the EFF has said that the bill gives Internet companies the right ''to monitor user actions and share data '' including potentially sensitive user data '' with the government without a warrant'' and also ''overrides existing privacy law, and grants broad immunities to participating companies.''
  Hacker collective Anonymous this week called for a massive online protest against CISPA to occur on April 22nd through an ''Internet Blackout Day'' by asking ''web developers and website owners to go dark'' and to also ''display a message as to why you are going dark, and encourage others to do the same.'' The group's call for an online blackout day echoes a similar protest that occurred last year against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in which Reddit and Wikipedia both went dark to protest the bill while Google blacked out its famous Google doodle to symbolize its opposition.
  A video of Anonymous's call for an Internet Blackout Day is posted below.
Radio hams assist in Sichuan earthquake
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: QRZ Forums - Amateur Radio News
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:07
  Radio hams assist in Sichuan earthquake
  Michael Chen BD5RV reports that the Government is seeking radio amateur's assistance in communications because of cell phone outage after the Sichuan quake
  According to local amateurs in Sichuan, 14270kHz and 7050kHz are used in relief communications.
  It is reported that amateurs in Lushan, where this quake centered, are providing communications on V/UHF.
  BBC News reporthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-22228225
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  Don't wait all week for the news!Amateur Radio News - updated daily - 365 days per year
Bahrain Grand Prix protestors: 'Don't race on our blood'. (Euronews video)
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  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:07
  Thousands of protesters have blocked a motorway in Bahrain ahead of the Grand Prix on Sunday.
  Carrying banners that say 'don't race on our blood', they are calling on the Formula 1 bosses to cancel the race due to the poor human rights record of their government.
  Burning tyres lit by protesters blocked roads, and police responded with tear gas. But there are no indications the event will be called off.
  The race was cancelled two years ago during demonstrations which led to 50 deaths and hundreds of arrests.
  More about:Bahrain, Grand Prix, Motorsport, ProtestCopyright (C) 2013 euronews
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Should Police Scanners Be Public?
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  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:05
  Several innocent people have been accused of being responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing thanks to misinformation originating from police scanners. Why are these even broadcast?
  Police Scanner: Bad?Uniden
  The past week has seen a torrent of information, the majority inaccurate, gushing from the faucets of Twitter and Facebook and Reddit and cable news and tabloids and blog posts. The story has become not so much what happened as what didn't happen; as BuzzFeed notes, the most valuable service a respectable publication can perform right now is not to be the first but to act as Virgil, guiding the public through the morass of information they already have.
  In the midst of all this, one of the most difficult sources of information to parse has been one of the oldest: the police scanner. Until this morning, feeds from the Boston Police Department, broadcast over the web and through apps, were publicly available to anyone. Broadcastify, which calls itself "the radio communications industry's largest platform for streaming live audio for public safety, aircraft, rail, and marine related communications," had tens of thousands of listeners. Many of those listeners relayed the chatter they heard to Twitter or Reddit, if members of the public, or through news outlets, if members of the media.
  Police scanners seem like reliable sources of information, a direct line to those who know more than anyone else about what's going on on the ground. News reporters and organizations are posting direct quotes from scanners without any equivocation. You could almost see them thinking, "this stuff originates from the police themselves! It must be real!" Some of these channels, which are essentially just like any AM/FM station, are available to the public, or at least any member of the public with a computer (or, in the past, a $100 scanner). Those are mostly calls from dispatch, according to a detective from the Radnor, Pennsylvania police department who chatted with me about how scanners work. "You can hear police calls, fire calls, EMS calls, public works calls," he said. (Radnor is the hometown of Sunil Tripathi, a Brown student who became a prime suspect in the minds of the public for a few hours last night.) Lindsay Blanton, CEO of the company that owns Broadcastify, confirmed that, saying "Our feed provider terms of service restrict the broadcast of any law enforcement communications that are not routine dispatch frequencies and talkgroups."
  The police doesn't much care that these are available to the public. They're not provided as a service to the public or out of any kind of desire to transparency; many police forces just don't bother encrypting these radio feeds because they're not seen as sensitive. This isn't the only way they communicate; on-duty officers have secure, encrypted lines as well, the detective from Radnor tells me. It's important to note that there's no law requiring police dispatch lines to be public; in fact, many departments, like the Pasadena Police Department, have decided to encrypt all of their frequencies. Pasadena cites concern for victims, whose names and locations are often broadcast over the channel, as the reason for the change.
  What you hear on the scanner is what the dispatcher or communications center hears: a call that something is happening that requires investigation, and conversation that comes from addressing that call. That doesn't make it true, of course, nor does the dispatcher or any police officer make any claim to that effect. When somebody calls the police station and says they see a suspicious person lurking in an alley, what the public hears through the scanner is "possible suspicious person lurking in an alley." If it turns out to be a chair with a coat on it, that's no big deal for the police; they investigated and resolved the call. But if a member of the media hears that, and the call happens to take place in a city in which a recent bombing has killed three and injured hundreds, that chair with a coat can turn into a terrorist with one tweet.
  Early this morning, the Boston Police Department tweeted this:
  In response, Broadcastify shut down its scanner feeds, saying "MA State PD and Boston Police have requested via social media to not post search locations for the Boston bombing suspects - the Boston PD feed is temporarily offline due to this request." This is an indirect request, and a respectful response from Broadcastify; the scanner feed isn't "offline," it's merely harder to find, to try to tamp down the flow of misinformation. Lindsay Blanton, from Broadcastify, told me via email that "we did not receive any formal request - we're just making the temporary decision for now in light of the extraordinary events."
  An academic paper from a doctoral student at the Indiana University School of Journalism examines the legality and ethics of tweeting information from police scanners more closely. Here's the conclusion, with the important part emphasized by me:
  Tweeting public safety radio traffic '' while probably legal and often beneficial '' should be done sparingly and under pre-set guidelines designed to minimize the spread of flawed information and avoid compromising the safety of emergency personnel, the public, and media. If followed, such precautions should lessen the need '' if not the likelihood '' for an aggrieved party to seek legal recourse for alleged defamation.
  Broadcastify is a perfect example of why the most important element of the debate is the need for specific rules. Though Broadcastify did eventually cut off the flow of scanner information to Twitterers, it was only done after several innocents had already suffered the consequences of false accusation.
  * * *
  It generally doesn't hurt that scanners are public. The law states that any criminal in possession of a scanner during the commission of a crime has an increased punishment, to stop them from using dispatch information to make their illegal activities easier, and the most sensitive information isn't exchanged via these channels. But scanners are assumed to be at best a vital part of law enforcement transparency, and at worst harmless, or even funny. They're for people like these guys to get their "personal safety, neighborhood crime awareness, emergency preparedness, and excitement!" It's only now, with the unholy combination of a massive crime story and a relentless need for new information, that police scan dispatches are elevated to the status of unimpeachable, insider fact.
  So now we're reduced to the Boston Police Department having to issue a tweet with the hashtag #MediaAlert to tell us what a police scanner is and when to shut up about it. There's no law that says Broadcastify had to stop broadcasting the feed that led to an innocent kid from Pennsylvania, among many others, becoming national terrorist suspects. We need some sort of guidance to respond to the increased desire and outlets for information.
  Making these rules won't be easy; this is a battle between transparency and oversaturation that will decide how much we are allowed to know and how much we should know. An absolute decision in either direction leads to chaos; people won't stand for having a direct line to law enforcement totally shut down, but we've proved over the past week that we are in no way responsible enough to handle an unfettered flow of information. It's delicate, and there are no easy answers, but something is going to need to change.
Iceland develops 'anti-incest' app for its tiny population.
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:05
  A new smartphone app has been developed to help Icelanders '-- whose country has a population of 320,000 '-- avoid accidental incest while navigating the dating scene.
  Anti-virus software developer Friorik Skulason had previously produced a database where Icelanders could trace their heritage online, which has now allowed three app developers to use the information collected to create an anti-incest feature on their Book of Icelanders Android app.
  The app allows users to "bump" phones, giving them a warning alarm if they are closely related. "Bump the app before you bump in bed," says the app's cheeky slogan.
  Arnar Aoalsteinsson, Alexander Helgason and Hakon Bjornsson, all in their final year at the University of Iceland, developed the app in order to enter an app-building contest sponsored by the owners of the aforementioned slendingab"k database. They won.
  More from GlobalPost: Iceland, where everyone is related to Bjork
  It currently only allows users to figure out who shares a grandparent with them, but the team of developers said it is looking into functionality for spotting common great grandparents too.
  While the app may seem unnecessary to some, others have called it a welcome solution to a form of social embarrassment that is all too common in Iceland.
  "Everyone has heard the story of going to a family event and running into a girl you hooked up with some time ago," Einar Magnusson, a graphic designer in Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, told the Associated Press.
  "It's not a good feeling when you realize that girl is a second cousin. People may think it's funny, but (the app) is a necessity."
  http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/iceland-develops-anti-incest-app-its-tiny-population
Will Media Report: Suspected Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Appears to Be Obama Fan.
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:04
  Several posts on what several news organizations have confirmed as the Twitter profile of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev indicate that that the 19-year-old Chechnyan immigrant was a supporter of Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.
  If that is indeed the case, it does not mean that Obama has any sort of connection with or responsibility for the bombing suspect or his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev. It does, however, completely reverse the fantasy that many American liberals were openly hoping for: that the bombing suspects might be revealed as Timothy McVeigh 2.0, someone whose very name they could use to smear and deride anyone who stands against their belief system. In other words, one of those ''dog whistles'' we keep hearing so much about.
  Now that information has emerged which not only indicates the suspected bombers were not radical conservatives but that one of them appears to be a supporter of President Obama, how widely will it be spread in the endless series of reports trying to report as many details about the two suspects?
  Several news agencies have tracked down a Twitter account which is believed to belong to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the younger of the two brothers whom the FBI has identified as the people responsible for a pressure cooker bomb which killed three people and injured nearly 150.
  Blogger Bob Owens discovered that Tsarnaev made clear his political preferences as he celebrated the reelection of President Obama on November 6th.
  As one can see frome the timeline linked above, Tsarnaev retweeted a statement from Obama's official Twitter account after he won which stated ''This happened because of you. Thank you.''
  He also retweeted a statement from a Twitter user named ''TnL 4/20 Monty'' which expressed approval of Obama's defeat of Romney but urged caution: ''Barack you my dawg but we all puppets in this bitch.''
  The owner of the account also explicitly stated his own approval of Obama saying ''america is impervious to the fuckery #justforthisoneday.''
  Now that this information is known and liberal news organizations are known to be quoting from the J_tsar Twitter account, will they quote the above statements?
  Update: As an assist to liberal readers of this article, here are some recent posts from NewsBusters documenting how various left-wing media figures sought to blame the bombing on conservatives:
  In light of the absurd statements referenced above, might it be time for the organizations who made them apologize for their errors?
  Update 17:25. Both CNN and Buzzfeed have confirmed that the Twitter account referred to in this piece indeed belongs to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The lede of this post has been rewritten to reflect this confirmation.
U.S. to provide $100 million in aid to Syria opposition, including non-lethal military help
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:03
  Syrian rebels attending a training session near Idlib, Syria, December 17, 2012.Photo by AP
  The United States plans to provide about $100 million in new aid to the Syrian opposition that could mean an expansion of non-lethal military assistance for certain rebel groups to include body armor and night-vision goggles, a U.S. official said on Friday.
  Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to announce the new aid package at an international conference on Syria that he will attend in Turkey this weekend, the official said.
  The new assistance will stop short of supplying weapons or other lethal equipment to rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, and also is far less than what some U.S. lawmakers and Syrian opposition leaders are seeking.
CAIR goes into damage control April 19 over Boston attacks
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  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:02
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
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  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
Statement by the President
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  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:02
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  April 19, 2013
  10:05 P.M. EDT
  THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight our nation is in debt to the people of Boston and the people of Massachusetts. After a vicious attack on their city, Bostonians responded with resolve and determination. They did their part as citizens and partners in this investigation.
  Boston police and state police and local police across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts responded with professionalism and bravery over five long days. And tonight, because of their determined efforts, we've closed an important chapter in this tragedy.
  I've been briefed earlier this evening by FBI Director Mueller. After the attacks on Monday, I directed the full resources of the federal government to be made available to help state and local authorities in the investigation and to increase security as needed. Over the past week, close coordination among federal, state, and local officials -- sharing information, moving swiftly to track down leads -- has been critical to this effort.
  They all worked as they should, as a team. And we are extremely grateful for that. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all our outstanding law enforcement professionals. These men and women get up every day, they put on that uniform; they risk their lives to keep us safe -- and as this week showed, they don't always know what to expect. So our thoughts are with those who were wounded in pursuit of the suspects and we pray for their full recovery.
  We also send our prayers to the Collier family who grieve the loss of their son and brother, Sean. "He was born to be a police officer," said his chief at MIT. He was just 26 years old. And as his family has said, he died bravely in the line of duty, doing what he committed his life to doing -- serving and protecting others. So we're grateful to him.
  Obviously, tonight there are still many unanswered questions. Among them, why did young men who grew up and studied here, as part of our communities and our country, resort to such violence? How did they plan and carry out these attacks, and did they receive any help? The families of those killed so senselessly deserve answers. The wounded, some of whom now have to learn how to stand and walk and live again, deserve answers.
  And so I've instructed the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security and our intelligence community to continue to deploy all the necessary resources to support the investigation, to collect intelligence, and to protect our citizens. We will determine what happened. We will investigate any associations that these terrorists may have had. And we'll continue to do whatever we have to do to keep our people safe.
  One thing we do know is that whatever hateful agenda drove these men to such heinous acts will not -- cannot -- prevail. Whatever they thought they could ultimately achieve, they've already failed. They failed because the people of Boston refused to be intimidated. They failed because, as Americans, we refused to be terrorized. They failed because we will not waver from the character and the compassion and the values that define us as a country. Nor will we break the bonds that hold us together as Americans.
  That American spirit includes staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us strong -- like no other nation in the world. In this age of instant reporting and tweets and blogs, there's a temptation to latch on to any bit of information, sometimes to jump to conclusions. But when a tragedy like this happens, with public safety at risk and the stakes so high, it's important that we do this right. That's why we have investigations. That's why we relentlessly gather the facts. That's why we have courts. And that's why we take care not to rush to judgment -- not about the motivations of these individuals; certainly not about entire groups of people.
  After all, one of the things that makes America the greatest nation on Earth, but also, one of the things that makes Boston such a great city, is that we welcome people from all around the world -- people of every faith, every ethnicity, from every corner of the globe. So as we continue to learn more about why and how this tragedy happened, let's make sure that we sustain that spirit.
  Tonight we think of all the wounded, still struggling to recover. Certainly we think of Krystle Campbell. We think of Lingzi Lu. And we think of little Martin Richard. Their lives reflected all the diversity and beauty of our country, and they were sharing the great American experience together.
  Finally, let me say that even as so much attention has been focused on the tragic events in Boston, understandably, we've also seen a tight-knit community in Texas devastated by a terrible explosion. And I want them to know that they are not forgotten. Our thoughts, our prayers are with the people of West, Texas, where so many good people lost their lives; some lost their homes; many are injured; many are still missing.
  I've talked to Governor Perry and Mayor Muska and I've pledged that the people of West will have the resources that they need to recover and rebuild. And I want everybody in Texas to know that we will follow through with those commitments.
  All in all, this has been a tough week. But we've seen the character of our country once more. And as President, I'm confident that we have the courage and the resilience and the spirit to overcome these challenges -- and to go forward, as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
  Thank you very much, everybody.
  END 10:11 P.M. EDT
"We Have The Spirit To Go Forward As One Nation Under God Indivisible With Liberty & Justice For All
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FBI Press Conference After Capture Of Second Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:01
Obama Insist Second Bombing Will Be Tried In Civilian Court
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Bill Maher Jokes About John McCain and Lindsey Graham Being Gay Lovers
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  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:01
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
No Miranda Rights
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:01
The Tsarnaev Questions
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Lame Cherry
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:59
  So, they shoot Chris Dorner and wait for 3 hours for him to bleed out.
  They shoot the Tsar and wait 3 hours for him to bleed out, and he doesn't bleed out.
  Critical but stable condition...
  See there are always those little things like..............
  The Brothers Barack, is a fitting name as they are like Barry Chin in foreigners coming to America, and they do work for the same regime at 1600 Penn Avenue.........
  Where was I?
  Oh yes, the Brothers Barack, who planted the Boston bombs, murdering and maiming people...........savagely went on a shooting spree, blasting people at 7 11, strafing people in Boston neighborhoods in a shootout, and dragging people from cars and murdering them in carjackings.............
  Wait a moment, the known actions of the two Chechen brothers is they never when having opportunities to murder Americans in robbing 7 11's, taking a car in carjackings and discovered by a homeowner ............NEVER HARMED ONE CIVILIAN.
  DISCOVERED: House owner went to check on his boat...
  Now in forensic psychology, terrorists who murder people with bombs, when provided opportunities to murder more infidels, jump at the chance to even beheading them......and yet these brothers, in the heat of the moment, after having alledgedly murdered a police officer, never murdered a person they jacked the car from.
  That would be something that does not fir the profile of people who blow up women and children at marathons, as bombing would mean they could care less about people, and yet these brothers after the bombing, never harmed civilians, but only fought police.
  See it is the little things like that, which point to these brothers were set up as patsies.
  CBS news before the last "critical" shooting of the little brother, had on reports which appeared very much like guilt over being made party to the murder of these Chechens in CBS voiced evidence that these were not jihadists..........Yet of course there is the Washington Post posting otherwise and Matt Drudge drumming up the tar and feathers in trial of public smearing
  Bragged of Bombing...PROFILE: 'WORLD VIEW, ISLAM'...Appears Sympathetic to Al Qaeda...
  I have listened to and watched the smearing of these Chechen brothers in references to "disturbing videos" when the video is about the same thing the Red Cross and Mitt Romney were disturbed about and Hillary Clinton in the number of people murdered in Syria.....which was caused by the Obama regime sending in al Qaeda to oust dictator Assad.Even Matt Drudge has joined in, in this feudalcrat lynching of these Chechen Americans, whose wrestling coach was praising the youngest in being a leader and someone who was above reproach.
  It is interesting to note in the above photo, that no one in civilized Massachusetts is going to be brought up on charges in being as sadistic as a terrorist on 9 11 or at the Marathon, because what does it take to stand next to a dead body, take a "trophy" photo and then post it online after sharing that trophy with your friends.It is a reality and as heinous as what these brothers are accused of doing.......but wait, those who took the photo, are guilty by action, and the brothers are just accused of something by authorities who have lied from the first moment in this Boston bombing.
  The mystery on the minds of the guilty looking CBS is how these two young men, who were normal acting hours before, could suddenly be the mad bombers of Boston, as they loved America......yes the gripe in all of this was always Russia for the Chechens.
  I do not know if a Jack Ruby is going to show up and silence the younger brother who would not bleed out as Boston PD left him there in critical condition for hours 'pretending' to be looking for a bomb........yes a bomb squad that did not show up for 2 hours must have been lost, like the K 9 units just never appeared in the search either......but I do know this, if the reality of the Boston bombings ever is revealed on what was reported exclusively here, then the reality is that the Obama regime set up two innocent men they were grooming as militants, to be patsies for murders the regime was involved in.....and it caused the murder of a city police officer and the end of life for these two brothers.
  You mob got your trophies now, but before you go Mark Levin slobbering at the mic for the next Khadaffi you can mouth ejaculate over, how about answer the criminal prosecution and forensic questions in all of this from the deliberate lies authored by authorities, the leaking of information to make these two brothers act out exactly as they did, the knowing by authorities the brothers would bolt and endanger the public (do not forget it was the police hosing down that neighborhood with full auto fire) and why it was the authorities waited around for this young Tsar to bleed out.
  Even a Russian Ashkenaz who has to work 12 hours before his program in understanding subjects or taking 2 years to write books as Mr. Levin, a member of the bar and Justice, should be able to figure out that someone in power was manufacturing a cover story, to cover up what took at the Boston bombings, and that they were instigating a shoot out to have no court room hearings to refute the public lynchng.....and yes leaving a critical condition......CRITICAL CONDITION person lay around hours, while using Chris Dorner excuses to burn up that corpse after hours of bleeding out, is a cover up in wanting no accused around to have a jury hear a defense that might just point out the things above, in stories from the authorities constantly changed, not from heat of the moment, because the criminal guilt keeps pointing back to the Obama regime.
  Who left those garbage cans on Boston streets? An eyewitness stated to CBS he saw a garbage can blow up, and it was not a bag outside that can.The authorities lied about this immediately when that reality came up here in who left those cans on the streets for those bombs to hidden in.
  Chechens who blow up people, go out of their way to not harm any civilians afterwards.
  They had no apparent problem with a gun battle with an armed police officer they shot...but would not shoot American Citizens.
  The forensic profile does not match, and when that profile changes, it means the person changed as it is a different person. The bomber profile does not match the Chechen brothers actions for days in they protected life.
  This blog does not say these brothers were not inclined to making bombs or having weapons, but it is a different matter in being employed by the Obama regime for a Chechen deployment to destabilize Moscow in having weapons and those same weapons used in bombings or shootings.
  These two brothers in known fact never harmed Americans civilians in known action, so that profile does not match their harming American civilians at a marathon.
  This young brother if he survives, might confess to keep his family safe, might confess to browbeating and might confess due to Manchurian conditioning. That reality does exist.
  Just as the reality of those who have their Chechen trophies on the wall........what happens if your consciences start whispering to you a reality of the above things that point to them not being guilty.
  What happens to your trophies then and your innocence Boston?
  Are you going to blame the authorities for lying to you in things you in blood lust demanded to believe or perhaps you are going to have messiah Obama raise Tamerlan Tsarnaev and make everything all right.....oh wait there is the police officer too.......then 40,000 in Syria......so many trophies for that 2008 and 2012 Birther Obama election theft to be made up for.
  agtG 276
TSAEROVS WORKED FOR THE CIA?
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: aangirfan
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:53
  Tamerlan Tsarnaev, above, was killed. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the other Boston marathon bombs suspect, was capturedThe brothers had traveled in recent years to Russia, officials said. Tamerlan was in Moscow in July 2012, according to a U.S. law enforcement official.Hassan, subjected to CIA mind-control?Major Nidal Hassan, the accused shooter in the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, was very well known to the FBI prior to the massacre.Prior to the massacre, an FBI investigation concluded that Hassan's emails exchanged with al Qaeda's Anwar al-Awlaki were innocent and that he was not a threat.AL-AWLAKIsecretly worked for the CIA
  HeadleyDavid Headley, who planned the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was very well known to the US security services prior to the attacks.Headley had worked for the US Drugs Enforcement Administration and he had boasted to a close friend that he also worked for the CIA.DAVID HEADLEY - 'DRUG DEALER AND CIA AGENT'
  "Alleged Hijackers Trained at U.S. Bases"The Pentagon turned over military records on five men to the FBI
  "By George Wehrfritz, Catharine Skipp and John Barry
  "NEWSWEEK
  "Terrorists in the September 11 attacks received training at secure US military bases, a Defense Department spokesman admitted in an interview Friday."3 days after the WTC disaster, Newsweek and the Washington Post reported that 3 of the hijackers had listed their address as theNaval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.
  Sources: Newsweek, Washington Post, antiwar.com / madcowprod.com /issue06.html /http://www.scoop.co.nz/
  The Bin Ladens are rich westernised oligarchs.Salem bin Laden helped the CIA in Iran-Contra.
  Osama worked with the Jewish Russian mafia.
  The bin Ladens may be crypto-Jews as their home country of Yemen was once Jewish.
  DzhokharDzhokhar Tsarnaev, an eighth-grader, "was quiet, friendly, spoke good English and seemed at home in his adopted country" according to a classmate."He was always a nice kid," said Cam Blauchner, who attended middle school with Dzhokhar. "He was a sweet guy. We played soccer together. I knew he was from Chechnya, but he never talked about it. He never mentioned his religious affiliation. I didn't know he was Muslim.""The 19-year-old Chechen terror suspect partied with college friends on Wednesday night and was said to 'look relaxed'."www.dailymail
  Danino
  Just before the Boston Bombings, Israeli Police Chief Yohanan Danino had organised to send Israeli officers to Boston.According to RT, "Israeli law enforcement planned the trip before the bombings."
  Israelis Flown in for Boston Shoot-Out?
  After the bombings, Danino announced that his officers had flown to Boston to "meet with FBI agents and other authorities" to participate in discussions that "will center on the Boston Marathon bombings and deepen professional cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of both countries."
  "Just a few minutes after the Pentagon was devastated by explosions on 9/11, FBI agents showed up at the gas station and hotel across the street and confiscated security videos showing what had happened.
  "Obviously those agents were sent before the Pentagon had been attacked, by people who orchestrated the attack. It was a crime scene clean-up, not an investigation."
  Israeli False-Flaggers Flown in for Boston Shoot-Out?
  Near the bombs, men who appear to belong to the Craft private military force, made up of former US special forces
  Before the Boston bombs went off, men "wearing unmarked, matching uniforms and operating an unmarked SUV affixed with communication equipment" were located "near the finish line of the Boston Marathon ... just meters away from where the first bomb was detonated."
  They "moved away from the bomb's location before it detonated, and could be seen just across the street using communication equipment and waiting for similar dressed and equipped individuals to show up after the blasts."
  ''Contractors'' at Boston Marathon Stood Near Bomb, Left Before Detonation By Tony Cartalucci
  Tamerlan Tsarnaev
  Tamerlan "was young, had style, drove a nice car, had a great looking girlfriend, liked America'... and was doing what he loved. "
  from What Really Happened / The real Tamerlan Tsarnaev
  The Boston suspects, the Tsarnaevs, are believed to have emigrated from Chechnya.
Weekly Address: America Stands with the City of Boston
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:46
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  April 20, 2013
  WASHINGTON, DC'-- In his weekly address, President Obama spoke to the American people about the act of terror at the Boston Marathon that wounded dozens and killed three innocent people on Monday, and said that through it all, Boston's spirit remains undaunted and Americans have proven they refuse to be terrorized. This past week, first responders, race volunteers, doctors and nurses, and the good people of Boston joined together to show the world how Americans respond to evil: with resilience and resolve, and without fear. And that's the way Boston and America will move forward together.
  The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, April 20, 2013.
  Remarks of President Barack ObamaWeekly AddressThe White HouseApril 20, 2013
  On Monday, an act of terror wounded dozens and killed three innocent people at the Boston Marathon.
  But in the days since, the world has witnessed one sure and steadfast truth: Americans refuse to be terrorized.
  Ultimately, that's what we'll remember from this week. That's what will remain. Stories of heroism and kindness; resolve and resilience; generosity and love.
  The brave first responders '' police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and National Guard '' who ran toward danger to help their fellow citizens.
  The race volunteers, spectators, and exhausted runners who rushed to help, including troops and veterans who never expected to see such scenes on the streets of America.
  The determined doctors and nurses at some of the world's best hospitals, who have toiled day and night to save so many lives.
  The big-hearted people of Boston '' residents, priests, shopkeepers '' who carried victims in their arms; delivered water and blankets; lined up to give blood; opened their homes to total strangers.
  And the heroic federal agents and police officers who worked together throughout the week, often at great risk to themselves, to keep our communities safe. As a country, we are eternally grateful for the profound sacrifices they make in the line of duty '' sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice to defend the people they've sworn to protect.
  If anyone wants to know who we are; what America is; how we respond to evil and terror '' that's it. Selflessly. Compassionately. And unafraid.
  Through days that would test even the sturdiest of souls, Boston's spirit remains undaunted. America's spirit remains undimmed. Our faith in each other, our love for this country, our common creed that cuts across whatever superficial differences we may have '' that's what makes us strong. That's why we endure.
  In the days to come, we will remain vigilant as a nation. And I have no doubt the city of Boston and its surrounding communities will continue to respond in the same proud and heroic way that they have thus far '' and their fellow Americans will be right there with them every step of the way. May God bless the people of Boston and the United States of America.
  ###
"SOMEONE FRAMED THEM!" Father Of Boston Marathon Bombing Suspects
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An Average College Sophomore Who Smoked A LOT Of Marijuana!
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:38
6.6 Earthquake Kills At Least 66 People In China
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France And The UK Have Presented Evidence Nerve Gas Has Been Used In Syria To The UN
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Heroic Federal Agents & Police Officers Who Worked Together Throughout The Week Often At Great Risk
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WHAT IS THE REAL VALUE OF GOLD?
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What Do Russian Citizens Think About The Boston Marathon Bombing Story?
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Boy Scouts to consider lifting ban on openly gay youths
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:35
  By CNN Staff
  updated 12:28 PM EDT, Fri April 19, 2013
  (CNN) -- The Boy Scouts of America would no longer deny membership to youths on the basis of sexual orientation alone, but would maintain its ban on openly gay adult leaders, under a proposal it is considering, the group said Friday.
  The organization's executive committee made the proposal, which is expected to be presented to the Boy Scouts' voting members in May.
  "If approved, the resolution would mean that 'no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.' The BSA will maintain the current membership policy for all adults," Boy Scouts public relations director Deron Smith said.
  The Boy Scouts have been considering a change in their longstanding policy against allowing openly gay members. In February, the Boy Scouts' national executive board postponed a vote on lifting its outright ban on openly homosexual scouts and troop leaders.
FBI agents interviewed bombing suspect in 2011
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:33
  STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  NEW: A foreign government told the FBI that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a follower of radical IslamFBI: Agents interviewed him in 2011 after the foreign government's requestUltimately, the FBI told the foreign government nothing was foundMcCaul: "If he was on the radar, and they let him out of their sights, then that's an issue"(CNN) -- FBI agents interviewed one of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings two years ago, but found no connection with terror groups.
  Agents interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011 at the request of a foreign government that suspected he might have ties to extremist groups, the FBI said Friday.
  "The request stated that it was based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer," the FBI said, "and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country's region to join unspecified underground groups."
  An FBI official declined to name the foreign government, but said the FBI took a number of investigative steps to check on the request, including looking at his travel history, checking databases for derogatory information and searching for Web postings.
  Agents also interviewed Tsarnaev's family members, the FBI said, but did not detect terrorist activity.
  "The FBI did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign, and those results were provided to the foreign government in the summer of 2011," the FBI's statement said. "The FBI requested but did not receive more specific or additional information from the foreign government."
  Latest on Boston bombing case
  U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said Friday that information that Tsarnaev had been interviewed by the FBI in the past was disturbing.
  "It's new information to me and it's very disturbing that he's on the FBI's radar screen," McCaul told CNN's Erin Burnett.
  McCaul praised the FBI's efforts investigating the case since Monday's bombings.
  "But if he was on the radar and they let him out of their sights, then that's an issue, certainly, for me," McCaul said.
  The suspects' parents told Russian state media that the FBI had been speaking with their sons.
  "FBI came to them two or three times, asking 'Are you Chechens? Is anyone harassing you?' Why would anyone offend us? Then they came again. Said they wanted to talk to Tamerlan. We didn't know what was going on, didn't know whether he had done something. But they were saying, 'Oh, it's nothing, it's just routine.' They talked to us at our home," father Anzor Tsarnaev told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency. "I heard myself that they (the FBI) said: 'We know that you read, what you drink, what you eat, where you go.' And then they added that that's routine practice to prevent bombings on the streets of Boston, so that our kids can go to school in peace. This conversation happened half a year ago. But I keep asking, why did they have to talk to him about that then?"
  Mother Zubeidat Tsarnaeva told Russia Today that the FBI had been checking on Tamerlan for three to five years.
  "They knew what he was doing, what sites he was visiting. They followed his every move, yet today they say this is a terrorist act," she said. "The FBI was afraid of my eldest son because he was a leader, could stand up for himself, and talked about Islam a lot. Once they officially called me and told me that they don't doubt his decency. But at the same time they said he gets information from extremists' sites and that they are very afraid of him."
  Earlier Friday, a U.S. official familiar with the latest intelligence information on the Boston Marathon bombings said initial indications were that the two suspects do not have direct links to any major al Qaeda group or affiliates, or to a new significant terrorist threat to the United States.
  These are some early assessments but far from final conclusions, the official said. The assessments are part of a full interagency review now under way by the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement community, who are going back through their databases and information looking for any links to the two men.
  The intelligence review earlier Friday had focused to a large extent on regional militant connections the men have had in Russia or Central Asia. But the official also noted they simply may have been "inspired" by a militant ideology or may simply have been disgruntled persons aiming to carry out an attack, and had no connections to foreign groups. "We simply don't know yet," he said.
  The review was ordered by James Clapper, director of National Intelligence. Initially, before the men were identified by the FBI, the review was looking at any indications of a threat emerging from overseas against the United States. Once the identities of the men became known, with their possible ethnic Chechen background, the focus shifted.
  The intelligence community is tasked under the review with checking any intelligence gathered overseas while the FBI will focus on what is known inside the United States.
  CNN's Boriana Milanova and Amir Ahmed contributed to this report.
Michigan House Unanimously Passes NDAA Nullification Bill
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  Sat, 20 Apr 2013 00:03
  On Thursday, April 18, the Michigan House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill prohibiting state agents and law enforcement from participating with the federal government in the indefinite detention of its citizens.
  By a vote of 109-0, state representatives joined their colleagues in the state senate in protecting citizens of the Wolverine State from being apprehended and detained in federal prisons without trial. The state senate unanimously approved an identical measure in March.
  Representative Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills), the primary sponsor of HB 4138, spoke out in favor of his bill. ''We're standing up for the rights of people in Michigan," McMillin said. ''Due process should be a no-brainer.''
  It should be, but it isn't. Not anymore.
  The Michigan bill is a direct nullification of provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that purport to authorize the president to deploy the U.S. military to apprehend and detain American citizens inside the United States suspected by the president of aiding enemies of the homeland.
  Sections 1021 and 1022 of the 2012 NDAA purport to grant to the president the power to deploy the U.S. armed forces to apprehend and detain any person he suspects of aiding al-Qaeda or ''associated forces.'' Anyone imprisoned under these provisions will be denied their rights under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments, including the right to due process and the right to assistance of counsel.
  With regard to the latter, in 2011, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) infamously told anyone who may be detained indefinitely, ''Shut up! You don't get a lawyer!''
  If states are to perform their obligation to stand as bulwarks of liberty, lawmakers must stand and refuse to allow Senator Graham, President Obama, or any other agent of the federal government to deprive citizens of those rights given to them by God and protected by the Constitution.
  The most potent weapon in the state arsenal against federal tyranny is nullification. Nullification occurs when a state holds as null, void, and of no legal effect any act of the federal government that exceeds the boundaries of its power as drawn in the Constitution.
  States retain the right to act as arbiters of the constitutionality of federal acts because they formed the union, and as creators of the compact, they hold ultimate authority as to the limits of the power of the central government to enact laws that are applicable to the states and the citizens thereof.
  As Congress continues to surrender to the president all legislative, executive, and judicial power, the need for nullification is urgent, and liberty-minded citizens are encouraged to see state legislators boldly asserting their right to restrain the federal government through application of that very powerful and very constitutional principle.
  Michigan becomes just the second state '-- Virginia was first '-- to pass an act nullifying the unconstitutional provisions of the NDAA. There are several states and local governments considering similar measures.
  Local and state lawmakers opposing the tyranny of the NDAA and indefinite detention stand on very sound constitutional ground in their battle against federal overreaching. Any unconstitutional act of the federal government is prima facie void and must not be given the respect or force of law. In fact, such measures are not law at all.
  As Alexander Hamilton explained in The Federalist, No. 33:
  If a number of political societies enter into a larger political society, the laws which the latter may enact, pursuant to the powers intrusted [sic] to it by its constitution, must necessarily be supreme over those societies and the individuals of whom they are composed.... But it will not follow from this doctrine that acts of the larger society which are not pursuant to its constitutional powers, but which are invasions of the residuary authorities of the smaller societies, will become the supreme law of the land. These will be merely acts of usurpation, and will deserve to be treated as such. [Emphasis in original.]
  The pair of bills in Michigan specifically forbid state and local law enforcement, including the state national guard, from aiding ''an agency of the armed forces of the United States in any investigation, prosecution, or detention of any person pursuant to section 1021 of the national defense authorization act....''
  For his part, in a signing statement attached to the NDAA, President Obama assured Americans that he would never use this power to deny them of their due process rights.
  Representative McMillin doesn't buy it. Speaking to MLive, he said, ''I think more and more people are realizing that indefinite detention without due process is something we've got to push back on. It's not every day that we do something to push back on what the federal government does, but this is a good example of an area where we should.''
  It is the obligation of all state legislatures to oppose any and all federal acts that exceed the narrow scope of the powers granted to the federal government by the states in the Constitution.
  Photo of Michigan House of Representatives Chamber in Lansing, Michigan
  Joe A. Wolverton, II, J.D. is a correspondent for The New American and travels frequently nationwide speaking on topics of nullification, the NDAA, and the surveillance state. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
VIDEO-BBC News - Sheryl Sandberg: 'Powerful women are less liked'
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EU Covertly Spending Millions on Front Groups to Take Over the Press | FrontPage Magazine
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:53
  Nothing to see here. An undemocratic multinational organization with unlimited power seeking to quash press criticism through covert means is nothing to worry about.
  And if you disagree, you'll be taken care of too.
  Angered by the British media's coverage of Brussels, the European Commission says it wants to be a ''moral compass'' against press misconduct, seeking new national and Europe-wide regulatory powers over journalists.
  The EU has spent £2.3'‰million on the previously unpublicised ''Mediadem'' project to ''reclaim a free and independent media''. In a ''policy brief'' co-authored by its lead British researcher, Rachael Craufurd Smith, Mediadem says it is ''simplistic'' to ''see state influence [over the press] as inherently stifling''.
  Simplistic is one of those terms the left loves.
  Do you think that state influence that inhibits a free press is a bad thing? Then you're a simplistic fellow. A caveman who roasts his own meat and draws crude paintings on cave walls. But on the other hand if you realize that we'll all be better off when a bunch of unelected bureaucrats take the press away from evil capitalists like Rupert Murdoch and put it in the hands of evil bureaucrats in the EU'... then you're a sophisticate.
  Mediadem recently produced ''recommendations for the UK'' demanding the ''imposition of sanctions beyond an apology or correction'' on errant media outlets and the ''co-ordination of the journalistic profession at the European level''.
  One Gulag coming up. Will that be all, sir? May I please have another.
  Mediadem's report pays tribute to the part played in its work by the Media Standards Trust and the Coordinating Committee for Media Reform (CCMR), the two key constituents of Hacked Off, whose late-night ''deal'' with politicians for a regulated press has sparked a fierce backlash among organisations campaigning for free speech.
  CCMR, run by Left-wing academics at Goldsmith's College, London, believes that concerns about the media ''should not be confined only to individual abuses'' and regulation should not simply be about the ''social-worker mediation of grievances''.
  The group wants a new media regulator to correct the ''national conversation'' which it says has been ''distorted'' by Right-wing newspapers and to change the ''terms of public debate'' by ''imposing public-service duties'' on the press.
  Well that doesn't sound at all Orwellian.
  Asked whether the Mediadem initiative had been prompted by the EU's belief that the press treats it unfairly, Dr Craufurd Smith said: ''I think there might be an element of that. Citizens have a new expectation to obtain reliable information about what's going on in Europe.''
  She said that Mediadem's recommendations were about ''helping to protect the press from inappropriate commercial pressures and potential political pressures''. ''People should not see this as being a threat.''
  And if they do'... then there may be sanctions and public service duties imposed.
  Mediadem is only one of at least five concerted and coordinated initiatives being pursued by Brussels to increase its powers over the media dramatically. Another EU programme, MediaAcT, has channelled about £100,000 of European cash directly to a key Hacked Off ally, the Mediawise campaign group.
  Its EU money does not appear in its published accounts, but the grant and its amount was confirmed by Mediawise's director, Mike Jempson, a lecturer at the University of the West of England. ''The money is paid via the university, where we are based,'' he said. The EU payments appear to account for almost all of Mediawise's recent income.
  MediaAcT is calling for the kind of ''media accountability'' favoured by Hacked Off and other such groups. In one of its papers, ''Mapping media accountability in Europe and beyond,'' Mr Jempson calls for press regulation on the grounds that it will ''ensure that minority views and voices are heard''.
  The actor Hugh Grant, a director and prominent supporter of Hacked Off, has been closely involved in EU-backed press regulation initiatives. Last June he spoke at an event in Brussels organised by the ''Centre for Media Freedom and Media Pluralism,'' a third new EU-funded project for ''media accountability'' established last year and based at the European University Institute in Florence.
  Media freedom and media pluralism is now being used to mean media control. Front groups pushing state control over the press by a vast powerful body are being covertly funded by that body. And all that is about freedom and pluralism.
  Slavery is freedom, you know. It's simplistic to think otherwise.
  A fifth EU initiative, the ''High Level Group on Media Freedom and Pluralism'', recently delivered a report to Ms Kroes, calling for ''a more extensive competence of the EU'' in the field of media regulation. All EU countries, the report said, should be forced to have ''media councils'' exercising draconian controls over the press, including the power to ban people from working as journalists.
  The ''media councils,'' the report said, should have ''real enforcement powers, such as the imposition of fines, orders for printed or broadcast apologies, or removal of journalistic status''. They should ''follow a set of European-wide standards'' and be ''monitored by the commission to ensure that they comply with European values''.
  And they should teach people to love Big Brother.
Watch Charlie Rose | Jonathan Elias, Ray Kelly; Orphans online | Free | Hulu
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Before the Blast, West Fertilizer's Monsanto Lawsuit - Corporate Intelligence - WSJ
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:41
  By Alexandra Berzon
  As details emerge about the Texas fertilizer plant that was the site of Wednesday's fatal explosion and fire, a few tidbits can be gleaned from a 2007 lawsuit that the plant's owners filed against agribusiness giant Monsanto Co.
  The suit, filed as a potential class action in U.S. District Court for the western district of Texas, claimed that Monsanto had artificially inflated prices for its herbicide Roundup through anti-competitive actions. The suit did not relate to storing fertilizer, believed to be at the root of Wednesday's blast.
  The suit was filed by Texas Grain Storage Inc. The company now calls itself West Fertilizer Co.
  In the suit, the company said that it was started in 1957 as a grain-storage business by the Plasek family in the town of West, Texas. It later built a small fertilizer-blend plant and started selling fertilizer to area farmers.
  Zak Covar, executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, told a news conference Wednesday that the fertilizer storage and blending facility had been there since 1962.
  In 1970 it started selling other agricultural products, including some from Monsanto, and by 1997 it had struck a deal with Monsanto to directly purchase Roundup each year.
  A court filing in 2008 indicated that Texas Grain Storage recently had been sold. Emil Plasek is listed as a former owner.Texas Grain Storage said it monitored the Roundup, stored in a stainless steel tank, through a telephone connected to the tank, the company said.
  Many documents in the case are sealed, and the public documents don't reveal the names of the plant's then-current owners. Texas corporation records list the president of the company as Donald R. Adair, and show a business operating as Adair Grain Inc. at the same address.
  Texas Grain Storage was represented by roughly 30 lawyers at 12 firms, according to court records. One lawyer who represented Texas Grain said the suit stalled in 2010 after a magistrate judge denied a request to certify the case as a class action. The lawyer said Texas Grain appealed the ruling, and that a district judge has yet to rule on the appeal. The last public filing in the case was in 2010.
  Monsanto responded to Texas Grain's complaint by saying the company didn't have standing to bring the case and was barred by the statute of limitations. Thursday, a Monsanto spokesman said, ''The long dormant lawsuit filed by Texas Grain had nothing to do with fertilizer or the operation of the West, Texas plant.''
  See also:Full Coverage of the Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion '' WSJ Streams
Boris Berezovsky (businessman) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:33
  Boris Abramovich Berezovsky (Russian: Ð‘Ð¾ÑÐ¸ÌÑ ÐÐ±ÑÐ°ÌÐ¼Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð‘ÐµÑÐµÐ·Ð¾ÌÐ²ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹, 23 January 1946 '' 23 March 2013)[11][12] was a Russianbusiness oligarch, government official and mathematician. He was a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. A supporter of Vladimir Putin, Berezovsky clashed with the new president soon after his election in 2000 and was a vocal critic for the remainder of his life.[13] In late 2000, after the Russian Deputy Prosecutor General demanded that Berezovsky appear for questioning, he did not return from abroad and moved to the UK, which granted him political asylum in 2003.[14] In Russia he was later convicted in absentia of economic crimes (the first charges were brought under Primakov's government in 1999).[15] Russia repeatedly failed to obtain the extradition of Berezovsky from Britain, which became a major point of diplomatic tension between the two countries.[16][17]
  Berezovsky made his fortune in Russia in the 1990s when the country went through privatisation of state property and "robber capitalism".[18] He profited from gaining control over various assets, including the country's main television channel, Channel One. In 1997 Forbes magazine estimated Berezovsky's wealth at US$3 billion.[19] He was at the height of his power in the later Yeltsin years, when he was deputy secretary of Russia's security council, a friend of Boris Yeltsin's influential daughter Tatyana, and a member of the Yeltsin "family" (inner circle).[20] Berezovsky helped fund Unity '' the political party, which formed Vladimir Putin's parliamentary base,[21] and was elected to the Duma on Putin's slate.[22] However, following the Russian presidential election in March 2000, Berezovsky went into opposition and resigned from the Duma.[23] After he moved to Britain, the government took over his television assets,[24] and he divested from other Russian holdings.
  In a 2000 article in The Washington Post, Berezovsky argued that in the absence of a strong civil society and middle class it may sometimes be necessary for capitalists "to interfere directly in the political process" of Russia as a counterweight to ex-Communists "who hate democracy and dream of regaining lost positions."[25] A prominent critic on the global stage was billionaire George Soros, who compared Russian oligarchs with the American Robber Barons of late 19th century[26] and blamed them for the failure of reforms in Russia.[27]Paul Klebnikov also extensively criticized Berezovsky, and accused him of various crimes in his articles and book. Some of the accusations though have later been dismissed in the UK courts.
  From his new home in the UK, where he and associates including Akhmed Zakayev, Alexander Litvinenko and Alex Goldfarb became known as "the London Circle" of Russian exiles, Berezovsky publicly stated that he was on a mission to bring down Putin "by force" or by bloodless revolution.[20][28] He established the International Foundation for Civil Liberties, to "support the abused and the vulnerable in society '' prisoners, national minorities and business people" in Russia and criticized Putin's record in the West.[29]
  In 2012, Berezovsky lost a London High Court case he brought over the ownership of Sibneft against Roman Abramovich, in which he sought over £3 billion in damages.[30] The court judged Berezovsky as an "inherently unreliable" witness, who "regarded truth as a transitory, flexible concept, which could be moulded to suit his current purposes" and that "At times the evidence which he gave was deliberately dishonest; sometimes he was clearly making his evidence up as he went along in response to the perceived difficulty in answering the questions."[31][32] The court concluded that Berezovsky had never been a co-owner of Sibneft.[33]
  Berezovsky was found dead in his home in Ascot, Berkshire on March 23, 2013.[34] According to British police, a post-mortem exam found that his death was consistent with hanging and that there were no signs of a violent struggle.[35]
  [edit]Early life and scientific researchBerezovsky was born in 1946, in Moscow, to Abram Markovich Berezovsky (1911-1979),[36] a Jewish civil engineer in construction works, and his wife Anna Aleksandrovna Gelman (born November 22, 1923).[37] He studied applied mathematics, receiving his doctorate in 1983.[38][39] After graduating from the Moscow Forestry Engineering Institute in 1968, Berezovsky worked as an engineer, from 1969 till 1987 serving as assistant research officer, research officer and finally the head of a department in the Institute of Control Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences.[40] Berezovsky conducted research on optimization and control theory, publishing 16 books and articles between 1975 and 1989.
  [edit]Political and business career in Russia[edit]Accumulation of wealthIn 1989 Berezovsky took advantage of the opportunities presented by perestroika to found LogoVAZ with Badri Patarkatsishvili and senior managers from AvtoVAZ. LogoVAZ developed software for AvtoVAZ, sold Soviet-made cars and serviced foreign cars.[41] The dealership profited from hyperinflation by taking cars on consignment and paying the producer at a later date when the money lost much of its value.[42]
  One of Berezovsky's early endeavours was AVVA (All-Russia Automobile Alliance), a venture fund he formed in 1993 with Alexander Voloshin (Boris Yeltsin's future Chief of Staff) and AvtoVAZ Chairman Vladimir Kadannikov.[42] Berezovsky controlled about 30% of the company, which raised nearly US$50 million from small investors through a bonded loan to build a plant producing a "people's car". The project did not collect sufficient funds for the plant and the funds were instead invested into AvtoVAZ production, while the debt to investors was swapped for equity.[43][44] By 2000 AVVA held about one-third of AvtoVAZ.[45]
  In 1994 Berezovsky was the target of the car bombing incident, but survived the assassination attempt, in which his driver was killed and he was injured.[46]Alexander Litvinenko led the FSB investigation into the incident and linked the crime to the resistance of the Soviet-era AvtoVaz management to Berezovsky's growing influence in the Russian automobile market.[47]
  Berezovsky's involvement in the Russian media began in December 1994, when he gained control over ORT Television (see Channel One (Russia)) to replace the failing Soviet Channel 1.[48] He appointed the popular anchorman and producer Vladislav Listyev as CEO of ORT. Three months later Listyev was assassinated amid a fierce struggle for control of advertising sales.[49] Berezovsky was questioned in the police investigation, among many others, but the killers were never found.[50] Under Berezovsky's stewardship, ORT became a major asset of the reformist camp as they prepared to face Communists and nationalists in the upcoming presidential elections.[51]
  From 1995 to 1997 through the controversial loans-for-shares privatisation auctions[52][53] (see Privatisation in Russia), Berezovsky and Patarkatsishvili assisted Roman Abramovich in acquiring control of Sibneft, the sixth-largest Russian oil company, which constituted the bulk of his wealth.[54][55] In a 2000 article in The Washington Post Berezovsky revealed that American financier George Soros declined an invitation to participate in the acquisition.[56]
  In 1995, he played a key role in a management reshuffle at Aeroflot and participated in its corporatization,[41] with his close associate Nikolai Glushkov becoming Aeroflot's CFO. In January 1998 it was announced that Sibneft would merge with Mikhail Khodorkovsky's Yukos to create the third-largest oil company in the world.[57] The merger was abandoned five months later amid falling oil prices.[58]
  [edit]Role in Yeltsin's reelection in 1996Berezovsky entered the Kremlin's inner circle in 1993 through arranging for the publication of Yeltsin's memoirs and befriended Valentin Yumashev, the President's ghost-writer.[59][60][61]
  In January 1996, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Berezovsky liaised with fellow oligarchs to form an alliance '' which later became known as "Davos Pact"[62] '' to bankroll Boris Yeltsin's campaign in the upcoming presidential elections.[63] On his return to Moscow Berezovsky met and befriended Tatyana Dyachenko, Yeltsin's daughter,[61] According to a later profile by The Guardian, "Berezovsky masterminded the 1996 re-election of Boris Yeltsin... He and his billionaire friends coughed up £140 million for Yeltsin's campaign".[64]
  In the summer of 1996, Berezovsky had emerged as a key advisor to Yeltsin, allied with Anatoly Chubais, opposing a group of hardliners led by General Alexander Korzhakov.[65] One night in June, in the drawing room of Club Logovaz, Berezovsky, Chubais and others plotted the ouster of Korzhakov and other hardliners.[61] On 20 June 1996, Yeltsin fired Korzhakov and two other hawks, leaving the reformers' team in full control of the Kremlin.[66] Firing them was controversial though, as Korzhakov a few days before caught two of Yeltsin's campaign organizers carrying USD500,000 cash without invoices out of presidential administration building.[67]
  On 16 June 1996, Yeltsin came first in the first round of elections after forging a tactical alliance with Gen. Alexander Lebed, who finished third. On 3 July, in the runoff vote, he beat the Communist Gennady Zyuganov. His victory was due largely to the support of the TV networks controlled by Gusinsky and Berezovsky (NTV and ORT) and the money from the business elite.[68]The New York Times called Berezovsky the "public spokesman and chief lobbyist for this new elite, which moved from the shadows to respectability in a few short years".[61]
  [edit]Role in Chechen conflictOn 17 October 1996, Yeltsin dismissed General Alexander Lebed from the position of National Security Advisor amid allegations that he was plotting a coup and secretly mustering a private army.[69] Lebed promptly accused Berezovsky and Gusinsky of engineering his ouster, and formed a coalition with the disgraced General Alexander Korzhakov.[70] The dismissal of Lebed, the architect of the Khasavyurt peace accord, left Yeltsin's Chechen policy in limbo. On 30 October 1996, in a political bombshell, Yeltsin named Ivan Rybkin as his new National Security Advisor and appointed Berezovsky Deputy Secretary in charge of Chechnya[71] with a mandate to oversee the implementation of the Khasavyurt Accord: that is, the withdrawal of Russian forces, the negotiation of a peace treaty, and the preparation of a general election. On 19 December 1996, Berezovsky made headlines by negotiating the release of 21 Russian policeman held hostage by the warlord Salman Raduev amid efforts by radicals from both sides to torpedo peace negotiations.[72]
  On 12 May 1997, Yeltsin and Maskhadov signed the Russian''Chechen Peace Treaty in the Kremlin. Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Berezovsky outlined his priorities for the economic reconstruction of Chechnya, particularly the construction of a pipeline for transporting Azerbaijani oil. He called upon the Russian business community to contribute to the rebuilding of the republic, revealing his own donation of US$1 million (some sources mention US$2 million) for a cement factory in Grozny.[73] This payment would come to haunt him years later, when he was accused of funding Chechen terrorists.[74]
  After his dismissal from the Security Council, Berezovsky vowed to continue his activities in Chechnya as a private individual[75] and maintained contact with Chechen warlords. He was instrumental in the release of 69 hostages, including two Britons, Jon James and Camilla Carr, whom he flew in his private jet to the RAF Brize Norton in September 1998.[76][77] In a 2005 interview with Thomas de Waal, he revealed the involvement of British Ambassador Sir Andrew Wood and explained that his former negotiations counterpart, the leader of Islamic militants Movladi Udugov helped arrange the Britons' release.[78]
  Berezovsky had a phone conversation with Movladi Udugov in the spring of 1999, six months before the beginning of fighting in Dagestan. A transcript of that conversation was leaked to a Moscow tabloid on 10 September 1999 and appeared to mention the would-be militants' invasion. It has been the subject of much speculation ever since. As Berezovsky explained later in interviews to de Waal[78] and Goldfarb,[47] Udugov proposed to coordinate the Islamists' incursion into Dagestan, so that a limited Russian response would topple the Chechen president Aslan Maskhadov and establish a new Islamic republic, which would be anti-American but friendly to Russia. Berezovsky said that he disliked the idea but reported Udugov's ouverture to prime-minister Stepashin. "Udugov and Basayev," he asserted, "conspired with Stepashin and Putin to provoke a war to topple Maskhadov ... but the agreement was for the Russian army to stop at the Terek River. However, Putin double-crossed the Chechens and started an all-out war."[47]
  [edit]Battle with "Young Reformers"In March 1997, Berezovsky and Tatyana Dyachenko flew to Nizhniy Novgorod to persuade Governor Boris Nemtsov to join Chubais' economic team,[61] which became known as the government of Young Reformers. This was the last concerted political action of the "Davos Pact" (see above). Four months later the group split into two cliques fiercely competing for Yeltsin's favour.[79] The clash was precipitated by the privatization auction of the communication utility Svyazinvest, in which Onexim bank of Chubais' loyalist Vladimir Potanin, backed by George Soros, competed with Gusinsky, allied with Spanish Telef"nica. An initially commercial dispute swiftly developed into a contest of political wills between Chubais and Berezovsky.[79] Potanin's victory unleashed a bitter media war, in which ORT and NTV accused the Chubais group of fixing the auction in favor of Potanin, whereas Chubais charged Berezovsky with abusing his government position to advance his business interests.[80] Both sides appealed to Yeltsin, who had proclaimed a new era of "fair" privatization "based on strict legislative rules and allowing no deviations".[81] In the end, both sides lost. Berezovsky's media revealed a corrupt scheme whereby a publishing house owned by Onexim Bank paid Chubais and his group hefty advances for a book that was never written. The scandal led to a purge of Chubais' loyalists from the government.[82] Chubais retaliated by persuading Yeltsin to dismiss Boris Berezovsky from the national security council. Berezovsky's service on the Security Council ended on 5 November 1997.[83] Soros called the Berezovsky-Chubais clash a "historical event, in the reality of which I would have never believed, if I had not watched it myself. I saw a fight of the people in the boat floating towards the edge of a waterfall". He argued that the reformist camp never recovered from the wounds sustained in this struggle, setting the political stage for conservative nationalists, and eventually Vladimir Putin.[80]
  [edit]The Kremlin Family and Putin's rise to powerIn the Spring of 1998, Berezovsky emerged in the centre of a new informal power group '' the "Family", a close-knit circle of advisers around Yeltsin, which included Yeltsin's daughter Tatyana and his chief of staff, Yumashev. It was rumoured that no important government appointment could happen without the Family's support.[84] By 1999, the Family also included two of Berezovsky's associates, his former AVVA partner Alexander Voloshin, who replaced Yumashev as Yeltsin's chief of staff, and Roman Abramovich.[85]
  The principal concern of the Family was finding an "electable" successor to Yeltsin to counter presidential aspirations of then prime-minister Yevgeny Primakov who was leaning to the Communists. Political battles of the Family with Primakov's camp dominated the two last years of Yeltsin's presidency.[86]
  In November 1998, five officers of FSB led by Lieutenant ColonelAlexander Litvinenko, in a televised press-conference revealed an alleged plot by their superiors to assassinate Berezovsky.[87]
  In April 1999 Russia's Prosecutor General, Yury Skuratov opened an investigation into embezzlement at Aeroflot and issued an arrest warrant for Berezovsky, who called the investigation politically motivated and orchestrated by Primakov.[88]Nikolai Glushkov, Aeroflot's former General Director later revealed that conflict with Primakov arose from the irritation that Berezovsky's management team caused in the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, which Primakov headed before becoming prime minister, over firing of thousands of spies, who used Aeroflot as a front organization in Soviet times.[89][90][91] The arrest warrant was dropped a week later, after Berezovsky submitted to questioning by the prosecutors. No charges were brought.[92] Yeltsin sacked Primakov's government shortly thereafter and replaced him with Sergey Stepashin as new prime-minister.[93]
  Vladimir Putin's meteoric rise from relative obscurity to the Russian presidency in the course of a few short months of 1999 has been attributed to his intimacy with the "Family" as a protege of Berezovsky and Yumashev. By the end of 1999 the Family had persuaded Yeltsin to name Putin his political successor and candidate for the presidency.[28][94][95]
  Berezovsky's acquaintance with Putin dated back to the early 1990s, when the latter, as Deputy Mayor of St. Petersburg, helped Logovaz establish a car dealership.[96] They enjoyed friendly relations; on occasion, Berezovsky took Putin skiing with him in Switzerland.[28]
  In February 1999, when Berezovsky's political standing looked uncertain because of his clash with Primakov over Aeroflot, Putin, then Director of the FSB, made a bold gesture of friendship by showing up at a birthday party for Berezovsky's wife. "I absolutely do not care what Primakov thinks of me", Putin told Berezovsky on that night. That was the beginning of their political alliance.[96] According to the Times, Spanish police discovered that on up to five different occasions in 1999 Putin had secretly visited a villa in Spain belonging to Berezovsky.[97]
  In mid-July 1999 the Family dispatched Berezovsky to Biarritz, where Putin was holidaying, to persuade him to accept the position of prime minister and the role of heir apparent.[96][98] On 9 August Yeltsin sacked the government of Sergei Stepashin and appointed Putin prime minister, amid reports that Berezovsky had masterminded the reshuffle.[99]
  Putin's principal opponents were the former Prime Minister Evgeny Primakov and the Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, backed by the alliance Fatherland-All Russia. To counter this group in the Duma elections of 1999, Berezovsky was instrumental in the creation, within the space of a few months, of the Unity party, with no ideology other than its support for Putin.[100][101] Later he disclosed that the source of Unity's funding, with Putin's knowledge and consent, was Aeroflot.[102] In the 1999 election Berezovsky campaigned as a Putin loyalist and won a seat in the Duma, representing the North Caucasian republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia.[101]
  During the Duma election campaign Berezovsky's ORT TV served as an extremely effective propaganda machine for the Putin camp, using aggressive attack reporting and programming to denigrate and ridicule Putin's rivals, Primakov and Luzhkov, tactics strongly criticized as undue interference with the media.[103] But Unity got a surprisingly high score in the elections, paving the way for Putin's election victory in spring 2000.[86]
  [edit]Conflict with Putin and emigrationBerezovsky's disagreements with Putin became public three weeks into Putin's presidency. On 8 May 2000 Berezovsky and Abramovich were spotted together at Putin's invitation-only inauguration ball in Moscow.[104] But on 31 May Berezovsky sharply attacked the constitutional reform proposed by the president, which would give the Kremlin the right to dismiss elected governors. In an open letter to Putin published in Kommersant Berezovsky, then a Duma deputy, said that he would be obliged to vote against the president's legislative project, which was "directed toward changing the state's structure" and represented a "threat to Russia's territorial integrity and democracy."[105] On 17 July, Berezovsky resigned from the Duma, saying he "did not want to be involved in the country's ruin and the restoration of an authoritarian regime".[106] In August Berezovsky's media attacked Putin for the way he handled the sinking of the Kursk submarine, blaming the death of 118 sailors on the Kremlin's reluctance to accept foreign help.[107] In September, Berezovsky alleged that the Kremlin had attempted to expropriate his shares in ORT and announced that he would put his stake into a trust to be controlled by prominent intellectuals.[108]
  In October, in an interview in Le Figaro, Putin announced that he would no longer tolerate criticism of the government by media controlled by the oligarchs. "If necessary we will destroy those instruments that allow this blackmail", he declared.[109] Responding to a question about Berezovsky, he warned that he had a "cudgel" in store for him. "The state has a cudgel in its hands that you use to hit just once, but on the head. We haven't used this cudgel yet. We've just brandished it... [But] the day we get really angry, we won't hesitate to use it."[109]
  In the same month, Russian prosecutors revived the Aeroflot fraud investigation and Berezovsky was questioned as a witness.[110] On 7 November 2000 Berezovsky, who was travelling abroad, failed to appear for further questioning and announced that he would not return to Russia because of what he described as "constantly intensifying pressure on me by the authorities and President Putin personally. Essentially," he said, "I'm being forced to choose whether to become a political prisoner or a political emigrant." Berezovsky claimed that Putin had made him a suspect in the Aeroflot case simply because ORT had "spoken the truth" about the sinking of the submarine Kursk.[111] In early December his associate Nikolai Glushkov was arrested in Moscow and Berezovsky dropped the proposal to put ORT stake in trust.[112]
  [edit]Divestment from Russian holdings2001 was the year of systematic takeover by the government of privately owned television networks, in the course of which Berezovsky, Gusinski and Patarkatsishvili lost most of their media holdings,[24] prompting one of them to warn of Russia "turning into a banana republic" in a letter to The New York Times.[113] In February, Berezovsky and Patarkatsishvili sold their stake in ORT to Roman Abramovich, who promptly ceded editorial control to the Kremlin.[114] Berezovsky later claimed that there was a secret understanding that Nikolai Glushkov would be released from prison as part of that deal, a promise that was never fulfilled.[115][116] In April, the government took control of Vladimir Gusinsky's NTV.[117] Berezovsky then moved to acquire a controlling stake in a smaller network, TV-6, made Patarkatsishvili its Chairman, and offered employment to hundreds of locked out NTV journalists.[118] Almost immediately, Patarkatshishvili became a target of police investigation and fled the country.[119] In January 2002 a Russian arbitration court forced TV-6 (Russia) into liquidation. The liquidation of TV-6 was precipitated by LUKoil, a partly state-owned minority shareholder, using a piece of legislation that was almost immediately repealed.[120][121]
  In 2001 Berezovsky and Patarkatsishvili ended their involvement in Sibneft for a US$1.3 billion fee from Roman Abramovich.[55] This transaction was the subject of a later dispute in the UK commercial courts, with Berezovsky alleging that he had been put under pressure to sell his stake to Abramovich at a fraction of the true value,[122] an allegation that the court rejected.[55]
  In 2006 Berezovsky sold the newspaper Kommersant ("The Businessman") and his remaining Russian assets.[123]
  [edit]High Court case against AbramovichIn 2011 Berezovsky brought a civil case against Roman Abramovich in the High Court of Justice in London, accusing Abramovich of blackmail, breach of trust and breach of contract, and seeking over £3 billion in damages.[30] This became the largest civil court case in British legal history.[124]
  Berezovsky's claimed past ownership of Sibneft '' which constituted the bulk of his fortune '' was put into question by Abramovich, who in a statement to the High Court in London asserted that Berezovsky had never owned shares in Sibneft, and that US$1.3 billion paid in 2001 ostensibly for his stake in the company was actually in recognition of Berezovsky's "political assistance and protection" during the creation of Sibneft in 1995.[125] The hearings, which started on 3 October 2011, examined Berezovsky's US$5.5 billion claim against Abramovich for damages arising from the sale of his assets under alleged "threats and intimidation".[126] The Daily Mail reported that Berezovsky only succeeded in serving a writ on Abramovich when both men happened to be shopping on Sloane Street, with Berezovsky dashing from Dolce and Gabbana to confront Abramovich in Hermes.[127]
  On 31 August 2012, the High Court found for Abramovich.[32] The High Court judge stated that because of the nature of the evidence, the case hinged on whether to believe Berezovsky or Abramovich's evidence. In her ruling, the judge observed: "On my analysis of the entirety of the evidence, I found Mr. Berezovsky an unimpressive, and inherently unreliable, witness, who regarded truth as a transitory, flexible concept, which could be moulded to suit his current purposes... I regret to say that the bottom line of my analysis of Mr. Berezovsky's credibility is that he would have said almost anything to support his case."[30][31][32]:16''18 She ruled that the monies paid represented a final payment in discharge of all obligations.[32][55]
  [edit]Exile in BritainOnce in Britain, Berezovsky launched a concerted campaign to expose alleged misdeeds of Vladimir Putin, from suppressing freedom of speech[128] to committing war crimes in Chechnya.[129] He also accused Russia's FSB security service of staging the Moscow apartment bombings of 1999 in order to help Putin win the presidency.[130] Many of these activities were funded through the New York based International Foundation for Civil Liberties directed by Berezovsky's friend Alex Goldfarb.
  Berezovsky bought a Belgravia flat, a house on Surrey's Wentworth Estate, and for a while owned the 172-acre Hascombe Court estate in Godalming.[131] In 2012, he sold his Wentworth Estate house.[33]
  [edit]Convictions in absentia and investigations abroadAfter Berezovsky gained political asylum in Britain, the Russian authorities vigorously pursued various criminal charges against him. This culminated in two trials in absentia. A Moscow trial in November 2007 found him guilty of embezzling nearly 215m roubles (£4.3m) from Aeroflot. The court said that in the 1990s Berezovsky was a member of an "organised criminal group" that stole the airline's foreign currency earnings. From London, Berezovsky called the trial, which sentenced him to six years in prison, 'a farce'.[132] In June 2009, the Krasnogorsk City Court near Moscow sentenced Berezovsky to thirteen years imprisonment for defrauding AvtoVAZ for 58 million rubles (US$1.9 million) in the 1990s. Berezovsky was represented by a court-appointed lawyer.[133]
  In spite of Berezovsky's successes in Britain in fighting off extradition requests and exposing Russian court convictions as politically motivated (see below), some other jurisdictions cooperated with Russian authorities in seizing his property and targeting his financial transactions as money laundering. Berezovsky succeeded in overturning some of these actions. In July 2007, Brazilian prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Berezovsky in connection with his investment in the Brazilian football club Corinthians.[134] However, a year later the Brazilian Supreme Court cancelled the order and stopped the investigation.[135] On Russian requests, French authorities have raided his villa in Nice in search of documents,[136] and seized his two yachts parked on the French Riviera.[137] However, some months later, the boats were released by a French court.[138] Swiss prosecutors have been assisting their Russian colleagues for over a decade in investigating Berezovsky's finances.[139]
  [edit]Accusations and libel suits in the UKBerezovsky's meteoric enrichment and involvement in power struggles have been accompanied by allegations of various crimes from his opponents. After his falling out with Putin and exile to London, these allegations became the recurrent theme of official state-controlled media, earning him comparisons with Leon Trotsky[140] and the Orwellian character Emmanuel Goldstein.[141]
  In 1996 Forbes, an American business magazine, published an article by Paul Klebnikov entitled 'Godfather of the Kremlin?' with the kicker 'Power. Politics. Murder. Boris Berezovsky could teach the guys in Sicily a thing or two.'[142] The article, which Klebnikov subsequently expanded into a book (see below), fulfilled the promise of these phrases by linking Berezovsky to corruption in the car industry, to the Chechen mafia and to the murder of Vladislav Listyev. In 2000, the House of Lords gave Berezovsky and Nikolai Glushkov permission to sue for libel in the UK courts, raising legal questions relating to jurisdiction of the UK courts. Given that only 2,000 of the 785,000 copies sold worldwide were sold in the United Kingdom, this lead numerous scholars to cite the case as an example of libel tourism.[143][144][145][146][147] The case slowly proceeded until the claimants opted to settle when Forbes offered a partial retraction.[147] The following statement appended to the article on the Forbes website summarises: 'On 6 March 2003, the resolution of the case was announced in the High Court in London. Forbes stated in open court that (1) it was not the magazine's intention to state that Berezovsky was responsible for the murder of Listiev, only that he had been included in an inconclusive police investigation of the crime; (2) there is no evidence that Berezovsky was responsible for this or any other murder; (3) in light of the English court's ruling, it was wrong to characterize Berezovsky as a mafia boss; and (4) the magazine erred in stating that Glouchkov had been convicted for theft of state property in 1982.[148] In 2000, Klebnikov published the book titled Godfather of the Kremlin: Boris Berezovsky and the looting of Russia (the 2001 edition was titled Godfather of the Kremlin: The Decline of Russia in the Age of Gangster Capitalism), there he elaborated his allegations from Forbes articles.[149][150][151]
  In 2006, a UK court awarded Berezovsky £50,000 in libel damages against the Russian private bank Alfa Bank and its Chairman, Mikhail Fridman. Fridman had claimed on a Russian television programme that could be watched in the UK that Berezovsky had threatened him when the two men were competitors for control of the Kommersant publishing house, and that making threats was Berezovsky's usual way of conducting business. The jury rejected the defendants' claim that Fridman's allegations were true.[152]
  In June 2006, The Guardian apologised to Berezovsky over an article published on 2005 about the Russia's attempt to have him extradited to face fraud charges in Russia. The article described Berezovsky as a "wanted defrauder of the Russian region of Samara". In a statement read out in open court, The Guardian accepted that granting him political asylum in 2003 meant that the British government had concluded that there were no "serious reasons for considering that he has committed a serious non-political crime" in Russia. The Guardian accepted that its description of Berezovsky was unjustified and apologised for its error. Berezovsky accepted the apology and withdrew his libel suit.[153]
  In March 2010, Berezovsky, represented by Desmond Browne QC, won a libel case and was awarded £150,000 damages by the UK High Court over allegations that he had been behind the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.[154] The allegations had been broadcast by the Russian state channel RTR Planeta in April 2007 on its programme Vesti Nedeli, which could be viewed from the UK. In his judgement judge David Eady stated: "I can say unequivocally that there is no evidence before me that Mr Berezovsky had any part in the murder of Mr Litvinenko. Nor, for that matter, do I see any basis for reasonable grounds to suspect him of it." Berezovsky had sued both the channel and a man called Vladimir Terluk, whom Mr Justice Eady agreed was the man who had been interviewed in silhouette by the programme under the pseudonym 'Pyotr'. Terluk had claimed that to further his UK asylum application Berezovsky had approached him to fabricate a murder plot against himself, and that Litvinenko knew of this. Mr Justice Eady accepted that Terluk had not himself alleged Berezovsky's involvement in the murder of Litvinenko, but considered that his own allegations were themselves serious and that that there was no truth in any of them. As RTR did not participate in the proceedings, Terluk was left to defend the case himself, receiving significant assistance (as the judge noted) from the Russian prosecutor's office. The Guardian described the case as 'almost anarchic at times as officials from the Russian prosecutors' office repeatedly intervened despite not being party to proceedings. So obvious was their intention that when one of their mobile phones went off in court one day, Browne quipped: "That must be Mr Putin on the line."[146] The defendants appealed to the Court of Appeal but the appeal was dismissed, Lord Justice Laws giving a judgment with which the Chancellor of the High Court and Lady Justice Rafferty agreed. The Lord Justice described a witness statement of Andrei Lugovoi, newly adduced by the defendants, as 'not sensibly capable of belief'.[155]
  [edit]Business and personal activities in exileIn recent years, Berezovsky conducted business with Neil Bush, the younger brother of the US PresidentGeorge W. Bush. Berezovsky was an investor in Bush's Ignite! Learning, an educational software corporation, since at least 2003. In 2005, Neil Bush met with Berezovsky in Latvia, causing tension with Russia due to Berezovsky's fugitive status.[156] Neil Bush was also seen in Berezovsky's box at the Emirates Stadium, the home of British football club Arsenal F.C., for a game.[157] There had been speculation that the relationship might become a cause of tension in Russo-American bilateral relations.[158]
  Berezovsky gave money to a company run by Prince Michael of Kent's private secretary between 2002 and 2008, amounting to £320,000. The prince's spokesman said the money funded 'cultural and charitable activities'.[159]
  It had been speculated that Berezovsky's wealth may have been depleted with the onset of the late 2000s recession. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, in 2011 his net worth was about US$900 million.[160]
  [edit]Appeals for regime changeIn September 2005, Berezovsky said in an interview with the BBC: "I'm sure that Putin doesn't have the chance to survive, even to the next election in 2008. I am doing everything in my power to limit his time frame, and I am really thinking of returning to Russia after Putin collapses, which he will."[28] In January 2006, Berezovsky stated in an interview to a Moscow-based radio station that he was working on overthrowing the administration of Vladimir Putin by force.[161] Berezovsky also publicly accused Putin of being "a gangster"[162] and the "terrorist number one".[163]
  On 13 April 2007, in an interview with The Guardian', Berezovsky declared that he was plotting the violent overthrow of President Putin by financing and encouraging coup plotters in Moscow: "We need to use force to change this regime. It isn't possible to change this regime through democratic means. There can be no change without force, pressure."[164] He also admitted that during the last six years he had struggled hard to "destroy the positive image of Putin" and said that "Putin has created an authoritarian regime against the Russian constitution.... I don't know how it will happen, but authoritarian regimes only collapse by force."[165] Berezovsky said he had dedicated much of the last six years to "trying to destroy the positive image of Putin" held by many in the West by portraying him whenever possible as a dangerously anti-democratic figure.[18]
  Soon after Berezovsky's 2007 statement, Garry Kasparov, a significant figure in the opposition movement The Other Russia and leader of the United Civil Front, wrote the following on his website: "Berezovsky has lived in emigration for many years and no longer has significant influence upon the political processes which take place in Russian society. His extravagant proclamations are simply a method of attracting attention. Furthermore, for the overwhelming majority of Russian people he was a political symbol of the 90s, one of the "bad blokes" enriching themselves behind the back of president Yeltsin. The informational noise around Berezovsky was specifically beneficial for the Kremlin, which was trying to compromise Russia's real opposition. Berezovsky has not had and does not have any relation to Other Russia or the United Civil Front."[167] Berezovsky responded in June 2007 by saying that "there is not one significant politician in Russia whom he has not financed" and that this included members of Other Russia. The managing director of the United Civil Front, in turn, said that the organization would consider suing Berezovsky over these allegations,[168] but the lawsuit has never been brought before the court.
  The Russian Prosecutor General's Office had launched a criminal investigation against Berezovsky to determine whether his comments could be considered a "seizure of power by force", as outlined in the Russian Criminal Code. If convicted, an offender faces up to twenty years imprisonment, however Berezovsky is now deceased. The British Foreign Office denounced Berezovsky's statements, warning him that his status of a political refugee might be reconsidered, should he continue to make similar remarks. Furthermore, Scotland Yard had announced that it would investigate whether Berezovsky's statements violated the law.[169][170] However in the following July, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that Berezovsky would not face charges in the UK for his comments. Kremlin officials called it a "disturbing moment" in Anglo-Russian relations.[171]
  [edit]Involvement in the 2004 Ukraine presidential electionIn September 2005 former president of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk accused Berezovsky of having financed Viktor Yushchenko's 2004 Ukrainian presidential election campaign, and provided copies of documents showing money transfers from companies he claimed were controlled by Berezovsky to companies controlled by Yuschenko's official backers.[172] Berezovsky confirmed that he met Yushchenko's representatives in London before the election, and that the money was transferred from his companies, but he refused to confirm or deny that the companies that received the money were used in Yushchenko's campaign. Financing of election campaigns by foreign citizens is illegal in Ukraine.[173] In November 2005 Berezovsky also claimed he had heavily financed Ukraine's Orange Revolution (that had followed the presidential election).[174] In September 2007, Berezovsky launched lawsuits against two Ukrainian politicians, Oleksandr Tretyakov, a former presidential aid, and David Zhvaniya, a former emergencies minister.[175] Berezovsky was suing the men for nearly US$23 million, accusing them of misusing the money he had allocated in 2004 to fund the Orange Revolution.[175] Yushchenko has denied Berezovsky financed his election campaign.[172]
  Berezovsky called on Ukrainian business to support Yushchenko in the 2010 presidential election of January 2010 as a guarantor of debarment of property redistribution after the election.[176] On 10 December 2009 the Ukrainian minister of interior affairsYuriy Lutsenko stated that if the Russian interior ministry requested it Berezovsky would be detained upon arriving in Ukraine.[176]
  [edit]Alleged assassination attempts in London[edit]Alleged 2003 plotAccording to Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) agent in London was preparing to assassinate Berezovsky with a binary weapon in September 2003. This alleged plot was reported to British police.[177]Hazel Blears, then a Home Office Minister, said that inquiries made [into these claims] were "unable to either substantiate this information or find evidence of any criminal offences having been committed".[178]
  [edit]Alleged 2007 plotIn June 2007 Berezovsky said he fled Britain on the advice of Scotland Yard, amid reports that he was the target of an assassination attempt by a suspected Russian hitman. On 18 July 2007, British tabloidThe Sun reported that the alleged would-be assassin was captured by the police at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane.[179][180] They reported that the suspect, arrested by the anti-terrorist police after being tracked for a week by MI5, was deported back to Russia when no weapons were found and there was not enough evidence to charge him with any offence.[181] In addition, they said British police placed a squad of uniformed officers around Akhmed Zakayev's house in north London, and also phoned Litvinenko's widow, Marina, to urge her to take greater security precautions.[182] Russia's ambassador to the UK, Yuri Fedotov, said he was not aware of any such plot and told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there was "nothing that could confirm" the plot, although British police did confirm that they had arrested a suspect in an alleged murder plot.[183]
  Berezovsky said he was told the assassin would be someone he knew, who would shoot him in the head and then surrender to the police. He again accused Vladimir Putin of being behind a plot to assassinate him.[184] The Kremlin has denied similar claims in the past.[183] According to The Guardian, there is speculation that Berezovsky leaked details of the alleged attempt to kill him to the media to antagonise Moscow, once the British authorities had returned the suspected hitman to Moscow. The timing of the story has also been seen as suspicious, coming in the middle of a row over Britain's attempts to charge a Russian businessman and former security agent, Andrei Lugovoi, with Litvinenko's murder.[182]
  According to the interview given by a high-ranking British security official to the BBC2 in July 2008, the alleged Russian agent, known as "A", was of Chechen nationality.[185] He was identified by Kommersant as the Chechen mobsterMovladi Atlangeriyev; after returning to Russia, Atlangeriyev was forcibly disappeared in January 2008 by unknown men in Moscow.[186]
  [edit]Death of Alexander LitvinenkoAlexander Litvinenko, one of Berezovsky's closest associates, was murdered in London in November 2006 with a rare radioactive poison, Polonium 210. The British authorities charged a former FSB officer and head of security at ORT Andrey Lugovoy with the murder and requested his extradition, which Russia refused.[187] Several Russian diplomats were expelled from UK over the case.[188] The UK government has not publicly expressed a view on the matter, but allegations that the murder was sponsored by the Russian state have been expressed by "sources in the UK government", according to the BBC,[189] and by officials of the US Department of State, as revealed by Wikileaks;[190] they were reflected in a 2008 resolution by the US Congress.[191] The intricate details of the murder, the relationship between Litvinenko and Berezosvsky, and the implications of the case have been described in the 2007 book, "Death of a Dissident '-- The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB" by Alex Goldfarb with Marina Litvinenko.[192]
  An alternative theory '' that the murder was orchestrated by Berezovsky with the aim of "framing" the Russian government and discrediting it on the global stage '' has been aired in the Russian state-funded media,[193] by Lugovoy,[194] by Litvinenko's Italy-based father[195] and by Russian officials.[196] Berezovsky won a UK libel suit against Russian State Television over these allegations in 2010 (see above), following which he commented, "I trust the conclusions of the British investigators that the trail leads to Russia and I hope that one day justice will prevail."[154] Russian State-funded media continue to report the claims e.g. "'Berezovsky killed my son', Litvinenko's dad tells Scotland Yard"[195] as of May 2012. This second theory has been shown to have been Russian disinformation, not only in the courts but also the evidence that has been compiled by the dissident writer Alex Godfarb and the British government.[192][197]
  [edit]Apology to PutinAfter Berezovsky's death, a spokesman for Putin reported that he had sent a letter to the Russian president, asking for permission to return to Russia and asking "forgiveness for his mistakes."[198][199] Some of Berezovsky's associates doubted the letter's existence, claiming that it was out of character. However his girlfriend, Katerina Sabirova, later confirmed in an interview that he did in fact send the letter:[200]
  "I said that they will publish it and you will look bad. And that it won't help. He answered that it was all the same to him, that in any case all sins were blamed on him and that this was his only chance."It was claimed by anonymous sources that rival Roman Abramovich delivered the letter to Putin personally, having received an apology from Berezovsky himself. Both Putin's chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov, and Abramovich's spokesman alluded to the letter being passed by a "certain person", but did not go into details due to the personal nature of the issue.[201]
  On 23 March 2013, Berezovsky was found dead at his home in Ascot, Berkshire.[34] His body was found in a locked bathroom by a bodyguard.[202][203] His death was announced in a post on Facebook by his son-in-law. Alexander Dobrovinsky, a lawyer who had represented Berezovsky, wrote that he may have committed suicide,[204] adding that Berezovsky had fallen into debt after losing a protracted lawsuit against Roman Abramovich, and had spent the final few months of his life selling his possessions to cover his court costs.[205] Berezovsky was also said to have recently been depressed and to have isolated himself from friends.[206][207] Boris Berezovsky reportedly suffered from depression and was taking antidepressant drugs, and a day prior to his death he told a reporter in London that he had nothing left to live for.[208]
  When Berezovsky's death became known, there was speculation by mainstream British news media that Moscow might be somehow involved.[209] The Thames Valley Police classified his death as "unexplained" and launched a formal investigation into the circumstances behind it. Specialists in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials were deployed to Berezovsky's home as a "precaution".[205] These specialists later "found nothing of concern".[210]
  Police said on 25 March 2013, that a post mortem exam found the cause of death was consistent with hanging and there was nothing pointing to a violent struggle.[2][35]
  [edit]Publications by BerezovskyBerezovsky was a doctor of technical sciences, and author of more than 100 academic papers and studies such as ''Binary relations in multi-criteria optimizations'' and ''Multi-criteria optimization: mathematical aspects''.[211]
  Aside from his academic publications, Berezovsky frequently authored articles and gave interviews; these are collected in The Art of the Impossible (3 vols.). He continued to contribute articles while in exile, taking a highly critical view of Russia's political leaders.[212][213][214][215]
  [edit]Works about BerezovskyIn 1996 the Russian-American journalist Paul Klebnikov wrote a highly critical article on Berezovsky and the state of Russia more generally, in response to which Berezovsky sued Forbes in the UK (see above); in 2001 he expanded his article into a book entitled Godfather of the Kremlin, alternatively subtitled The Decline of Russia in the Age of Gangster Capitalism and Boris Berezovsky and the looting of Russia.[150][151][216] Yuli Dubov, a close business associate of Berezovsky, wrote a novel based on Berezovsky's life which provided the basis for the 2002 film Tycoon. Like Berezovsky, he fled to London and successfully fought extradition to Russia.[217][218]
  Alex Goldfarb, a microbiologist and activist who became acquainted with Berezovsky in the 1990s and has subsequently worked for him, provides snapshots of Berezovsky at crucial moments as background to his 2007 account of the Litvinenko murder case, co-written with Marina Litvinenko, Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB.[47] Another book is The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia by David E. Hoffman of The Washington Post, which provides a comparative treatment of Berezovsky and several of his fellow so-called business oligarchs.[219]
  A documentary about Berezovsky's efforts to undermine Putin from his exile in UK was shown on the BBC in December 2005.[220]
  Berezovsky features in a painting by the popular Russian artist Ilya Glazunov, displayed in Moscow's Ilya Glazunov Gallery. According to the Rough Guide, 'The Market of Our Democracy ...shows Yeltsin waving a conductor's baton as two lesbians kiss and the oligarch Berezovsky flaunts a sign reading "I will buy Russia", while charlatans rob a crowd of refugees and starving children.'[221]
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ÐžÐ>>Ð¸Ð"Ð°ÑÑ…Ð¸ Ñ Ð±Ð¾Ð>>ÑŒÑÐ¾Ð¹ Ð´Ð¾ÑÐ¾Ð"Ð¸, Aleksandr Khinshtein^Boris Berezovsky pays out £100m in UK's biggest divorce settlement, Owen Bowcott, The Guardian, 22 July 2011^Shirbon, Estelle (24 January 2013). "Berezovsky battles in court with ex-partner over assets". Reuters/Yahoo News. Retrieved 24 March 2013. ^"Berezovsky court saga: Oligarch sued by ex-lover demanding millions". Russia Today. 24 January 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013. ^Hoffman, David E. (2011). The oligarchs: wealth and power in the new Russia. PublicAffairs. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-61039-070-5. , A Google preview^"Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky found dead in his bath". Daily Telegraph. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013. ^Miriam Elder (11 September 2011). "Cameron meeting Putin is a 'historical mistake', says exiled Russian tycoon | World news". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^"The Prosecutor Digs in the Dirt '' Kommersant Moscow". Kommersant.com. 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ISBN 978-0-19-534073-0. ^OAO Siberian Oil Company (Sibneft), fundinguniverse, retrieved 11 August 2011 ^ abcd"Abramovich Wins Battle of Oligarchs Over 'Unreliable' Berezovsky". Bloomberg/Washington Post. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012. ^"Our Reverse Revolution; Under Yeltsin, we 'oligarchs' helped stop Russia from reverting to its old, repressive ways"The Washington Post, 16 October 2000^"Oil Merger Creates New Russian Giant, Fuels A Trend"Chicago Tribune 20 January 1998^"Yuksi Oil Merger Dropped"The Moscow Times 26 May 1998^Stephen Kotkin. "What stands in the way of Russia is Russia. Putin and Other Parasites"The New Republic 5 June 2000^Volodarsky, Boris (2010). The KGB's Poison Factory: From Lenin to Litvinenko. Zenith Press. 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Harvard University. ^"Chernomyrdin Intervenes in Kulikov-Lebed Feud, Lebed Appeals to Yeltsin"The Jamestown FoundationMonitor. Vol. 2, Issue 194, 17 October 1996^"A General on His Own"The New York Times 18 October 1996^"Big Business And Kremlin: Togetherness Has Its Pitfalls"The New York Times 31 October 1996^"Raduev Releases Hostages"The Jamestown FoundationMonitor. Vol. 2, Issue 237, 19 December 1996^"Berezovsky Announces Steps Toward Economic Reconstruction of Chechnya"The Jamestown FoundationMonitor. Vol. 3, Issue 95, 14 May 1997^"FSB threatens Berezovsky with international arrest warrant"The Russia Journal 31 January 2002^"Yeltsin Sacks Berezovsky"The Jamestown FoundationMonitor. Vol. 3, Issue 208, 6 November 1997^"Hostages taste freedom"BBC News 21 September 1998.^"On a knife edge"The Times 21 April 2008^ ab"Berezovsky Blames Putin For Chechen War"IWPR Report, 25 February 2005^ abYeltsin, Boris (2000). "Midnight Diaries" Memoir (translated by Catherine A. Fitzpatrick). New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-58648-011-0. ^ ab"Berezovsky. Putin. West. By George Soros"Moskovskie Novosti February 2000^"Russia: Yeltsin Pledges Fair Privatization '' An Analysis"Radio Free Europe 9 August 1997^"Russian Reformer's Credibility Undercut by Scandal"The New York Times 17 November 1997^"Russia: Berezovsky's Sacking May Be A Temporary Victory For Adversaries"Radio Free Europe 9 November 1997^"Yeltsin daughter helped plot cabinet sacking"The Independent 25 March 1998^"The Pocket Prime Minister"The Jamestown FoundationMonitor. Vol. 5, Issue 12, 18 June 1998^ ab"Putin's Path to Power"Post-Soviet Affairs( Bellwether Publishing, Ltd.) vol. 16, no. 4, Dec 2000^"FSB Officers Claim They Were Ordered to Kill Berezovsky"The Jamestown FoundationMonitor. Vol. 4, Issue 214, 18 November 1998^"Russian tycoon: 'No fear of arrest' "BBC News, 8 April 1999^"Nickolai Glushkov: Media Should Know Facts Before Investigators Do" (in Russian) Kommersant 23, November 2000^"W.Germans Say Aeroflot Spying on NATO"Associated Press 22 September 1983^"Aeroflot Spying on EB?Associated Press 17 November 1981^"Berezovsky back to face the music"BBC News 18 April 1999^"Citing Economy, Yeltsin Fires Premier"The Washington Post 13 May 1999^"Behind the Scenes of Yeltsin's Resignation"The Washington Post 5 January 2000^"Coronation of the Yeltsin 'Family' Heir"newsmax 1 May 2000^ abcBaker Peter and, Glasser Susan (2005). Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin's Russia and the End of Revolution. New York: Simon&Schuster. pp. 52''53. ISBN 978-0-7432-8179-9. ^"Leader's secret holidays to Spain "The Times 15 June 2000^"Red Or Dead"New Statesman 27 March 2006^"Russian media 'not surprised'"BBC News 9 August 1999^"Exiled oligarch plans coalition against Kremlin."Financial Times 21 January 2003^ ab"Russia Vote Returns Tycoon to Spotlight"The Washington Post 23 December 1999^"Putin gained from Aeroflot scam, says media mogul"The Guardian 16 November 2000^"Moscow's Mayor Fights On Against Foes in High Places"The New York Times 15 December 1999^"Russia's New Prime Minister: A Tested Economic Liberal"The New York Times 11 May 2000^"Berezovsky's Letter Dominates News"Moscow Times 1 June 2000^"Berezovsky quits Duma at 'ruining of Russia'"The Independent 18 July 2000^"Russian President Putin tries to break Berezovsky's grip"WSWS 28 September 2000^"Kremlin sinks in media morass"The Russia Journal, 23 September 1999^ ab"...Warns Oligarchs about State's 'Cudgel'". RFERL. 27 October 2000. Retrieved 27 November 2012. (originally published in Le Figaro 26 October 2000)^"Berezovsky will appear for questioning in the Aeroflot case". Monitor6 (192). Washington: The Jamestown Foundation. 16 October 2000. Retrieved 11 August 2011. ^"Berezovsky No-shows for His Meeting with Prosecutors"The Jamestown FoundationMonitor, v. 6, No. 214, 15 November 2000^"Aeroflot director accused of fraud.". Monitor6 (229). Washington: The Jamestown Foundation. 8 December 2000. Retrieved 11 August 2011. ^"Off the Air in Russia"The New York Times 30 January 2002^"Abramovich Buys 49% of ORT"The Moscow Times 6 February 2001^"Abramovich sued for billions in 'fraud and blackmail' battle with ex-business partner"Daily Mail 18 April 2008^"Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich 'was President Putin's enforcer'" The Times 29 April 2008^"Government Takes Russia's NTV"ABC News 14 April 2001^"TV-6 Staff Decries 'Freedom Fighters'"The St. Petersburg Times 20 April 2001^"Arrest Warrant Out For Director of TV6"The St. Petersburg Times 3 July 2001^"Independent Russian TV shut down"BBC News 11 January 2002^"Russians Find Suspicions Fly As Network Goes Off Air"The New York Times 23 January 2002^"Boris Berezovsky sues Roman Abramovich for £2bn at London court"Daily Telegraph 18 April 2008^"Berezovsky Sells Remaining Russian Assets"The St. Petersburg Times 26 February 2006^Duncan Gardham (31 August 2012). "Abramovich wins biggest private court case in history". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 August 2012. ^"Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich set for court showdown with Boris Berezovksy over Sibneft"Daily Telegraph 23 February 2011^"Battle of the Oligarchs: Russian Exile Seeks Billions from Former Business Partner" Time 3 October 2011^"Battle of the oligarchs... the amazing showdown between Roman Abramovich and his arch rival"Daily Mail 6 October 2007^"Russian critics blast Putin's record"BBC News 23 September 2003^"Images of Genocide in Chechnya Distributed at US Congress on the Eve of Putin-Bush Talks". Hot. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^"Russian tycoon blames Moscow for blasts"BBC News 6 March 2002^Graham Norwood (28 February 2004). "Moscow on the Thames". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 September 2012. ^"Berezovsky jailed in absentia"The Guardian 30 November 2007^"Berezovsky Sentenced to 13 Years for Defrauding AvtoVAZ"The St. Petersburg Times 30 June 2009^"Berezovsky wanted in Brazil for alleged money laundering"The Guardian 14 July 2007^"Brazilian Court Stops Berezovsky Case"The Moscow Times 18 September 2008^"Russian tycoon's villa raided"The Guardian 12 May 2005^"Criminal probe targets Russian's yachts"The Telegraph 19 February 2011^"French court cancels seizure of yachts attributed to Russian tycoon Berezovsky"RIA Novosti 14 June 2011^"Swiss ready to help Russia over legal case"Swissinfo 29 September 2009^"Boris Berezovsky and Putin's Catch 22". Barricades. 23 February 2004. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^Andrei Piontkovsky (4 May 2001). "Season of Discontent: Are you for Putin or Berezovsky?". The Russia Journal. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^"Godfather of the Kremlin?"Forbes 30 December 1996^Delta, George B.; Matsuura, Jeffrey H. (2008). "Jurisdictional issues in cyberspace". Law of the Internet1 (3rd ed.). Aspen Publishers. pp. 3'92. ISBN 0-7355-7559-2. "Berezovsky is the leading case in what has come to be known as 'libel tourism'" ^Crook, Tim (2010). "Defamation law". Comparative media law and ethics. Taylor & Francis. pp. 240'241. ISBN 0-415-55161-7. ^Taylor, Daniel C. (November 2010). "Libel Tourism: Protecting Authors and Preserving Comity". Georgetown Law Journal (Georgetown University) 99: 194. ISSN 0016-8092. Retrieved 23 September 2011. ^ ab"Boris Berezovsky wins libel case over Litvinenko murder"The Guardian 10 March 2010^ ab"Shuddup" Economist 13 March 2003^"Berezovsky Vs. Forbes"Forbes 31 March 2003^"US Department of State seriously interested in Russian oligarch in disgrace, Boris Berezovsky". Pravda. 19 August 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2012. ^ abGodfather of the Kremlin: Boris... '' Paul Klebnikov '' Google Books. Google Books. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^ abGodfather of the Kremlin: The... '' Paul Klebnikov '' Google Books. Google Books. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^"Tycoon Berezovsky wins slander suit vs. Alfa head in London"RIA Novosti26 May 2006^"Berezovsky apology"The Guardian 22 December 2005^ ab"Boris Berezovsky wins Litvinenko poison spy libel case"BBC News 10 March 2010^http://www.carter-ruck.com/Documents//Boris_Berezovsky-Court_of_Appeal-Judgment-151211.pdf^Berezovsky, Neil Bush, Latvian businessmen meet, Times, 23 September 2005^Berezovsky and Bush's brother in the crowd at the Emirates, The Guardian, 5 September 2006^Berezovsky Teams Up With Bush's Brother, The Moscow Times, 6 October 2005^Greenhill, Sam. "So why did a controversial Russian oligarch give Queen's cousin Prince Michael £320,000 through offshore companies?". Daily Mail (London). ^"The Sunday Times Rich List 2012". The Richest. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^(Russian)Ð‘Ð¾ÑÐ¸Ñ Ð‘ÐµÑÐµÐ·Ð¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ Ð² Ñ‚ÐµÑ‡ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ðµ ÐÐ¾ÑÐ>>ÐµÐ´Ð½Ð¸Ñ… 1,5 Ð>>ÐµÑ‚ Ð"Ð¾Ñ‚Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‚ ÑÐ¸Ð>>Ð¾Ð²Ð¾Ð¹ Ð·Ð°Ñ…Ð²Ð°Ñ‚ Ð²Ð>>Ð°ÑÑ‚Ð¸ Ð² Ð Ð¾ÑÑÐ¸Ð¸. ÐžÐÐ°Ð>>ÑŒÐ½Ñ‹Ð¹ Ð¾Ð>>Ð¸Ð"Ð°ÑÑ… ÑÑ‡Ð¸Ñ‚Ð°ÐµÑ‚, Ñ‡Ñ‚Ð¾ Ð²ÑÐµ ÐÐµÑÐµÐ¼ÐµÐ½Ñ‹ Ð±ÑƒÐ´ÐµÑ‚ Ð¾ÑÑƒÑ‰ÐµÑÑ‚Ð²Ð>>ÑÑ‚ÑŒ Ð°ÐºÑ‚Ð¸Ð²Ð½Ð¾Ðµ Ð¼ÐµÐ½ÑŒÑÐ¸Ð½ÑÑ‚Ð²Ð¾, Ekho Moskvy, 25 January 2006^Russia's Oligarchs May Face a Georgian Chill, The New York Times, 4 September 2008^"Putin Is Terrorist Number One. Russian Troops Should Withdraw from Chechnya, and Putin Should Negotiate with Aslan Maskhadov" European Viewpoint, 14 September 2004^'I am plotting a new Russian revolution', The Guardian, 13 April 2007^Kremlin foe calls for Putin's Ouster, Associated Press, 13 April 2007^(Russian)Ð'Ð¾Ð²Ñ‹Ðµ ÐÐ¾Ð´ÑÐ¾Ð±Ð½Ð¾ÑÑ‚Ð¸ ÐÐ¾ Ð'Ð°ÑÑÑƒ Ð½ÐµÑÐ¾Ð"Ð>>Ð°ÑÐ½Ñ‹Ñ….^(Russian)Ð'ÐµÑƒÐ´Ð¾Ð±Ð½Ñ‹Ðµ Ð²Ð¾ÐÑÐ¾ÑÑ‹, Kasparov.ru, 18 April 2007^Russia's United Civic Front may sue Berezovsky over funding claims, RIA Novosti, 28/ 06/ 2007^Scotland Yard to Examine Berezovsky's Interview, Kommersant, 14 April 2007^Police probe exile's claims about Russian 'revolution', The Guardian, 14 April 2007^Anglo-Russian relations, The Guardian, 20 March 2008^ abDID BEREZOVSKY FINANCE UKRAINE'S ORANGE REVOLUTION?, The Jamestown Foundation (19 September 2005)^(Russian)25 January 2006 ÐŸÐ°Ð½ Ð‘ÐµÑÐµÐ·Ð¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ Ð²ÐµÑÑÐ¸Ñ‚ Ð¸ÑÑ‚Ð¾ÑÐ¸ÑŽ Ð£ÐºÑÐ°Ð¸Ð½Ñ‹, Lenta.Ru, 15 September 2005^Berezovsky 'funded revolution', The Independent (12 November 2005)^ abTwo Our Ukraine lawmakers summoned to court upon Berezovskiy`s lawsuit, UNIAN, 3 September 2007^ abPolice to detain Russian businessman Berezovsky if arrives in Ukraine, Kyiv Post (10 December 2009)^Alex Goldfarb and Marina Litvinenko. Death of a dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB, The Free Press (2007) ISBN 1-4165-5165-4^House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 January 2004 (pt 8), House of Commons of the United Kingdom, 13 January 2004^Security services 'foil plot to kill Berezovsky at the London Hilton', The Times, 18 July 2007^Man questioned over tycoon 'plot, BBC News, 18 July 2007^The plot to kill Boris Berezovsky, The Independent, 29 November 2007^ abPolice feared assassination for two Russian dissidents, The Guardian, 22 July 2007^ abPolice Back Berezovsky Murder Story, The Moscow Times, 19 July 2007^Boris Berezovsky: 'Putin behind plot to kill me', The Daily Telegraph, 23 July 2007^(Polish)Rosjanie: To nie my zabiliÅ›my LitwinienkÄ, Polska Agencja Prasowa, 8 July 2008^Kremlin Fingered in Litvinenko's Murder, The Moscow Times, 9 July 2008^"Russia rejects UK's Litvinenko extradition request"Reuters 5 July 2007^"Russia vows to retaliate as diplomats are expelled over Litvinenko murder"The Times 17 July 2007^"Litvinenko killing 'had state involvement'"BBC News 7 July 2008^"WikiLeaks cables: Alexander Litvinenko murder 'probably had Putin's OK'"The Guardian 1 December 2010^"Expressing the Sense of Congress Regarding Alexander Litvinenko"Congressional Record 1 April 2008, Page H1839''H1841.^ abGoldfarb A, Litvinenko M (2007). Death of a Dissident '-- The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB. Free Press. pp. 1''369. ISBN 1416551654. ^"Moscow points the finger of blame at billionaire exile Boris Berezovsky"The Times 29 November 2006^"Lugovoy says he`s been framed for Litvinenko murder"Russia Today 30 August 2007^ ab"'Berezovsky killed my son', Litvinenko's dad tells Scotland Yard '-- RT News". Rt.com. 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2013-03-23. ^"Russian Billionaire's Bitter Feud With Putin A Plot Line in Poisoning"The Washington Post 10 December 2006^"Obituary: Boris Berezovsky". BBC. Retrieved March 23, 2013. ^Berezovsky 'was down but would not bow to Putin'AFP Retrieved on April 7, 2013^Boris Berezovsky found dead at his Berkshire homeThe Guardian Retrieved on April 7, 2013^Boris Berezovsky 'sought Putin's permission' to return to MoscowThe Telegraph Retrieved on April 7, 2013^Roman Abramovich 'passed Boris Berezovsky apology to Vladimir Putin'The Telegraph Retrieved on April 7, 2013^"Boris Berezovsky: 'My friend Boris would not have taken his own life' - Telegraph". ^Smith, Matt; Holly Yan (25 March 2013). "Russian tycoon's death 'consistent with hanging'". CNN. Retrieved 2011-03-25. ^"Russian Oligarch and Sharp Critic of Putin Dies in London". NY Times. Retrieved 23 March 2013. ^ ab"UK police probe death of Russian oligarch Berezovsky". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 24 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013. ^"Ð£Ð¼ÐµÑ Ð‘Ð¾ÑÐ¸Ñ Ð‘ÐµÑÐµÐ·Ð¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹". Gazeta.ru. 23 March 2013. ^"Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky found dead". BBC. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013. ^Behar, Richard (24 March 2013). "Did Boris Berezovsky Kill Himself? More Compelling, Did He Kill Forbes Editor Paul Klebnikov". Forbes. Retrieved 2013-03-25. ^Adomanis, Mark (26 March 2013). "Was Boris Berezovsky Murdered? The Evidence Strongly Suggests No, But Luke Harding Says Maybe!". Forbes. Retrieved 2013-03-30. ^"No radiation found in Berezovsky home". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013. ^http://rbth.ru/politics/2013/04/12/boris_berezovsky_back_to_black_24971.html^"Oligarchs as Nation's Saviors? Berezovsky Justifies Himself". The St. Petersburg Times. 20 October 2000. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^Personal View (6 November 2003). "The West should realise that Putin is becoming a dictator". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^Personal View (15 May 2007). "Why modern Russia is a state of denial". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^Ian Cobain, Matthew Taylor and Luke Harding in Moscow (13 April 2007). "'I am plotting a new Russian revolution' | World news". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^"Obituary: Paul Klebnikov". The Economist. 15 July 2004. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^Rainsford, Sarah (9 October 2003). "Business | Tycoons' asylum angers Moscow". BBC News. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^"Britain Grants Political Asylum To Russian Fugitive Yuli Dubov | 2567877". Gettyimages.co.uk. 7 October 2003. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^The oligarchs: wealth and power in the New Russia '' David Hoffman '' Google Books. Google Books. Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^Nancy Banks-Smith (9 December 2005). "Last night's TV: Russian Godfathers | Walking With Monsters '' Life Before Dinosaurs | Media". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 17 October 2011. ^"The Glazunov Gallery '' Sights in Moscow '' Rough Guides". Roughguides.com. Retrieved 17 October 2011. PersondataNameBerezovsky, BorisAlternative namesShort descriptionformer Russian oligarch, government official and mathematicianDate of birth23 January 1946Place of birthMoscow, USSRDate of death23 March 2013Place of deathLondon, United Kingdom
The Volokh Conspiracy >> House-to-House Searches and the Fourth Amendment
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:23
  Orin Kerr ' April 19, 2013 7:21 pm
  Current events in Boston raise the question of whether the Fourth Amendment allows the government to conduct house-to-house searches for an armed and dangerous suspect on the loose. Assume the police enter a home without consent searching for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; does the entry violate the Fourth Amendment? The answer depends on whether such home entries are ''reasonable'' under the Fourth Amendment, which requires a case-by-case balancing of the government's interest in making the searches and the scope of the privacy invasion. The constitutional question would seem to depend on whether the searches are reasonably limited in scope (such as limited to a specific geographic area), the dangerousness of the suspect (here, very high), and the strength of the government's case that the suspect may be in the area and cannot be caught another way. Fortunately there aren't a lot of cases on anything like we're seeing in Boston, at least as far as I could find. The closest cases I know of involve roadblocks instead of home searches, which is in the ballpark of dragnet searches and seizures but not particularly close on the facts. See, e.g., City of Indianapolis v. Edmond, 531 U.S. 32 (2000) (noting in dicta that ''the Fourth Amendment would almost certainly permit an appropriately tailored roadblock set up to thwart an imminent terrorist attack or to catch a dangerous criminal who is likely to flee by way of a particular route.''); United States v. Paetsch, '-- F.Supp.2d '---, 2012 WL 5213011 (D.Colo. 2012) (dragnet roadblock at intersection to catch bank robber held reasonable under the Fourth Amendment).
  Note that caselaw on these sorts of facts are particularly unlikely for reasons beyond the fortunate rarity of their occurrence. The suspect won't have Fourth Amendment standing to bring a suit or a motion to suppress to challenge a search of someone else's house in which he was hiding. See Rakas v. Illinois, 439 U.S. 128 (1978). As a result, only the legitimate residents could bring such actions in a civil case. And if they did bring such suits, qualified immunity would bar recovery unless the violation was clearly established '-- which is unlikely here given the novelty of the facts.
VIDEO-Father Of Boston Suspects: "They Were Framed" - Home - The Daily Bail
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:06
  Interview With Father Of Boston Suspects - Russian TV
  Watch this one for a few seconds to get a sense of his anger.
  DB here. Just to be clear, I'm simply posting content that I find to be interesting and compelling. I do not believe the brothers are innocent. I don't know all the evidence obviously, but I've been following every detail over the last 48 hours, and they certainly appear guilty. Now that the 2nd suspect has been captured alive, we will likely get some answers.
  ---
  Father Holds Impromptu Press Conference
  Anzor Tsarnayev, the father of the two brothers suspected of carrying out the Boston Marathon bomb attack says his boys were framed and urges the Boston police not to kill his son Dzhokhar.
  "Please don't kill my son! Arrest him so he can be questioned."
  Check this out:
  Father: "My son is a true angel..."
  A host of a Public Radio International radio show, Robin Young, tweeted the following photograph of her nephew with Dzhokhar at a high-school prom.
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  CNN Report
  "My boys are innocent." Just listen to the last 15 seconds.
  Great clip from earlier today:
  Tell me what you think in comments.
US Pledges Another $100 Million to Syrian Rebels
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: News From Antiwar.com
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:55
  Another 'Friends of Syria' conference, being held seemingly every few weeks lately, has led to another pledge of more US government funding for the Syrian rebellion by Secretary of State John Kerry.
  The new pledge will see another $100 million in US aid, including ''non-lethal'' military equipment, including body armor and night-vision goggles, being provided to the rebels.
  The US is already providing training for rebels by way of a camp in Jordan, and has repeatedly offered ''humanitarian aid'' directly to rebel factions. They have been reluctant to provide US weapons directly, however, preferring to act as an intermediary for Saudi weapons flowing into the nation.
  UN Special Envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi has urged a new round of peace talks between the Assad government and the rebels, but with constant increases in aid bolstering rebels' belief they'll eventually prevail, there is little interest among them to actually engage in talks.
  Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
the tap: Sandy Hook was choreography. Let anyone prove this wrong.
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:51
  The following is a summary of what is definitively known regarding Sandy Hook. In other words, this is information that is incontestable. All that is said, here, is easy to prove. Let anyone prove it wrong. Regardless, these facts will prove that Sandy Hook was a fraud perpetrated by elements hostile to the American people. One purpose of this fraud or scam is to orchestrate new laws for gun control and confiscation. Other reasons are to create increased control and oppression over the American people. The irrefutable facts about Sandy Hook or what might more appropriately be called the Sandy Hook Hoax are as follows:The common pictures of Adam Lanza, where the whites of his eyes are showing, are not real. Those pictures have been altered through Photoshop. The evidence for this is found on the Website, nodisinfo.com. The proof for this is irrefutable. His face was altered to make him appear menacing.Gene Rosen is an actor known to play out skits about children. Rosen was caught practicing his lines well before the time of the claim for a shooting. He was the man who said he took six children into protection in his house in the midst of the crisis. This is not true. He can be seen practicing these very lines via overhead camera (via helicopter) in the morning of Dec. 14 sometime before 10:00 a.m. He can also be seen interacting with a TV producer at this time. Also, as has been confirmed by a direct communication, Rosen is a producer on local community TV, CTV. Furthermore, while Rosen was being interviewed by CBS a solar-powered sign could be seen behind him, ordering all actors to ''sign in'' before entering the secure area.Chris and Lynn McDonnell, the supposed parents of the deceased Grace McDonnell, are not real parents and instead are actors. They can be found on network film and also via overhead camera near the firehouse performing their acting skits, often with TV producers in close proximity. This is also indisputable, and there are several examples where they can be seen acting out fake grief, as well as shock, while also being instructed by these producers. Some of the instructions are audible, including one command to start/conclude the act, the producer saying, ''OK.''Osiris sends to The Tap.Grace McDonnell, who was supposed to have died in Sandy Hook, is not a real child. Instead, she is a pure and undeniable creation of Photoshop, the proof of which is found on nodisinfo.com. There was/is no person by this name living in the Newtown/Sandy Hook area or, in fact, anywhere in Connecticut. Thus, the claim that this child died in a school-yard massacre is a categorical lie, simply due to the fact that such a person doesn't exist.Donna Soto is not a grieving mother of the purportedly dead teacher, Victoria Soto. Instead, she is an employee of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Soto, a paid actor, was caught in the act via news footage, where she was filmed standing next to the side of the firehouse on Dec. 14 sometime before 3:o0 p.m. with a taxpayer-supplied DHS water bottle in her sweatshirt, checking her text messages. Prior to this she was seen acting out grief with purported son Carlos Mathew Soto, where she was surrounded by two TV producers. The fact that these were TV producer is beyond doubt and has been confirmed by news film.A TV producer, name unknown, who was assisting Donna Soto in her fabricated grieving act, was caught on film faking grief herself near the corner of the firehouse, in the mid-afternoon, exact time unknown. The fact that she is Soto's TV handler is proven by the clothing she wore and her style of purse in her possession when she was instructing Soto.Robbie Parker, the supposed father of a murdered girl, Emilie Parker, was caught smiling in glee just before doing his CNN interview, while also asking if he should read from the script or speak spontaneously. Just prior to his interview Parker was seen ''getting into character'' by taking bizarre-appearing deep breaths and dramatically changing his facial expression. During this time instructors and handlers can be seen instructing and guiding him. A photo is available showing Parker holding in his hands the script.Dawn Hochsprung called the Newtown Bee on Dec. 14, about 10:00 or so a.m., saying that there was a shooting at the school. The official reports have her dead by that time and the shooting already over. When questioned about this, the Bee originally confirmed that this call was made by Hochsprung, saying, essentially, ''Well, we know her.''Krista and Rich Rekos were caught posing before cameras early during the day on Dec. 14, like the McDonnells, right at the corner of the firehouse. When before the camera, Krista Rekos suddenly put on a display, acting as if she was in shock.A school psychologist by the name of Mary Sherlach does not exist as an actual employee at Sandy Hook Elementary School. There is no licence for such a person and instead, suspiciously, her licence was issued only in 2013. The woman pictured as Mary Sherlach has been identified as Jane Vogel Brickell and, thus, Mary Sherlach is an alias. Ms. Brickell has been determined to be alive and well, living in New York. Morever, this individual is not disputing this finding, because she knows it to be true. Without doubt, the marriage depicting the pictured Mary Sherlach (aka Jane Vogel Brickell) with Bill Sherlach is a fake and fraud: those two individuals were never married.In two different CNN interviews actual actors using aliases from an entirely different state were uncovered. Posing as Nick and Laura Phelps, the real names for these actors are Richard Sexton and Jennifer Greenberg-Sexton, who are residents of Florida. Their role was to act as begrieved friends of Dawn Hochsprung, while also claiming to be parents of Sandy Hook grade-schoolers. In real life these individuals are in not parents of any Sandy Hook children. In fact, their children live in Florida and were formerly students of Gotha High School. In other words, the people posing as the Phelps' do not have grade-school-aged children, their daughters being in their teens. Thus, everything that these two actors said on CNN was a lie.MoreHard Proof that Sandy Hook is a Zionist PlotDozens of Mossad operatives are responsible for Sandy Hook. No one can doubt it. Americans, beware. Jewry is systematically attacking America, seeking to confiscate firearms, restrict freedoms, strip Americans of their resources, crush them economically. It is a malicious and well-planned goal. The proof is, as follows: Veronique Pozner is one of the primary Mossad operatives behind this attack. Her role is to act as a key 'parental' source for forging gun restriction regulations. Armed with proposals which were created months prior she acted as the parental liaison to the Zionist-controlled Obama. Pozner is a rabid Israeli-Firster who has set her energy on attacking and undermining the American people. This is by systematically stripping them of their freedoms. She is part of a pre-arranged plot, orchestrated by U.S.- and Israeli-based Zionist operatives. A chief spy, she is a key hub in the attempt to crush guns rights and works closely with elements of the United Nations and, therefore, the Rockefeller cabal. Her heavy-hitting role is easy to prove simply by watching interviews. She bombastically surges into the conversation urging draconian gun control legislation. The grieving process has only begun, and yet she is filled with energy to forge new gun laws.Affiliation: Israeli-Firster, Jewish Essentially the press agent for Ms. Pozner, Alexis is purportedly her brother. An avowed proponent of the Israeli entity, Haller is a frequent player in pro-Israeli politics. Regarding Sandy Hook, he is playing an integral role in promoting and coordinating media appearances for Pozner, while seeking to enforce gun control legislation. He has also been largely responsible for the prominent Websitewww.noahpozner.org, urging the donation of funds.Said this arch-Zionist mole on CNN, ''What we do not want is he same old debate, where one side of talking heads talks about gun control'...'' Then, on CNN he once again urged the donation of funds. Haller is a clear and categorical Mossad operative whose purpose is to strike down Americans' rights to bear weapons. A rabid Zionist Jew, one of his goals is to facilitate legislation which would allow the arrest and imprisonment of individuals opposed to the Zionist entity. Everything that comes out of his mouth is a wretched lie. Watch his interviews. It will make you want to vomit.
  If anyone has any doubt about the extent of involvement of the Mossad and its collaborators, including Pozner and Haller, here is a screenshot of the close of the disarmament document these antagonists sent to the White House:http://nodisinfo.com/Home/ hard-proof-that-sandy-hook-is- a-zionist-plot/
VIDEO-Minds: Mother Of Boston Bombing Suspects Says FBI Was In Contact With Her Son For Years
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:49
  4.19.2013
  Zubeidat K. Tsarnaeva, the Boston bombing suspect's mother, thinks this whole thing is a set up.
  Business Insider says: Tsarnaeva said that Tamerlan Tsarnaev got involved in "religious politics" five years ago, and that the FBI had previously contacted her about her son's activities.
  She says:
  "He was controlled by the FBI, like for three, five years," she said. "They knew what my son was doing, they knew what actions and what sites on the Internet he was going [to], they used to come...and talk to me...they were telling me that he was really a serious leader and they were afraid of him."
  "How could this happen?...They were controlling every step of him, and they are telling today that this is a terrorist attack," she added.
  Further she says:
  "FBI, they were scared of my oldest son, they always told me that he's a leader...they are afraid of him because, you know, he is a leader, he talks about Islam a lot."
  "They were talking to my son, and they called me officially and they told me that my son is an excellent boy and they have no problem with him," she added. "At the same time, they were telling me that...he is getting information on really extremists...sites, so they were very, very afraid of him. So that's why I think that this is a setup."
  Busines Insider further says: "Tamerlan, 26, died Thursday night in a shootout with Boston Police. A manhunt is still underway for Tsarnaeva's younger son, Dzhoker, 19."
'100 Dead Or Hurt' In China Quake
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:46
  Around 100 people are dead or injured after an earthquake struck China's southwestern province of Sichuan, state media reports.
  The quake, measured at varying magnitudes between 6.6 and 7.0, hit at 8.02am local time in Lushan county and the epicentre had a depth of 8 miles (13km), Xinhua reported.
  It hit close to where a massive tremor struck in 2008, killing 68,000 people.
  The quake was felt strongly by residents in neighbouring provinces and in the provincial capital city of Chengdu, causing many to rush outside, according to accounts on China's Weibo microblogging service.
  A resident in Chengdu said he was on the 13th floor of a building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.
  Around 2,000 troops are being dispatched to the area, Xinhua said.
  Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "The huge earthquake in 2008 was magnitude 7.9 and at a depth of 12 miles. This latest quake has smaller magnitude and depth, but it is still very much a concern for people in Sichuan."
  Local seismologists registered the quake at magnitude 7.0 while the US Geological Survey (USGS) gave it as 6.6.
  USGS said that "significant" casualties were likely and that "extensive damage is probable and disaster is likely widespread".
  "Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response," it added.
  Earthquakes frequently strike the country's southwest.
  The earthquake of 2008 flattened swathes of Chengdu province along with parts of neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu.
  Twin tremors in neighbouring Yunnan province last September triggered landslides that left at least 80 people dead.
  A magnitude-5.5 quake in Yunnan last June killed four people and injured more than 100.
  Another 5.4 tremor the year before near the border with Burma left 25 people dead and injured 250.
  More follows...
Sichuan''Shanghai gas pipeline - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:46
  Sichuan''Shanghai gas pipelineLocationCountryChinaFromPugang gas fieldToShanghaiGeneral informationTypenatural gasOperatorSinopecCommissioned2010Technical informationLength1,702 km (1,058 mi)Maximum discharge12 bcm per yearNumber of compressor stations8Sichuan''Shanghai gas pipeline is a 1,702 kilometres (1,058 mi) long natural gas pipeline in China. The pipeline runs from Pugang gas field in Dazhou, Sichuan Province, to Qingpu District of Shanghai.[1] An 842 kilometres (523 mi) long branch line connects Yichang in Hubei with Puyang in Henan Province. Two shorter branches are located near the Puguang gas field and one in the east near Shanghai.[2]
  The construction of the first 1,360 kilometres (850 mi) long section from Yichang in Hubei Province to Shanghai started on 22 May 2007 and was completed in March 2010.[3] The tunnel to cross Yangtze River was completed in October 2007. The tunnel is about 20 metres (66 ft) beneath the riverbed and connects two wells on each side of the river.[4]
  The capacity of the pipeline is 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year.[5] It has eight centrifugal compressors, provided by GE Oil & Gas.[2] The operator of the pipeline is Sinopec.[3]
  [edit]See also[edit]References
Resident Describes Police Going Door To Door Treating Citizens Like Potential Terrorist
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Marathon Bomber's Neighbor / Teacher Says "He Was So Grateful To Be Here! He Was A Wonderful Kid!"
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These Two Kings of Chechnya
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:43
  When I mentioned the "blonde" and featured a facsimile of her in speaking about her playing with Baby and the plasmas, that was a cryptic remark to let people know that the "matrix" of thought was being shielded to what was the real events around the Boston Bombing.They were sending out one dimensional Boris and Natasha types in black and white footage from the short wave radars they broadcast from to influence public thought processes, and Baby and the apes are tied into this propaganda.
  Oh by the way, where did the GRENADES come from they were throwing at police?
  "They" are attempting influence inquiries into this matter and they are influencing public thought to believe it was there two Trojan Horses.
  These two were picked to be patsies on DAY THREE. They were actual people who were "loyal" to America, and were trained by United States security to return to fight the Russians in that brutal war in Chechnya.This blog covered that war long ago in graphic photos, as the Russian military there rapes and murders gang style the people of Chechnya in this "Muslim war".
  It is not surprise now that Chechnya is being blamed for training al Qaeda. The reality is as this blog has stated from the beginning that Dr. Zawahari of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, was captured in Chechnya, converted by the Russian FSB to turn Sheik bin Laden against America for a terror attack, and the rest is 9 11 history, with secular Islamist Birther Obama having murdered bin Laden's corpse and if you have noticed as only this blog has noted it, Dr. Zawahiri has been left alive by Obama a fellow Islamocommunist to manage al Qaeda east as Obama runs this all from 1600 Penn Avenue.So do not be diverted on this Chechnya propaganda as it was all covered here in the archives in the butchery the Russian military was employing there to try to save "Russia".
  To answer the grenade question as one does not get them at gun shows. The grenades came from their American trainers.
  The bag this Chechnyan sat down, did not have a bomb in it. These Chechnyans had not bombs. He reacted as he did in running, while everyone else was holding their ears, was because he was a trained terrorist.They had "sophisticated" training from the Americans, but their combat training was at one of these Obama al Qaeda bases overseas, and that is why they were reacting as they did, as they recognized a terror event and were moving to safety.
  Up until that 5 pm briefing yesterday, these two thought they had the backing of the Americans.
  That 5 pm briefing was to get them to run, as they were being watched, and expected in the "leaks" to make a run for it, so they could be executed, exactly as this blog stated was the protocol.
  Mockingbird was filtering codewords of conviction to warp American minds into agreeing to the murder of these "animals".
  That was what was about the al Jazeera floater in hoping it was "white people" so that it would be a backlash and whites would herd into line and not look into what these two Chechans were about.
  This is about the internal "war" going on in the Obama regime in a segment as in Chris Dorner's oddities has been using events to "get their policy" over what Obama lusts for. Obama wanted this to be white tax protesters. Obama did not get his way, but instead "this group" who were still not pleased over ANALGATE, took operational control of this from the Holder cell at NSA fringe, and implemented a "stepping stone plan" in which this will be used to target Chechnya "as an American operational right" in order to get at the doorsteps of Moscow.This blog had a part in this, as "they" had to keep changing stories when their stories were exposed as bogus. The Holder cell exposed deemed an operational change in command, because the cell had been running very sloppy operations.
  Oh did you notice the pressure cookers, well they were from ........oh yes sub Asia and Chechnya is almost eastern Europe. Another small problem which will be glossed over, as all are dead and others tell the tales of dead men.
  This blog stands by the original posts. This was 4 North Koreans "turned" by the Holder cell at an Obama California fundraiser who were provided BATFE bombs made in Massachusetts. The NK's turned on the regime and detonated the bombs earlier than the 5 pm drama hour the regime operates for media effect.The NK recorded the bomb delivery for blackmail purposes and fled to west Africa.The scramble was then on to find a patsy as the bombs were not supposed to go off, but instead be "found" for the 5 pm drama hour to pass Obama gun grabber legislation. That is why Obama was so furious at the Rose Garden.Those unexploded bombs were supposed to get the fence sitters to vote for the Obama gun grab in pointing to tax protesting rednecks, along with the ricin letters. (Blog maintains it was two other Mississippians and not the person stating the regime is selling human body parts.)
  The patsies tagged were two Chechnyans in training for this projected Militant Islam War against the Russians that Brzezinski started in 1980. At this moment, Holder and Obama have had the reigns of the overlord policy protocols taken from them. The North Korean machination was a humiliation the powers that be take to being pissed on like Benghazi. That sort of thing is just not done to these people, so they have implemented their policy and Obama is being taught who is in charge.
  There is something today about a second bombing, a kid putting a bomb in place. It was run in shadow of the North Koreans in this group knew of the operation and was doing their own work. This bomb does not match the others, so it would blow the story of what is concocted, and is most likely behind the lies of 2 bombs, three bombs and 5 bombs in the stories changing.
  The stories you saw planted that Mark Levin was ranting about in SEALS connections was part of the construct like Dallas in conspiracy theories to confuse the public so they would accept the sexy new story in learning about Chechnyans.
  As a warning here, the Chechnyans are different from what Americans have come across before. They are not Kosovo Muslims, they are not Mideast Muslims, they are not Asian Muslims. The Chechans are a people who produce Black Widows. Their women do not send babies out to be blown up nor do they sub dominate their men. When a Chechan woman has their fighters killed, they in passion carry out attacks on the perpetrators as Black Widows avenging that death.
  This blog does not deem this an astute operational cover up which just took place, as it will gain access to the Russian front, but now Americans, you have a group of dedicated women in Islam who are driven, and you just ate two of their sons in a cover up and had your media spitting on them in calling them animals.
  Tsarnaev.......remember the name as TSAR is CZAR, these two have Russian king names. These two like Obama were brought to America, and promised to be rulers of Chechnya in the overthrow of Russia.
  These two kings, did not have pressure cookers or bombs in their backpacks.
  America now has one immense problem on her hands, as these Chechans were groomed to be allies and now an operation has just turned a nation that has gnawed on Russia since the Imperial days, survived Stalin genocide and the Russian Federation wars, is about a new Muslim war Obama has just opened up in another one of his wars in this Muslim tribal war.
  Yes the military and SWAT hunting an American, yes this is still an American Chechan.
  Once again how did the reports KNOW that these two were ARMED AND EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS before any of the MIT fight took place with grenades, unless of course the regime had them under surveillance already and knew they had grenades and let them have grenades.
  See there are questions in this with more answers the regime does not want focused on.
  Yes it is all Fahrenheit 451, the entire nation watching the drama like Chris Dorner, in a conditioning drama.
  Scott Peley on CBS news at 12:15 PM eastern on April 19th, did Mockingbird in stating "homemade bombs" were thrown at police.
  First reports of course by police gave the reality:
  Massive police operation in Boston area | News.com.auwww.news.com.au/world...of.../story-fnh81jut-122662437035813 hours ago '' ONE suspect is dead and police are hunting another armed man in Boston, ... is now reporting that both suspects are brothers from Chechnya, Russia. .... State police said suspects were throwing grenades out of the stolenThe cover up continues and will continue.Yes the family uncle comes out to tell the world the kings were evil and he wanted his family to have nothing to do with them......on cuePerhaps there will be baseball, hot dogs and apple pie featured next.
  This was North Koreans working for the regime who were contracted with to place bombs in a high profile event to peal Moscow and Peking from Kim Jong Un.That will be all forgotten in the moments ahead, as Americans have a new toy to play with in their mind in these sexy Chechan patsies.
  agtG 305Y, 229
Classmate Of Bombing Suspect Remembers Him Saying "Terrorism Isn't Necessarily A Bad Thing"
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Boris and Natasha
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:42
  Know what you are looking at in what the Drudge headlines are in lynching the Kings of Chechnya, the same Mockingbird can be turned loose on Mark Levin or anyone, who is offered up to be patsies like Lee Harvey Oswald.
  These two Chechens are products of 1600 Penn Avenue in these thug terror militants to be the enforcers of the feudal order. The regime KNEW exactly who these two were, that they had received advanced training overseas, and were terrorists to be deployed into Chechnya when Vladamir Putin's time came to be dragged through the streets as Russia was neutralized as Zbigniew Brzezinski designed all of this.
  You have called these Chechens animals, and the elites to give America operational control in Chechnya as a stepping stone to Moscow in future wars, has just ignited a people of passion whose men and women, both are passionate warriors.Americans you just got a designed enemy which takes over schools with bombs and blows up movie theaters filled with people......sound like Sandy Hook and Joker Colorado??????
  Warning from Suspect's Father: 'If they killed him, then all hell would break loose'...
  'If they kill my second child, I will know that it is an inside job, a hit job'...
  Uncle: He Called Me Yesterday...
  Sister: 'I don't know what's gotten into them'...
  These two brothers are trained assests of the regime who were betrayed and offered up as patsies. The leaking of their information was to get them to rabbit, and the 5 PM release was designed to flush them into a desperate act, so they could be terminated as dead men tell no tales.
  Look at what you have before you........you have like Chris Dorner two well planned individuals, who then change profile and ROB A 7 11 exposing themselves in desperation?
  You don't think they would have planned in having funding, and an escape route already like all this other detailed planning they had........IF THEY HAD BEEN BEHIND THE BOSTON BOMBINGS?
  Think about this, and do not be led in emotion. These two were trained and well planned. They would have had things planned for an immediate retreat from America, but instead sat around. They had no money or resources. That does not fit their profile.
  That points to their being betrayed by their handlers and set up.
  Black hat Tamerlan dead...Brothers from Russia region near Chechnya....Bragged of Bombing...Dead suspect was 'very religious' Muslim boxer...Became American citizen on Sept. 11...THE PHOTOS...Tamerlan says he could be selected for the US Olympic team and be naturalized American.
  Tamerlan fled Chechnya with his family because of the conflict in the early 90s, and lived for years in Kazakhstan before getting to the United States as a refugee.
  Tamerlan says he loves the movie "Borat," even though some of the jokes are a bit too much.
  Tamerlan says he doesn't usually take his shirt off so girls don't get bad ideas: "I'm very religious."
  Tamerlan says he doesn't drink or smoke anymore: "God said no alcohol." A muslim, he says: "There are no values anymore," and worries that "people can't control themselves."
  Tamerlan says his girlfriend is half Portuguese, half Italian girlfriend and converted to Islam: "She's beautiful, man!"
  A native of Chechnya, Tamerlan says: "In Russia, we used to train like this. Here nobody does it, I don't know why!"'I Don't Have A Single American Friend'...Uncle: Men Lived In Cambridge Together For Decade; 'Absolutely Deserved' To Die...Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, on loose...PROFILE? 'WORLD VIEW: ISLAM'...Appears Sympathetic to Al Qaeda...TIMELINE: Bombs strapped to chest, men robbed 7-Eleven...Suspects threw explosives at cops before shootout...VIDEO...Black Hat may have blown himself up...POLICE SCANNER: Trigger found on body; At-large bomber 'may be wearing suicide vest'...Residents Told to Lock Doors... No Fly Zone in Place...Mass transit shut in Boston...Harvard closed...BOSTON.COM UPDATES...REUTERS...WHDH-TV...FOX25...WCVB...WBZ...WRKO-AM...Chechen President Says American Upbringing to Blame...
  All of this appears to be an on the fly operation to cover up something which went wrong with the Boston bombings in what started this.
  The authorities set this up to make these two dead and act out. That is a certain fact.
  This all comes back to the list of original lies the authorities released, how things shifted and then settled on these two as scapegoats. Yes they were trained terrorists. Yes they were trained in America by the regime and were allowed to train in Obama camps overseas, all known by the regime to how well they were armed BEFORE ANY EVENTS TOOK PLACE.
  BABY-FACED BOMBER...
  Who Is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev?
  FLASHBACK: Won scholarship from City of Cambridge...
  Friend: 'Just A Normal American Kid'...
  Quotes Jay Z on TWITTER account: 'Ain't no love in the heart of the city, stay safe people'...
  AP: Russia's Caucasus: breeding ground for terror...
  Boston Bomb Victim in Photo Helped Identify Suspects...There have been absolute slip ups in the propaganda on these two Chechens. That points to their being like Lee Harvey Oswald or Hutatree people or Richard Jewell in being targets after the fact.
  This all returns to who really was behind the Boston Bombings and why Obama was pointing to tax protesters, as that was the original Mockingbird story which was plotted out from this regime.Obama's own talking points like Benghazi were painting this to white Christian Americans of the Tea Party.That is from Obama's own lips and from David Axelrod the SECOND DAY as he called this "terrorism" from the first when the patsies had this in cover up trying to smear Americans again.
  I post again in knowing the condescension, but this tracked to North Korea from the beginning in Obama in league with NK's he thought he turned, but they pulled their own operation in Boston turning the tables on Obama and his machinations.
  No matter what the matrix machine is trying to hide, you Americans now have a new type of Muslim enemy which thinks, fights with female warriors of passion.They will come now as Obama betrayed them in his inter Muslim tribal war in another cover up to save Birther Hussein's butt.
  Duh, Boris and Natasha......one dimensional art as cover for the North Koreans doing the bombing put into the matrix of thought I picked up. So blondie, your playing with Baby's toys in the plasma had no idea in future Russian event projections in the Chechens or did you?
  Interesting.........
  Even if the matrix scrambler is now running interference blondie, the facts will come out as the human minds evolve past demonic influence, self impulses or your matrix scrambler.
  Your scrambler was made for the anti Christ, and they tested it for Obama in 2008, and now blondie you unleashed it to cover up a staged bombing event in Boston. Do not believe that using the public will to cover the Birthers bottom is going to be deemed a wise use of resources in hardening the masses prematurely to resist the coming "collective will" or to dilute that "collective will" meant for the false tree initiating it for the immortals.
  agtG 236Y
  These are the babies of the people your regime has just decided to make war with in training them, betraying them and making scapegoats of them, by calling them animals and hunting them down.You really do not want these people focusing on you America.
  This is what Chechens have been dying with by genocide. Now your regime is hunting them, and you are viewed like Russians in doing this.
  Great foreign policy eh? Great cover up in hiding what North Korea did in Boston without Kim's knowledge, and you picked the most driven people on the planet to make war with.
  agtG 249YY
VIDEO-CAUGHT ON VIDEO ??? East Texas Plant Explosion ~ Directed Energy Ignition ??? - YouTube
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"We Are A City That's Not Gonna Let The Terrorist Win Over!" Boston Authorities Press Conference
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"When People Get Into These Modes Of They're Gonna Blow Up Public Places THEY HAVE A REASON FOR IT!"
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Friends Of Bombing Suspect Talk About What A Great Guy He Is
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Chechnyan Aunt of Boston Marathon bombing suspects tells reports she believes her nephews are being framed
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:15
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Why Would Someone Everybody Calls A Great Guy Become A Terrorist?
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:14
Belgrade-Pristina Agreement at NATO Headquarters
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  Source: DVIDS Unit RSS Feed: Natochannel
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:14
  Date Taken:04.19.2013
  Date Posted:04.19.2013 3:30PM
  Category:B-Roll
  Video ID:287228
  Filename:DOD_100789599
  Length:00:03:03
  Location:BRUXELLES (BRUSSEL), BRU, BE
On the Release of the Human Rights Report
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:13
  Good afternoon, everybody. Some people asked whether or not we might postpone this today because of all of what is going on. But we thought that on the contrary, that it's a part of human rights to make clear that people have the right to run in a marathon without violence, and people have a right to enjoy a holiday without terror, and that the rights of people are represented in many different ways.So we proudly stand here today to release again our Human Rights Report, and I want to thank '' I'm glad to be here with Assistant Secretary Zeya as we present this year's Human Rights Reports.
  These reports send a very clear message that all governments have a responsibility to protect universal human rights and they help to blaze a path forward for places where those rights are either threatened or denied. I think this is one of the things that we can be the proudest of that we do here in the State Department and in our country, standing up for values and speaking out for people who often don't have any chance whatsoever to speak out for themselves.
  This report reaffirms in my judgment America's commitment to advancing basic freedoms and dignity of all people, and our support for the brave men and women around the world who are working towards that goal, sometimes unbelievably courageously, in isolation, in the most deserted places, without the glare of the camera or the support of a lot of people. There are people of courage, amazing courage, around the world fighting for these rights. And we need to stand up for them and stand behind them.
  So I thank my colleagues in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and in our embassies around the world, for many, many long days that go into these reports. This really is a year-long effort because the reports are taken seriously and we want them to be based on fact. And so there's a great deal of analysis that goes into them. There has to be. There should be for one country, let alone 199 countries that are represented in these reports.
  During my time as a senator, I traveled around the world and I saw firsthand men and women who had lived their entire lives without the most basic rights, whether it was the right of the freedom to speak their minds or to worship freely or to elect their leaders or to choose the future that they wanted for themselves. I've also seen firsthand what can happen when we work together and encourage change for the better, that amazing spark that grows into a shining light '' a spotlight, if you will, on hope and progress.
  I've seen personally the tears running down the faces of those who've gotten to vote for the first time in their lives. I've seen the joy in young kids who have gone to school for the first time in their lives. I've seen the tears of joy voting in the Philippines, when a woman emerged from the voting booth casting the ballot for the first time in her 70 years of life.
  Or I've seen the calm courage of an Aung San Suu Kyi, who I met in her home 15, 20 years ago, where she was imprisoned, where after decades of confinement not unlike Nelson Mandela, she has come out and been able to forgive and to start working alongside her former captors to try to build a stronger and freer Burma.
  Or as we all saw, the Libyans who filled Freedom Square in Benghazi, first to bring down a dictator, and then again to let Libya's democratically-elected government know of their demands.
  The rights that these men and women struggled for reflect values that we as Americans hold dear. They're key to our DNA; they're who we are as a country; they're the bedrock of our nation. But they aren't exclusively American values, and I want to stress that. They're not American rights. They're not Western values or Western rights. They belong to all people, and all governments have a responsibility to protect and promote these rights. That's why we call them universal rights.
  And yet promoting human rights isn't a foreign policy '' and it's not a foreign policy priority simply because it's the right thing to do. It's tied to our own security. It's tied to the possibilities of prosperity and of nations living by rule of law and of nations living in peace. Countries where strong human rights prevail are countries where people do better, economies thrive, rule of law is stronger, governments are more effective and more responsive, and they are countries that lead on the world stage and project stability across their regions. Strong respect for human rights isn't merely an indicator that a country is likely doing well. It actually unleashes a country's potential, and it helps to advance growth and progress.
  So I ask you just to think of a country like Burma for a minute. Because of steps towards democratic reform and stronger human rights protections, a country that had been isolated for years is now making progress. Has it reached where we want it to be? No. But it's on the road. It's moving. And more people are contributing to the economy and participating in the government, leading to faster growth and development. And by starting to embrace universal rights, the Burmese government has opened the doors to a stronger partnership with their neighborhood and with countries around the world.
  Many challenges remain. Corruption has to be rooted out. Remaining political prisoners need to be freed. And the horrible mob violence of recent days is another distressing reminder of how long it takes to build what de Tocqueville called the habits of the heart. But if Burma's leaders stay focused on promoting and protecting the rights of all people in their country, Burma is likely to continue along a promising path of renewal.
  For other countries in regions in transition, the way forward is much less clear. And again human rights is going to be key factor in shaping their destinies, like the countries of the Arab Awakening. This is a movement that started with the demand for greater rights, dignity, and opportunity. The Tunisian fruit vendor who lit himself on fire didn't do so based on an ideology or a religion. He did so because he wanted dignity and respect. He wanted the ability to be able to sell his wares without interference, and without corruption. The students in Tahrir Square who brought us the revolution in Egypt weren't driven by a religion or an ideology. They were driven by their aspirations to be able to have jobs, education, security, and a future. And that really is the difference. Where entrenched regimes have been swept out and new governments have been slow to guarantee those rights and protect the most vulnerable and build accountable, democratic institutions, we still see resistance in this part of the world.
  In Syria, Assad is desperately clinging to power, responding to the cries for freedom with murder and mayhem, more bloodshed. The vision of so many who have fought and sacrificed across the region will never be realized if their human rights are denied or ignored.
  There and elsewhere, governments continue to restrict civil society. They suppress dissent, and they stifle free expression. Religious minorities find themselves in prison for violating blasphemy laws. Online activists are shut down for criticizing their governments, or shining light on corruption, or just trying to speak out and express their view about a different future. LGBT communities are marginalized or criminalized. Women and girls are being targeted through rape as a weapon of war, and being attacked for the simple act of going to school '' going to school. These tactics are as intolerable as they are shortsighted. They hold countries back, they create instability, they divided societies, and they set off cycles of retribution.
  So anywhere that human rights are under threat, the United States will proudly stand up, unabashedly, and continue to promote greater freedom, greater openness, and greater opportunity for all people. And that means speaking up when those rights are imperiled. It means providing support and training to those who are risking their lives every day so that their children can enjoy more freedom. It means engaging governments at the highest levels and pushing them to live up to their obligations to do right by their people. It means encouraging businesses to respect human rights wherever they operate.
  For nearly four decades, these reports, the very report we're putting out today, has helped us to make progress forward on that vision. These reports are thorough, they're honest. And they need to be, because our policies are grounded in a clear-eyed assessment of governments as they are, not how they want to be or how they pretend to be.
  With each installment of these reports, we try to dig deeper into the ways that human rights are threatened. This year, we've included more data on prison conditions, official corruption, labor rights, and the effect of traditional practices on women's rights. And we've expanded our coverage of LGBT and disability rights. We hope that these reports will help lawmakers here and abroad, scholars, help students, civil society groups, and anyone who shares our commitment to universal human rights.
  But I want to be clear. While these reports support our engagement with governments, activists, and advocates, they're only a small fraction of what we do on this issue. They're just one tool to try to shed light and create accountability and, hopefully, move people in the right direction and move our policy forward. They support the efforts, every single day, of our diplomats and our development experts. And they show brave citizens around the world and those who would abuse them that America is watching.
  Those are efforts that I'm committed to. And when I travel overseas, I make a point of meeting with civil society leaders, independent journalists, bloggers, and students, all of whom can offer a very different perspective on the state of human rights that my government '' that government counterparts may present. And anywhere that I sit down with presidents, prime ministers, other leaders of countries, I want you to know this issue is always on our agenda, even when it means telling hard truths. Because part of the American spirit is the fierce belief in the dignity and potential of every single person, part of American leadership is speaking out for people who can't speak for themselves. It's also standing up for those who fight for their own rights '' as I said, sometimes in the most desolate places, without support. It is our effort to stand up for the universal rights of all people.
  So again, I thank you. I intend to turn things over now to Uzra Zeya, who will answer any questions and make a statement, and others who will answer your questions as we go forward. Thank you very much, everybody. I appreciate it.
Glenn Beck goes all in: gives Feds "until Monday to come clean" about the Saudi "person of interest" in Boston Bombing
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  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:04
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
Klingenfuss Publications + Klingenfuss Radio Monitoring
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:54
  Klingenfuss Publications + Klingenfuss Radio MonitoringFor 42 years, Klingenfuss has been the world's leading publisher of books and CDs for professional shortwave (HF) radio monitoring. On our Internet pages you will find dozens of sample pages and fascinating live radio monitoring screenshots.
Spain set to ban images of 'sensitive' sites on web
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  Source: WT news feed
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:08
  The publishing on the internet of satellite images like the one above of Spain's Royal Palace in Madrid are set be banned as the Spanish goverment looks to clamp down on terrorism. Photo: Google Maps
  Published: 19 Apr 2013 09:44 GMT+02:00 | Print versionUpdated: 19 Apr 2013 09:44 GMT+02:00
  The Spanish government on Thursday approved a plan to create a law which will block sites Internet mapping sites like Google Maps from publishing images of certain official buildings in the interests of national security.
  The country's congress on Thursday approved the proposal which will give Spain's government control over the diffusion of images of official buildings.
  The law would affect sites like Google Maps, but also the Apple and Yahoo! mapping equivalents, reported El Mundo on Friday.
  The move was put forward by the ruling Popular Party (PP) with the support of the Defence Commission.
  "The cartographic information about sensitive installation and locations available on the internet could make it easier to put national security at risk," said the PP when it gives its reasons.
  The party also said "some terrorist groups had publicly recognized the use of such tools in the planning of attacks, demonstrating the improper use of the technology".
  The proposal received almost universal approval, with only the left-wing IU grouping abstaining.
  No mention of any particular company was made in Thursday's motion in parliament.
  Currently there are no limits in Spain on the diffusion of satellite images of national territory, reported El Mundo.
  Buildings that can be viewed in detail on sites like Google Maps include the Prime Minister's residence of La Moncloa and the King's residence of La Zarzuela.
  Even the National Centre for Intelligence and the other military installations can be viewed using online mapping sites.
  The Spanish government's move to ban the publishing on the internet of such 'sensitive' official locations comes in the wake of a bombing during the Boston marathon which left three people dead and over 100 people injured.
Rolf Harris arrested. The World Exclusive that wasn't. The mainstream media fraud.
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  Source: Kangaroo Court of Australia
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:00
  The Sun newspaper in England has finally named Rolf Harris as the suspect arrested last month in England suspected of ''sex abuse'' after it been going viral online for the over three weeks. The Sun claimed it was a ''World Exclusive'' which is a straight out lie and embarrassment to themselves and all mainstream media.
  The issue needs a close look at why the media waited in naming him. Although as I have previously said that the MSM did name Rolf Harris ''charade style'' in that they gave everyone all the clues to work out who it was, just not his name.
  The most likely two reasons that Rolf Harris has been named now:
  1. Rolf Harris is due to be questioned by the police for a third time in May and the The Sun did not want to be beaten by other media in naming him.
  2. The online media such as websites, blogs and social media like Facebook and Twitter, that have named Rolf Harris have put extreme pressure on the mainstream media to name him. Everyday that has passed that the mainstream media have not named him the MSM's credibility was being eroded.
  The Sun story (Click here to read) has now been picked up by all Australian mainstream media such as the smh.com.au which has run the story titled ''British newspaper reports Rolf Harris arrested in sex abuse inquiry'' (Click here to read)
  The Online Media (or New Media) drive the issue
  Rolf Harris's arrest has been reported online since last November when he was first arrested, although only to a minor degree.
  Since his second arrest at the end of March it has gone viral online and I have written two posts on the subject. The first post I wrote on the 30 March 2013 titled ''Rolf Harris arrested in UK sex scandal police investigation'' has had over 242,000 page views to date and been liked on Facebook over 7000 times for an estimated reach of well over half a million people. (Click here to read the post) These are huge numbers even for a mainstream media site and this is only one online site that has written about the matter. So The Sun claim of a ''World Exclusive'' is a disgrace and deceives the reader and the public. Those sorts of numbers also put a great deal of pressure on the MSM to name Rolf Harris.
  I wrote a second post on the 6th April titled ''Rolf Harris. The British police want your help! The evidence. Guilty or not guilty?'' (Click here to read)
  On the 8th of April the ABC TV show Media Watch did a story on the Australian media's failure to name Rolf Harris titled ''Protecting the famous''. (Click here to watch or read the transcript) I have little doubt Media Watch was influenced to some degree by social media to do the story. Interestingly Media Watch also failed to name Rolf Harris in their own story criticising the Australian media for not naming him.
  The MSM need to give detailed answers on why and who told them not to name Rolf Harris earlier when they have named others in the same matter and other matters.
  Rolf Harris has no one to blame but himself for the bad media coverage. He has had plenty of opportunity to call a press conference himself and address the issue. If he had the headlines would probably be a lot more favourable to him and his supporters would have something to fight back with. As detailed in my last post on Rolf Harris, he is in clear breach of crisis management 101. His failure to give his side of the story has left himself with the look of a guilty person and wide open for attack which a lot of people on the social media have done, some in a brutal manner.
  This site has a main focus on judicial corruption but I follow stories like this because the mainstream media also fail to report on the corruption in the judiciary which other posts on this site will show you.
  For regular readers and all readers for that matter it is worth noting that a small but growing site like this can step up to the plate and help drive an issue when the mainstream media fails to. The figures above, which I will repeat, of 242,000 page views to date and over 7000 likes on Facebook and an estimated reach of well over half a million people for my first post on Rolf Harris show that. As this site and others grow so will their power to see justice set right on many issues.
  This website is an anti-corruption site and relies on donations to continue the work. If you would like to support this site it would be greatly appreciated if you make a donation. Just click on the button below to donate via PayPal or for direct bank transfer details go to the donations page above.
  Make sure you follow this site by email which is on the top right of this page and about once a week you will get an email when there is a new post/story on this site.
  If you would like to buy a t-shirt or coffee mug visit my online shop (Click here to visit the shop)
  If you would like to buy a copy of my non-fiction book on corruption in the Australian judiciary that names names visit my website for the book which has links to the online bookshops. (Click here to visit the website)
  Thank you for your support.
Anonymous set to establish news website after successful fundraiser
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  Source: WT news feed
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:57
  An online donations-pledge drive on behalf of online hacktivist group Anonymous easily surpassed its initial goal, ushering forward a project by one of its largest Twitter subset groups to establish a news website run by and for the organization.
  Since its early days Anonymous has been largely based off of social media activity, with much of its activity taking place on 4chan, Twitter and Tumblr, though more central players are also regulars on online chatrooms hosted by IRC.
  The group, which is really a loose collective of online hacktivists that join forces for various focused projects, has generally avoided establishing permanent sites, though the @YourAnonNews (YAN) account has now begun a public campaign to raise funds for a new online home.
  An initial attempt to fundraise for the new venture seems to have been a outright success, with over $54,000 having been crowdsourced, far exceeding the two-thousand-dollar goal. The group also seems to have developed a penchant for merchandizing, using the group's symbolic coat of arms - a Guy Fawkes mask and crossed swords - to gift apparel and mugs for donors.
  While it is difficult to point to any central hierarchy within Anonymous, this latest project to establish a news web presence may further coalesce the group - which is known for its distaste for corporate media.
  According to YAN's announcement, the website will seek to capitalize on what the group is best at doing: collecting individual contributions and coalescing around certain news items and activist drives.
  ''We will engineer a new website which will allow us to collect breaking reports and blogs from the best independent reporters online. We'll provide feeds for citizen journalists who livestream events as they are taking place, instead of the 10-second sound bites provided by the corporate media. Likewise, we know it would be beneficial to our followers to exist as a community beyond simple social media interactions.''
  By developing a large following in social media the group's voice has been amplified, and its large membership numbers mean that it is often involved in the headline stories of the day. Anonymous has also developed into an active community of participants who often try to piece together content such as images and videos by Internet users to tell a larger story.
  Most recently, Anonymous has been preoccupied with opposition to Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), a US cybersecurity bill its supporters say is meant to help the government coordinate against cyber threats. The hacktivist group's opposition, which is also reflected by advocacy organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the ACLU, is based on issues of privacy and civil liberties.
  The group's interests, which are well reflected by Twitter accounts such as @YourAnonNews, cast a wide net, and can include everything from Venezuela's presidential elections to the recent rape and suicide case of Rehtaeh Parsons in Halifax, Canada. In the latter case, the group not only pushed for visibility of the case, but also inserted itself into the criminal investigation by threatening to publicly disclose the identities of the alleged teen rapists.
  Often, smaller regional groups around the world will push issues forward within the collective, such as the recent #OpRohingya project which sought to bring attention on the plight of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority.
  Though it remains to be seen whether the group can successfully host and manage its own news website, considering its current reach via social media sites it is not difficult to imagine a future where Anonymous can be an even bigger player in the mainstream news cycle.
Boston victim identified attackers while in intensive care
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  Source: euronews
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:56
  A photo of a bloodied man being wheeled away from the Boston marathon explosions, his lower legs destroyed, became one of the most shocking and widely distributed images from Monday's attack.
  The man in the photo Jeff Bauman, 27, was waiting for his girlfriend to cross the finish line when the bomb went off. It took hours before Jeff's family found out about his condition, learning about it through the grisly images on TV.
  Bauman was standing on the sidelines of the race when he saw a man wearing a cap, sunglasses and a black jacket place a rucksack on the ground. Later in hospital, he told his brother of the moment he looked into the eyes of the man who set off the bomb two and a half minutes later. The explosion removed Bauman's legs from below the knee, killed three people and injured around 170 more.
  Speaking to Bloomberg News the victim's brother said, ''He woke up under so much (sic) drugs, asked for a paper and pen and wrote, 'bag, saw the guy, looked right at me.'''
  While still in intensive care, Bauman gave a description to the FBI. His information could have helped police, who faced the task of identifying suspects in hours of CCTV footage from the crowded event. Paul Bresson, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, declined to comment on specific tips as the investigation was still ongoing.
  Photos of the suspects were released by the FBI on Thursday showing two men in hooded sweatshirts and dark jackets and both wearing backpacks.
  Not long after, a massive police operation started in the US city of Boston, following reports of extensive gunfire, explosions and the death of an MIT security officer. The latest information from Boston police is that a suspect in Monday's bombing has been shot dead after a pursuit. Another man is still at large.
  Some news agencies are reporting the two attackers were brothers from the Chechnya region of Russia, although this has not yet been officially confirmed.
  More about:Attack, Bomb blast, Boston, USACopyright (C) 2013 euronews
House Passes Controversial Cybersecurity Bill
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  Source: Regulation and Reform
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:55
  As expected, the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a controversial bill that aims to bolster the nation's defenses against cyber threats.
  The measure, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, or CISPA, would authorize the National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies to share information about digital threats with owners of financial networks, energy grids and other critical infrastructure.
  The legislation, which cleared the House by a vote of 288 to 127, also would immunize companies that exchange information with the government and one another from legal liability that many firms say currently deters such sharing.
  Ninety-two Democrats voted with Republicans in favor of CISPA, which garnered more Democratic support than a similar measure that passed the House last year with the backing of 42 Democrats.
  The push for cybersecurity legislation now moves to the Senate, where efforts to advance a bill to address digital threats failed twice last year. However, the current push comes a amid a wave of cyberattacks on the nation's biggest banks and a report in February that hackers tied to China's military have stolen business secrets from U.S. companies for years.
  "This is a good day for Americans," Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee who joined with the panel's chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., to sponsor CISPA, tweeted after the House vote.
  The American Bankers Association and other business groups back CISPA, which supporters say would allow private-sector firms to swap information about digital threats with the government and one another in real time.
  Critics charge that CISPA lacks safeguards that would require companies to strip people's personal data from information before sharing it with spy agencies. "This bill undermines the privacy of millions of Internet users," Rainey Reitman, activism director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group, said in a statement posted on the group's website after Thursday's vote.
  Prospects for the legislation in its current form remain uncertain.
  The White House has threatened to veto the measure because of privacy concerns, but said it stands ready to work with Congress to strengthen the nation's cyber defenses.
  In January, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., introduced a bill that calls for information sharing about cyber threats between the government and private-sector firms but stops short of specifying a mechanism for achieving the goal. Rockefeller, who is joined in the effort by Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Tom Carper, D-Del., has called advancing the legislation a priority.
  During debate on the measure Thursday, CISPA's backers took steps they hoped would win over legislators who shared concerns about the bill's effect on privacy.
  The House adopted an amendment by Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Tex., that would have run information about cyber threats through the Department of Homeland Security, a civilian agency, before the information went to the intelligence services.
  Though the amendment passed overwhelmingly, it proved to be insufficient to win over many legislators. "Our response to cyber threats must balance our security with our liberty," Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the Democratic minority leader, tweeted on Thursday afternoon. "I cannot support #CISPA in its current form."
Health Care Worker Alert: ABC News Misquoted Vaccine Rights Attorney
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  Source: Activist Post
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:53
  Alan Phillips, J.D.Activist PostEight nurses who were fired by their hospital-employer for refusing flu vaccines got national attention earlier this year when ABC News reported on the event. This brought much needed national attention to a trend rapidly sweeping the nation, that of hospitals requiring their employees to get flu shots or lose their jobs. A large percentage of healthcare workers object to the new policy, but most are getting the shot because they can't afford to lose their jobs and are not aware of laws that could help them avoid the shot, or because they are afraid they'll be fired just for asking for an exemption. We applaud ABC News for bringing national attention to this matter.
  However, the article's author misquoted me (a leading vaccine rights attorney) in a way that could put healthcare workers unnecessarily at risk if they rely on this article. Specifically, the article quoted me as saying: "Religion is legally broad under the First Amendment, so it could include any strongly held belief . . . the belief [that] flu shots are bad should suffice." This is not true, and not what I said.
  First Amendment protections do NOT extend to "any strongly held belief," they extend only to beliefs that are "religious in nature" as the law defines that phrase, and that are also sincerely held. As for the legal meaning of "religious in nature," it takes a consultation to explain and explore that matter with clients individually so that they can put together a legally sound statement of religious beliefs opposed to immunizations that works for them and their particular situation. Rights vary according to the specific situation and circumstances, and to the laws of the relevant jurisdiction(s).Of the approximately 150 healthcare workers in some 26 states that I assisted this past fall and early winter, the vast majority were successful, despite the fact that most of the hospitals had implemented unlawful vaccine exemption policies. The most difficult cases are the ones who first contact me after their employer has already rejected their exemption request.Unfortunately, most people who write a statement of religious beliefs opposed to immunizations without first learning what beliefs the law does and doesn't protect unwittingly fall into one or more "legal pitfalls" that can undermine their exemption rights.
  This area of law is just not consistent with most people's common sense approach. So, it is safest to get help from a knowledgeable attorney up front, as it can be difficult to "un-ring the bell," as the saying goes, to recover from a rejection or your exemption request after you submit a statement that turns out to have a technical legal flaw.
  The ABC News article did go on to correctly quote me as having said, "If your personal beliefs are religious in nature, then they are a protected belief [sic]," but that is only part of the equation; the beliefs must also be "sincerely held"'--again, as the law defines that phrase. So, healthcare workers should NOT rely on the ABC article when considering their rights.
  No offense is intended to the ABC News article's author; the law in this area can be confusing. To the contrary, we appreciate ABC News for letting their readers know that some professionals feel so strongly about the matter that they are willing to lose their jobs to avoid flu shots. Indeed, the small number who lose their jobs represent a vastly larger number who object to mandatory flu vaccines but who simply can't afford to sacrifice their jobs to prove it.
  Alan Phillips, J.D. is a leading national vaccine rights attorney and vaccine legislative activist. For more information, see www.vaccinerights.com, or email Alan at attorney@vaccinerights.com.The above is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to be legal or medical advice.
  This article first appeared at GreenMedInfo. Please visit to access their vast database of articles and the latest information in natural health.BE THE CHANGE! PLEASE SHARE THIS USING THE TOOLS BELOW
"The More I Hear About This The More I Don't Like It! THESE GUYS DIDN'T JUST GET LUCKY!"
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:49
Senator Wyden Vows To Fight New Internet Tax Legislation
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:49
Lenco Armored Vehicles - Protecting Our Nation's Defenders'
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:48
  Lenco Armored Vehicles is the Nation's leading designer and manufacturer of tactical armored security vehicles. Lenco Armored Trucks meet the needs of S.W.A.T., Homeland Security, Counter-Terrorism, Force Protection, Military Police, HAZMAT Team and Dignitary Protection applications. A growing number of high-profile U.S. agencies around the globe are using our armored vehicles for dangerous law enforcement and military operations such as close quarter battle engagements, citizen rescue and personnel/cargo delivery missions.
  Our product line includes the Lenco BearCat®; the Lenco B.E.A.R.®; and the Lenco ProCat® Crew Armored Transporter. These Ballistic Engineered Armored Response vehicles are constructed of certified hardened steel armor plate and approved multi-hit ballistic glass. Detailed ballistic specifications are available upon request. Vehicles are also equipped with blast fragmentation resistant floors, specially designed gunports, roof hatches with rotating turrets, gun mount platforms, gear storage and much more. All Lenco Armored Trucks are built on commercially available truck chassis' like Ford and Freightliner, to enable our users with OEM chassis service, parts availability and warranty support.
  We invite you to explore our website and our vehicles, and hope that you will take the time to read our product reviews and reference pages. We look forward to working with your agency and answering any questions you may have.
FBI Pulls Suspect Out Of Police Car To Photo Him At Crime Scene
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:41
Watertown Resident Describes Bullet Coming Through His Wall & Into His Bedroom & Hearing Explosions
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:41
"We Believe This To Be A Terrorist! We Believe This To Be A Man Who Came Here To Kill People" Police
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:41
Boston Police Commissioner Tweets Marathon Bombing Suspect Has Been Killed
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:40
Police Warning Marathon Bombing Suspect May Be WEARING Explosives!
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:40
Hospital Press Conference Dead Marathon Bombing Suspect Had Injuries Other Than From Bullets
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"We Saw Parents Carrying Children As Heavily HEAVILY Armed Police Go In To Search!"
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Massive Police Presence Puts Boston Suburbs Into Lockdown!
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Brothers Named As Boston Marathon Bombers
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Brothers Identified As Boston Marathon Bombers Believed To Be From Chechnya
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Police Expand Lockdown To Entire Boston Area! FAA Declares NO FLY Zone
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Boston Bombing PREDICTED!
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Saudis Claim MOSSAD ''Hit Squad'' Responsible For Boston Massacre
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  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:33
  World's Largest English Language News Service with Over 500 Articles Updated Daily
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  Picking up the Pieces: Practical Guide for Surviving Economic Crashes, Internal Unrest and Military SuppressionBy: Sorcha Faal ''In the span of less than 3 months gasoline prices will rise 500%. The prices of both food and shelter rise over 300%. (Continued)
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  April 19, 2013
  Saudis Claim MOSSAD ''Hit Squad'' Responsible For Boston Massacre
  By:Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers
  A new report prepared for President Putin by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on the 15 April Boston Marathon Bombing states that Saudi Arabia has claimed to the United States that an Israeli secret service MOSSAD ''hit squad'' is responsible for this massacre and is being protected by ''certain elements'' within the American intelligence community.
  According to this report, Saudi Arabia's General Intelligence Presidency (GIP) [equivalent to US CIA] discovered the existence of this MOSSAD ''hit squad'' in late December 2012 operating within its borders and the United States and comprising individuals coming from at least 3 different nationalities including Saudi Arabian, Chechen and Yemeni.
  Upon the discovery of these MOSSAD agents, this report continues, Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabian Minister of Interior, on 14 January met secretly with President Obama in Washington D.C. to advise the US of its existence.
  Curiously, this report says, two days after Prince Abdulaziz's secret meeting with Obama, US Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano, on 16 January, signed an ''arrangement'' with him bestowing ''Trusted Traveler'' status on Saudi student visitors, shortcutting normal American security screening procedures for foreign nationals entering the United States.
  Russian intelligence analysts contributing to this report note that the US granting of Trusted Traveler status to Saudi Arabia could very well have been designed to trap these MOSSAD agents in complacency in order to track their international travels and destinations.
  Unfortunately, this report says, and as we had reported on in our 17 April report ''Obama Warned Is ''True Target'' Of Boston Massacre'' these believed to be MOSSAD elements were able to enter the United States through Saudi Arabia to join existing elements in the US, and exactly like the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing terrorists who were able to detonate their FBI-supplied explosives.
  Important to note about 1993 World Trade Center Bombing, this report says, was that in the course of the trial it was revealed that the FBI had an informant, a former Egyptian army officer named Emad Salem. Salem claims to have informed the FBI of the plot to bomb the towers as early as 5 February 1992. Salem's role as informant allowed the FBI to quickly pinpoint the conspirators out of hundreds of possible suspects.
  Salem, initially believing that this was to be a sting operation, claimed that the FBI's original plan was for Salem to supply the conspirators with a harmless powder instead of actual explosive to build their bomb, but that the FBI chose to use him for other purposes instead. He secretly recorded hundreds of hours of telephone conversations with his FBI handlers.
  Immediately after the 15 April Boston Marathon Bombing, this report continues, US Navy Seals on the scene captured Saudi national Abdulrahman Ali Alharbi near the Boston marathon finish line with two other Saudis who were tackled after fleeing the scene of one of the bombings.
  Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia, this report says, immediately flew to the United States after Alharbi's capture and secretly met with US Secretary of State John Kerry on 16 April, and then met, again secretly, with President Obama the following day.
  From these two meetings, this report continues, US intelligence agencies were able to ascertain the ''grave threat'' they were facing as many Russian security experts have long suspected MOSSAD's involvement with Israeli controlled Chechnya ''hit squads'' the Kremlin still believes were responsible for the 24 January 2011 Domodedovo Airport Bombing in Moscow that killed 37 and wounded 173.
  New reports coming from the United States are, apparently, confirming the Chechnya connection to the Boston Marathon Bombing naming Chechnya citizens Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, and his unnamed brother[photos 3rd left], as being involved in a massive shootout with American police in the Boston area with one them now dead and the other yet to be captured.
  To how fearful US authorities are, FSB analysts in this report say, was evidenced in Boston this past week where the highly secretive group of private military operatives known as ''The Craft'' were seen taking control of the bombing site. Also, and in what the US alternative news site Natural News says is ''quickly becoming the biggest media cover-up in history,'' pictures were taken and posted on the Internet of one of ''The Crafts'' classified communications vehicle.[photo bottom left]
  Most curious of all, this report says, is why the United States didn't apprehend this MOSSAD linked terror cell immediately after the warning they received from the Saudis in January, especially as Russian intelligence officials had previously given to both the CIA and FBI detailed files on all Chechnya peoples residing in America, including the two brothers believed to be responsible for the Boston Marathon Bombing.
  Most dangerous to note about these Chechnya terrorists (who operate in cells of 10), the FSB says, is that they don't fear targeting children, and was horrifically evidenced by the September 2004 Beslan School Hostage Crisis where they massacred 380 people, the majority of them being children.
  To if it can be conclusively proved MOSSAD's, or Israel's, complicity in the Boston Marathon Bombing as the Saudis claim, FSB analysts in this report say, the consequences could, indeed, be dire; especially due to the fact of the still highly suspicious links between Israel and the 11 September 2001 terror attacks on the US, and as we can read as reported by the Philadelphia Times Herald:
  ''A memorandum sent to the 9/11 Commission, and Senate and House intelligence committees in September 2004, suggests that young Israelis who canvassed dozens of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offices in 2000 and 2001 trying to sell paintings to federal workers, may have been spying not only on the DEA, but also on Arab extremists in the United States '' including the Sept. 11 hijackers who were living in Florida and New Jersey.''
  April 19, 2012 (C) EU and US all rights reserved. Permission to use this report in its entirety is granted under the condition it is linked back to its original source at WhatDoesItMean.Com. Freebase content licensed under CC-BY and GFDL.
  [Ed. Note: Western governments and their intelligence services actively campaign against the information found in these reports so as not to alarm their citizens about the many catastrophic Earth changes and events to come, a stance that the Sisters of Sorcha Faal strongly disagrees with in believing that it is every human beings right to know the truth. Due to our missions conflicts with that of those governments, the responses of their 'agents' against us has been a longstanding misinformation/misdirection campaign designed to discredit and which is addressed in the report ''Who Is Sorcha Faal?''.]
  Apocalypse Slams Into America, Few Notice
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Officer killed in apparent robbery gone wrong at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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  Source: End the Lie - Independent News
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:31
  Image from Twitter/@Yang_Chu
  A police officer has been killed in a shooting at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, outside Boston. ''Gunshots were reported near Building 32 (Stata) which is currently surrounded by responding agencies,'' the university's emergency website reads.
  ''Please stay clear of area until further notice. Unknown if injuries have occurred. Although the situation is considered active and extremely dangerous, an investigation is underway,'' the post continued.
  According to various local reports and claims by MIT community members on Twitter, the incident appears to be a robbery gone awry, and not a school shooting.
  The suspect '' which the police scanner described very specifically as a 5'11'" 200lb ''dark skinned white male'' wearing a black top making a getaway ''on foot in unknown direction'' '' shot a police officer, who died minutes later from his injuries.
  Other scanner information claims the shooter used a fallen officer's gun. No information has so far pointed to his affiliation, or not, with the school.
  Students have been advised to stay inside.
  MIT, one of the world's best universities, is located in Cambridge, which borders Boston.
  Source: RT
  UPDATE: According to the latest update from the MIT website posted at 12:28 AM local time, ''Responding agencies are actively investigating the situation, which remains very fluid at this time. Police continue to sweep the campus. Stay indoors and remain inside until further notice.''
  UPDATE 2: The Massachusetts State Police have confirmed that the officer wounded in the shooting died, apparently at Mass. General Hospital.
  Help Spread Alternative News
Australian Olympic swimmers fined
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  Source: BBC News - Home
  Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:29
  19 April 2013Last updated at00:45 ETMembers of Australia's Olympic swimming team have been fined and issued deferred suspensions for taking banned medication and misbehaviour.
  Swimming Australia said the six male athletes "failed to demonstrate the level of conduct required" of them.
  Five of the six men in February said they took the sleeping medication Stilnox during a "bonding" session before the London Olympics last year.
  All six of them admitted to engaging in disruptive behaviour.
  "The panel found that the six members of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay team in London failed to demonstrate the level of conduct required of members of the team," Swimming Australia said in a statement.
  The failure was in connection to "inappropriate distribution and or use" of Stilnox, participation in a disruptive bonding session and general misbehaviour, it said.
  "As a result... six athletes will be required to make payments to Swimming Australia and will receive deferred suspensions for breaches of their behavioural obligations," it added.
  The panel has presented its report to the Australian Olympic Committee "for further consideration". It did not specify the amount of the fines or the length of the deferred suspensions.
  The Integrity Panel also investigated allegations of drunkenness and bullying of athletes and officials, but did not find any evidence that required sanctions.
  The athletes' admission followed a report that assessed Australia's poor swimming performance at the London 2012 Games which pointed to a "toxic" team culture.
  Stilnox, used to treat insomnia, is not considered a performance enhancer and is not a banned substance, but the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) put it on the prohibited list ahead of the Games.
  The relay team, nicknamed Weapons of Mass Destruction before the Olympics, came in fourth in the event, in which they had been expected to deliver a medal.
  Australia's swimmers won just one gold medal at London 2012, far short of previous medal hauls at other recent Olympics.
Scarborough Insist Expanded Background Checks Will Keep Guns Out Of The Hands Of Al Qaeda
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Man Arrested In Connection With Poison Ricin Letters Was Hired By Sen Wicker As Elvis Impersonator
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Canadian Resources Minister: Soros ordered pipeline blocked.
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  Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:45
  24Jan
  Canadian Resources Minister: Soros ordered pipeline blocked.Except for a small well financed minority of the far-left, Americans overwhelmingly support the Keystone pipeline expansion.
  Canadian Resources Minister Joe Oliver says Barack Obama blocked the pipeline deal on behalf of radical left-wing Billionaire George
  Soros has pumped millions into American far-left groups, many of which used some of his money to campaign for Barack Obama.
  Barack Obama vetoed a major oil pipeline deal that would have brought thousands of new jobs and decreased our oil dependency on the Middle East. Obama is ensuring that unemployment stays high, gas prices climb, and America keeps sending tens of billions to Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. The so-called ''environmental concerns'' are completely unfounded.
  The liberal Washington Post called Obama's veto ''an act of national insanity.'' Liberal TIME magazine attacked Obama and said the veto means Canadian oil will go to China and Americans will continue buying oil from Saudi Arabia.
  Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver recently blamed billionaire agitator George Soros, who funds extreme left-wing causes in North America, Europe, and Central Asia. He also fingered the US based Tides Foundation.
  The Tides Foundation is a left-wing not for profit with a budget in the hundreds of millions. They are most known for promoting the global warming hoax.
  This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at 9:46 am and is filed under Global Warming, Obama. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Soros obituary published in error; financier is alive | Reuters
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  Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:38
  Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
  NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
Texas delegation votes 27-9 to enact controversial cyber security bill; McCaul uses Boston bombings to garner support | Texas on the Potomac | a Chron.com blog
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  Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:37
  The Texas delegation showed an overwhelming supported for the passage of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) passed in the House.
  The House passed the controversial bill 288-127, and the Texas vote reflected similar support, 27-9. The bill would allow private companies to voluntarily share information with the government if a cyber attack occurred.
  ''With so much of what we do every day online, I believe it is critical for our safety and the nation's to allow private businesses to voluntarily cooperate with the government when it comes to stopping cyber attacks.'' Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth said following the vote.
  Rep. Michael McCaul of Austin, the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the Boston bombings reflects the need for Congress to enact safeguards now against this online form of terrorism.
  ''I think if anything, the recent events in Boston demonstrate that we have to come together'... to get this done in name of national security,'' McCaul said on the House floor on Thursday. ''In the case of Boston, they were real bombs, explosive devices. In this case they're digital bombs. These digital bombs are on their way. That's why this legislation is so important. That's why it's so urgent. For if we don't and those digital bombs land and attack the United States, and Congress failed to act, then Congress has that on its hands.''
  Proponents say the measure would help protect the nation against the reportedly increasing amount of cyber attackers, however opponents argue it is an invasion of privacy that would allow companies to easily hand over private information to the government.
  Three Texas legislators, Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, Joe Barton, and McCaul, joined several others who proposed their own individual amendments to the bill to more specifically define how and when the information is shared.
  Rep. Beto O'Rourke, an El Paso Democrat who voted against the measure, said the he still felt bill lacks sufficient safeguards in protecting the private information of individuals.
  ''There's no doubt Congress must act to improve cyber security and combat ongoing cyber threats but we should never legislate out of fear or sacrifice essential rights, such as privacy, in the name of security,'' he said on the House floor.
  McCaul has been an active advocate for improving cyber security measures. A bill he authored that would improve funding for cyber security research passed the House earlier this week and is onto the Senate.
  Despite support in the House, it faces an unsure future in the Senate. A similar bill passed the House last year but received a swell of opposition on the internet and it died in the Senate. The White House has also acknowledged it would not sign the bill.
Exclusive: Congressional Source Contradicts ICE Account, Says Lawmakers in Possession of File on Saudi National That Called for Visa Revocation | TheBlaze.com
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  Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:30
  Alleged photo of Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi. It's unclear who the man on the right is.
  Documents have been presented to Congress confirming that plans were made to revoke the visa of Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi, a Saudi national once considered a ''person of interest'' in the Boston bombings, a congressional source told TheBlaze on Thursday.
  Other sources, including one at the FBI, previously informed TheBlaze that there have been discussions about deporting Alharbi on ''security and related grounds.'' He has been living in the Boston area and in the U.S. on a student visa. An FBI source said the agency is against deporting Alharbi because of his status as a material witness.
  The congressional source told TheBlaze it was unclear as to why representatives from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be unaware of this information. Earlier on Thursday, an official with ICE said it was ''categorically false'' that Alharbi had ever been considered for deportation.
  The congressional source, however, said the information sent to Congress showed that a file was created on ''Abdul Rahman Ali Al Harby'' at 4 p.m. on Tuesday by an official with the National Targeting Center, a counterterrorism sub-agency of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. The file stated that the individual is ''linked to the Boston bombing'' and was to be processed for revocation of his visa based on national security grounds, the congressional source revealed.
  The source confirmed seeing the information sent to members of Congress but could not provide copies of any documents to TheBlaze.
  It is unclear why federal officials allegedly believed Alharbi was ''linked'' to the Boston Marathon attack. Simply being present at the scene could possibly result in such a distinction.
  The source could not reveal if Alharbi knew or has ever been in contact with the two suspects in the Boston bombings identified by the FBI on Thursday.
  Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had a fiery exchange with Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) during a House hearing Thursday morning over reports that Al Alharbi is being considered for deportation.
  Napolitano refused to entertain a question regarding if it would be ''negligence'' to deport someone who just days ago was a person of interest. Watch her response and read her other fiery comments in our full write-up here.
  Sen. Rand Paul reacted to TheBlaze's report during a radio interview with Glenn Beck by saying he will be ''looking into'' the report. Read the full report here. Glenn Beck also addressed the the developing story surrounding Alharbi on his show on TheBlaze TV Thursday. Watch here.
  The original report by TheBlaze about Alharbi's possible deportation is available here.
PhoneSat - packets
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  Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:15
  PhoneSat satellites are emitting packets over the amateur radio band at 437.425 MHz. All three satellites transmit using AFSK (1200 bps) modulation, AX.25 packet coding and have vertical linear polarization.
  The two PhoneSat 1.0 satellites, Graham and Bell, transmit with a periodicity of respectively 28 seconds and 30 seconds. The PhoneSat 2.0 beta satellite, Alexander, transmit with a periodicity of 25 seconds.
  The following is a detailed description of the packets that you will be receiving.
  PhoneSat 1.0Three different types of packets ASCII85 encoded. We are encoding bits instead of ASCII characters. Therefore, if you want to decode the packet, normal online ASCII85 decoders will not work. Use PhoneSat's Decoder to decode your packets.
  Health Data PacketAfter being decoded, the packets will contain the following data:
  ID: 1byte, identifier of which satellite you have received from.Restarts: number of restarts of the PhoneSat App.Reboots: number of reboots of the phone.Counter: number of packets sent since the beginning of the mission.Phase1: number of packets sent during phase 1 (only health data).Phase2: number of packets sent during phase 2 (health data and picture packets).Time: unix time in seconds.Voltage: battery Voltage in Volts.Temp1: exterior temperature in Kelvin.Temp2: interior temperature in Kelvin.Accel: accelerometer value for X, Y, Z axes from the phone sensor in m/sec2.Compass: magnetic field value for X, Y, Z axes from the phone sensor in nanoTesla.Text: ''hello from the avcs''.ExampleEncoded: 5l^lb"98E%&HDe3bQ%VN5l^mWlOr7g]g+go"@J?FW'ca*3.Lu/!'R5cl+nL4FMPBd!5T'D!5Pl?zzzzzzzz!,,q[Ci:G.Ec5e;FD,5.@
VIDEO-NOPD investigates 'suspicious package' in French Quarter | wwltv.com New Orleans
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  Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:11
  WWLTV.comEmail: webteam@wwltv.com | Twitter: @WWLTV
  NEW ORLEANS -- The NOPD is investigating a "suspicious package" in the French Quarter.
  The package, which police are now calling a backpack, was found in the 600 block of Canal. Police have a squad out at that location and are investigating the scene.
  Police have released very few details on the package.
  The NOPD also investigated a suspicious package earlier in the night in the 600 block of Poydras Street, near the criminal court. But they said just before 10 p.m. that it was a false alarm.
  We'll have a live report at 10 p.m.
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Senator: Climate Change Must Be 'Right Behind Immigration and Gay Rights As An Issue'
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  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:10
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
More Guard Callups Expected After Boston Tragedy
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  Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:23
  More National Guard troops will likely be called out to protect major events nationwide in the aftermath of the terror attack on the Boston Marathon, Guard officials said Wednesday.
  In Boston, more than 900 troops from the Massachusetts National Guard remained on duty for a second day past the end of the marathon to seal off the Boylston Street end of the race, now a crime scene, and to provide security for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority train lines.
  Guard and state officials gave no estimate on how much longer the troops will stay activated.
  "Massachusetts National Guard soldiers and airmen will continue to assist the City of Boston and civilian law enforcement for as long as needed," said Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice, the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard.
  ''We have no word yet on how much longer we'll continue the mission,'' said Lt. Col. James Sahady, a Massachusetts Guard spokesman.
  On the MBTA, ''we're doing spot checks'' of backpacks and packages, and providing a presence on the platforms, Sahady said. In several instances, Guard troops gave aid to travelers who needed help, including a woman who fainted on a train platform.
  Sahady said Guard troops have routinely been tasked to assist civil authorities with security at a variety of events, and he expected that the Boston Marathon attacks would prompt calls for more Guard troops.
  The Massachusetts National Guard's 79th Troop Command is providing command and control of all troops activated for the marathon.
  In the 12 years since 9/11, the National Guard has been called upon frequently to provide security at major events and on holidays, ''and in light of what's happened [in Boston], those who put on events will be looking to tap the Guard'' for more troops, said John Goheen, a spokesman for the National Guard Association.
  ''Since 9/11, we've grown dramatically in our ability to respond'' to a range of requirements from state authorities, from disasters to attacks and threats of attack, Goheen said. ''We have very seasoned forces that function well in chaos'' from their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, Goheen said.
  The frequent callups have strained Guard resources and the ability of troops to transition smoothly back to civilian life. The problem was highlighted Wednesday at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee in an exchange between Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Sen. Joseph Donnelly, D-Ind.
  Donnelly said that about 1,000 Indiana National Guard troops had been called up and were in training for months to deploy to Egypt for the peacekeeping force in the Sinai and to the Horn of Africa, only to be told recently that their June deployment was being canceled and they were being replaced by active-duty troops.
  ''These off-ramp decisions are really challenging'' for Guard troops, Donnelly said. ''Many of them lost their jobs, many of them lost health care,'' and some who had re-enlisted to deploy were now being denied their re-enlistment bonuses, Donnelly said.
  Hagel said he was unaware of the Indiana Guard's problem, but ''I will find out.''
  ''We'll go back and work on it,'' he said.
  (C) Copyright 2013 Military.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Federal Register | Determination That the OXYCONTIN (Oxycodone Hydrochloride) Drug Products Covered by New Drug Application 20-553 Were Withdrawn From Sale for Reasons of Safety or Effectiveness
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  Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:28
  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that OXYCONTIN (oxycodone hydrochloride) extended-release tablets (10 milligrams (mg), 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg, and 160 mg) approved under new drug application (NDA) 20-553 were withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. The Agency will not accept or approve abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) for products that reference NDA 20-553.
  Patrick Raulerson,Center for Drug Evaluation and Research,Food and Drug Administration,10903 New Hampshire Ave.,Bldg. 51, Rm. 6368,Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002,301-796-3522.
  In 1984, Congress enacted the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 (98) (the 1984 amendments), which authorized the approval of duplicate versions of drug products under an ANDA procedure. ANDA applicants must, with certain exceptions, show that the drug for which they are seeking approval contains the same active ingredient in the same strength and dosage form as the ''listed drug,'' which is a version of the drug that was previously approved. ANDA applicants do not have to repeat the extensive clinical testing otherwise necessary to gain approval of a new drug application (NDA).
  The 1984 amendments include what is now section 505(j)(7) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(j)(7)), which requires FDA to publish a list of all approved drugs. FDA publishes this list as part of the ''Approved Drug Products With Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations,'' which is known generally as the ''Orange Book.'' Under FDA regulations, drugs are removed from the list if the Agency withdraws or suspends approval of the drug's NDA or ANDA for reasons of safety or effectiveness or if FDA determines that the listed drug was withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness (21 U.S.C. 355(j)(7)(C); 21 CFR 314.162).
  A person may petition the Agency to determine, or the Agency may determine on its own initiative, whether a listed drug was withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. This determination may be made at any time after the drug has been withdrawn from sale, but must be made before approving an ANDA that refers to the listed drug (§ 314.161 (21 CFR 314.161)). FDA may not approve an ANDA that does not refer to a listed drug.
  OXYCONTIN (oxycodone hydrochloride) extended-release tablets, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg, and 160 mg (original OxyContin), are the subject of NDA 20-553, held by Purdue Pharma LP (Purdue) and initially approved on December 12, 1995. A reformulated version of these products, OXYCONTIN (oxycodone hydrochloride) extended-release tablets, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, and 80 mg (reformulated OxyContin), are the subject of NDA 22-272, also held by Purdue and initially approved on April 5, 2010. Reformulated OxyContin was developed with physicochemical properties that are intended to make the tablet more difficult to manipulate for purposes of abuse or misuse. Both original and reformulated OxyContin are opioid agonist products indicated for the management of moderate to severe pain when a continuous, around-the-clock opioid analgesic is needed for an extended period of time.
  In correspondence dated August 10, 2010, Purdue notified FDA that it had ceased shipment of original OxyContin, and FDA subsequently moved original OxyContin to the ''Discontinued Drug Product List'' section of the Orange Book. On April 16, 2013, FDA approved a supplemental application for reformulated OxyContin, approving changes to the product labeling that describe certain abuse-deterrent properties of the reformulated product.
  Several parties have submitted citizen petitions under 21 CFR 10.30, requesting that the Agency determine whether original OXYCONTIN (oxycodone hydrochloride) extended-release tablets were voluntarily withdrawn from sale for reasons other than safety or effectiveness. [1]
  Based on the information available at this time, FDA has determined under § 314.161 that original OxyContin was withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. FDA has reached this determination following a careful review and analysis of the following information: (1) The citizen petitions described previously; (2) the comments submitted to the dockets associated with these petitions; (3) the Agency records and other information concerning original and reformulated OxyContin and the withdrawal of original OxyContin; and (d) data, literature, and other information concerning postmarketing adverse events associated with original OxyContin, reformulated OxyContin, and other extended-release oxycodone products.
  II. Initiatives To Address Abuse of Opioid Analgesics Back to TopOpioid analgesics are an important component of modern pain management. Abuse and misuse of these products, however, has grown into a public health epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sales of prescription opioids in the United States increased over 300 percent from 1999 to 2008 (Ref. 1). Overdose deaths involving these products increased commensurately over the same period, from 4,000 to 14,800 (Refs. 1 and 2). In 2008 prescription opioids were involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined (Ref. 3). In 2010 the number of overdose deaths in which prescription opioids were involved rose to 16,651, which represented more than 75 percent of all overdose deaths involving prescription drugs (Ref. 4).
  FDA, together with other Federal agencies, is working to address this large and growing problem while ensuring that patients in pain have appropriate access to opioid analgesics. FDA has worked to improve the labeling of OxyContin and other opioid analgesics to better warn prescribers and patients of the serious risks associated with abuse and misuse. FDA also has worked extensively with the sponsors of OxyContin and other extended-release or long-acting prescription (ER/LA) opioid analgesics to address these risks through a classwide risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/UCM311290.pdf.
  This REMS, approved on July 9, 2012, requires sponsors of ER/LA opioids to make available training for health care professionals on proper prescribing practices and also to distribute educational materials to prescribers and patients on the safe use of these medications.
  FDA considers the development of opioid analgesics that can deter abuse and misuse to be a public health priority. Opioid analgesics can be abused orally or by injection, snorting, or smoking and also may be misused in therapeutic contexts. Products may be designed to deter one or more of these methods of abuse or misuse. Following mandates in the 2011 White House prescription drug abuse prevention plan (Ref. 5) and section 1122(c) of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 112-144) (126 Stat. 1075), FDA recently issued a draft guidance to industry on the evaluation and labeling of potentially abuse-deterrent opioid analgesics (Ref. 6).
  III. Assessment of Abuse-Deterrent Properties of Reformulated OxyContin Back to TopAll forms of opioid analgesic abuse are dangerous, and non-oral routes of abuse are particularly dangerous. Intranasal and intravenous opioid abuse is associated with serious adverse events including addiction, overdose, and death (Refs. 7, 8, and 9). Intravenous opioid abuse is associated with HIV and hepatitis B and C infection risk (Ref. 10). Further, as stated in the OxyContin labeling (see section 9.2), injection of OxyContin excipients ''can result in death, local tissue necrosis, infection, pulmonary granulomas, and increased risk of endocarditis and valvular heart injury.'' The label is available at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2013/022272s016lbl.pdf. Intranasal opioid abuse is associated with nasal, palatal, and pharyngeal necrosis (Refs. 7 and 11).
  Original OxyContin was often abused by manipulating the product to defeat its extended-release mechanism, causing the oxycodone to be released more rapidly. Original OxyContin also was manipulated for therapeutic purposes, for example, by crushing the product to sprinkle it onto food or to administer it through a gastric tube. As noted in the boxed warning of the labeling, disruption of the tablet and controlled-release mechanism for abuse or misuse ''can lead to rapid release and absorption of a potentially fatal dose of oxycodone.''
  FDA has conducted an extensive review of data available to the Agency regarding reformulated OxyContin, including in vitro, pharmacokinetic, clinical abuse potential, and postmarketing study data. The data show that, when compared to original OxyContin, reformulated OxyContin has an increased ability to resist crushing, breaking, and dissolution using a variety of tools and solvents. The data also demonstrate that, when subjected to an aqueous environment, reformulated OxyContin gradually forms a viscous hydrogel. The data also indicate that insufflation of finely crushed reformulated OxyContin was associated with lower ''liking'' compared to finely crushed original OxyContin in recreational opioid users with a history of intranasal drug abuse. FDA concludes, based on these data and our review of all data and information available to the Agency at this time, that the physicochemical properties of reformulated OxyContin are expected to make abuse via injection difficult and are expected to reduce abuse via the intranasal route. In addition, reformulated OxyContin also may deter certain types of misuse in therapeutic contexts.
  Additional postmarketing studies intended to assess the impact of reformulated OxyContin on abuse and misuse in the community also have been conducted; some of these are still ongoing. FDA has reviewed the available data from these studies and has concluded that they suggest, but do not confirm, a reduction in non-oral abuse. The Agency will continue to review data from these studies as they become available, as well as any other relevant data that may be developed in the future.
  FDA has long considered the abuse potential of a drug in numerous regulatory contexts. Where appropriate, FDA may take into account abuse potential as part of the safety profile of a drug when weighing its benefits and risks. In this case, FDA has considered the abuse potential as part of the Agency's determination of whether the original formulation of OxyContin was withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. This approach is particularly appropriate here in light of the extensive and well-documented history of OxyContin abuse.
  Original OxyContin has the same therapeutic benefits as reformulated OxyContin. Original OxyContin, however, poses an increased potential for abuse by certain routes of administration, when compared to reformulated OxyContin. Based on the totality of the data and information available to the Agency at this time, FDA concludes that the benefits of original OxyContin no longer outweigh its risks. FDA has determined that OXYCONTIN (oxycodone hydrochloride) extended release tablets, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg, and 160 mg (approved under new drug application 20-553), were withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. Accordingly, the Agency will remove OXYCONTIN (oxycodone hydrochloride) extended-release tablets (10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg, and 160 mg) approved under NDA 20-553 from the list of drug products published in the Orange Book. FDA will not accept or approve ANDAs that refer to these drug products.
  The following references have been placed on display in the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852, and may be seen by interested persons between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and are available electronically at http://www.regulations.gov. (FDA has verified the Web site addresses in this reference section, but FDA is not responsible for any subsequent changes to the Web sites after this document publishes in the Federal Register.)
  Dated: April 12, 2013.
  Leslie Kux,
  Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
  [FR Doc. 2013-09092 Filed 4-16-13; 4:15 pm]
  BILLING CODE 4160-01-P
  1. Varam, Inc., Docket No. 2011-P-0473 (June 9, 2011) (10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 80, and 160 mg); Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, Docket No. 2010-P-0540 (Oct. 8, 2010) (10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, and 80 mg); Lachman Consultant Services, Inc., Docket No. FDA-2010-P-0526) (Sept. 30, 2010) (10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, and 160 mg). Lachman also submitted a petition in 2001 concerning just Purdue's 2001 withdrawal of the 160 mg strength. Docket No. FDA-2001-P-0473 (formerly Docket No. 2001P-0426) (Sept. 18, 2001).
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