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FBI uses dummy website to snare teen wannabe terrorist '-- RT USA
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  Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:30
  The Federal Bureau of Investigation's arrest of an American teenager has raised questions over whether US investigators are morally right to use the guise of national security in order to entrap would-be enemy combatants.
  Abdella Ahmad Tounisi, 18, made an appearance in federal court Tuesday after being arrested last week at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport before allegedly boarding a plane bound for Turkey. He was captured as part of a sting operation in which the FBI used a website to dupe potential jihadists into writing messages to agents posing as terrorist recruiters.
  The page, titled A Call for Jihad in Syria, advertised pictures of Islamic militants holding weapons and, according to the Associated Press, the rallying cry ''Come and join your lion brothers'...fighting under the true banner of Islam.''
  Tounisi is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to foreign terrorists, a violation that's punishable by a maximum 15-year prison sentence. Prosecutors said he found the webpage only weeks before his eventual arrest but a computer search provided evidence that he entered an Internet search for ''providing material support what does it mean'' and ''Terrorism Act 2000.''
  They also introduced conversations between Tounisi and who he thought was a terrorist recruiter.
  ''Concerning my fighting skills, to be honest, I do not have any. I'm very small'...physically but I pray to Allah that he makes me successful,'' he allegedly wrote, before an FBI agent responded by saying ''We have trust in Allah that you will fight and do your Jihad as a true (believer).''
  Undercover FBI agents instructed Tounisi to fly to Turkey, where he would then travel to Syria and join a radical Islamist organization. Prosecutors hope to convict Tounisi based on his attempted flight overseas, which they say is evidence of his deadly intentions, along with an email where he professes a ''willingness to die for the cause.''
  ''These sites can end up creating crimes,'' said Phil Turner, a former federal prosecutor who now works as a defense attorney. ''Real terrorists don't need to go to a website for contacts. They have real contacts.
  ''From your office computer, you can get millions of cases like this '' sucking people in,'' he told the AP. ''But it diverts our attention from the real terrorists.''
  Other legal experts cite the Boston Marathon bombings as an example of when the FBI could have saved lives had they stopped the suspects, even if they had to use a web page.
  ''These are valid tools,'' said Mike Fagel, a security consultant in Chicago. ''As an emergency planner guy, if I can prevent something from happening, I don't have to worry about response and recover. We are seeing younger and younger assailants, and they operate on the Internet.''
  The criminal complaint also claimed Tounisi was a good friend of Adel Daoud, who was arrested last year and charged with attempting to detonate a bomb outside a Chicago bar. Daoud has pled not guilty and is currently awaiting trial, as reported by the Chicago Sun Times.
  Tounisi has not been implicated in Daoud's alleged plot, although Daoud told police that Tounisi had expressed interest in blowing up a club where ''all these people go in and use drugs and alcohol.''
  Ahmad Tounisi, the suspect's father, told reporters that his son had discussed travelling to the Middle East to aid the oppressed, not to train with violent terrorists.
  ''I don't think he would actually do what the government is saying he was planning to do. To me, it's all assumption on the government's part,'' said the elder Tounisi. ''He never hurt anyone in his life, why would he start now? All my kids are born and raised here, they are more American than some Americans.''
Havana, Cuba Vacations: $1999 -- Cuba 5-Night Escorted Trip w/Meals & Air, $760 Off | Travelzoo
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:24
  Immerse yourself in Cuba's history, culture, music and cuisine with this $1999-per-person trip that includes nonstop air from Miami to Havana and a visitor's visa.
  The ban on travel to Cuba was eased for U.S. citizens in the past two years, alllowing a small number of companies to hold "people-to-people licenses" to legally bring travelers from the States; this is what allowed Beyonc(C) and Jay-Z to visit Cuba this month.
  This five-night package fosters interaction with Cuban residents through daily cultural and educational events. Overall, travel to Cuba costs more than trips to other Caribbean destinations, but this package is at least $760 per person less than similar Cuba offers from other government-approved U.S. companies.
  The following is included:
  One-night hotel stay in Miami before departure for CubaNonstop roundtrip airfare on a U.S. government-licensed charter serviceU.S. Treasury Department license and letter of authorizationCuba entrance visaFour nights at the historic and well-reviewed Hotel Nacional de Cuba in HavanaA Friendly Planet Travel escort and a "people-to-people" guideAll transportation within Cuba11 meals: four breakfasts, four lunches and three dinnersAll taxes and entrance feesA full-time schedule of activitiesHighlights include a stop at Ernest Hemingway's mansion; a visit with artists in a Afro-Cuban neighborhood; a trip to an elementary school to learn about the Cuban educational system; a performance from a vocal group and ballet school students including discussions on music and dance opportunities in Cuba; a meeting with experts on U.S.-Cuban relations; and a visit to a medical clinic in the rural Las Terrazas farming area.
  Depart on Sept. 6 or 10 for the $1999 price. For $2099 per person, leave on Sept. 24; or Oct. 4, 8, 15, 25. Other dates -- July 2; or Aug. 2, 16, 27 -- cost $2299 per person.
Who Is Trying To Patent Marijuana? -
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:42
  by Kent MaoWaking TimesApril 24, 2013
  But wait. How can a company, other than Monsanto, patent a plant? That's not a serious question, but it brings up a serious point. Patents on marijuana have yet to cover genetic modifications of the plant itself, but rather involve the cannabinoids found in marijuana that are responsible for its medical effects.
  Phytocannabinoids in the treatment of cancer (Patent No. US20130059018)The most recent patent filing on cannabinoids comes from none other than GW Pharmaceuticals '' the UK-based company that manufactures Sativex (1). Sativex is an oral spray that contains cannabinoids derived from the cannabis plant itself, specifically THC and CBD. Although Sativex is not yet available in the U.S., it has already gained approval in Canada, the UK and eight other European countries.
  GW Pharma has been quick to recognize the market potential of cannabis and their most recent patent application makes this more than clear. Just from the title of the patent, one gets a good sense of what GW Pharma has been trying to claim as their own. ''Phytocannabinoids'' simply means cannabinoids derived from plants, referring to the cannabis plant in this case.
  Unsurprisingly, it appears as though GW Pharma encountered difficulties in trying to claim such a broad ''invention''. In fact, the updated version of their patent application shows that more than half of their original patent claims were retracted, and for good reason too. Looking back in time, GW Pharma made claims to just the use of isolated cannabinoids in the treatment of cancer, which is no more of an invention than it is a theft from individuals who first proclaimed marijuana's cancer-fighting abilities decades ago.
  On the other hand, GW Pharma's remaining claims might just pass through the Patent Office without further questioning. GW Pharma seems to be familiar with the pharmaceutical industry's shrewd patent strategies, which involves modifying pre-existing compounds that have already been proven to work.
  In this case, all GW Pharma had to do was claim that they invented a cannabis-based botanical drug substance for treating cancer '' botanical drug substance meaning any form of marijuana prepared by methods as simple as aqueous or ethanolic extraction. There you have it. GW Pharma invented neither cannabis nor a method of extraction, but still consider themselves to be inventors of ''phytocannabinoids in the treatment of cancer''.
  Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants (Patent No. US6630507)Perhaps the most infamous marijuana-related patent belongs to the U.S. federal government themselves. Indeed, while federal agents have been keeping busy trying to defend their stance on pot prohibition, they also made sure to file patents on the medical components of the very same Schedule I drug. The funny thing is, this particular patent dates all the way back to 1998 when Bill ''didn't inhale'' Clinton was still president.
  Although federal patent writers made sure to include a long list of synthetic cannabinoids within their claims, carefully tucked away is none other than cannabidiol, also known as CBD. Once again, the inventive step in this patent seems to be severely lacking, but maybe the federal government gets more flexibility with their patent filings.
  Regardless, it seems as though the use of CBD for the treatment of ''stroke and trauma'', ''Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia'' and a ''wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases'' all belongs to the White House, at least for the next 10 years until their patent expires.
  Private funding matters moreIt might be easy to blame an outdated patent system for what seems to be just another one of the many injustices that plague the private health care system. But the truth is, it's not really the Patent Office's fault that marijuana is being taken over by capital-backed corporations and government agencies.
  Rather, the fault lies in the restrictive nature of medical marijuana research, which is overseen by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) '' the only source of legal marijuana in the U.S.
  According to researchers (2) who have attempted to conduct clinical trials on cannabis, the NIDA is simply uninterested in supplying cannabis for medical studies, in accordance with a mandate from Congress that limits NIDA researchers to investigating the marijuana's dangers. And being the overwhelmingly benign substance (3) that it is, marijuana hasn't been the subject of many NIDA studies for a while now.
  But perhaps the worst outcome of this situation is not the fact that clinical research on medical marijuana is severely lacking. No, the worst part is that the gap in research is eagerly being filled by corporations like GW Pharma. Indeed, while there were a total 37 clinical studies (4) conducted on cannabinoids between 2005-2009, only 8 of them involved actual marijuana. On the other hand, 9 of the 37 studies involved Sativex, with the rest consisting of a variety of synthetic THC formulations, no doubt sponsored by their respective manufacturers as well.
  So where does this leave the rest of us? Not too far from where we started off it seems, since it's no surprise to anyone that healthcare will continue to be driven by privately funded research, even in the case of marijuana. But all that research money has to come from somewhere, and you can bet it's not coming from the deep pockets of GW Pharma's executive board.
  As it turns out, a couple of shrewd businessmen with knowledge of medicine realized long ago that sick and dying individuals will pay almost any price for the promise of relief, even if it happens to be all of their life savings and then some. What happened to these businessmen? Oh, they're still around. We just call them Big Pharma.
  About the AuthorKent Mao is a contributor to Waking Times and the editor of TruthOnPot.com, an online resource for medical marijuana facts, information and research. TruthOnPot.com actively engages in the online discussion of marijuana research and policy. You can learn more by visiting www.truthonpot.com. Kent is also a contributor to Waking Times.
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  This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It's okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.
The Jamestown Foundation: CHECHEN REBELS ARE TRYING TO DAMAGE RUSSIA'S OIL-AND-GAS PIPELINE SYSTEM
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:05
  Publication: North Caucasus Analysis Volume: 5 Issue: 46
  December 31, 1969 07:00 PM Age: 43 yrs
  Category: North Caucasus Analysis
  On December 8, a huge explosion in the Caucasian republic of Dagestan damaged a segment of the pipeline for exporting natural gas from Russia to Azerbaijan. Local security officials almost immediately admitted that the blast was an act of sabotage. On December 9, NTV quoted Abdul Musaev, a spokesman for Dagestan's Interior Ministry, as saying that the republic's procuracy was launching an investigation based on the articles in the criminal code covering "possession of illegal arms" and "terrorism."
  According to the Regnum new agency, the explosion took place near Makhachkala, Dagestan's capital. Vremya novostei reported that there were two explosions. The first one destroyed the pipeline while the second one was caused by a leakage of gas, the newspaper said on December 10. The second explosion reportedly caused a flame 50 meters high that could be seen as far away as the center of Makhachkala. Twenty-two people were injured in the accident, mostly civilians who came to the site of the explosion, curious to see what had happened.
  The pipeline that was bombed runs from the North Ossetian town of Mozdok to the Azerbaijan city of Gazimagomed and is used for exporting Russian natural gas to Azerbaijan. The latest explosion was the fourth attack targeting the pipeline this year. Two of the other incidents also took place in Dagestan while one took place in Chechnya. On April 5, a section of the pipeline was blown up near the village of Uitash in Dagestan. The Dagestani gas company Kaspiiskgazprom had to halt exports to Azerbaijan for several days, Vremya novostei reported on April 5. The Baku-Novorossiisk oil pipeline, which exports Azeri oil to Europe through Russia, was also damaged. The two lines pass very close to one another near Uitash and the same explosion hit both of them. Officials of the Dagestani branch of the Federal Security Service (FSB) said that the explosions were the work of men loyal to Rabbani Khalilov (a.k.a. Rappani Khalilov), a Dagestani field commander who is a henchman of the Chechen rebel warlord Shamil Basaev.
  On May 24, the Mozdok-Gazimagomed pipeline was damaged again in Dagestan, while on July 5 an explosion hit a section of the pipeline in Chechnya's northern Shelkovskoi district. In each the case the gas company has had to interrupt its exports to Azerbaijan and suffered significant financial losses as a result.
  However, pipelines and oil reservoirs have been sabotaged not only in the Caucasus. In 2003, the press-service of Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov released a videotape that is now being distributed across Chechnya. The tape shows a meeting of the top Chechen rebel commanders, including Maskhadov, Basaev, Doku Umarov and others, which took place in the mountains in March 2003. The voiced-over commentary on the tape says that "different issues of the continuing war against Russia are on the agenda, including the issue of committing acts of sabotage on the enemy's territory." Early in 2004 it became clear just what was meant by "acts of sabotage." On February 18, two gas pipelines were blown up in the Moscow region's Ramensky district, NEWSru.com reported. According to police reports, the pipelines were damaged with explosive devices made out of several rocket-propelled grenades.
  Shamil Basaev sought to present the situation in a more dramatic way. He said that up to 60 artillery shells had been detonated and that they had destroyed two long-distance pipelines exporting natural gas to Europe through Belarus, as well as a Moscow water-heating power station. A video placed on the separatist Kavkazcenter website in February showed a rebel base in the Moscow region and bombs being manufactured. The video also showed targets: the Moscow water-heating power station, some streets in the center of the city and some pipelines. A map of the Moscow subway could also be seen on the screen of a laptop. The explosions themselves were not taped, so it is unlikely that Basaev's claims were true. Nevertheless, even the explosions along the two local pipelines, which took place not far from Moscow, forced the authorities to take extra security measures in the region. On February 24, Andrei Barkovsky, the Moscow regional governor's spokesman, told Ekho Moskvy radio: "The government of the Moscow region has decided to take additional antiterrorist measures, such as guarding and defending all strategically important objects and also hospitals, schools etc."
  These measures proved to be insufficient: On March 15, a power transmission line situated only 2.5 kilometers away from Moscow, next to the highway leading to the Crimean peninsula, was damaged by several explosions, NEWSru.com reported. NTV reported that day that FSB officers who arrived at the scene of the explosion found a Chechen flag that had been left on the ground.
  In the spring of 2004, other acts of sabotage occurred in various parts of Russia. On April 24, the Samara''Lisichansk long-distance oil pipeline was blown up in the Volgograd region. This pipeline transports Russian oil to the ports of Odessa and Pivdenny in Ukraine to be further carried to the West (see Vestnik nefty i gaza, October 19). Police and FSB officers found a pistol, several grenades, and detonators inside a car that had been left near the site of the explosion, the Regnum news agency reported on April 26. On June 5, an oil reservoir that was part of the Baku-Novorossiisk pipeline was blown up near the town of Neftekumsk in the Stavropol region. Security officials announced that this incident was also an act of sabotage carried out by militants loyal to Basaev, Regions.ru reported.
  Chechen sabotage groups recently struck again near Moscow. On November 28, Interfax reported that a long-distance circular pipeline had been damaged by a blast near the village of Phosphoritny in the Moscow region's Voskresensky district. This latest explosion has caused much anxiety among law-enforcement agencies. On December 3, Boris Gromov, the Moscow region's governor, had a meeting with the local police and FSB chiefs, Nezavisimaya gazeta reported the following day. The newspaper quoted the head of the Moscow region's police department, Nikolai Golovkin, as saying during the meeting: "If another Beslan happens in the region, there will be no forgiveness." While a local FSB deputy chief was quoted as saying: "Moscow is the main target for terrorists, and the main duty of the security forces is to prevent terrorist acts in the Moscow region."
  There are grounds for concern. The Russian economy will face significant challenges if Chechen militants manage to intensify their sabotage campaign. The political consequences could be even more serious.
GE Capital Cuts Off Lending to Gun Shops'...
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  Source: Weasel Zippers
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:30
  The demonizing of the Second Amendment continues.
  Via WSJ:
  General Electric Co. is quietly cutting off lending to gun shops, as the company rethinks its relationship to firearms amid the fallout from the school shooting in Newtown, Conn.
  This month, Glenn Duncan, owner of Duncan's Outdoor Store in Bay City, Mich., said he received a letter from GE Capital Retail Bank in which the lender said it had made ''the difficult decision'' to stop providing financing services to his store. Other gun dealers have received similar notices.
  GE is at least the second big financial firm to retreat from the gun business following the school shootings, which claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six adults in December.
  Days after the killings, private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP said it would try to sell the gun company it owns'--Freedom Group Inc.'-- which makes brands including Remington, Bushmaster, Marlin and H&R.
  The moves highlight how companies, closely attuned to the concerns of investors and employees, have reacted to public horror caused by the attacks, even as complicated political considerations doomed new gun-control legislation in the Congress.
U.S. gives big, secret push to Internet surveillance.
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  Source: WT news feed
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:24
  Justice Department agreed to issue "2511 letters" immunizing AT&T and other companies participating in a cybersecurity program from criminal prosecution under the Wiretap Act, according to new documents obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
  NSA director Keith Alexander, shown here in a file photo, who's also the commander of the U.S. Cyber Command.
  (Credit: Getty Images)Senior Obama administration officials have secretly authorized the interception of communications carried on portions of networks operated by AT&T and other Internet service providers, a practice that might otherwise be illegal under federal wiretapping laws.
  The secret legal authorization from the Justice Department originally applied to a cybersecurity pilot project in which the military monitored defense contractors' Internet links. Since then, however, the program has been expanded by President Obama to cover all critical infrastructure sectors including energy, healthcare, and finance starting June 12.
  "The Justice Department is helping private companies evade federal wiretap laws," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which obtained over 1,000 pages of internal government documents and provided them to CNET this week. "Alarm bells should be going off."
  Those documents show the National Security Agency and the Defense Department were deeply involved in pressing for the secret legal authorization, with NSA director Keith Alexander participating in some of the discussions personally. Despite initial reservations, including from industry participants, Justice Department attorneys eventually signed off on the project.
  The Justice Department agreed to grant legal immunity to the participating network providers in the form of what participants in the confidential discussions refer to as "2511 letters," a reference to the Wiretap Act codified at 18 USC 2511 in the federal statute books.
  The Wiretap Act limits the ability of Internet providers to eavesdrop on network traffic except when monitoring is a "necessary incident" to providing the service or it takes place with a user's "lawful consent." An industry representative told CNET the 2511 letters provided legal immunity to the providers by agreeing not to prosecute for criminal violations of the Wiretap Act. It's not clear how many 2511 letters were issued by the Justice Department.
  In 2011, Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn publicly disclosed the existence of the original project, called the DIB Cyber Pilot, which used login banners to inform network users that monitoring was taking place. In May 2012, the pilot was turned into an ongoing program -- broader but still voluntary -- by the name of Joint Cybersecurity Services Pilot, with the Department of Homeland Security becoming involved for the first time. It was renamed again to Enhanced Cybersecurity Services program in January, and is currently being expanded to all types of companies operating critical infrastructure.
  The NSA and DOJ declined to comment. Homeland Security spokesman Sy Lee sent CNET a statement saying:
  DHS is committed to supporting the public's privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. Accordingly, the department has implemented strong privacy and civil rights and civil liberties standards into all its cybersecurity programs and initiatives from the outset, including the Enhanced Cybersecurity Services program. In order to protect privacy while safeguarding and securing cyberspace, DHS institutes layered privacy responsibilities throughout the department, embeds fair practice principles into cybersecurity programs and privacy compliance efforts, and fosters collaboration with cybersecurity partners.
  Paul Rosenzweig, a former Homeland Security official and founder of Red Branch Consulting, compared the NSA and DOD asking the Justice Department for 2511 letters to of the CIA asking the Justice Department for the so-called torture memos a decade ago. (They were written by Justice Department official John Yoo, who reached the controversial conclusion that waterboarding was not torture.)
  "If you think of it poorly, it's a CYA function," Rosenzweig says. "If you think well of it, it's an effort to secure advance authorization for an action that may not be clearly legal."
  A report (PDF) published last month by the Congressional Research Service, a non-partisan arm of Congress, says the executive branch likely does not have the legal authority to authorize more widespread monitoring of communications unless Congress rewrites the law. "Such an executive action would contravene current federal laws protecting electronic communications," the report says.
  President Barack Obama leaving a National Security Agency Christmas party held across the street from the White House at the Blair House last December.
  (Credit: Getty Images)Because it overrides all federal and state privacy laws, including the Wiretap Act, legislation called CISPA would formally authorize the program without the government resorting to 2511 letters. In other words, if CISPA, which the U.S. House of Representatives approved last week, becomes law, any data-sharing program would be placed on a solid legal footing. AT&T, Verizon, and wireless and cable providers have all written letters endorsing CISPA.
  Around the time that CIPSA was originally introduced in late 2011, NSA, DOD, and DHS officials were actively meeting with the aides on the House Intelligence committee who drafted the legislation, the internal documents show. The purpose of the meeting, one e-mail shows, was to brief committee aides on "cyber defense efforts." In addition, Ryan Gillis, a director in DHS's Office of Legislative Affairs, sent an e-mail to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence committee, discussing the pilot program around the same time.
  AT&T and CenturyLink are currently the only two providers that have been publicly announced as participating in the program. Other companies have signed a memorandum of agreement with DHS to join, and are currently in the process of obtaining security certification, said a government official, who declined to name those companies or be identified by name.
  Approval of the 2511 letters came after concerns from within the Justice Department and from industry. An internal e-mail thread among senior Defense Department, Homeland Security, and Justice Department officials in 2011, including associate deputy attorney general James Baker, outlines some of the obstacles:
  [The program] has two key barriers to a start. First, the ISPs will likely request 2511 letters, so DoJ's provision of 3 2511 letters (and the review of DIB company banners as part of that) is one time requirement. DoJ will provide a timeline for that. Second, all participating DIB companies would be required to change their banners to reference government monitoring. All have expressed serious reservations with doing so, including the three CEOs [the deputy secretary of defense] discussed this with. The companies have informally told us that changing the banners in this manner could take months.
  Another e-mail message from a Justice Department attorney wondered: "Will the program cover all parts of the company network -- including say day care centers (as mentioned as a question in a [deputies committee meeting]) and what are the policy implications of this?" The deputies committee includes the deputy secretary of defense, the deputy director of national intelligence, the deputy attorney general, and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  "These agencies are clearly seeking authority to receive a large amount of information, including personal information, from private Internet networks," says EPIC staff attorney Amie Stepanovich, who filed a lawsuit against Homeland Security in March 2012 seeking documents relating to the program under the Freedom of Information Act. "If this program was broadly deployed, it would raise serious questions about government cybersecurity practices."
  In January, the Department of Homeland Security's privacy office published a privacy analysis (PDF) of the program saying that users of the networks of companies participating in the program will see "an electronic login banner [saying] information and data on the network may be monitored or disclosed to third parties, and/or that the network users' communications on the network are not private."
  An internal Defense Department presentation cites as possible legal authority a classified presidential directive called NSPD 54 that President Bush signed in January 2008. Obama's own executive order, signed in February 2013, says Homeland Security must establish procedures to expand the data-sharing program "to all critical infrastructure sectors" by mid-June. Those are defined as any companies providing services that, if disrupted, would harm national economic security or "national public health or safety."
  Those could be very broad categories, says Rosenzweig, author of a new book called "Cyber War," which discusses the legality of more widespread monitoring of Internet communications.
  "I think there's a great deal of discretion," Rosenzweig says. "I could make a case for the criticality of several meat packing plants in Kansas. The disruption of the meat rendering facilities in Kansas would be very disruptive to the meat-eating habits of Americans."
Napolitano to Sen. Sessions on Poor Morale at ICE: 'It's Not Just With ICE -- It's Throughout the Department'. (video)
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  Source: WT news feed
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:23
  Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was questioned by member of the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 23, 2013. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)
  (CNSNews.com) '' Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) questioned Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at a hearing Tuesday about the low morale of employees of DHS' Immigration of Customs Enforcement agency.
  ''We have a very real problem,'' Sessions said. ''In December of 2012 '' a few months ago '' a survey of federal agencies showed that morale of ICE employees had dropped in rankings to 279th out of 291 federal agencies.
  ''Were you aware that morale at ICE has plummeted?'' Sessions asked.
  ''Oh yes,'' Napolitano said. ''And, in fact, employee morale is a real concern of mine.''
  ''And it's not just with ICE, it's throughout the department,'' Napolitano said.
  In June of 2010, the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, ICE's labor union, sent a ''Vote of No Confidence'' letter to ICE leadership.
  Rep. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) questioned Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at a Senate Judiciary hearing on April 23, 2013 on the morale of her agency's employees. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)
  ''On June 11, 2010, the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council and its constituent local representatives from around the nation, acting on behalf of approximately 7,000 ICE officers and employees from the ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), cast a unanimous 'Vote of No Confidence' in the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), John Morton, and the Assistant Director of the ICE Office of Detention Policy and Planning, (ODPP), Phyllis Coven,'' the letter stated.
  As reported earlier by CNSNews.com, a 2011 memorandum issued by Morton directed ''prosecutorial discretion'' for enforcing federal immigration law '' guidance that has come under sharp criticism , including from the ICE union and its president, Chris Crane.
  Crane testified before the same committee in February about ICE agents being preventing from doing their job.
  ''I think most Americans assume that ICE agents and officers are empowered by the government to enforce the law,'' Crane said at the hearing. ''Nothing could be further from the truth."
  ''With 11 million illegal aliens in the U.S., ICE agents are now prohibited from arresting illegal aliens solely on charges of illegal entry or VISA overstay '' the two most frequently violated sections of U.S. immigration law,'' Crane said.
  The hearing today, Apr. 22, centered around the 844-page Immigration Modernization Act, proposed by the ''Gang of Eight'' Republicans and Democrats that, in part, offers a pathway to citizenship to the estimated 11 million people who are in the United States illegally.
Dutch: Now the EU wants to "regulate" gardens too... deadline: May 6th
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  Source: Illuminotty's News
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:21
  De EU is hard bezig om de markt voor zaad (van planten en groenten, smeerkezen) ontzettend fascistisch corporatistisch te maken. Er ligt regelgeving op de plank, op basis van een uitspraak van het Europese Hof uit 2012, om zaden centraal te gaan registreren. Gebruikers van zaden (inclusief de moestuinier en hobbyboer) mogen in de toekomst alleen nog via het centrale orgaan goedgekeurde zaden gebruiken, op straffe van hoge boetes. Voorheen waren kleine boeren en hobbyisten uitgezonderd, maar dat moet gaan veranderen. Och jee u verwacht het niet dat de lobby aangevoerd wordt door de grote boze multinationals (Monsanto etc.) die wel baat hebben bij een zo uniform mogelijke 'markt'. In de economieboeken van de brugklas heet een dergelijke marktsituatie een oligopolie. Doe daar een laagje centrale-bureaucratie bij en u komt al snel uit bij corporatisme. Zo'n beetje het tegenovergestelde van een vrije markt. Weet u wie er ook -godwin hier-. Werk aan de winkel, GroenLinks en onze overige allerbeste vrienden, anders wordt dit net zo'n echec als de CO2-'handel'. Zet al jullie zetels in, red onze moestuinen en hobbykassen! Milieu-organisaties zijn allang begonnen met het sturen van open brieven en nu beginnen de Duitsers ook pissig te worden, toch het moment waarop Nederland ook even op moet gaan letten.
  VanLeeuwen | 23-04-13 | 17:19 | Link | Reageer ookJe bent ingelogd als: (Uitloggen)
  Probeer trouwens eens de totaal officieuze niet-ondersteunde third-party GeenStijl extension die compleet niet door ons ondersteund wordt en volledig op eigen risico is.
  Je bent niet ingelogd, klik hier om dat wel te doen: login of doe een CookieSync.
Bank governor tells children Portugal mismanaged its 'pocket-money'
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  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:21
  The governor of the Bank of Portugal (BdP) described the country's financial crisis as a ''pocket-money management problem'', to a group of 6th formers Tuesday, promising them that Portugal would ''get out'' of the situation if it ''carried out the adjustment programme properly''.
  Speaking to an audience of several dozen pupils at Fontes Pereira de Melo school in Oporto, Carlos Costa gave his talk at a ceremony to award a prize for a competition about the need to plan family budgets and the importance of saving.
  Asked about the reason behind ''the country being in a crisis'', the governor compared the current Portuguese situation with that of a pupil who ''doesn't manage his pocket money properly''.
  ''Imagine you get to Thursday and run out of money, so you keep borrowing money until Saturday. After a while you start to accumulate debt and the day comes when they tell you: Pay up or we won't lend you any more'', he said.
  ''When this happens, you have to call your parents or Godparents and tell them what went wrong and that you now have to pay your classmates and you haven't got any money.
  Your father says ''I'll lend you the money, but no more monkey business from here on, and you'll have to show me your accounts every day if I am to lend you money for the next day''.
  Asked by one girl if ''it is possible to know when the country will get out of the crisis'', Costa asserted ''we will get out'', but that it depended on two things; the behaviour of the country and the international context.
  The governor also said Portugal had to be able to export another 50% of goods and services as that was the only way the country would be able to sustain the life style it wanted.
First H7N9 flu case in Taiwan
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  Source: WT news feed
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:17
  A man previously infected with the H7N9 bird flu virus in Zhoukou, Henan province, has recovered and was discharged from a hospital on Tuesday. Jin Yuequan / For China Daily
  Vaccines are 'not recommended' at present, says WHO expert
  Taiwan confirmed the first case of H7N9 bird flu outside the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, and World Health Organization experts investigating the disease in China said the same day it was "one of the most lethal influenza viruses" seen so far.
  Health authorities in Taiwan said the victim is a 53-year-old male who returned on Tuesday from Suzhou, Jiangsu province, via Shanghai. The man had a fever, cough and a running nose when he arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and was sent directly to a hospital for tests where he was confirmed to have H7N9.
  By 4 pm Wednesday, one person diagnosed earlier in Jiangsu province died, but no new case of H7N9 infection was reported on the Chinese mainland, which has confirmed 108 cases and 23 deaths since the first infections were announced on March 31.
  "This is definitely one of the most lethal influenza viruses we have seen so far," said Keiji Fukuda, a leading flu expert from the World Health Organization, who has led a team on a five-day visit to China to study H7N9.
  Fukuda told a news conference on Wednesday that the H7N9 virus was more easily transmissible from poultry to human than the more common H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed more than 360 people worldwide since 2003.
  Experts had previously remarked on the "affinity" of H7N9 for humans.
  "When we look at influenza viruses, this is an unusually dangerous virus," Fukuda said, but he added: "We are really at the beginning of our understanding."
  The experts, here on invitation from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, released their findings on Wednesday after a joint assessment of the virus with their counterparts in Beijing and Shanghai.
  The WHO, however, does not recommend the production of vaccines.
  "Over the past three weeks some potential vaccines have been developed. They are being developed just in case. Right now, there is no recommendation to go ahead and produce vaccines against this virus," said Nancy Cox, director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Surveillance in Atlanta.
A Most Wanted Man (2013) - IMDb
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:13
  EditStorylineWhen a half-Chechen, half-Russian, tortured half-to-death immigrant turns up in Hamburg's Islamic community, laying claim to his father's ill gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies take a close interest: as the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man's true identity - oppressed victim or destruction-bent extremist? Written by Production
  Plot Summary|Add SynopsisEditDid You Know?TriviaThis movie is being made and first released five years after its source novel of the same name by John le Carr(C) was first published in 2008. See more >>
Head of Unilever Spain arrested in sprawling data theft case.
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  Source: WT news feed
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:10
  The chairman of Unilever's Spanish division, Jaime Aguilera Carmona, was one of a group of over 20 people arrested or formally named as suspects in the so-called "Pitiusa" operation to dismantle a ring that was trafficking in data, sources involved in the investigation said Wednesday.
  Among those also detained was Eduard Garriga, executive director for management and strategy at Barcelona Activa, the local development agency of Barcelona City Hall and former general manager of insurer Mutua Universal.
  The police also arrested members of the National Police, civil guards and employees of the Tax Agency.
  The raids on Wednesday comprised the third phase of the Operation Pitiusa probe, which last year unearthed a ring of around 150 people who had been buying and selling personal documents, such as income tax statements, printouts of account transfers, medical records and lists of telephone numbers.
  The ring worked closely with detective agencies, and one of the people arrested on Wednesday was a private investigator, Jorge Luis Colomar, the son of a famous detective who solved a murder case years back.
  One of the detective agencies involved, M(C)todo 3, had compiled sensitive information on businessmen, judges, prosecutors and politicians.
  The arrests started earlier Wednesday morning. The list of those to be detained contained the names of around 30 people, including 19 in Catalonia, five in Madrid, two in Cantabria, one in Aragon, two in the Basque Country and two in Andalusia. At press time 18 of the arrests had been made.
  One of the key players in the ring is Argentinean-born hacker Mat­as Bevilacqua, who had previously collaborated with the National Intelligence Center (CNI), Spain's equivalent of the CIA.
  The N"os connectionSome of the victims of the ring include Telma Ortiz, the sister of Princess Letizia, whose employment record was sold to a private detective. Another victim was Ignacio L"pez Hierro, the husband of the secretary general of the ruling Popular Party, Mar­a Dolores de Cospedal.
  An examination of computers seized in previous raids showed a connection between Pitiusa '-- the Spanish word for the inhabitants of Ibiza and Formentera '-- and the N"os investigation in which royal son-in-law I±aki Urdangarin and his wife Princess Cristina have been implicated. Urdangarin's lawyer, Mario Pascual Vives, had asked Bevilacqua for all of the email messages involved in the case.
As Obama Shuns Hearing, Yemeni Says U.S. Drone War Terrifying...
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  Source: oswald of guadalupe
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:02
  As Obama Shuns Hearing, Yemeni Says U.S. Drone War Terrifying Civilians, Empowering Militants
  ix days after the U.S. bombed his village, Yemeni activist Farea al-Muslimi testified on Capitol Hill about the terror of the U.S. drone wars. Al-Muslimi spoke during the Senate's first-ever public hearing on the Obama administration's targeted killing program. His family's village was hit by a U.S. drone strike last week. The White House refused to send an official to defend the program's legality. ''When they think of America, they think of the terror they feel from the drones that hover over their heads, ready to fire missiles at any time,'' al-Muslimi says of his fellow Yemenis. ''What the violent militants had previously failed to achieve, one drone strike accomplished in an instant.'' Others to testify at the hearing included law scholars and members of the U.S. military.
Activist Post: The Motive Behind the Boston False Flag Operation
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:01
  Dave HodgesActivist PostAny totalitarian government, such as the Obama administration, needs to control the flow of information and make certain that people are left defenseless by seizing their guns. This article is about how the Obama administration has likely used the Boston Marathon bombing as a pretext to seize control over the Internet, thus eliminating the only true form of uncensored news.
  Gaining Control of Communications
  The first step to subduing an enemy is to remove their command and control, and that is accomplished by eliminating communications. This is precisely what the administration is poised to do and they are moving quickly towards this end. If the government is going to move to shut down the medium of communication which is threatening to expose their criminality to the masses, namely the Internet, they need to first find a pretext.
  Obama Creates An Internet Interagency Working Group
  The decided move towards controlling the Internet was actually foretold earlier this year with the Obama White House announcing the creation of a new interagency working group to address what it calls a growing problem.
  This new federal interagency group will be led by Quintan Wiktorowicz, who presently serves as the White House senior director for community partnerships on the national security staff. The new group will be called ''The Interagency Working Group to Counter Online Radicalization'' and will be tasked with the implementation of an Internet safety program to address online violent extremism.
  Wiktorowicz recently stated:Violent extremist groups '-- like Al Qaeda and its affiliates and adherents, violent supremacist groups, and violent ''sovereign citizens'' '-- are leveraging online tools and resources to propagate messages of violence and division. These groups use the Internet to disseminate propaganda, identify and groom potential recruits, and supplement their real-world recruitment efforts. Some members and supporters of these groups visit mainstream fora to see whether individuals might be recruited or encouraged to commit acts of violence, look for opportunities to draw targets into private exchanges, and exploit popular media like music videos and online video games. Although the Internet offers countless opportunities for Americans to connect, it has also provided violent extremists with access to new audiences and instruments for radicalization.
  If Wiktorowicz were referring exclusively to terrorist groups such as al Qaeda, then no red flags would be raised whatsoever concerning the new program. But he never specified nor defined terms such as ''violent supremacist groups'' or ''violent sovereign citizens.''Wiktorowicz is not referring to al Qaeda. He specifically uses the term ''violent sovereign citizens.'' The term ''sovereign citizen'' is something that I have previously warned the American public about. You would be wise to visit the following link about what constitutes a dangerous ''sovereign citizen'' according to this criminal government. The Tsarnaev brothers clearly fit this administration's definition of a sovereign citizen. And where did these two ''terrorists'' learn to become such a threat to the country. Reportedly, they learned their terrorist ways by going to the Internet.
  The Bombs and the Fundamentalist Beliefs Were Allegedly Built By Using Online Sources
  Government officials told Fox News that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and his brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, built the Boston Marathon bombs with instructions from Inspire magazine, an English-language online magazine. published by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.CNN has reported that preliminary interviews indicate the two brothers fit the classification of self-radicalized Jihadists. CNN says the pair's radicalization was completed by watching online radical material.
  The pretext has been delivered and it just a matter of time until the government seizes control of the Internet.
  ConclusionI do not believe in coincidences, and the Boston Marathon Bombing is no coincidence that it coincides with CISPA and the fact that Obama is looking for any excuse to take control over the Internet.
  Subsequently, the government has its pretext, and soon the Internet will be tightly controlled. What effect will that have on the American people? Time will tell. However, I think it is likely that the inability to get easy news will force many people into a more active mode, and the more active a person is in the pursuit of the truth, the more awake the person will become. These could very well become the seeds which will ultimately develop into a civil war.
  Dave is an award winning psychology, statistics and research professor, a college basketball coach, a mental health counselor, a political activist and writer who has published dozens of editorials and articles in several publications such as Freedoms Phoenix, News With Views and The Arizona Republic.The Common Sense Show features a wide variety of important topics that range from the loss of constitutional liberties, to the subsequent implementation of a police state under world governance, to exploring the limits of human potential. The primary purpose of The Common Sense Show is to provide Americans with the tools necessary to reclaim both our individual and national sovereignty.
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Report: Boston Bombers Planned To Attack New York Next'...
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  Source: Weasel Zippers
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:00
  Via Ynet:
  US authorities learned that the Tsarnaev brothers, who were behind the bombing at the Boston Marathon last week, were planning to carry out another attack in New York once they left Boston.
  The Boston Globe reported on Wednesday that Tamerlan (26) and Dzhokhar (19) Tsarnaev did not succeed in carrying out their plans only because they were tracked down by Massachusetts authorities a few days after the marathon attack.
  After carrying out the Boston bombing, in which three people died and over 200 were injured, the brothers still possessed several homemade grenades and an explosive laden pressure cooker.
  A man who had been kidnapped by the brothers as they fled authorities told police that the brothers had planned to travel to New York.
  The man told investigators that although the brothers did not speak English, he picked up on the word ''Manhattan'' in their conversation.
NYPD: Pedestrian Killed Himself by Running Into Stopped Police Cruiser | Streetsblog New York City
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:37
  NYPD has reportedly changed its story about what happened to Tamon Robinson, the man who suffered fatal injuries when he was chased by officers in a police cruiser through a housing complex in Brooklyn. Whereas witnesses said police ran Robinson over, NYPD now claims the victim killed himself by running into the police cruiser, which wasn't moving.
  Witnesses say cops ran over Tamon Robinson, then dragged him, unconscious, from beneath the cruiser.
  Meanwhile, the Daily News reports that, a year after the crash, District Attorney Charles Hynes has yet to decide whether to bring the case to a grand jury.
  Tamon Robinson, 27, was loading paving stones into an SUV at Bayview Houses in Canarsie on April 12, 2012, when according to press accounts he was chased by officers who believed he was stealing the bricks. From a Times story published a week later, after Robinson had died: ''Mr. Robinson ran toward his building, but a police car hit him before he reached it, according to a police report about the events.''
  The Times said the Internal Affairs Bureau was investigating Robinson's death.
  Contrary to the initial NYPD account, on Saturday the Daily News reported that the official NYPD report claims ''the police car was stopped on a footpath outside the Bayview Houses last April when Robinson 'did run into' the vehicle, causing him to fall backward and strike his head.''
  This story would strain credulity even without conflicting reports from people who saw the crash. DNAinfo reported that, according to witnesses, ''police at the scene pulled Robinson from under the car, yelling 'Wake up! Wake up!' before bouncing him off the hood of the car.''
  The Daily News says an independent expert has been hired by Hynes's office to reconstruct the crash. ''We can't make a decision until we have the final report,'' said a Hynes spokesperson.
  NYPD sent Robinson's family a bill for damage to the cruiser, but rescinded it after the media picked up the story.
  In another instance of NYPD using a police car as a deadly weapon, last August officers rammed a dirt bike in the Bronx, killing the bike's operator and injuring a passenger. The Daily News notes that the NYPD Patrol Guide ''prohibits 'ramming' in an attempt to stop a vehicle.''
Zwitserland weert Nederlanders
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  Source: VK: Home
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:54
  24/04/13, 18:43 '' bron: ANP
  (C) anp. Zwitserland.
  Zwitserland weert de toestroom van immigranten uit Nederland en 16 andere 'oude' EU-landen. De regering in Bern besloot woensdag tot het gebruik van de zogeheten 'ventielclausule'. Het aantal nieuwe langdurige verblijfsvergunningen voor mensen uit de oude EU-landen wordt beperkt tot maximaal 53.700 per jaar. Het aantal migranten uit nieuwe EU-landen in Oost-Europa was eerder al beperkt tot 2180 per jaar.
  De regering wil haar immigratiebeleid op een ,,economisch en maatschappelijk goed verteerbare'' manier vormgeven. Menig Zwitser klaagt over de vele Duitsers in het land. Die maken goede kansen op de arbeidsmarkt, omdat zij meestal beter Hoogduits spreken dan de Zwitsers.
  De EU reageerde woensdag teleurgesteld op het besluit van de Zwitsers. 'De EU kent een grote betekenis toe aan het vrije verkeer van personen in de totale context van de betrekkingen met Zwitserland', aldus buitenlandco¶rdinator Catherine Ashton.
  Italianen en Duitsers vormen de grootste groepen buitenlanders in Zwitserland. Italianen maken zich niet geliefd door voor hetzelfde werk minder geld te vragen dan Zwitsers. Duitsers worden in Zwitserland vaak arrogant gevonden, omdat zij wat directer praten dan de eedgenoten. Ook lachen Duitsers Zwitsers uit voor hun rare taalgebruik, als zij bijvoorbeeld Traktandenliste zeggen in plaats van Tagesordnung (agenda).
Democrats, Republicans Press Obama on Drone Use
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:03
  WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats and Republicans on Tuesday challenged the Obama administration to spell out its justification for using drones for targeted killings amid growing concerns about unchecked powers of the presidency and Americans' civil liberties.
  Lawmakers had hoped to question a member of the administration about the secret program in the war on terror and the underlying policy, but the administration declined to send a witness to the Judiciary subcommittee hearing. Instead, retired military officials, academics and other experts answered questions that underscored the congressional unease over the use of drones overseas.
  The administration has argued that the president's authority stems from his constitutional power to protect the United States from imminent attack. The administration also has cited the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, which says the commander in chief has the authority for strikes against al-Qaida and its affiliates.
  Obama has used the law's authority to target terrorists with fatal drone strikes, including Americans overseas.
  The president has promised to explain his policy, but members of Congress argue that he has been less than forthcoming about the secret program. Durbin listed six questions, such as the constitutional justification for targeted killing, what are the due process protections for U.S. citizens overseas who are targeted and the legal limits on the battlefield in the fight with al-Qaida.
  "In my view, more transparency is needed to maintain the support of the American people and the international community," he said.
  In a dramatic moment, Farea al-Muslimi testified that he was from Wessab, a remote village in Yemen, and six days ago a drone struck his village, terrifying thousands of poor farmers.
  "The drone strike and its impact tore my heart, much as the tragic bombings in Boston last week tour your hearts and also mine," he said, adding later that drone strikes "are the face of America for many Yemens."
  Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright told the panel he was "worried that we've lost the moral high ground" on the handling of the issue.
  The administration has never publicly described the effectiveness of the drone program. However, independent groups, relying on news reports and other information, have compiled estimates on the attacks. The New America Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, estimates the U.S. has launched 420 strikes in Pakistan and Yemen -- the two countries where the strikes are believed to occur most frequently -- since 2004. Between 2,424 and 3,967 people are believed to have been killed by U.S. drones, the majority in Pakistan.
  The drone issue has created unique alliances on Capitol Hill with liberals joining forces with libertarian-leaning Republicans.
  Republican Sen. Ted Cruz told the Senate hearing that drones are technology, but the "real scope of this hearing and of the concern is on the scope of federal power."
  Democratic Sen. Al Franken acknowledged the odd political bedfellows on the issue, telling the witnesses and a crowded hearing room, "You know you're in strange territory when Sen. Cruz and I have the same questions."
  The hearing with retired military officers and outside experts comes a month after Republican Sen. Rand Paul held floor for nearly 13 hours to delay CIA Director John Brennan's nomination over whether the president has the authority to use a drone to kill a U.S. citizen on American soil if the citizen is not engaged in combat. Attorney General Eric Holder has said the president does not have that authority.
  (C) Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Tampa street reopened after unattended package turns out to be garbage | Crime | Bradenton Herald
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:41
  TAMPA -- A stretch of Dale Mabry Highway was shut down Tuesday morning while police officers and a bomb squad examined an unattended package.
  It turned out to be a box of garbage.
  The highway was shut down for the short distance between Bay to Bay Boulevard and San Juan Boulevard from around 10:45 a.m. until noon.
  Authorities said the package, located near a mailbox off Santiago Street W., was initially spotted by a citizen. A police K-9 "alerted" to something suspicious inside, and the Regional Bomb Team was called out to investigate.
  Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy acknowledged that "everybody is certainly on a higher alert" after the recent Boston Marathon bombings, but said the precautionary steps would have been taken anyway.
  "The bottom line is it's very rare when a K-9 alerts, so we would be taking this just as seriously, despite the sensitivity of what's going on in Boston."
Home | PreDiabetes Centers
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:40
  Treating a chronic disease can be difficult, and doing it alone is nearly impossible. At PreDiabetes Centers, we have health coaches who guide you through treatment every step of the way, offering support, education and encouragement. Want to know more about what a health coach does? Of course you do! In this Q&A, we introduce'...
Deputies fired no shots at end of Christopher Dorner manhunt, logs say
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  Source: Stuff Ain't Right » Uncategorized
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:28
  In the final two hours of a dramatic standoff with rogue ex-Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner, San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies did not fire a single gunshot during their raid of a compound where he barricaded himself after killing one deputy and seriously wounding another, according to dispatch logs.
  When the SWAT team arrived on February 12, a robot-controlled tractor tore down blood-spattered walls of the vacated home near Big Bear, offering tactical teams a clean view inside the cabin, logs show.
  The redacted transcripts detail the chase that began after a 911 call from a Big Bear couple whom Dorner had held hostage at gunpoint and hogtied before fleeing their condo that Tuesday afternoon.
  The manhunt ended in Dorner's death from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.
  The printed text of dispatch logs began at 12:23 p.m. PT with a frantic cell-phone call to authorities from Karen Reynolds and her husband, Jim, who reported being ''tied up by Chris Dorner,'' who had fled in their vehicle 15 to 30 minutes earlier.
  According to the logs, about one hour later, the first exchange of gunfire with Dorner occurred when he was spotted by California Fish and Wildlife officers as he attempted to flee the mountain in another stolen vehicle.
  Women wounded in manhunt to get $4.2 million
  When officers identified Dorner's abandoned vehicle and traced him to a vacation cabin, a barrage of gunfire erupted, and hundreds of rounds were exchanged, authorities said. As the gun battle intensified, officers requested an armored vehicle and air support to protect and rescue two officers wounded in the shootout, logs showed.
  The wounded officers, sheriff's Detective Jeremiah MacKay and Deputy Alex Collins, were loaded into the flatbed of a pickup truck and later airlifted to area hospitals, where MacKay was pronounced dead. Collins was seriously wounded.
  At 4:05 p.m. PT, police reported green smoke inside the cabin, allegedly set off by Dorner. Five minutes later, a sheriff's tactical unit fired gas canisters into the cabin after Dorner refused to respond to commands to surrender, logs showed.
  At 4:20 p.m. PT, police dispatch logs reported the sound of a single gunshot from inside the residence. Authorities later said that shot sounded different from the many others than had come from inside the house.
  Couple recounts being under protection during Dorner killing spree
  Moments later, the entire cabin was engulfed in flames, setting off hundreds of rounds of live ammunition purportedly left behind by Dorner. It would take several hours for authorities to safely enter the compound, where they found Dorner's body in the basement. A preliminary examination concluded that his death was the result of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.
  In the days after the incident, authorities defended their tactical strategy of firing gas ''burners'' into the cabin, stating that SWAT team officers had issued several unanswered commands for Dorner to surrender.
  The dispatch logs were released in response to a request from media organizations, including CNN.
  During the unprecedented manhunt that went as far as Tijuana, Mexico, the search for Dorner turned to Big Bear after his burning truck was found deserted on a local forest road.
  In his manifesto posted on Facebook, Dorner allegedly threatened ''unconventional and asymmetrical warfare'' against police. The manifesto was discovered three days after the slaying of an Irvine couple, Monica Quan and her fianc(C), Keith Lawrence. Quan was the daughter of a retired Los Angeles police captain whom Dorner allegedly blamed in part for his firing in 2009.
  While attempting to elude authorities, Dorner killed Riverside police Officer Michael Crain during an ambush and wounded three others.
  At the height of the search for Dorner, more than 200 officers scoured Big Bear Mountain, cabin by cabin.
  Deputies fired no shots at end of Christopher Dorner manhunt, logs say '' CNN.com.
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EconomicPolicyJournal.com: SERIOUS: Swiss Bank Refuses To Give Client His Gold
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:23
  This is deeply disturbing and could cause a run on gold out of banks. If you have gold, you are a cautious person and you are not going to want your gold somewhere where you can't get it during an emergency.King World News reports:
  Today legendary trader Jim Sinclair stunned King World News when he revealed that a dear friend of his who is very affluent just had a Swiss bank refuse to return his large hoard of gold when he asked for it out of an allocated account. Below is what Sinclair, who was once called on by former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker to assist during a Wall Street crisis, had to say in this remarkable and candid interview.
  Eric King: ''Maguire spoke on KWN yesterday about the fact that one of his clients went to the LBMA to get the metal from them and could not get it. They told him he would be cash settled. This is what you have been talking about is the failure of the physical markets.''
  Sinclair: ''A person that I know with significant deposits in one of the primary Swiss banks, in allocated gold, wanted to take out his gold and was just refused on the basis of directives from the central bank....
  ''They told him the amount was in excess of 200,000 Swiss francs and the central bank had instructed them not to do it because it has to do with anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering precautions.
  I really wonder whether those are precautions or whether the gold simply isn't there. Now you tell me that a London delivery has basically failed. It has to raise our suspicions that the lack of physical gold behind the paper gold is literally so severe that we are coming to understand that it is in fact not there.
  The gold that people think is stored is not stored, and the inventory of the warehouses for exchanges may not be holding deliverable gold. There has always been speculation about whether or not the physical gold the US claims to store is in fact in those vaults.
  The greatest train robbery in history might be all of the gold, and it would only be something like we have described above that would happen right before gold makes historic highs.
  There simply is no gold behind the paper. One example is AMRO, a second is your example with Maguire, and a third is my dear friend who was refused his gold on the basis that its value was too high. Remember this friend of mine had his gold in an allocated account in storage at a major Swiss bank. I repeat, there is no gold.''
  Given what just occurred in Cyprus and now this report, it should be clear that money, including gold, must be kept outside the system. The government money grab is on. Bitcoins are not safe. The government will eventually close down the bitcoin exchanges. At this point, money that it isn't buried in your backyard is vulnerable to the government grab .(ht Gary North)
Obama's Guantanamo Is Never Going To Close, So Everyone Might As Well Get Comfortable. - HuffPo
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:18
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  GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- In late January, shortly after President Barack Obama began his second term, Navy Cmdr. Walter Ruiz stood inside an old airplane hangar on the southernmost tip of the island and reflected on a central but unfulfilled promise of Obama's 2008 campaign.
  ''We're still here,'' Ruiz said, as reporters milled around the aging hangar, which has been repurposed as a work space for the journalists and human rights observers who have been flying in and out of Guantanamo since the first suspected terrorists were brought here 11 years ago. Instead of planes, the hangar is now home to several trailer-size sheds with slanted roofs. More offices line the hangar's perimeter, and a giant map of the base is painted on the floor. Screeching bats fly in and out of the hangar at night.
  ''We're still in military commissions. We're still arguing about the basic protections the system affords us. We're still talking about indefinite detention," Ruiz continued. "We're still talking about not closing the facility.''
  After years of legal wrangling, the trials of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and four other men allegedly responsible for the 9/11 attacks have barely gotten off the ground. Ruiz, an attorney for alleged 9/11 organizer and financier Mustafa Ahmed Hawsawi, estimates he has traveled to Guantanamo 50 to 100 times for client meetings and pre-trial hearings on legal minutiae since he joined the military's defense counsel office in September 2008.
  ''I'm here trying this case, people were here trying this case in 2008, arguing many of the same motions we're arguing now,'' Ruiz said. ''And I think folks that have been around here for a while would tell you not much has changed at all.''
  During his first campaign for the White House, Obama pledged to end an ugly chapter in American history and prove to the world that the United States could safeguard the country from terrorism without sacrificing its commitment to freedom and liberty.
  "In the dark halls of Abu Ghraib and the detention cells of Guantanamo, we have compromised our most precious values," Obama declared in a speech on Aug. 1, 2007. In one of his first acts upon taking office in January 2009, the president, flanked by admirals and generals, directed the military to close the prison camp here within a year.
  Today, however, the detention center at Guantanamo appears less likely than ever to close. There are 166 people currently imprisoned, down from a high of 684 in 2003. But those who remain are likely to do so indefinitely. Effectively banned from the continental U.S. by Congress, disowned by their home countries and unwelcome pretty much everywhere else, they have no place to go.
  In addition to the seven Guantanamo detainees currently facing charges -- including the five charged in relation to the 9/11 attacks -- 24 may face charges in the future. Three current detainees have already been convicted in military tribunals: one was sentenced to life in prison, one is scheduled to be released pending testimony in another case and one has had his sentencing delayed for four years.
  Of the rest, however, the U.S. has designated 86 detainees for release but can't actually set them free. Thirty are from Yemen, and the U.S. won't send them back there while it remains a hotbed of terrorism. No country is willing to accept the others. And it's a political nonstarter to release them into the U.S.
  In 2010, Obama's Guantanamo Task Force determined that another 46 were ''too dangerous to transfer but not feasible for prosecution.'' And so they remain stuck here, in limbo.
  Obama has periodically reiterated his intention to close the detention center, most recently during an appearance on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart in October. But the public pressure on him to do so has largely died down, as tales of detainee abuse at the hands of CIA interrogators fade into the past and the media turns its attention to new fronts in the war on terrorism, such as the administration's drone program.
  The truth is that nobody is really in a hurry to close Guantanamo. Defense attorneys, whose ultimate goal is to keep their clients alive, certainly aren't in a rush, and have adopted a strategy of throwing up procedural objections that often slow the court's already glacial pace. Prosecutors, anxious to avoid any possible legal challenges that could come up on appeal, are moving deliberately to make sure they're dotting every ''i'' and crossing every ''t.'' Last month, the Obama administration shuttered the State Department office tasked with planning Guantanamo's closure.
  As a result, the vague idea of indefinite detention is looking more specifically like life in prison, at least for those detainees who are not sentenced to death by the military commissions. And with the youngest detainee still in his 20s, Guantanamo could conceivably remain open for decades to come.
  'HAVE A GOOD TIME'
  It's no surprise, then, that as Obama's second term begins, Guantanamo seems to be putting down roots. Indeed, parts of the naval base have taken on the appearance of a new beachside housing development. Hundreds of homes are currently under construction in neighborhoods with names like Iguana Terrace and Marina Point, to house the growing population of military personnel, civilian contractors and their families, which currently stands at approximately 5,000.
  The base features a Starbucks, a Subway, a McDonald's, a KFC/Taco Bell, a supermarket, a golf course, a restaurant serving Jamaican jerk chicken and an Irish pub. A gift shop sells stuffed iguanas and T-shirts emblazoned with Guantanamo Bay slogans like ''Close, But No Cigar.''
  McDonald'sFor late night, McDonald's is often the only thing open on Guantanamo Bay Navy Base. It looks like a typical McDonald's inside.
  The Navy ExchangeIs the closest thing Guantanamo has to a Wal-Mart. You can get pretty much anything.
  Commissary and Navy ExchangeWatch out for massive iguanas.
  Guantanamo ProducePretty much everything you'd see at your local grocery store.
  Gitmo BeerThere's a pretty decent selection.
  Gitmo BeerThey've also got some cold beer if you need it now.
  SubwayYou'll end up eating Subway pretty much every day court is in session since there's not enough time to leave the court facility. Watch out for iguanas if you visit in-person. There's also one at the airport across the bay if you need to grab a quick bite before your flight back to the continental U.S.
  O'Kelly's Irish PubO'Kelly's Irish Pub is a Guantanamo staple.
  O'Kelly's Irish PubOne of the most popular spots for dinner at Guantanamo, you may spot head prosecutor Mark Martins eating nearby the detainees' defense lawyers. They've also got karaoke on Wednesdays.
  O'Kelly's Irish PubThe fried pickles are a must at O'Kelly's. Also try the Fish and Chips and the GTMO Smokehouse Burger.
  The Jerk HouseHighly recommended.
  Jerk HouseOrder here.
  Jerk HouseBest food on the base. They've got chicken, ribs and beef.
  StarbucksThe Guantanamo Starbucks can help you make it through some of those lengthy court sessions.
  StarbucksStarbucks has one of the best wi-fi connections on a base where your cell phone wouldn't work. You'll see lots of service members FaceTiming with their loved ones at night.
  Ice CreamThey've got ice cream too.
  Tiki BarThere's also a tiki bar with some nice views.
  Officer's ClubGood selection, cheap beer. $3 bottles.
  Officer's ClubOfficer's Club has some really great decorations.
  Officer's ClubThe Officer's Club has pool and darts. You can also watch ABC's Nashville.
  Iggy Cafe / Gold Hill GalleyFree for troops, cheap for all others. Breakfast is $2.50, lunch and dinner are $4.60.
  Iggy'sIt's decorated kind of like a T.G.I. Friday's. Signed Pele, Gretzky and Jordan jerseys on the wall.
  GalleyYou can store your hat in a cubby while you eat.
  POW/MIA Table At The Gold Hill GalleyTable to honor prisoners of war and soliders missing in action at the Gold Hill Galley.
  Nutritional GuidanceIs everywhere at Gold Hill Galley.
  FruitsPlenty of fruits available at Gold Hill Galley.
  Ice CreamGold Hill Galley also has a great desert selection.
  Ice Cream...and signs warning you not to overdo it.
  Food TruckSeriously, just don't.
  Food Truck's Bacon, Egg & CheeseThere's a reason it's so cheap. Don't bother.
  Fidel Castro bobbleheads are one of the most popular items for sale at the base's radio station, Radio GTMO, which broadcasts popular tunes like PSY's ''Gangnam Style''. Cuban music bleeds over from stations on the other side of the island.
  Improvements have also been made to the areas of the base that house the detainees. The Bush administration quickly replaced the temporary Camp X-Ray with more permanent facilities in 2002, after photos emerged of detainees in orange jumpsuits sitting in chain-link holding pens, causing an outcry from human rights groups and criticism from around the world. In 2011, the Obama administration added a new soccer field for some of the cooperative detainees, along with covered walkways that allow them to move between cellblocks unescorted.
  The joke around Gitmo is that the detainees enjoy nicer facilities than the guards, who live in temporary metal trailers scattered all over the base. But the guards, too, may soon get an upgrade. The commander of the base, Capt. John Nettleton, recently told Reuters that he wants to build a new cafeteria for the camp's personnel, along with a permanent barracks.
  Some of the most significant changes have taken place at Camp Justice, the section of the base that houses the court facilities and the tent city for visiting lawyers, human rights observers, journalists and court officials. The Bush administration had proposed a major $125 million expansion, including a new courthouse and a hotel to replace the tent city. Congress balked at the project, however, and then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates quickly condemned it. The $12 million substitute, technically a temporary facility, was completed in 2008.
  The windowless, barn-like structure looks like something that might hold a high-school basketball court, and is surrounded by layers of barbed-wire fences. Inside, however, it is state of the art, featuring a soundproof spectator gallery, digital document displays for lawyers and audio speakers under the table that broadcast Arabic translations of the proceedings for defendants who refuse to wear headphones. Whereas the old courthouse held a single, cramped courtroom, the new facility has space to try up to five defendants at once.
  Visiting defense attorneys now stay in new townhouse condos, but journalists and observers remain relegated to Camp Justice's tent city. In the airplane hangar, there is an "internet cafe" where human rights observers have set up an office. ''We now have a printer this time, which we've been asking for for a while,'' said Laura Pitter, a counterterrorism adviser with Human Rights Watch. ''We have a working phone in there now. We didn't have a working phone last time.''
  In addition to his official portrait, visible in a few locations around the base, there are other subtle reminders that Obama is now in charge. The tents at Camp Justice are outfitted with energy-efficient light bulbs. The cover of "The Wire" -- the newsletter of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, the entity which runs GTMO's prisons -- features a photo of Obama's ceremonial swearing in at his second inauguration. A military spokesman who travels with reporters to Guantanamo is married to another man.
  There have been victories for members of the media. New divider walls give journalists a bit more privacy in their heavily air-conditioned six-person tents. Reporters are now allowed to roam around parts of the base without an escort and no longer have a curfew -- privileges that journalists embedded with the military in Iraq and Afghanistan have enjoyed for years but were absent at Guantanamo until last month. In January, visiting journalists were given a tour of one of the holding cells located next to the courtroom facility for the first time in years.
  "Have a good time," a young guard told the reporters about to tour the cell, after scanning them for metal or electronic devices.
  Unlike the Bush administration, the Obama administration has been relatively hands off when it comes to media restrictions at Guantanamo, letting officials on the ground set the rules.
  Still, it was under Obama that four reporters, including Miami Herald reporter Carol Rosenberg, widely considered the dean of the Guantanamo press corps, were banned from Guantanamo for life in May 2010 for disclosing the name of a witness whose identity is under a protective order, despite the fact that his name was already public. The reporters fought the ban, and the Pentagon overturned it that July.
  The new courthouse, in many ways, is the end result of a long debate about how to try the detainees. The Bush administration -- which housed the suspected terrorists at Guantanamo in order to avoid the due process required under the U.S. criminal justice system, as well as the Geneva conventions' prohibitions on torture -- adamantly opposed the idea of trying them in U.S. courts. The Supreme Court has ruled, however, that foreign terrorism suspects do have the right to challenge their detention in U.S. courts.
  Obama shut down the military tribunals as soon as he took office and began exploring ways to transfer the suspected terrorists to American soil -- possibly to a prison in Illinois -- and try them in federal courts. Throughout the long, hot summer of 2009, however, as the Tea Party movement blossomed, Republicans charged that closing Guantanamo would put Americans in danger, potentially even leading to terrorist prison breaks. Senate Democrats, lead by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), also opposed transfering the detainees and cut off $80 million Obama had requested to do so, claiming the administration had done too little to outline its plans.
  Andy Worthington, a journalist and activist who has been writing about the camp for seven years, said that Congress, which has repeatedly prevented Obama from using federal money to transfer any detainees out of Guantanamo, shares some of the blame for the camp's continued existence. Reid, who recently claimed it was "nobody's fault" that Guantanamo had not been closed, is "part of the absolute failure," Worthington said.
  Reid did not respond to a request for comment.
  On the bargeBarges move people from the the airport across Guantanamo Bay to the eastern side of the bay where the courtroom and the essential spots in Guantanamo are located.
  Luggage on the bargeLuggage making its way across the bay.
  Camp JusticeCamp Justice is the name given to courtroom facility at Guantanamo.
  Camp Justice TentsMembers of the media stay in large tents at Camp Justice, located close to the courtroom facility.
  Guantanamo TentsMedia TentThe media tent has a couch, a couple fridges and a large-screen television rendered useless by its lack of cable or a DVD player.
  Media's Foosball TableOld Airplane HangerMembers of the media work out of rooms in an old airplane hanger located next to the courtroom facility.
  Media AssembleDefense attorneys speak with members of the media in the old airplane hanger.
  KSM & Co. In CourtA sketch by artist Janet Hamlin shows five Sept. 11 defendants on Jan. 28, 2013. Starting in the back row, Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi, Ammar al Baluchi, Ramzi Binalshibh, Walid bin Attash and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
  Guantanamo CourtroomSunrise over the courtroom facility. Photos of the structure must be taken from within a box painted on the ground and must only show the area between two utility poles that dot the barbed wire fence.
  Old Courtroom FlagAn American flag set up by the old courtroom seen through razor wire surrounding the newer courtroom complex.
  Observer OfficeThe entrance to the office for non-government organizations observing Guantanamo's military commissions process.
  Radio GTMO HeadquartersRadio GTMO keeps troops entertained with the only English-language broadcasts on the base.
  Obama's Photo At Radio GTMORadio GTMO HostsDJs at Radio GTMO discuss their work with visiting reporters.
  Record CollectionRadio GTMO has an extensive vinyl collection.
  The Mystery MachineSomeone at Guantanamo had their van painted to look like the one from Scooby Doo.
  Sunset At Camp JusticeThe sun sets over the Camp Justice sign at Guantanamo Bay.
  Old Guantanamo CourtroomThe old Guantanamo courtroom now has secure offices used by the prosecution.
  On The Guantanamo BargeJournalists abord the barge that transports them from the airport to the side of the base where the courtroom facility is located.
  At Guantanamo, some members of the military are quick to point out that the Pentagon didn't seek out the duty of trying terrorists in the tribunal system, but that it was rather a burden imposed on the military by Congress. ''They should really call them congressional commissions instead of military commissions,'' one officer joked.
  But ultimately, Worthington said, Obama will have his name attached to the camp, just as Bush's was.
  "He will go down in history fairly clearly as the man who failed to close this abomination," Worthington said. "They will judge that President Obama failed to close it pretty much because he ran up against political difficulties."
  ''I think that Obama did not want to invest the political capital in it to take the steps necessary to make it happen,'' Pitter said.
  THE 'RE-BRANDER'
  Unable to close Guantanamo, Obama restarted the military commissions in March 2011. He did succeed, however, in reforming them to a certain extent, increasing transparency and bringing their policies and handling of evidence closer in line with U.S. courts. But the legality of the commissions is still being debated, and the detainees may appeal any verdicts in federal court, setting up a prolonged battle that will likely wind its way back to the Supreme Court.
  For now, Brig. Gen. Mark S. Martins is the man with the difficult task of selling the world on the legitimacy of the proceedings. Martins took the job of chief prosecutor in October 2011, and he is a staunch defender of trying the detainees in military commissions as opposed to federal courts.
  ''There are narrow but important differences, and this often gets lost when I talk about federal courts, because someone will say, 'Hey, he should try to just mimic federal courts, why do you need [military commissions]?'" Martins said, sitting in a bare-bones office in the old court building at the top of the hill overlooking the new courthouse. "This just fuels the argument about how, why are they necessary? The differences are important."
  Miranda rights don't apply in military commissions -- statements just need to be determined to be voluntary in order to be included as evidence. There are also looser rules on hearsay statements. Martins said the distinctions between U.S. courts and the military commissions could be "decisive in certain cases."
  The reformed military commissions are designed to address some of the concerns of both the U.S. government and human rights advocates. Any statements obtained as a result of torture or cruel or degrading treatment are prohibited. Detainees have greater access to classified information that might be relevant to building their defense cases. Journalists have increased standing before the court.
  ''Anyone who was familiar with the process before and looks at it now, I think, is looking fairly at it, would say there's a significant proportion more of this proceeding that we can look at, understand, analyze,'' Martins said.
  Demonstrating that transparency has proven difficult at times, however. Last month, in the first day of hearings in the 9/11 case, an anonymous censor cut off the closed-circuit TV feed of the proceedings that members of the media were watching. Normally, the judge and the court security officer could censor information they feel should remain classified. But neither had moved to censor the information in this instance, leaving journalists and defense lawyers to infer that the CIA was secretly pulling the strings behind the scenes and undermining the commission's established rules.
  The judge ordered the outside censor button removed, but the controversy ate up most of the week's proceedings, even bleeding into a separate hearing involving a defendant charged in connection with the attack on the USS Cole in October 2000, as defense attorneys questioned whether they could ethically continue if they believed their communications were being monitored. Two weeks later, when the hearings reconvened, lawyers were still debating issues involving the monitoring of communications that the incident raised.
  Similarly, Martins has sought to dismiss charges against a number of detainees that he feels are not sustainable under international law, only to be overruled by the more senior Pentagon officials who oversee the military commissions.
  Martins told HuffPost that, to him, the dispute over the charges is about ''principled disagreements'' between government officials carrying out their duties ''honorably and faithfully under the law.'' Critics, however, say it shows that the reforms to the commissions system are just cosmetic changes to a fundamentally flawed tribunal process.
  ''Some people call him the 're-brander.' He was going to come in here, he was going to lend his name, his rank, his stature, and legitimize this process," Ruiz said of Martins. "Now you have that person talking to another official and telling him, 'I think this is a bad idea. I think we need to remove these charges because it will remove the legal uncertainty moving forward.' And you have this non-entity -- which is not a party, not a prosecutor, not a defense counsel, he's not a judge -- who says, 'No, I'm not going to do it.'"
  "That alone is remarkable," said Ruiz.
  ''What happens when he's not here?'' asked Human Rights Watch's Pitter, who similarly praised Martins for bringing the military commission procedures closer in line with those of federal courts. ''What happens when there's a prosecutor who is going to use all the rules at his disposal for a commission like this?''
  Martins, who is 52 and has deferred promotion and retirement to continue in his role as chief prosecutor at Guantanamo, said he's in it for the long haul. ''We're making progress,'' he insisted.
  ''I'm here as long as it takes,'' Martins said. ''This is my last job in the military. I've gotten word that although my retirement date would have been November of 2014, it can actually be years, well after that. I'm committed to this.''
  Matt Sledge contributed reporting.
  This story appears in Issue 38 of our weekly iPad magazine, Huffington, in the iTunes App store, available Friday, March 1.
  Also on HuffPost:
33 civilians, 3 soldiers die in Iraq clashes; Sunnis call for jihad - UPI.com
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:44
  KIRKUK, Iraq, April 23 (UPI) -- The Iraqi military stormed a Sunni protest encampment Tuesday, sparking clashes with gunmen resulting in the deaths of at least 33 civilians, officials said.
  The Ministry of Defense said in addition to the fatalities, nearly 100 people were wounded at the encampment near Kirkuk.
  Officials said 20 Sunni gunmen were killed in the firefight and 75 others were arrested. Three soldiers died and nine others were wounded, The New York Times reported.
  Tuesday's fighting in Kirkuk was the single deadliest incident in Sunni-led protests against Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated central government, which began in December.
  Meanwhile, four people died and 13 others were injured in twin roadside bombings outside a Sunni mosque Tuesday in southern Baghdad, police said.
  The incident took place as worshipers were leaving the mosque in the Dora neighborhood, CNN reported.
  Sunni groups in Anbar and Salahuddin provinces began mobilizing after Tuesday's violence, declaring Jihad, or holy war, the Times reported. Armed Sunni tribesmen took control of government checkpoints in Hawija, the newspaper said.
  "The peaceful demonstrations are over due to what happened today," said Saddoun al-Obaidi, a tribal leader in Hawija, a leader of the protest movement. "Now we are going to carry weapons. We have all the weapons we need and we are getting support from other provinces. This will not pass easily. Something bad will happen soon."
Polls Show Growing Resolve to Live With Terror Threat - NYTimes.com
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:29
  Public opinion surveys conducted since the bombings last week at the Boston Marathon indicate that most Americans '-- while convinced future attacks are quite likely '-- don't feel personally threatened by terrorism, and an increasing share of the public is skeptical about sacrificing personal freedoms for security.
  Concern about another terrorist episode in the United States has increased after the events in Boston, which led to the deaths of four people and wounded more than 260. But there has not been the upsurge in concern over such an attack that there was in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, in New York City. The post-Boston polls have also shown that Americans' personal sense of threat '-- as opposed to the generalized threat that the country faces '-- remains low.
  Just after the 9/11 attacks, a Washington Post poll found that the threat of another major terror attack was something that worried nearly 9 in 10 Americans either ''a great deal'' or ''somewhat.''
  In the most recent Washington Post survey, roughly 7 in 10 respondents were worried either a great deal or somewhat. That figure increased just slightly from the last time the newspaper asked this question, in September 2008.
  A Pew Research survey released Tuesday reinforced those results. It found that while 75 percent of Americans expect acts of terrorism to be a part of life in the future (up by 11 percent from a year ago), worry about terrorism has not increased.
  The Boston bombings have also not added to Americans' personal sense of threat, according to the recent polls. The Washington Post poll found that only 40 percent of respondents were concerned about an attack in their community, while a Fox News poll released last Wednesday showed 34 percent of respondents were worried about a terrorist attack where they live or work. That's unchanged since Fox last asked that question, in May 2006.
  In addition, the post-Boston polling did not find an increased willingness to give up personal freedoms in the fight against terrorism. That contrasts with the period after the Sept. 11 attacks, when Americans told pollsters they were much more willing to trade some civil liberties for safety.
  A Fox News poll in October 2001 found that nearly 3 in 4 respondents would give up some personal freedom. A majority of respondents in 2006 still said they would give up freedoms.
  But the most recent Fox News survey found that '-- for the first time since before 9/11 '-- more respondents were unwilling (45 percent) than willing (43 percent) to sacrifice personal freedoms to reduce the threat of terrorism. The same pattern is evident in the Washington Post's poll.
  Americans' continued focus on civil liberties in the wake of the events in Boston may be a sign of a growing resolve to live with the threat of terrorism. The recent Fox survey found that only 18 percent of the 619 registered voters interviewed nationwide said the Boston bombings would change the way they led their everyday life (5 percent said it would change ''a lot,'' and 13 percent said ''a little'').
  The recent Washington Post poll asked ''have you or has anyone in your household started avoiding crowded places such as shopping malls because of the chance of terrorism, or not?'' More than 90 percent of respondents said no.
  Finally, a Rasmussen Reports poll of 1,000 likely voters conducted after the events in Boston found that more than half of the respondents '-- 54 percent '-- said economic threats were a greater danger to the country than terrorism. That is almost unchanged from a Rasmussen survey conducted in late January, more than two months before the bombs were detonated in Boston near the marathon finish line.
Please Donate to Support Our Free Podcast and Streaming | This American Life
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:27
  Apr 15, 2013
  4/22 UPDATE: We have met our goal, covering the cost of podcast bandwidth for the year. Any additional donations will help us produce stories. Thank you to everyone who donated! Ira Glass writes: Hi everyone. If you listen to our podcast or stream shows here on the website, you are costing us a bit of money. So many people stream and download our program that it cost our home radio radio station WBEZ Chicago $170,000 dollars this past year for the Internet bandwidth to deliver the program. I know that number is insane. And that's just bandwidth, not servers or personnel or any other costs. If you donate just $5 or $10, it more than covers the cost of getting the show to you online. Plus we use these donations to fund especially expensive projects, like when we sent three reporters to Harper High School this Fall, on and off over five months. Expensive! Or when we sent reporters to Guatemala for that story last May about the guy who discovered that the man he thought was his father actually was one of the commanders of an army unit that killed most of his family and his entire village back in the 1980s. Your donation does NOT cover the cost of having Fred Armisen come in and imitate me hosting our show. That cost like, nothing. When we needed to go through 1700 coincidence stories you sent in for the episode ''No Coincidence, No Story'' '' also surprisingly cheap! I used to go on the podcast and website several weeks each year and ask for donations. You might have noticed that we haven't done it since 2011, a year and a half ago. If this campaign goes well, it'll be just this week. I hope you'll consider donating. We'll put the money to good use. And thanks. '-- Ira
Fake gold bars in Fort Knox? What the Chinese have discovered ... by Charleston Voice
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  Archived Version
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:55
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Accused Marathon Bomber Influenced by Infowars
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  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:42
  Accused Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a fan of Infowars, the conspiracy-theory website operated by Texas radio host Alex Jones, the AP reports.
  Around the time that he was becoming "an ardent reader" of the al Qaeda magazine Inspire and other Jihadist literature, "Tamerlan took an interest in Infowars, a conspiracy theory website," write Adam Goldman, Eric Tucker and Matt Apuzzo.
  Only a short time later, Tsarnaev and his younger brother Dzhokhar allegedly detonated two explosives at the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 150. Immediately after the bombing, Jones described it as a "false flag" attack.
  Today Jones quickly attempted to distance himself from the alleged bomber, telling Buzzfeed "My show is anti-terrorism and my show exposes that most of the events we've seen have been provocateured."
  Infowars, alongside its sister site PrisonPlanet, has theorized that, among other things, the 9/11 attack was an "inside job," victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary are "crisis actors," the movie The Dark Knight Rises predicted or warned of the subsequent shooting at a Colorado movie theater showing the film, tap water is drugged with anti-depressants, that bankers are hoarding gold, the Department of Homeland Security is purchasing an alarming amount of ammo for unspecified but nefarious reasons, the U.S. government is working in concert with Monsanto to control the world's food supply and manipulate citizens' genes, vaccines cause autism, and Osama bin Laden was not killed in 2011.
  Investigators have not publicly stated that Tamerlan was a devoted reader of the Drudge Report, which frequently links to Infowars.
  [AP]
  It's already begun: The wacko conspiracy theories about the Boston Marathon bombings are'... Read'...If you've got a certain kind of Facebook friend '-- an End-the-Fed, mechanical-elves,'... Read'...While some choose to debate about gun control or the state of healthcare for the mentally ill,'... Read'...
Human rights report decries forcible evictions from Haiti's tent cities - Americas
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  Archived Version
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:40
  MIAMI -- While the number of Haitians living in makeshift, deteriorating camps has dropped significantly since Haiti's devastating Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, a leading international human rights organization said Tuesday that forced evictions are largely responsible for the decline.
  A violation of international human rights, the evictions overwhelmingly affect women and girls, and along with insecurity and chronic unemployment, push those still living in tent cities even deeper into poverty, Amnesty International said in its latest human rights report on Haiti.
  "People who most suffered from the earthquake were those living in extreme poverty. They have been living in camps with appalling living conditions," said Javier Zuniga, an Amnesty special adviser. "And, as if this were not enough, they are threatened with forced evictions and, eventually, made homeless again. Each time it becomes increasingly difficult for them to find a new location and the means to rebuild their lives."
  Titled "Nowhere to Go: Forced Evictions in Haiti's Camps for Displaced People," the report was released the same day Haiti welcomed a dozen Latin American and Caribbean leaders as part of the fifth summit of the Association of Caribbean States.
  It is also the second report in recent days raising concerns about human rights in Haiti. Last week, the U.S. State Department, in its country report on human rights, said "the most serious impediments to human rights involved weak democratic governance in the country; the near absence of the rule of law, exacerbated by a judicial system vulnerable to political influence; and chronic, severe corruption in all branches of government.
  "Although the government took some steps to prosecute and punish some government officials and Haitian National Police (HNP) members who committed abuses, there was considerable evidence of impunity for some government officials, as well as for high-ranking officers in the HNP," the report said.
  The State Department report also touched on the situation in the hundreds of makeshift camps. It too noted the vulnerability of Haitian women and children. Their living conditions, poor lightening, unsecured flimsy tent doors and a lack of effective law enforcement made them vulnerable to rape and other forms of violence, U.S. officials said.
  The International Organization for Migration reports that the number of displaced people still living in camps three years after the disaster has gone from 1.5 million to 320,050. The change represents a 79 percent drop with thousands of homeless Haitians transitioning into more permanent dwellings with help from a Haitian government rental subsidy program.
  But Amnesty said that many also have been forced out of the informal settlements by police, landowners and even government officials.
  "Appeals from Amnesty International and other (non-governmental organizations) to halt the forced evictions have fallen on deaf ears; not only has the Haitian government not put an end to them, but it has allowed them to increase since the beginning of this year," said Zuniga. "This is a story of ongoing human rights violations creating deep suffering."
  Between, July 2010 and the end of 2012, 60,978 Haitians were forcibly evicted from tent cities, most of them in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. During the first three months of this year, 977 additional families were evicted.
  Haiti's government has said it doesn't condone forced removal of people from camps. But Amnesty said some evictions have been "carried out or condoned by the authorities."
  Last week it called on Haitian government officials to "thoroughly and impartially" investigate allegations that Civil Merius, a camp resident in Delmas, died after being beaten by police during a protest against an arson attack on the camp.
  Amnesty has called on the Haitian government to ensure that human rights are a central part of the country's reconstruction efforts.
Clinton rejected request for more security in Libya
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  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:37
  The September 11, 2012, attack resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
  The 46-page report by Republicans on five House committees cites a request from then-U.S. Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz, sent last March 28 to Clinton asking for additional security resources, and a response dated last April 19 that bears Clinton's signature.
  The April cable from the State Department, according to the GOP report, "acknowledged then-Ambassador Cretz' formal request for additional security assets but ordered the withdrawal of security elements to proceed as planned."
  The response from the State Department, which the GOP report cites, recommended the agency's diplomatic security officials conduct "a joint reassessment of the number of agents requested for Benghazi."
  "I didn't see those requests. They didn't come to me. I didn't approve them. I didn't deny them," - Clinton responded to allegations.
  Clinton rejected request to strengthen security at the US Consulate in Benghazi '' report
  "High-level State Department officials knew that the situation in Benghazi was dangerous and the diplomatic mission was vulnerable to attack, but there was a systematic cut in the security personnel ... repeated requests for increased security measures were rejected at the highest level at the State Department," the report of the Republicans says.
  In an interim progress report on the September 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, five House committees call former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other high-ranking State Department officials responsible for reducing security levels at the consulate, contradicting the testimony Clinton gave before Congress.
  The Obama administration responded to the report by suggesting it hasn't revealed any new information.
  In report republicans conclude that Clinton approved security reductions at the consulate, pointing to evidence such as an April 2012 State Department cable bearing her signature.
  In her testimony before Congress in January, Clinton said, "With specific security requests they didn't come to me. I had no knowledge of them."
  "The report just released by the House Republican Conference on Benghazi appears to raise questions that have already been asked and answered in great detail by the Administration," National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said.
  Voice of Russia, RIA Novosti, CNN, Washington Post
Bezineoorlog dreigt uit te breken
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  Source: VK: Home
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:35
  24/04/13, 13:41 '' bron: ANP
  (C) anp.
  Onder de de pomphouders in Nederland dreigt een benzineoorlog uit te breken, veroorzaakt door de crisis. Dat zegt Paul van Selms van consumentencollectief UnitedConsumers woensdag.
  'De concurrentie is maximaal door een dalende vraag, het groeiende aantal bemande en onbemande prijsvechters en omdat er simpelweg te veel pomphouders zijn. Steeds meer tankstations geven kortingen, waardoor ze uiteindelijk niet zullen overleven', stelt de marktdeskundige.
  De adviesprijs voor een liter Euro95 daalde woensdag licht tot 1,786 euro, bijna 10 cent minder dan 2 maanden geleden. Diesel werd in die periode eveneens bijna 10 cent goedkoper en kost nu 1,448 euro. In oktober vorig jaar bereikte de benzineprijs nog een record van 1,890 euro. Dat werd veroorzaakt door de verhoging van de btw van 19 naar 21 procent.
  De brandstofprijzen dalen volgens Van Selms nu ook doordat de olieprijs onder 'de magische grens' van 100 dollar is gezakt. De reden is dat de wereldwijde vraag is afgenomen.
  In Nederland werd er vorig jaar 3,6 procent minder liters diesel verkocht. De verkoop van benzine zakte met 3,4 procent. Dat komt volgens Van Selms niet alleen door de belabberde economie. 'Ik durf te stellen dat auto's die steeds zuiniger worden er harder inhakken dan de crisis. Als je nu een auto koopt is hij 2 keer zo zuinig vergeleken met 10 jaar geleden', vertelt de analist.
Jordan 'opens airspace for Israeli drones'
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  Archived Version
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:35
  Source: Haaretz
  Jordan has opened its airspace to Israeli drones en route to monitor the situation in Syria, French newspaper Le Figaro has claimed in a report based on an interview with a Western military source in the Middle East.
  Jordan has opened two corridors of its air space to allow unmanned Israeli drones through to monitor the situation in Syria, the French newspaper Le Figaro reported on Sunday.
  The report is based on an interview with a Western military source based in the Middle East. There has been no official confirmation from any other source.
  Read More...
  Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Reuters editor fired for conspiring with hacker group Anonymous
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  Archived Version
  Source: Set You Free News
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:33
  VOR
  The deputy social media editor for Reuters has been indicted by the US Justice Department for allegedly conspiring with members of the hacktivist movement Anonymous.
  According to a Justice Department statement released on Thursday, 26-year-old Matthew Keys of Secaucus, New Jersey was charged in the Eastern District of California with a number of counts involving his alleged cooperation with the international hacking group while employed as the web producer of Sacramento-based television station KTXL FOX 40.
  Keys, confirms the DoJ, has been charged ''with one count each of conspiracy to transmit information to damage a protected computer, transmitting information to damage a protected computer and attempted transmission of information to damage a protected computer.''
  The Justice Department believes that Keys assisted members of Anonymous with hacking into the Los Angeles Times website by providing them with log-in credentials for a computer server belonging to KTXL's corporate parents, the Tribune Company, after he was terminated from his role at the television station in October 2010. Two months later, claims the indictment, Keys helped members of Anonymous gain access to the master network.
  In January 2012, Keys was hired by Reuters as deputy social media editor. In an article announcing the appointment last year, Reuters contributor Anthony DeRosa wrote that Keys will ''play a key role in helping to train Reuters journalists on best practices in social media.'' ''According to the indictment, Keys identified himself on an Internet chat forum as a former Tribune Company employee and provided members of Anonymous with a login and password to the Tribune Company server,'' the Justice Department claims in an official statement issued Thursday. ''After providing log-in credentials, Keys allegedly encouraged the Anonymous members to disrupt the website.
  According to the indictment, at least one of the computer hackers used the credentials provided by Keys to log into the Tribune Company server, and ultimately that hacker made changes to the web version of a Los Angeles Times news feature.''
  On March 22, 2011, Anonymous ''ringleader'' Sabu tweeted that Keys gave full control of the Times' website to hackers. Sabu was arrested by the FBI in May and has been cooperating as a federal informant ever since.
THIS ONE IS TOO BIZARRE: THE MARATHON BOMBING AND ISRAELI POLICE
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  Archived Version
  Source: Giza Death Star
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:19
  TweetTweetThis one is so bizarre any way one approaches it, that it's not even funny. Indeed, I don't even know where to begin. That something is rotten in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts concerning the Boston marathon bombing seems evident to most thinking people, listening to the media report now this, now that ''fact''. We have been witness to the almost pathological glee of certain talk show hosts, itching to blame it on the ''radical right'' (meaning all the ''gun-toatin' Republicans and militia people and yellow-dog Democrats in the ''red'' states''), two poison letters, one to a senator, another to the president, may make it possible for the story to evolve along whatever the most convenient path the ''story'' (still in progress) needs to take.
  Well, we can fairly guess the direction ''they'' want it to take if we turn to this story (again, coming from RT):
  Israeli police head to US to aid in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
  Now, if you're like me, you're probably wondering, ''What the (O*&*#&^*!^%@!@Q!?''
  First off, after all the security cameras, patriot acts, Heimatsicherheitsdienst, TSA, electronic eavesdropping and all the other wonderful ''security'' we're getting for the increasingly high taxes our misrepresentative bilk from us, how did this even happen? Secondly, why hasn't senator Feinstein spackled on some make-up and demanded Federal background checks on people buying pressure cookers, nails, ball bearings, bb's, and so on? I mean, if we're to be logically consistent'...oh yea, I forgot, it's not about the constitution, it's about using opportunity for increasing your power. Sorry Diane, now I understand.
  But now, thirdly, after all the money we lavish on the alphabet soup agencies '' CIA, NSA, FBI, DIA, ONI and all the others '' how and why in the same of sense do we need help from anyone.
  And fourthly, if we call on people to ''help'' us if we suspect this is terrorism, why not the Russians? (They have some experience with it as I recall). Oops. I forgot. You cannot trust the Ruskies. Well, why not the British? They have bomb experts and bomb-sniffing dogs too. But, well, you know the British, they take any such opportunity to spy on everyone else. Besides, we spy on everyone else so much better. Well, the Germans then? they have bomb experts and dogs too'... but they probably wouldn't come even if we did invite them, which we won't, because then they'll say ''Sure. Give us our gold first.''
  So why of all people Israel? Why do we need any help at all? What, in the final analysis, has all the money for security given us? Has it made us ''safer''? No. Did the security cameras and bomb sniffing dogs stop it? No. Did the eavesdropping and spying? No.
  But hey, it sure made a big dent in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.
  See you on the flip side.
Corporate Media Pushes AP Report That Tamerlan Tsarnaev Was Conspiracy Theorist, Fan of Alex Jones' Infowars
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  Archived Version
  Source: WTF RLY REPORT
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:19
  | WTF Op-Ed |Baran Hines
  Last week, I predicted that the Boston bombing suspects would be reported to be ''conspiracy theorists'', a thought common among other alternative media personalities and WTF News contributors. Yesterday, it was reported that Tamerlan Tsarnaev ''took an interest in Infowars, a conspiracy theory website'' run by Alex Jones.
  This will be used to demonize all conspiracy theorists and make it seem like the majority believes all the same theories, mostly the crazy ones that many of you don't actually believe. To the unaware or the conspiracy debunker, the rational will be mixed up with the irrational and thrown out all together. This is one of the last options, especially compared to when the media just ignored people talking about the conspiracies.
  The trained ear can listen to Alex Jones long enough to be able to pick through the hype he puts on, as well as the exaggeration and occasional misinformation. This is a bad thing for all conscious skeptics though. It's going to be used to come after the internet and stop discussion like what seems to be happening on Facebook. This follows the trouble caused by independent media poking holes in the official stories of the Batman shooting and Sandy Hook. Misinformation can spread online fast, but in many cases, internet discussions and amateur analysis begin to uncover pertinent aspects that don't get investigated.
  The video below was made by the experienced researcher behind the popular ''Storm Clouds Gathering'' Youtube channel. His video is a very concise explanation of the fishy details surrounding the bombings. You should share this with ppl looking for info. The one thing his video leaves out is that the Russians forced the issue by alerting the US in 2011 to the Tamerlan Tsarnaev's travel activity. Sharing information like this video is a good way to combat uninformed writings like this article from Buzzfeed'sRosie Gray.
  Jones said the bombing was one of a number of plots ''hatched'' by the FBI, and Chechen militants, among others, have seized on his claims, which are not supported by evidence, to make the case for a sweeping conspiracy behind the deadly blasts.
  No evidence? This 5 minute video should make a rational person ask questions of what we've heard.
Evaporation of Liquidity
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  Archived Version
  Source: SurlyTrader
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:15
  It seems rather unfortunate that the hack of an AP twitter account can cause more of a disturbance in the market than an actual terrorist bombing in Boston. A 15+ point dive based upon hacked falsehoods:
  It seems unlikely that today's rally was a recovery and continuation of the rally that we have experienced since the middle of November. In fact, it seems likely that today's rally was more of a short-covering fueled bounce than a continuation of something ''good'':
  What is actually kind of entertaining in this market is the complete apathy in options and implied volatility. 10 Day realized volatility has ramped up to 20%+, but the VIX dropped to 13.48%. I might be Naive, but I have found that the best indication of future volatility is recent volatility'...
  I am not biting. Euro was down today, gold is slanting negative once more, DBA (agriculture commodity ETF) was down about 1% today. Doesn't seem like a happy picture going into a temperamental season.
  Related posts:
  Liquidity is GreatVolatility ArbitrageShort-Term Euphoria, Long-Term PessimismLong-Dated Volatility OpportunitiesLiquidity and Volatility
Yemeni testifies to Senate on drone program fallout '-- RT USA
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  Archived Version
  Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile
  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:50
  Washington's drone war has turned Yemenis against the US and sparked ''intense anger and hatred,'' which Al-Qaeda has exploited for recruitment, according to witness testimony at the Senate's first public hearing about the legality of drone strikes.
  Yemeni writer Farea Al-Muslimi has revealed the shock and hatred felt towards the US after a drone bombed his home, the village of Wessab: ''The attack terrified thousands of simple, poor farmers,'' Muslimi told the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights in its hearing titled 'Drone Wars: The Constitutional and Counterterrorism Implications of Targeted Killing.'
  "The drone strike and its impact tore my heart, much as the tragic bombings in Boston last week tore your hearts and also mine," he added. ''What radicals had previously failed to achieve in my village'... one drone strike accomplished in an instant: There is now an intense anger and growing hatred of America.''
  Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is using US drone strikes to ''promote its agenda and try to recruit more terrorists,'' Muslimi explained.
  The drone attack on Muslimi's village killed an Al-Qaeda leader and four militants, according to Reuters. But Muslimi argued that the target was already known to many in Wessab, and Yemeni officials could have easily arrested him if the US had made the request.
  US assistance to Yemen often goes unnoticed by most of the local population, as they are completely preoccupied by the drones flying overhead. ''The drone strikes are the face of America to many Yemenis,'' Muslimi said.
  Peter Bergen, director of the National Security Studies Program at the New America Foundation, testified that in 2012, Obama authorized at least 46 drone strikes in Yemen, while former President George W. Bush had launched only one.
  Lawmakers have demanded that the Obama administration provide more transparency in the increasingly secret US drone war. The public hearing was previously postponed, as the panel was hoping that the administration would send an official to testify, but it did not.
  US drone strikes have proven controversial: A UN team investigating casualties in Pakistan said that US drone strikes violated the country's sovereignty. The Pakistani government claimed that at least 400 civilians have been killed by US drones.
  Also, leaked classified reports have confirmed that US drone attacks in Pakistan are not always precision strikes against top-level Al-Qaeda terrorists, as claimed by the Obama administration. Rather, many of these attacks are aimed at suspected low-level tribal militants, who may not pose a direct danger to the US.
  The Obama administration's drone war undermines the rule of law, Rosa Brooks, professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center argued in her testimony: ''When a government claims for itself the unreviewable power to kill anyone, anywhere on earth, at any time, based on secret criteria and secret information discussed in a secret process by largely unnamed individuals, it undermines the rule of law.''
  Brooks also recalled the Justice Department's leaked memo on targeted killings, and how the Obama administration's novel conception of an 'imminent' threat of attack '' a requirement for the use of force abroad '' ''seems, in itself, like a substantial departure from accepted international law definitions of imminence.''
  ''That concept of imminence has been called Orwellian, and although that is an overused epithet, in this context it seems fairly appropriate,'' Brooks added.
  After the 9/11 terror attack, the US began to launch drones from bases in Pakistan and Uzbekistan for combat missions inside Afghanistan. More than a decade later, after killing almost 5,000 people '' many of whom are believed to civilians, including women and children '' Washington has expanded the use of the remotely controlled aircraft into Yemen, Somalia and especially Pakistan.
  Northern and western Africa have rapidly become new frontiers in the drone war. The US has set up a drone base in Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa, and flies unarmed Reaper drones out of Ethiopia. Washington has also carried out surveillance flights over East Africa from the island nation of the Seychelles.
  In the US, protest has raged over the use of the robotic killing machines to assassinate thousands around the world. Recently, hundreds gathered in front of the White House to demonstrate against drone strikes on foreign soil.
Fraudster who sold fake bomb detectors in war zones advised by UK officials | UK news | The Guardian
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  Archived Version
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:04
  James McCormick leaving the Old Bailey after being convicted of selling bogus bomb-detection kits based on novelty golf gadgets. Photograph: Gavin Rodgers/Pixel
  A businessman who was found guilty of selling fake bomb detectors was given advice by British government officials on how to market his products to United Nations agencies, it has emerged.
  Jim McCormick, 57, who was convicted at the Old Bailey on Tuesday of three counts of fraud, was trained at a "how to sell to the UN" seminar organised by UK Trade and Industry in March 2008. He also held meetings with officials at UK Trade & Investment, the export-promotion arm of the Department for Business.
  McCormick faces up to 10 years in jail for a crime that detectives said "showed a complete disregard for the safety of those that used and relied upon the device for their own security and protection".
  The devices were compared to dowsing rods and magic wands by people who used them, although their sales in Iraq and other war zones helped make McCormick a £55m fortune, and allowed him to buy a £3.5m mansion in Bath formerly owned by the actor Nicolas Cage.
  There is no evidence that the business department knew the devices were useless. But it also emerged that the same department ignored a warning in 2008 about the dangers of the fake detectors from a whistleblower, who said they put lives at risk.
  Ian Pearson, the Labour minister who oversaw export controls at the time, was emailed a detailed dossier about McCormick entitled "Dowsing rods endanger lives" in November of that year but his ministerial office did not reply.
  The document concluded that McCormick's fake detectors could have potentially lethal consequences: "Somebody is going to be seriously hurt or killed using or relying on these devices to detect explosives, if they haven't already".
  It took over a year for the business department to place limited export bans to Afghanistan and Iraq in January 2010 on the trade after officials were warned by the whistleblower that the detectors, which sold for as much as £10,000 but were based on a £15 device, were not capable of detecting anything.
  The whistleblower also wrote to the chairman of the Commons defence select committee, James Arbuthnot, in January 2009 that "these devices put lives at serious risk since they cannot detect explosives". Arbuthnot passed on the complaint to Quentin Davies, the then minister for defence equipment.
  Patrick Mercer MP, a former army officer, said: "It seems extraordinary that once the government knew about the nonsense of these devices that a blanket export ban was not put on the products rather than these specific ones to Iraq and Afghanistan. The government seems to have been tardy about the whole thing."
  Police warned that the bogus devices were still being used in Iraq and elsewhere. Following conviction at the end of McCormick's six-week trial, Detective Inspector Ed Heath, of Avon and Somerset police said: "Both civilians and armed forces personnel were put at significant risk in relying upon this equipment. That device has been used and is still being used on checkpoints. People using that device believe it works. It does not."
  It is also alleged by an Iraqi whistleblower that McCormick paid millions of pounds in bribes to senior Iraqis to secure the deals. General Jihad al-Jabiri, who ran the Baghdad bomb squad, is in prison on corruption charges relating to the contracts. Some Iraqis still believe the detectors work, while others are angry they have cost lives. Inspector general Aqil al-Turehi, of the Iraqi interior ministry, told a BBC Newsnight investigation: "This gang of Jim McCormick and the Iraqis working with him killed my people in cold blood."
  A former colleague of McCormick told the BBC that he saw him set up accounts in false names for 15 Iraqi officials. He said they "don't care if people live or die"; the only thing they care about is "how much am I going to get back '' cashback".
  McCormick claimed the gadgets could detect explosives at long range, deep underground, through lead-lined rooms and multiple buildings. In fact, their antennae, which appeared to be like car radio aerials, were not connected to any electronics and had no power source. McCormick's ADE-101, was in fact a rebadged golf ball finder that was described by its US maker as "a great novelty item that you should have fun with". The antenna was "no more a radio antenna than a nine-inch nail", according to one scientist.
  A spokeswoman for the Department for Business said on Tuesday that no controls were placed on the export of the fake devices until 2010 because there was "no concrete evidence about the effectiveness or otherwise of these devices. The concerns raised in the letters did not provide a sufficient basis to impose controls."
  However, the Old Bailey jury heard that by 2009 British and American soldiers in Basra and Baghdad were already expressing "real concern" about the devices after x-raying them and finding no working parts inside. "I was extremely surprised by the lack of government action at the time and apparent lack of investigation," the whistleblower told the Guardian on Tuesday. "Clearly people were dying as a result of the use of this product."
aangirfan: BOSTON BOMBERS' CIA CONNECTION; AND PRINCE ANDREW CONNECTION
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:03
  Uncle Ruslan 'of the CIA'.The uncle of Boston's two Tsarnaev brothers worked for the CIA-front organisation called USAID.Was Boston Bombers 'Uncle Ruslan' with the CIA?
  Obama's mother also worked for USAID, while being in the CIA, reportedly.Uncle Ruslan Tsarni (Tsarnaev), of Montgomery Maryland, graduated from Duke Law School in 1998 and is now a 'well-connected' oil executive and lawyer.Uncle Ruslan appears to have links to a group of oil executives who, according to The London Telegraph, comprise ''a network of personal and business relationships'' allegedly used for ''international corruption," Exclusive: Prince Andrew's £15million home...The Sunday Times reported, ''A statement by Ruslan Zaindi Tsarni was given in the High Court in December, claiming that Kulibayev bought Sunninghill and properties in Mayfair with $96 million derived from a complex series of deals intended to disguise money laundering.''''Tsarni alleged that the money came from the takeover of a western company, which had been used as a front to obtain oil contracts from the Kazakh state.''
  The ''western company'' is said to be Big Sky Energy Corporation, where Ruslan Tsarnaev was a top executive.
  Tokmok. www.nbcnews.comBefore the Tsarnaev family moved to the United States, ten years ago, they lived in the Kyrgyz town of Tokmok, near the border with Kazakhstan.
  Tokmok is home to a large Chechen community.Reportedly, organized crime boss Aziz Batukaev, who is also an ethnic Chechen, lived next door to the Tsarnaevs.
  (Reuters) - Working out at the gym at their sleepy New England college, two students chatted about how "crazy" it was that bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon. Three days later, one of them was named a prime suspect.
  Returning to campus on Sunday after being evacuated on Friday during a massive manhunt for the bombers, students at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth swapped recollections of seeing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, back in the dorm, at class and in the gym in the aftermath of the bombings.
  Tsarnaev was working out in the gym from 8 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, listening to music on his iPod, when he struck up a conversation with fellow sophomore Zach Bettencourt.
  "It's crazy this is happening now," Bettencourt recalled Tsarnaev telling him when the bombings came up.
  Reuters...What You Take For Granted You Will Miss When It's Gone...
The E.U. Must Take on a Military Role - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:19
  If the Atlantic alliance were disbanded, European defense policies could be renationalized and the United States would lose its close interaction with highly capable like-minded European countries. Particularly at a time of the European Union's restructuring, this would create tension and turbulence in that part of the world.
  Instead, the Atlantic alliance needs to be renewed with an effective trans-Atlantic rebalancing.
  An economically and politically more integrated Europe should be able to become a full-fledged security partner to the United States.
  An economically and politically more integrated Europe, which is a likely outcome of the present crisis, should be able to become a full-fledged security partner to the United States. A renewed Atlantic alliance should be based on an agreement among the United States, a new military arm of the European Union composed of current NATO members and NATO countries outside the E.U., like Canada, Norway, Turkey and others.
  This revamped NATO would create joint forces supported by a common industrial, research and development base.
  This would be a real breakthrough in the process of European integration, making the E.U. ever more united in an area until now jealously protected as the ultimate symbol of national sovereignty.
  Creating a defense community within the E.U. -- and turning it into NATO's European pillar -- would also help to better balance the European Union itself. Germany, which will have to take the lead on economics and finance, will be flanked by France and Britain, which would be in the forefront of joint defense and security effort.
  A reform on such a scale will need a new treaty, and the organization which will emerge from it will probably need a new name, but both will be based on more than six decades of close trans-Atlantic relations. NATO may eventually be allowed to become history; the Atlantic alliance should find a way to live on.
  Join Room for Debate on Facebook and follow updates on twitter.com/roomfordebate.
Scary Biden! Dow drops after hacked AP tweet; Blame Biden?
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Twitchy » US Politics
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:10
  Zing! As Twitchy reported, the Associated Press' Twitter account was hacked, and it sent out a tweet claiming explosions at the White House. The Dow immediately plummeted, then rallied.
  Wait why would the stock market crash due to that AP tweet?'--Conrad Kaczmarek (@ConradKazNBA) April 23, 2013
  Asked, and answered. Other Twitter users think they know why:
  DOW plunges after fake AP White House bombing tweet. Apparently the only thing worse for this economy is President Biden. #tcot#tiot'--Jeffrey Gregg (@IconJBG) April 23, 2013
  Double zing!
  @ConradKazNBA because even the joke of Joe Biden becoming President hurts the economy.'--Cody Williams (@TheSizzle20) April 23, 2013
  For a moment, the Dow Jones freaked today thinking Joe Biden might be president. #AP#hacked'--Susan A (@fetasue) April 23, 2013
  On the other hand, perhaps the algos were reacting to the blood-curdling horror of the phrase, "President Joe Biden." $ES_F'--Ellis Wyatt (@EllisWyatt1) April 23, 2013
  Not sure if the fake AP tweet crashed the Dow-Jones because of a terrorism scare, or because of fear of a potential President Joe Biden'...'--Zach (@ZachSerrano) April 23, 2013
  ''@nytimes: An erroneous tweet from @AP, which was hacked, caused the Dow to drop more than 150 points nyti.ms/12bLlSK'' US loves Biden'--Ken Harlan (@krharlan14) April 23, 2013
  Scariest thing about @AP fake tweet today? Thinking Joe Biden might actually be president for a terrifying few moments. #whitehouse#bogus'--Chris Varricchione (@chrisverks) April 23, 2013
  @jimiuorio relief rally that Joe Biden won't become president as soon as they feared.'--Aileen Markowsky (@AileenMarkowsky) April 23, 2013
  Heh. Never change, Twitter.
  Follow @twitchyteam
Sharyl Attkisson tweets House report; Reveals Hillary Clinton lied under oath about Benghazi
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  Archived Version
  Source: Twitchy » US Politics
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:09
  Boom! Remember, Hillary Clinton claimed that she had never seen any such cables during her Benghazi testimony. Additional security was requested; instead, it was reduced, according to the House GOP progress report on Benghazi released today.
  Hillary, you have some answering to do. And, you know, truthfully this time.
  Sharyl Attkisson, who continues to tirelessly seek answers on Benghazi, took to Twitter to relay the new information.
  Or perhaps Hillary Clinton doesn't know what the meaning of ''saw'' is.
  Hillary lied, people died?
  But, hey, what difference does it make? Right, Hillary?
  Twitchy will continue to monitor this story and update with further information.
  Update: Democrats are playing politics. Again.
  But there is more.
  Ludicrous. But, the rest of the media will ignore.
  Related:
  Shameless: Hillary Clinton claims Benghazi security cables never came to her attention
  Voting present! Panetta and Dempsey on Benghazi: We didn't tell Obama or Hillary nuttin'
Google Joins PayPal-Backed Effort to Kill the Password
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  Archived Version
  Source: New on MIT Technology Review
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:04
  The search giant has signed up to a consortium that wants hardware to have a role in authenticating people.
  Google has joined a consortium of tech companies including PayPal and Lenovo attempting to stop passwords being the sole protector of personal accounts.
  The group, the FIDO Alliance, is working on technology that would give the device a person was using a role in authenticating them so that a password alone is not enough to unlock an account (see ''PayPal, Lenovo Launch New Campaign to Kill the Password''). That approach can make it impossible to compromise accounts just by stealing passwords, as hackers did in order to break into Twitter this year and LinkedIn last year.
  Logging into an account using the FIDO approach might involve the security chip in your PC or phone being checked, or a person being prompted to say a short phrase so the sound of their voice can be matched with a voiceprint on file.
  Google joining the group is a major boost for the FIDO approach, which needs support from major technology companies to succeed. Google is already known to be interested in demoting the importance of passwords to security. As well as offering two factor security, where a person must provide a one time code sent to their phone along with their password, the company is also testing the idea of replacing passwords with personal USB keys, or even rings with contactless NFC technology (see ''Google Wants to Replace All Your Passwords with a Ring'').
  The FIDO Alliance isn't going to back any one replacement for passwords, but is working on technical standards that make it easy to support all kinds of replacements. That's an important role if the ideas Google has about our password-free future are to take hold. Remembering many passwords is a challenge, but having a different USB or piece of jewellery for each online account would be worse.
CISPA: Amendment to US cyber attack law banning employers from asking for Facebook passwords is blocked.
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  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:02
  A last minute alteration to CISPA was defeated in a Congress voteIt would have protected user's social media passwords from employersThe late amendment was put forward by Democrat Ed PerlmutterBy Steve Nolan
  PUBLISHED: 04:00 EST, 23 April 2013 | UPDATED: 05:46 EST, 23 April 2013
  An attempt to ban US bosses from asking employees to hand over their Facebook login details has been blocked by Congress.
  A last minute alteration to the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) that would have prevented employers demanding that prospective employees disclose social media passwords as a condition of employment was voted down in the house of representatives.
  The proposal, put forward by Democrat Ed Perlmutter was defeated by a 224-189 majority, according to the Huffington Post.
  Invasion of privacy? An amendment to a new US bill on cyber attacks aimed at preventing employers asking prospective employees for their Facebook login has been rejected
  Checking up: CISPA does nothing to address concerns that US employers can legitimately ask employees for social media login details as a condition of employment (file picture)
  Handing over passwords could legally be a condition of acquiring or keeping a job, said WebProNews.
  Perlmutter said of his amendment before it was defeated: 'It helps the individual protect his right to privacy and it doesn't allow the employer to impersonate that particular employee when other people are interacting with that person across social media platforms.
  He warned of an invasion of privacy and the potential of employers to 'impersonate' employees online.
  The Democrat initially proposed the password privacy measure as part of the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2012 and warned that social media users have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
  Blocked: The amendment to CISPA was put forward by Democrat Ed Permutter who says that social media users have an expectation of privacy
  In a statement he added: 'They have an expectation that their right to free speech and religion will be respected when they use social media outlets.
  'No American should have to provide their confidential personal passwords as a condition of employment.'
  Perlmutter faced criticism from bill sponsor Mike Rogers who claimed that he was trying to kill the act.
  He said that the issue should be addressed in separate legislation.
  But previous attempts to counteract the increasing trend of employers asking for prospective employees social networking login details have failed.
  The Password Protection Act 2012 was introduced to Senators and Congressman but was not passed.
  The overall act would allow the US Government and private companies such as Facebook to share information with one another should they come under cyber attack.
  But critics of the contentious bill, which initially failed when it was rejected by Senators last year, say that it would bypass privacy laws and allow companies to hand over users' information to the Government.
  They claim that it would prevent companies who hand over people's personal details from facing legal action and effectively justify social media spying.
  But CISPA recieved support from both Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives.
  Reassurance: Facebook told its US users earlier this month that it has no intention of sharing sensitive personal information
  Although the Act was ratified by the House of Representatives, there is a good chance that it could yet fall through.
  CISPA was also approved by Congress in April 2012, but was rejected by the Senate. The White House even threatened to veto the act at the time.
  Republicans Mike Rogers and Dutch Ruppersberger have once again put CISPA forward as they say that it is vital that companies have the ability to stop threats materialising in light of an increase in the number of foreign cyber attacks from countries like China.
  Facebook initially came out in support of CISPA, but its name has since disappeared from a list of firms fully supporting the bill this time around.
  Under threat: CISPA is aimed at allowing companies to share information to thwart potential cyber attacks
  And the social networking site vice president of US Public Policy Joel Kaplan reassured users that Facebook has no intention of sharing sensitive personal information with the Government.
  He said: 'The overriding goal of any cybersecurity bill should be to protect the security of networks and private data, and we take any concerns about how legislation might negatively impact Internet users' privacy seriously.'
  But other big name companies including IBM, Intel, McAfee and Time Warner Cable are in favour of CISPA.
Obama: Don't form opinions on Boston attacks until government decides
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  Archived Version
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:01
  Americans should not decide their opinions about the Boston terror attacks until the government decides its own opinion, President Barack Obama told the nation late Friday night.
  ''There's a temptation to latch on to any bit of information, sometimes to jump to conclusions,'' Obama warned during his 10:05 p.m. EST speech from the White House.
  ''That's why we have investigations '... 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,'' Obama insisted.According to video, witnesses and one of the bomber's own statements, the bombs were placed by two immigrant Muslims with ethnic roots in war-torn Chechnya.
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AP Twitter account hacked, 'explosions at White House' tweet crashes markets
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  Archived Version
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:00
  On Tuesday, the Associated Press tweeted that an explosion occurred at the White House and President Barack Obama had been injured.
  Within seconds of the tweet, followers shared the breaking news thousands of times, but quickly it was revealed that the AP's Twitter account had been hacked. Meghan Lopez explains how this tweet had many on high alert and describes how it affected the stock market.
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AP Report: Tamerlan Tsarnaev Influenced Heavily By Mysterious Radical Islamic Convert Known As ''Misha'''...Update: Took Interest In Conspiracy Website ''Infowars''
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  Archived Version
  Source: Weasel Zippers
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:00
  Who taught him that Joooos control the world, and the InfoWars-approved 9/11 conspiracy theory.
  WASHINGTON (AP) '-- In the years before the Boston Marathon bombings, Tamerlan Tsarnaev fell under the influence of a new friend, a Muslim convert who steered the religiously apathetic young man toward a strict strain of Islam, family members said.
  Under the tutelage of a friend known to the Tsarnaev family only as Misha, Tamerlan gave up boxing and stopped studying music, his family said. He began opposing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He turned to websites and literature claiming that the CIA was behind the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and Jews controlled the world.
  ''Somehow, he just took his brain,'' said Tamerlan's uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, who recalled conversations with Tamerlan's worried father about Misha's influence. Efforts over several days by The Associated Press to identify and interview Misha have been unsuccessful.
  Tamerlan's relationship with Misha could be a clue in understanding the motives behind his religious transformation and, ultimately, the attack itself. Two U.S. officials say he had no tie to terrorist groups.
  Throughout his religious makeover, Tamerlan maintained a strong influence over his siblings, including Dzhokhar, who investigators say carried out the deadly attack by his older brother's side, killing three and injuring 264 people.
  Keep reading'...
  Update: Big shocker.
  Via Mediaite:
  Investigators are beginning to uncover the many influences that led the Tsarnaev brothers to commit their deadly spree last week which included bombing the Boston Marathon and shooting a police officer. Deep within anAssociated Press story on the many influences that moved the elder and more ideological brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, to commit last week's atrocities was this choice detail: ''Tamerlan took an interest in Infowars, a conspiracy theory website.''
  On Tuesday, reports indicated that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was moved by the performances of the radical anti-American Al Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki.
  Al-Awlaki reportedly also influenced Maj. Nidal Hasan who, in 2009, attacked his fellow servicemen and women at Ft. Hood, killing 13 and wounding over 30.
  Tarnaev's YouTube page indicated that he had an interest in Islamic apocalypse prophecy and had subscribed to the YouTube channel of a British youth who assassinated UK MP Steven Timms in 2010 in retaliation for his support of the Iraq War.
  AP reports that Tamerlan Tsarnaev also possessed a copy of ''The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion,'' an anti-Semitic book which purports to detail a Jewish conspiracy to dominate the globe.
  But AP also reports that the conspiracy theory website controlled by radio host Alex Jones, Infowars, was also of interest to Tsarnaev.
  On Tuesday, Infowars ran a story claiming that Tsarnaev's indoctrination into radical Islamic jihadist theory is a myth designed to ''reinvigorate'' the war on terror. The post chides the media for their credulous repeating of the story and claims this fabrication is a design intended to further the United States' ''global war against Islam.''
crowd control
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  Source: Cryptogon News Network
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:57
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Global leaders to come together for first vaccine summit
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  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:55
  MUMBAI: Over 300 global leaders, health and development experts, philanthropists and business leaders will gather in Abu Dhabi on April 24 in the first Global Vaccine Summit to endorse the critical role that vaccines and immunization play in giving children a healthy start to life.
  Despite tremendous progress, one child still dies every 20 seconds from preventable diseases like pneumonia, rotavirus, measles, and meningitis.
  The summit, focused on the power of vaccines, is being held during World Immunization Week (April 24-30) to continue the momentum of the Decade of Vaccines -- a vision and commitment to reach all people with the vaccines they need.
  Ending polio is a critical milestone in this vision. Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will deliver a keynote to celebrate progress and honour the individuals, communities, partners and nations that have made success possible.
  "Vaccines work to save lives and protect children for a lifetime," said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "By investing in stronger immunization systems, we can protect our gains against polio and reach mothers and children with other health services."
  The world is coming together around the Global Vaccine Action Plan, endorsed by nearly 200 countries last May, to develop better and more affordable vaccines and deliver them through stronger routine immunization systems.
Federal Register | HIPAA Privacy Rule and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)
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  Archived Version
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:35
  On January 16, 2013, President Barack Obama announced a series of Executive Actions to reduce gun violence in the United States, including efforts to improve the Federal government's background check system for the sale or transfer of firearms by licensed dealers, called the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Among those persons disqualified from possessing or receiving firearms under Federal law are individuals who have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution; found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity; or otherwise have been determined, through a formal adjudication process, to have a severe mental condition that results in the individuals presenting a danger to themselves or others or being incapable of managing their own affairs (referred to below as the ''mental health prohibitor''). Concerns have been raised that, in certain states, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule may be a barrier to States' reporting the identities of individuals subject to the mental health prohibitor to the NICS. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or ''the Department''), which administers the HIPAA regulations, is issuing this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to solicit public comments on such barriers to reporting and ways in which these barriers can be addressed. In particular, we are considering creating an express permission in the HIPAA rules for reporting the relevant information to the NICS by those HIPAA covered entities responsible for involuntary commitments or the formal adjudications that would subject individuals to the mental health prohibitor, or that are otherwise designated by the States to report to the NICS. In addition, we are soliciting comments on the best methods to disseminate information on relevant HIPAA policies to State level entities that originate or maintain information that may be reported to NICS. Finally, we are soliciting public input on whether there are ways to mitigate any unintended adverse consequences for individuals seeking needed mental health services that may be caused by creating express regulatory permission to report relevant information to NICS. The Department will use the information it receives to determine how best to address these issues.
  Submit comments on or before June 7, 2013.
  Written comments may be submitted through any of the methods specified below. Please do not submit duplicate comments.
  Federal eRulemaking Portal: You may submit electronic comments at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting electronic comments. Attachments should be in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or Excel; however, we prefer Microsoft Word.Regular, Express, or Overnight Mail: You may mail written comments (one original and two copies) to the following address only: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, Attention: HIPAA Privacy Rule and NICS, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 509F, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201.Hand Delivery or Courier: If you prefer, you may deliver (by hand or courier) your written comments (one original and two copies) to the following address only: Office for Civil Rights, Attention: HIPAA Privacy Rule and NICS, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 509F, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201. (Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not readily available to persons without federal government identification, commenters are encouraged to leave their comments in the mail drop slots located in the main lobby of the building.)Inspection of Public Comments: All comments received before the close of the comment period will be available for public inspection, including any personally identifiable or confidential business information that is included in a comment. We will post all comments received before the close of the comment period at http://www.regulations.gov. Because comments will be made public, they should not include any sensitive personal information, such as a person's social security number; date of birth; driver's license number, state identification number or foreign country equivalent; passport number; financial account number; or credit or debit card number. Comments also should not include any sensitive health information, such as medical records or other individually identifiable health information, or any non-public corporate or trade association information, such as trade secrets or other proprietary information.
  Andra Wicks, 202-205-2292.
  On January 16, 2013, President Barack Obama announced 23 Executive Actions aimed at curbing gun violence across the nation. Those actions include efforts by the Federal government to improve the national background check system for the sale or transfer of firearms by licensed dealers, and a specific commitment to ''[a]ddress unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.'' To better understand the scope of any problems HIPAA may pose to reporting the identities of persons who are subject to the mental health prohibitor to the NICS, where a HIPAA covered entity may hold the records of the involuntary commitments or mental health adjudications, the Department developed this ANPRM to solicit input from States, other stakeholders, and the public on these issues. The public comments will inform the Department's efforts to address concerns related to HIPAA in a manner that is consistent with our approach to balancing important public safety goals and individuals' privacy interests.
  The NICSThe Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, 103, and its implementing regulations, are designed to prevent the transfer of firearms by licensed dealers to individuals who are not allowed to possess them as a result of restrictions contained in the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (Title 18, United States Code, Chapter 44), and those deemed otherwise unfit to possess or receive firearms. The Gun Control Act identifies several categories (known as ''prohibitors'') of individuals [1] who are prohibited from engaging in the shipment, transport, receipt, or possession of firearms, including convicted felons and fugitives. Most relevant for the purposes of this ANPRM is the ''mental health prohibitor,'' which applies to individuals who have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution, [2] found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity, or otherwise adjudicated as having a serious mental condition that results in the individuals presenting a danger to themselves or others or being unable to manage their own affairs. [3] The Brady Act established the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to help enforce these prohibitions. [4] The NICS Index, a database administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), collects and maintains certain identifying information about individuals who are subject to one or more of the Federal prohibitors and thus, are ineligible to purchase firearms. [5] The information maintained by the NICS typically is limited to the names of ineligible individuals and certain other identifying information, such as their dates of birth, as well as codes for the submitting entity and the prohibited category that applies to the individual. Other than demographic information about the individual, only the fact that the individual is subject to the mental health prohibitor is submitted to the NICS; underlying diagnoses, treatment records, and other identifiable health information is not provided to or maintained by the NICS. A NICS background check queries the NICS Index and certain other national databases [6] to determine whether a prospective buyer's identifying information matches any prohibiting records contained in the databases.
  The potential transfer of a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) to a prospective buyer proceeds as follows: First, the prospective buyer is required to provide personal information on a Firearms Transaction Record (ATF Form 4473). Unless the prospective buyer has documentation that he or she qualifies for an exception to the NICS background check requirement under 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3), [7] the FFL contacts the NICS'--electronically, by telephone, or through a State level point of contact'--and provides certain identifying information about the prospective buyer from ATF Form 4473. [8] Within about 30 seconds, the FFL receives a response that the firearm transfer may proceed or is delayed. The transfer is delayed if the prospective buyer's information matches a record contained in one of the databases reviewed. If there is a match, a NICS examiner reviews the records to determine whether it is in fact prohibiting, and then either: (1) If the record does not contain prohibiting information, advises the FFL to proceed with the transaction; (2) if the record does contain prohibiting information, denies the transaction (due to ineligibility); or (3) if it is unclear based solely on the existing information in the record whether it is prohibiting, delays the transaction pending further research. [9] The NICS examiner does not disclose the reason for the determination to the FFL (e.g., the FFL would not learn that the individual was ineligible due to the mental health prohibitor). In case of a delay, if the NICS examiner does not provide a final instruction to the FFL within three business days of the initial background check request, the FFL may, but is not required to, proceed with the transaction. [10]
  Although FFLs are required in most cases to request a background check through the NICS before transferring a firearm to a prospective buyer, [11] Federal law does not require State agencies to report to the NICS the identities of individuals who are prohibited by Federal law from purchasing firearms, and not all states report complete information to the NICS. Therefore, the NICS Index does not include information about all individuals who are subject to one or more of the prohibited categories. [12]
  Following the events at Virginia Tech University in 2007, and other tragedies involving the illegal use of firearms, Congress enacted the NICS Improvement Amendments Act (NIAA) of 2008, Public Law 110-180. Among other provisions, the NIAA requires Federal agencies to report to the NICS the identities of individuals known by the agencies to be subject to one or more prohibitors, and it authorizes incentives for States to provide such information when it is in their possession. In addition, some States enacted legislation requiring State agencies to report the identities of ineligible individuals to the NICS or to a State level repository responsible for submitting information to the NICS.
  The HIPAA Privacy Rule and NICS ReportingThe Privacy Rule, promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Title II, Subtitle F'--Administrative Simplification, Public Law 104-191, establishes federal protections to ensure the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI) and establishes an array of individual rights with respect to one's own health information. HIPAA applies to covered entities, which include health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers that conduct certain standard transactions (such as billing insurance) electronically. HIPAA covered entities may only use and disclose protected health information with the individual's written authorization, or as otherwise expressly permitted or required by the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The Privacy Rule seeks to balance individuals' privacy interests with important public policy goals including public health and safety. In doing so, the Privacy Rule allows, subject to certain conditions and limitations, disclosures of protected health information without individuals' authorization for certain law enforcement purposes, to avert a serious threat to health or safety, and where required by State or other law, among other purposes.
  As stated above, individuals who are subject to the mental health prohibitor are ineligible to purchase a firearm because they have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution, have been found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity, or otherwise have been determined through an adjudication process to have a severe mental condition resulting in the individuals presenting a danger to themselves or others or being unable to manage their own affairs. Records of individuals adjudicated as incompetent to stand trial, or not guilty by reason of insanity, originate with entities in the criminal justice system, and these entities are not HIPAA covered entities. Likewise, involuntary civil commitments are usually made by court order, and thus, records of such orders originate with entities in the justice system. In addition, many adjudications determining that individuals pose a danger to themselves or others, or are incapable of managing their own affairs, occur through legal process in the court system.
  However, because of the variety of State laws, there may be State agencies, boards, commissions, or other lawful authorities outside the court system that are involved in some involuntary commitments or mental health adjudications. At this time, we have insufficient data regarding to what extent these State agencies, boards, commissions, or other lawful authorities that order involuntary commitments or conduct mental health adjudications are also HIPAA covered entities. Moreover, we understand that some States have designated repositories to collect and report to the NICS the identities of individuals subject to the mental health prohibitor. We also do not have data to determine to what extent any of these repositories is also a HIPAA covered entity (e.g., a State health agency).
  Where the record of an involuntary commitment or mental health adjudication originated with a HIPAA covered entity, or the HIPAA covered entity is the State repository for such records, the records are subject to HIPAA, but there are ways in which the Privacy Rule permits the reporting to the NICS. In particular, the Privacy Rule permits the agency to disclose the information to the NICS to the extent the State has enacted a law requiring such reporting. [13] Alternatively, where there is no State law requiring reporting, the Privacy Rule permits a State agency that is a HIPAA covered entity that performs both health care and non-health care functions (e.g., NICS reporting) to become a hybrid entity and thus, have the HIPAA Privacy Rule apply only to its health care functions. The State agency achieves hybrid entity status by designating its health care components as separate from other components and documenting that designation. Thus, a State agency that has designated itself a hybrid entity, in accordance with the Privacy Rule, [14] can report prohibitor information through its non-HIPAA covered NICS reporting unit without restriction under the Privacy Rule.
  However, many States still are not reporting essential mental health prohibitor information to the NICS. Some States may face practical difficulties in passing a State law requiring NICS disclosures, and there may be administrative or other challenges to the creation of a hybrid entity. Thus, concerns have been raised that the HIPAA Privacy Rule's restrictions on covered entities' disclosures of protected health information may prevent certain States from reporting to the NICS the identities of individuals who are subject to the mental health prohibitor. Further, in July 2012, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported to Congress on the results of a survey of six states that it had conducted as part of a performance audit of the progress made by DOJ and the States in implementing the NIAA. [15] In the report, the GAO wrote that, ''* * * officials from 3 of the 6 states we reviewed said that the absence of explicit state-level statutory authority to share mental health records was an impediment to making such records available to NICS.'' [16] The report also stated that, although the number of records provided by the States to the NICS had increased by 800 percent between 2004 and 2011, this increase was largely due to efforts by only 12 states. The report raised the possibility that States that do not report to the NICS the identities of individuals who are subject to the mental health prohibitor may experience challenges to reporting related to the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
  To address these concerns, the Department is considering whether to amend the Privacy Rule to expressly permit covered entities holding information about the identities of individuals who are subject to the mental health prohibitor to disclose limited mental health prohibitor information to the NICS. Such an amendment might produce clarity regarding the Privacy Rule and help make it as simple as possible for States to report the identities of such individuals to the NICS.
  In crafting the elements of an express permission, we would consider limiting the information to be disclosed to the minimum data necessary for NICS purposes, such as the names of the individuals who are subject to the mental health prohibitor, demographic information such as dates of birth, and codes identifying the reporting entity and the relevant prohibitor. We would not consider permitting the disclosure of an individual's treatment record or any other clinical or diagnostic information for this purpose. In addition, we would consider permitting disclosures for NICS purposes only by those covered entities that order involuntary commitments, perform relevant mental health adjudications, or are otherwise designated as State repositories for NICS reporting purposes.
  To inform our efforts to address any issues in this area, we request comments specifically on the questions below, which will help us identify the nature and scope of the problem of underreporting, determine whether our assumptions about where data are maintained are correct, determine to what extent the existing permissible disclosures are insufficient, and explore additional methods of disseminating information about whether the HIPAA Privacy Rule affects entities' ability to report to the NICS. The Department welcomes comments from all stakeholders on these issues, including HIPAA covered entities; agencies of State, territorial, and tribal governments; law enforcement officials; individuals; and consumer advocates and groups. We are particularly interested in specific examples of situations in which reporting to the NICS is hindered by HIPAA requirements, or where there may be uncertainty about how HIPAA applies to such reporting, and any other concerns about the disclosure of information for these purposes by health care entities that both perform the adjudications or involuntary commitments and provide the mental health treatment to the individuals. We ask that commenters indicate throughout their submitted comments which question(s) they are responding to.
  In a 2012 report on implementation of the NIAA, the GAO wrote that States had increased reporting to the NICS of the identities of individuals who are prohibited from purchasing firearms because they have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution, found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity, or otherwise adjudicated as having a serious mental condition that results in the individuals posing a danger to themselves or others or being unable to manage their own affairs. [17] Specifically, reporting of this information grew from 126,000 records in October 2004, to approximately 1.2 million in October 2011. The GAO also indicated that just 12 states were responsible for the majority of this increase, having reported the identities of at least 10,000 individuals who are subject to the mental health prohibitor by 2011. [18] As of February 2013, the number of records was over 2.7 million. [19] Despite improvements in reporting, only a small proportion of the records of individuals who are subject to the mental health prohibitor have been reported to the NICS. We invite comment on the following questions relating to States' participation in NICS reporting and other related issues.
  1. Does your State routinely report the identities of individuals who are subject to the Federal mental health prohibitor to the NICS?
  2. If your State does not routinely report the identities of such individuals to the NICS, what are the primary reasons for not doing so?
  a. To what extent, if any, is the HIPAA Privacy Rule perceived as a barrier to your participation? If HIPAA is seen as a barrier, please specify in what way(s) HIPAA may prevent NICS reporting or make reporting difficult. (For example, does HIPAA pose a barrier with respect to only certain types of adjudications?)
  b. Are there other legal barriers (e.g., State law)?
  3. If your State does routinely report the identities of such individuals to the NICS, did you have to overcome any obstacles to your reporting? How did your State overcome those obstacles?
  a. If the HIPAA Privacy Rule was perceived as a barrier to your participation, what did you do to meet HIPAA requirements?
  b. If State privacy laws were perceived as a barrier to your participation, what did you do to meet State requirements?
  c. Please describe any statutory or regulatory changes adopted by your State. To what extent do any changes in State law address the requirements of Federal and/or State privacy laws?
  We understand that some States may have designated a particular State agency or other entity to collect and maintain NICS information and report to the NICS on a regular basis. We request comments on the following related questions.
  4. Has your State designated one or more agencies as State repositories for information about the identities of individuals who are subject to the mental health prohibitor? If so, please identify the agencies and specify, for each such agency, whether it is a HIPAA covered entity.
  5. If HIPAA applies to the repository, how has your State addressed HIPAA requirements while fulfilling its NICS reporting function (e.g., do you have a State law that requires reporting, or has your State created a hybrid entity to isolate the reporting function from the health care component of the repository agency)?
  6. If the HIPAA Privacy Rule were to be amended to expressly permit disclosures of the identities of individuals covered by the mental health prohibitor to the NICS Index, would you still face any barriers to reporting? If so, what are they?
  As discussed above, in many cases, information on the identities of persons who are subject to the mental health prohibitor originates with entities outside the health care sector that are not subject to HIPAA. Still, we recognize that authority to make these determinations is a matter of State law and, therefore, the process may vary from State to State. Thus, there may be instances in which these types of adjudications are made by State agencies or private parties within the health care system. We request comments on the following matters.
  7. Are there situations in your State in which a HIPAA covered entity (e.g., a physician, a hospital, or another entity in the health care system), or a component of a larger organization that is a covered entity (e.g., a State health department), has legal authority to involuntarily commit a person to a mental institution'--without review or a final action being made by a court? If so, what types of involuntary commitments can be ordered by these authorities?
  8. Are there situations in your State in which a HIPAA covered entity (e.g., a physician, a hospital, or another entity in the health care system), or a component of a larger organization that is a covered entity (e.g., a State health department), has legal authority to make a formal adjudication that an individual has a serious mental condition that results in a finding of danger to self or others or an inability to manage affairs'--without review or a final action being made by a court? If so, what types of adjudications can be made by these authorities?
  9. If HIPAA applies to the entity conducting the relevant mental health adjudications, how has your State addressed HIPAA requirements while fulfilling its NICS reporting function (e.g., do you have a State law that requires reporting, or has your State created a hybrid entity to isolate the reporting function from the health care component of the repository agency)?
  10. If the HIPAA Privacy Rule were to be amended to expressly permit disclosures of the identities of individuals covered by the mental health prohibitor to the NICS, would you still face any barriers to reporting? If so, what are they?
  As the Federal government works to improve reporting to the NICS to ensure comprehensive background checks for firearms purchases, HHS also must continue to fulfill its mandate to protect individuals' health information privacy rights. Therefore, we request public input on the following issues and any other relevant considerations.
  11. Are there privacy protections in place, under State law or otherwise, for data collected by State entities for reporting to the NICS? Would any State public records laws apply to make this data publicly available, or prohibit the reporting to the NICS?
  12. We recognize a heightened need for confidentiality because of the sensitivity of, and the stigma attached to, mental health conditions. Are there implications for the mental health community, or for the treatment/care of consumers of mental health services, in having the identities of individuals who are subject to the mental health prohibitor reported for NICS purposes by health care entities that perform both adjudication and treatment functions? If so, what are those implications?
  13. Are there ways that HHS may address or mitigate any unintended adverse consequences, for individuals seeking needed mental health services, that may be caused by creating express regulatory permission to report relevant information to the NICS?
  14. How can HHS better disseminate information to States on HIPAA Privacy Rule policies as they relate to NICS reporting? Are there central points of contact at the State level that are able to receive and share this information with entities that serve in an adjudicatory or repository capacity?
  15. Are there any additional guidance materials and/or training from HHS on particular aspects of the Privacy Rule that would be helpful to address any confusion regarding HIPAA requirements and help improve NICS reporting?
  Dated: April 16, 2013.
  Leon Rodriguez,
  Director, Office for Civil Rights.
  [FR Doc. 2013-09602 Filed 4-19-13; 4:15 pm]
  BILLING CODE 4153-01-P
Secretary of State Kerry Press Conference
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  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:27
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  US Secretary of State John Kerry press conference today at NATO HQ, Brussels. Also available in high definition
AP Twitter feed hacked; White House has NOT been bombed | Internet & Media - CNET News
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  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:01
  The wire service's feed has been taken offline and AP corporate says tweets "reporting" a bombing are bogus.
  The White House has NOT been bombed, folks, despite what you might have seen on the Associated Press Twitter account.
  Hackers apparently got ahold of the wire service's Twitter feed and tweeted out "breaking" news of a White House bombing that injured President Barack Obama.
  Not so, say the Twitter feeds of AP corporate and some employees.
  When the tweet went out, Twitter immediately erupted with notes from sleuthing tweeps who noted that the suspicious tweet did not use the normal all caps style for BREAKING news, and was sent from the Web, which is unusual for the AP feed.
  Need more proof that all is well at 1600 Pennsylvania? Well, there's a live press conference going on there now as I write this.
  But the faux breaking news did manage to freak out markets enough to send the Dow Jones Industrial Average into a flash-fall, dipping more than 100 points before quickly recovering.
  At the moment, the main @AP Twitter feed is offline. In another tweet, hacker group Syrian Electronic Army appears to be claiming responsibility for the fake tweet:
Politie jaagt op 'lone wolf' - NOS Nieuws
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  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:45
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National Study: Teen Misuse and Abuse of Prescription Drugs Up 33 Percent Since 2008, Stimulants Contributing to Sustained Rx Epidemic[1] - Yahoo! News
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  Archived Version
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:45
  Parents' Lax Attitudes and Behavior Linked to Teen Rx Drug Misuse and Abuse
  Nearly One-Third of Parents Believe Stimulants Can Improve Academic Performance, Even for Teens Who Do Not Have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  NEW YORK, April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New, nationally projectable survey results released today by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation confirmed that one in four teens has misused or abused a prescription (Rx) drug at least once in their lifetime '' a 33 percent increase over the past five years. The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) also found troubling data on teen misuse or abuse of prescription stimulants. One in eight teens (13 percent) now reports that they have taken the stimulant Ritalin or Adderall when it was not prescribed for them, at least once in their lifetime.
  Contributing to this sustained trend in teen medicine abuse are the lax attitudes and beliefs of parents and caregivers. In fact, nearly one-third of parents say they believe Rx stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall, normally prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can improve a teen's academic performance even if the teen does not have ADHD. Parents are not effectively communicating the dangers of Rx medicine misuse and abuse to their kids, nor are they safeguarding their medications at home and disposing of unused medications properly.
  Concerning Trends in Teen Prescription Drug Abuse According to the New PATS Data (2008-2012)
  The new PATS data confirm that misuse and abuse of prescription drugs is now a normalized behavior among teens:
  One in four teens (24 percent) reports having misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime (up from 18 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2012), which translates to about 5 million teens. That is a 33 percent increase over a five-year period.Of those kids who said they abused Rx medications, one in five (20 percent) has done so before age 14.More than a quarter of teens (27 percent) mistakenly believe that misusing and abusing prescription drugs is safer than using street drugs.One-third of teens (33 percent) say they believe "it's okay to use prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them to deal with an injury, illness or physical pain."Almost one in four teens (23 percent) say their parents don't care as much if they are caught using Rx drugs without a doctor's prescription, compared to getting caught with illegal drugs."These data make it very clear: the problem is real, the threat immediate and the situation is not poised to get better," said Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org. "Parents fear drugs like cocaine or heroin and want to protect their kids. But the truth is that when misused and abused, medicines '' especially stimulants and opioids '' can be every bit as dangerous and harmful as those illicit street drugs. Medicine abuse is one of the most significant and preventable adolescent health problems facing our families today. What's worse is that kids who begin using at an early age are more likely to struggle with substance use disorders when compared to those who might start using after the teenage years. As parents and caring adults, we need to take definitive action to address the risks that intentional medicine abuse poses to the lives and the long-term health of our teens."
  Significant Increase in Teen Abuse of Stimulants Ritalin and Adderall, Rx Painkiller Abuse Flattening
  Rx stimulants are a key area of concern, with misuse and abuse of Ritalin and Adderall in particular driving the noted increases in teen medicine abuse. Stimulants are a class of drugs that enhance brain activity and are commonly prescribed to treat health conditions including ADHD and obesity. The 2012 data found:
  One in eight teens (about 2.7 million) now reports having misused or abused the Rx stimulants Ritalin or Adderall at least once in their lifetime.9 percent of teens (about 1.9 million) report having misused or abused the Rx stimulants Ritalin or Adderall in the past year (up from 6 percent in 2008) and 6 percent of teens (1.3 million) report abuse of Ritalin or Adderall in the past month (up from 4 percent in 2008).One in four teens (26 percent) believes that prescription drugs can be used as a study aid."We need to make sure that children and adolescents receive a thorough assessment before being placed on stimulant medications, and that if medication is prescribed to a child, it should only be as one component of a comprehensive ADHD management plan," said Alain Joffe, MD, MPH, Director, Student Health and Wellness Center at Johns Hopkins University and Former Chairman, American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse. "We don't really know what long-term effects these ADHD medications will have on the still-developing brains of adolescents who do not have ADHD. We do know they can have significant side effects, which is why they are limited to use with a prescription."
  Abuse of prescription pain medicine remains at unacceptably high levels among teens, but the new PATS data show it may be flattening. Teen abuse of prescription pain relievers like Vicodin and OxyContin has remained stable since 2011, with one in six teens (16 percent) reporting abuse or misuse of an Rx pain reliever at least once in their lifetime and one in 10 teens (10 percent) admitting to abusing or misusing an Rx painkiller in the past year.
  Parents' Missed Opportunity: Lax Attitudes and Permissiveness About Rx Drugs Linked to Teen Abuse
  Parent permissiveness and lax attitudes toward abuse and misuse of Rx medicines, coupled with teens' ease of access to prescription medicines in the home, are key factors linked to teen medicine misuse and abuse. The availability of prescription drugs (in the family medicine cabinet, in the homes of friends and family) makes them that much easier to abuse. The new survey findings stress that teens are more likely to abuse Rx medicines if they think their parents "don't care as much if they get caught using prescription drugs, without a doctor's prescription, than they do if they get caught using illegal drugs."
  Almost one-third of parents (29 percent) say they believe ADHD medication can improve a child's academic or testing performance, even if the teen does not have ADHD.One in six parents (16 percent) believes that using prescription drugs to get high is safer than using street drugs.Teens reported that during the last conversation they had with their parents regarding substance abuse, only 16 percent said they discussed the misuse or abuse of prescription pain relievers with their parents, and just 14 percent indicate the same for discussions about any type of prescription drug. In comparison, a majority of teens (81 percent) say they have discussed the risks of marijuana use with their parents, 80 percent have discussed alcohol and nearly one-third of teens (30 percent) have discussed crack/cocaine.More than half of teens (56 percent) indicate that it's easy to get prescription drugs from their parent's medicine cabinet. In fact, about half of parents (49 percent) say anyone can access their medicine cabinet.More than four in 10 teens (42 percent) who have misused or abused a prescription drug obtained it from their parent's medicine cabinet. Almost half (49 percent) of teens who misuse or abuse Rx medicines obtained them from a friend.Teens are more likely to use prescription drugs if they believe that their parents are more lenient toward prescription drug misuse or abuse compared to illegal drug abuse, and if their parents use drugs themselves.
  One in five parents (20 percent) report that they have given their teen a prescription drug that was not prescribed for them.The PATS survey also found that 17 percent of parents do not throw away expired medications, and 14 percent of parents say that they themselves have misused or abuse prescription drugs within the past year."This new data is not about blaming parents. Rather, it's an urgent call to action for them to use their immense power to help curb this dangerous behavior. It's about missed opportunities to protect their kids by having direct conversations with them about the health risks of misusing and abusing medicines '' and to then moving to safeguard the medicines in their own home," said Pasierb. "Parental apathy on this issue is contributing to the problem. Yet the same data show year in and year out that kids who learn a lot about the risks of drug use at home are up to half as likely to use as kids who don't get that life-changing gift from their parents."
  The 2012 PATS study also shows that parents do not seem to be as concerned with prescription drug abuse as they are with use of illicit drugs. A majority of parents (80 percent) are at least somewhat concerned about illicit drug abuse compared to 70 percent who report being concerned about Rx drug abuse. But in reality, teens are more likely to have abused prescription medicine within their lifetime more than many other substances, with 12 percent of teens abusing Ecstasy, nine percent abusing crack/cocaine and 15 percent abusing inhalants within their lifetime.
  "Parents need to be very clear in the messages they send their kids about the misuse and abuse of prescription medications," said Dennis White, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "It is important for parents and caregivers to set a good example in their own families. This includes using their own medicines properly, safeguarding medications in their own homes and properly disposing of unused medicines so teens won't have easy access to them."
  Mixed Results on Teen Abuse of Other Substances
  Cigarette smoking rates have remained stable, with 22 percent of teens reporting they've used cigarettes in the past month.Inhalant abuse also remained stable, with 7 percent of teens indicating they've abused inhalants over the past year.In 2012, almost half of teens (45 percent) have used marijuana in their lifetime, four in 10 (39 percent) have used in the past year and one in four (24 percent) have used within the past month. Currently, 57 percent of all teens have used alcohol within the past year (a 10 percent increase from 2008).Past-year abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine abuse has remained relatively stable at 7 percent (since 2008).Methamphetamine use has remained stable, with 4 percent of teens reporting having abused methamphetamine in the past year (since 2008).Past-year cocaine use remains at 7 percent (unchanged since 2008).Lifetime steroid use is stable at 5 percent (unchanged since 2008).Past-year use of Ecstasy is at 8 percent, and has been steadily declining since a surge in prevalence during 2009.Past-year use of synthetic drugs is mixed as well, with 12 percent of teens using synthetic marijuana, 4 percent using salvia and 3 percent using bath salts.The Partnership at Drugfree.org Responds to Rx Epidemic with The Medicine Abuse Project
  In response to the continued high prevalence of teen prescription medicine abuse as reported in the 2012 PATS data, The Partnership at Drugfree.org is helping educate parents, community stakeholders and others about the dangers of this behavior. The Partnership at Drugfree.org leads The Medicine Abuse Project, a multi-year initiative with the goal of preventing half a million teens from abusing prescription medicine by the year 2017.
  The Medicine Abuse Project provides comprehensive resources to parents, educators, health care providers, law enforcement officials and others about the growing problem of teen medicine abuse. The Project aims to mobilize parents and the public at large to take action and help solve the problem of teen substance abuse. This includes learning about the issue, talking with their kids about the dangers of misuse and abuse of prescription drugs and properly monitoring, safeguarding and disposing of excess Rx drugs in their homes.
  One way parents, grandparents and other caretakers can take immediate action is by participating in the upcoming DEA-facilitated National Prescription DrugTake-BackDay, taking place this Saturday, April 27, 2013.
  Collection sites will be set up around the country, open for medicine drop-off between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Those interested in disposing of their medicine at a take-back location this Saturday can visit The Medicine Abuse Project website to find the nearest site to safely drop off their unused, unwanted or expired prescription medicines. In the five previous Take-Back events, more than 2 million pounds of prescription medicines were safely dropped off and removed from circulation.
  PATS Methodology The 24th annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) of 3,884 teens in grades 9-12 and 817 parents is nationally projectable with a +/- 2.1 percent margin of error for the teen sample and +/- 3.4 percent for the parent sample. Conducted for The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications, the 2012 PATS teen survey was administered in private, public and parochial schools, while the parent survey was conducted through in-home interviews by deKadt Marketing and Research, Inc.
  About The Partnership at Drugfree.orgNinety percent of addictions start in the teenage years. The Partnership atDrugfree.orgis dedicated to solving the problem of teen substance abuse. Together with experts in science, parenting and communications, the nonprofit translates research on teen behavior, addiction andtreatmentinto useful and effective resources for both individuals andcommunities. Working toward a vision where all young people will be able to live their lives free of drug and alcohol abuse, The Partnership at Drugfree.org works with parents and other influencers to help thempreventandget helpfor drug and alcohol abuse by teens and young adults. The organization depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and the public sector and is thankful to SAG-AFTRA and the advertising and media industries for their ongoing generosity.
  About MetLife FoundationMetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLife's longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. The Foundation is committed to building a secure future for individuals and communities worldwide. Since it was established, MetLife Foundation has provided more than $530 million in grants to nonprofit organizations addressing issues that have a positive impact in their communities. For more information, visitwww.metlife.org.
  [1] Source: "Prescription Painkiller Overdoses in the U.S.", Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. November, 2011. Web. 8 April 2013
  SOURCE The Partnership at Drugfree.org
Cold weather plagues Regina, Winnipeg, as Toronto braces for winter storm | Canada | News | National Post
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  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:30
  Isn't winter over yet?
  Frigid, wintery weather continues to plague regions across the country, despite the official arrival of spring back on March 20.
  Southern Saskatchewan experienced record-breaking low temperatures overnight, with the thermometer dipping to -18 Celsius in Regina.
  The low temperature already ''unofficially'' broke a previous record of -14.5, set on April 10, 1982, according to a 6 a.m. statement from Environment Canada.
  Indian Head set a new record with an overnight temperature of -22.8, easily surpassing the -16.8 record set on the same day in 2006.
  Officials warned that temperatures could dip even more by sunrise Wednesday morning.
  On Tuesday, Regina beat its -15.6 record from 1948 with a temperature of -20.5. The coldest its ever been in Regina on a day in April was -28.9C on April 2, 1899, according to the Regina Leader-Post.
  People in parts of southern Ontario could also be in for a blast of wintry weather. Environment Canada has issued a winter storm watch for Thursday in an area covering Hamilton, Huron-Perth, Waterloo-Wellington, Dufferin-Innisfil, Halton-Peel, York-Durham and Toronto.
  The agency says there will be periods of rain in those regions into Wednesday night.
  But on Thursday morning, colder air is expected to move in and produce ice pellets and freezing rain, which are expected to be heavy at times and last into Thursday night. The weather is expected to snarl traffic in the GTA as thousands commute to work.
  Environment Canada warns of poor travel conditions and possible power outages. Conditions are forecast to improve on Friday.
  Temperatures in Winnipeg have remained below zero every day for the past month, much to the chagrin of residents eager for a hint of balmy weather.
  The thermometrt rose to -3 in Winnipeg for three hours on Tuesday evening, but fell back down to -10 (-17 with the wind chill) by Wednesday morning.
  A mix of snow and rain is expected to fall on southern Quebec on Friday after a low pressure system forming near Colorado moves towards the Great Lakes and New England, Environment Canada says.
  Forecasters expect this storm to evolve and advise residents to read any Environment Canada special weather statements.
  With files from The Canadian Press
Dutch Court Hears Appeal by SNS Investors Who Lost Everything - Bloomberg
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  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:25
  A Dutch court began considering a legal appeal by investors in SNS Reaal NV (SR), the country's fourth- largest bank, after the government nationalized it and then refused to pay them compensation.
  ''The minister is sorry for the losses,'' Richard de Haan, a lawyer at Allen & Overy LLP in Amsterdam representing Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, told the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal today in sessions due to last two days. ''However, these losses were not the consequence of the expropriation.''
  Dijsselbloem set compensation for SNS Reaal's bond and shareholders at zero after the February takeover, saying taxpayers will be required to pay 3.7 billion euros ($4.8 billion) in capital injections and write-offs and 6.1 billion euros in loans and guarantees to help rescue the bank. Losses on real estate had brought it to the brink of collapse.
  Dutch law says the Netherlands must compensate investors, though it can take into account the company's future prospects had SNS not been nationalized. Dijsselbloem said last month that investors wouldn't get a cent from the government because there wouldn't have been any capital left for them had the firm been liquidated.
  SNS would have debt of 6.6 billion euros compared with 2.1 billion euros in assets had it been liquidated rather than nationalized, leaving it with a 4.5 billion-euro shortfall to pay creditors, government lawyers said. At least 565 million euros in state aid that SNS received in 2008 would also need to be deducted before repaying investors, they said.
  The court hasn't provided a date for a ruling in the case.
  Dijsselbloem, sworn in on Nov. 5, became the first finance minister in the Netherlands to use powers granted under legislation introduced last year allowing the central bank to transfer assets and liabilities to a troubled bank. He may expropriate assets in case of a grave and immediate threat to the stability of the financial system, according to the law.
  Expropriation of the assets of SNS Reaal's creditors has reduced rescue costs for the Netherlands by about 1 billion euros, the government has said.
  The highest administrative court ruled on Feb. 25 that Dijsselbloem was entitled to intervene, making the nationalization irrevocable.
  To contact the reporter on this story: Maud van Gaal in Amsterdam at mvangaal@bloomberg.net
  To contact the editor responsible for this story: Frank Connelly at fconnelly@bloomberg.net
Africa: Is Africa About to Lose the Right to Her Seed?
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  Source: AllAfrica News: Latest
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:17
  Seed and the control of seed lies at the heart of agriculture.
  In Africa around 80% of seed comes from local and community saved seed resources. This seed is adapted to local conditions. It forms an integral part of community food security and agricultural integrity. This entire traditional system is now under threat.
  A broad front of commercial interests, aided and abetted by the World Bank, the American Seed Association and government agencies, along with front groups, academics and so-called philanthropists, are endeavouring to alienate this crucial resource.
  The international seed industry, owned by massive multinational pesticide companies involved in promoting hybrid and genetically modified (GM) seed, is both a primary beneficiary and protagonist of this thrust. While the motivation is ostensibly to assist the development of African agriculture, the impacts will be widespread and dire.
  Simply put, the proposal is to create a harmonised system of control around the presently fragmented African seed trade regime and create a system based on what is projected as modern best practice.
  This includes uniform adherence to the strict 1991 Act of the International Union for the Protection of Plant Varieties (UPOV), across the board, for Africa. Because of the stringency of UPOV, the real impact of this will be the loss of control of the seed supply by indigenous small farmers. The consequences for food production and social cohesion across the continent will be dire.
  Once locally adapted seed varieties are lost, dependence on outside seed suppliers will rapidly become unaffordable. The implications will reverberate far beyond food production.
  Indebted farmers are at direct risk of losing land tenure. On the one hand this causes accelerating urbanisation and social dislocation. On the other, good agricultural land is appropriated by large conglomerates. There is already a massive thrust by nations and corporations to gain land tenure in fertile tropical African agricultural zones.
  The impetus behind this change in the seed regime has been building for some time. Consolidation within the powerful South African seed industry - the biggest in Africa - was recently finalised.
  The South African competition appeal court permitted the sale of the last remaining large South African seed company, Pannar, to the US multinational Pioneer, a subsidiary of DuPont. Pannar has well established African networks.
  This merger firmly shifts control of South Africa's extremely valuable seed industry into the hands of the world's two largest, US owned seed companies, now ideally placed to use South Africa as a bridgehead into Africa.
  More ominously, it effectively removes the ready possibility of further evolution of competition in the industry. This has serious implications for indigenous seed trading and seed saving networks.
  The rationale of the seed industry is apparently simple: if there is not a sufficiently robust mechanism to protect their intellectual property, their primary income stream is at risk.
  On the other hand development organisations like the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) swear that new seed being developed for Africa will be freely shared for the benefit of smallholder farmers. There is clearly a serious disjuncture between what is said and what is happening.
  These massive seed corporations bring the lessons learned in South America to Africa. There, the growth of the soya industry, initially in Argentina and more recently in Brazil, occurred with no attempt to control the spread of GM seed by the owners of the intellectual property.
  In South America this was herbicide-resistant GM soya, patented by Monsanto. In fact its spread was covertly encouraged. This non-hybrid seed was therefore saved, re-used and traded amongst growers in the region, first in Argentina, later into Brazil and Paraguay - so called 'Maradonna' seed.
  Yet once the soy industry became established, Monsanto reacted aggressively and claimed royalties on all the soy grown throughout the region, claiming right to its patented intellectual property.
  It used various means, such as appropriating percentage of sales on delivery or demanding that overseas purchasers pay a direct royalty, even though its patents were not recognised in Argentina.
  Similar attempts in Brazil were overturned in the courts with Monsanto instructed to return billions of dollars to farmers. It is presently attempting to circumvent the ruling by entering individual agreements with farmers. Yet the South American standoff between powerful farmers unions and the seed giants continues.
  The seed industry does not wish a similar situation to develop in Africa. Hence the insistence that African seed laws are upgraded to the most restrictive, first world legislation, supported by the World Bank, World Trade Organisation and the International Intellectual Property Office, WIPO. What is occurring is a de facto case of neo-liberal enclosure of the foundation of agricultural productivity in Africa.
  African farmers have long recognised this threat. Back in 1997 the Organisation of African Unity initiated a proposal to develop a "Model Legislation on the Protection of the Rights of Local Communities, Farmers and Breeders and for the Regulation of Access to Biological Resources," known as the African model law. This was endorsed by the African Union in 2000.
  While the African model law recognises plant breeders' rights, these rights are limited and patents on seeds, such as are allowed on GM seeds under UPOV and WIPO regimes, are excluded. This approach is recognised and permitted under WTO exceptions under the sui generis rule. This principle has been adopted into Indian seed laws, where similar concerns exist.
  A substantial number of broad indigenous farmers networks throughout Africa have condemned the draft protocol to accept the ratification of UPOV. Most SADC nations have already agreed in principle to accept the provisions of International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources on Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), which enables far more flexibility and participation in seed transactions than the restrictive proposals of UPOV, yet this agreement too is threatened.
  This matter appears to be coming to a head. Several quasi-'indigenous' seed organisations such as the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), funded by USAID, have, without due consultation with representative farmers groups in these areas, pushed for the ratification of UPOV 1991. On the other hand properly mandated farmers' networks demand that national consultations be held to discuss and analyse these proposals.
  What is at play here is a direct conflict between peasant farmers networks and the neo-colonial attempt to subvert African agriculture by restrictive, first world regulation. The Southern African model is being repeated in East and West Africa, through similar comprador networks.
  What will happen should UPOV be broadly adopted? As soon as indigenous seed becomes contaminated by patent protected seed varieties, all rights to share and trade that seed will be lost, forever.
  The irony of this is profound, as the very germplasm, which Monsanto and Pioneer rely on is the result of thousands of years of peasant breeding that remains categorically unrecognised. What is good for the goose is clearly not good for the gander. The end result will only see one winner, which will certainly not be indigenous African farmers.
  If there was ever a time for the vocal proponents for African unity and values to step forward, it is now. Should they fail, African leadership will be harshly judged for enabling the next phase of neo-colonialism to unfold unopposed.
Aftershocks
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  Archived Version
  Source: Clusterfuck Nation
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:00
  If the FBI can track down two homicidal Chechen nobodies inside of forty-eight hours of their Boston bombing caper, you kind of wonder how come the Bureau can't detect the odor of racketeering, insider trading, and wire fraud in this month's orchestrated smackdown of the gold futures markets, including the parts played by the Federal reserve, one or more too-big-to-fail banks, self-interested big money players such as George Soros, slumbering regulators at the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, and tractable editors at The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Of course, US Attorney General Eric Holder, who oversees the FBI, has done a fair imitation of a Brooks Brothers store window mannequin for four years, but surely somewhere in the trackless labyrinth of American law enforcement there exists some dogged rogue investigator with a filament of nagging curiosity who might piece together the clunky train of events that may amount to the financial crime of the century. For instance, it can't be so difficult to determine who was behind the several hundred ton mass dump of paper gold contracts a week or so ago. There must be a pretty simple record of the transaction, retrievable with a warrant or a subpoena. Whatever entity did it -- still ostensibly unknown -- knowingly generated losses in the neighborhood of a billion dollars for itself. Was this just the cost of doing business? Or a favor owed, say, from a bank to its godfathers at the Fed, carried out to make the dollar look relatively a lot less unsound than it really is? Or a ruse to allow the custodians of bullion in US depositories re-acquire at bargain prices gold that has been stealthily hypothicated into oblivion? Or just to divert attention from their inability to make good on contracted deliveries of actual physical gold. No official has yet answered why the Federal Reserve Bank of New York told the German government a couple of months ago that it would take seven years to return that country's gold held in safekeeping (across the ocean from the Russians) since the Cold War. The NY Fed must have a vessel under contract that makes the proverbial slow boat to China look like an ICBM. Doesn't anybody want some answers to these questions, including how come the two aforementioned major newspapers published front-page stories calculated to justify, if not provoke, the most extreme negative sentiment in the precious metals markets, seemingly coordinated with Goldman Sachs advisories to short those markets? And what about a glance at the trading records to see who executed massive naked shorts? Wouldn't it be interesting if they were the same parties as the dumpers? And why? -- other than a strenuous intervention in the markets to make those markets look unreliable? Does anyone even remember that the purpose of financial exchanges is to verify and authenticate the clearing of trades to provide confidence that markets are honest so that real business can be conducted? What the interveners have accomplished is only to prove that the gold and silver derivatives markets are unreliable. They may have smashed the trade in that kind of paper, but only achieved a firmer divergence between the derivatives markets and the bullion markets where, for example, the premiums on delivery of silver ounces makes the price exactly equal to the pre-smackdown price. Anyway, nobody believes that the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) or that the New York Commodity Exchange (COMEX) can deliver. Meanwhile, runs on bullion contracts were starting to uncover a contagion of swindling in precious metals obligations that pervaded the western banking system. It was not a coincidence that the smackdown happened three weeks after the Dutch bank ABN Amro notified clients that it would only satisfy demands for redemptions of gold held in its custody with equivalent cash payments. "No gold for you today!" A fair inference based on subsequent events would be that all the custodians of physical gold bullion have misreported their holdings. And now that actions by the European Union and its agents have ventured into the dangerous territory of plain confiscation, there is not a whole lot of faith throughout the western world by people who are paying attention that an account of any kind in any financial institution is safe. There is good reason to fear runs on everything. Because the smackdown organizers pulled off their operation in a panic, they probably ignored the potential further negative consequences of their stratagem, namely a worsening loss of confidence in banks generally and in the trade of abstract financial instruments in particular, including currencies. Nervous public officials may be brooding on imminent "bail-ins" and currency controls, but the public may be ready to bail out of the prevailing banking model into things that have been considered more money than "money" for a few thousand years, namely real gold and silver. The basic fact remains: there isn't enough to go around.____________________________________
General, Wife Die in Private Plane Crash
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  Archived Version
  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:05
  WASHINGTON -- Maj. Gen. Joseph D. Brown IV and his wife, Sue S. Brown, were killed April 19, when the Cessna 210 he was piloting crashed in Williamsburg, Va. General Brown has been the commandant of The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy in Washington D.C. since October 2010.
  "We are deeply saddened by the loss of Joe Brown and his wife, Sue. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family, friends, and the members of the National Defense University as they come to terms with the tragedy. Joe and Sue dedicated their lives in service to our nation and their loss will be felt across our Air Force and joint team." - Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Mark A. Welsh III
  Brown has served in the Air Force since 1980. During his 33 years of service, Brown flew more than 4,300 hours in B-1 and B-2 aircraft and commanded a bombardment squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and both a group and wing at Ellsworth AFB, S.D. Before his assignment to the National Defense University, Brown was the deputy director for nuclear operations with the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt AFB, Neb.
  (C) Copyright 2013 Air Force News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Israel Planning for Drone-only Air Force
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  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:07
  TEL AVIV, Israel - Israel's air force is on track to developing drones that within four to five decades would carry out nearly every battlefield operation executed today by piloted aircraft, a high-ranking Israeli officer told The Associated Press Sunday.
  The officer, who works in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle intelligence, said Israel is speeding up research and development of such unmanned technologies for air, ground and naval forces.
  "There is a process happening now of transferring tasks from manned to unmanned vehicles," the officer said, speaking anonymously because of the classified nature of his work. "This trend will continue to become stronger."
  Isaac Ben-Israel, a former Israeli air force general, said however there was no way drones could entirely overtake manned airplanes. He said there are just some things drones can't do, like carry heavy payloads needed for major assaults on targets like underground bunkers.
  "The direction is drones playing a bigger and bigger role in the air force," he said. "In a decade or two they should be able to carry out a third or half of all missions. But there are still certain things you cannot do without a piloted plane."
  Israel is a pioneer in drone technology. Its military was the first to make widespread use of drones in its 1982 invasion of Lebanon and Israeli companies are considered world leaders and export unmanned aircraft to a number of armies, including U.S.-led forces that have used them in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  The unmanned aircraft have been a major part of Israel's arsenal in battling Gaza rocket launchers over the years. Drones were seen as crucial by giving soldiers eyes in the air, keeping watch over rooftops and alleyways in congested urban areas and notifying troops of threats or obstacles in their path. Israel insists its drones only perform surveillance missions but Palestinian witnesses have long claimed that Israeli drones fire missiles in Gaza.
  The officer claimed Israel is second only to the United States in the range of unmanned aerial systems its produces. He said he was "aware" that American drones are capable of firing missiles, but refused to say whether Israeli drones could do the same.
  The officer cited one technology recently unveiled: the unmanned Hermes 900 aircraft, developed by the Israeli military manufacturer Elbit Systems Ltd. and recently rolled out for Israeli military use.
  It features double the performance capabilities of the previous generation of the same unmanned aircraft, the Hermes 450. It can carry up to 350 kilograms, features advanced systems of surveillance and reconnaissance and offers support to forces on the ground and at sea, according to a description of the technology on Elbit's website.
  Israel is also looking to develop small tactical satellites that warplanes could launch into the earth's orbit, the officer said.
  Unlike satellites in permanent orbit which are more easily monitored by other leading armies in the world, the tactical satellites Israel hopes to develop would be cheaper to build and less susceptible to interception because they would be launched during wartime and there would be less time for foreign armies to track their orbit, Israeli military officials said.
  (C) Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
EU eases Syria oil sanctions to assist rebels '-- RT News
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  Archived Version
  Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:58
  EU governments have agreed to ease sanctions on Syria, allowing European importers to buy oil from the Syrian opposition. The move is aimed at EU countries providing a financial lifeline to rebels fighting Syrian government forces.
  The European Union foreign ministers decided to ease the 2011 imposed sanctions on Syrian oil import during the Monday meeting in Luxembourg.
  From now on, the European countries are allowed to buy oil from Syria, but only if authorized by the Syrian National Coalition, an opposition umbrella group.
  "Anything that can help more resources to be available to people affected by the crisis of course is welcome," EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, Kristalina Georgieva, told Reuters.
  Before the Monday meeting, the British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the decision will ''send a signal that we are open to helping in other ways, in all the ways possible, including ways adding to the finances [of the opposition].''
  The move is also an attempt to bolster the SNC's credibility among Syrians opposing the country's President Bashar Assad.
  Easing sanctions is said to be aimed at giving the opposition a way to raise money for infrastructure repairs and creating local governance '' as well as for purchasing arms.
  But questions were raised whether the Monday decision would actually result in substantial economic gains for the Syrian opposition. Critics cited security concerns and battered infrastructure, preventing the European companies from taking any part in oil imports. The Syrian government is also expected to stand in the way of such attempts.
  ''[The removal of oil sanctions] is a largely illusory measure for the moment ,'' Julien Barnes-Dacey of the European Council on Foreign Relations has said. ''
  The regime will do what it can, including using air power, to ensure they aren't able to channel oil out of the country .''
  Monday's move comes in the footsteps of a failed campaign to ease the Syrian arms embargo, which was led by Britain and France. Several EU countries such as Germany, Austria and Sweden have voiced their opposition to such a concession, fearing it would lead to weapons falling into the hands of the region's Islamist militants.
  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday reminded that selling weapons to rebels would violate international law, even if the embargo on weapons supplies to Syria is ever lifted.
  ''The public lifting of this embargo, if it comes to this (and I say if, because there are more than few reasonable nations within the EU who have voiced their serious concern about such step) will still leave us with the international obligations of the EU nations banning the supplies of weapons and ammunition to non-state subjects,'' Lavrov told media in Moscow.
  Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition is to obtain some more palpable support from the US, following the Secretary of State John Kerry's Saturday announcement of a boost in financial aid and ''non-offensive military supplies'' to the rebels. The US has officially been ignoring the requests to provide weapons and has refused to comment on reports of the CIA supplying arms to the militant groups in Syria through Turkish territory.
  Lavrov and Kerry will discuss the EU decision on easing sanctions on Syria during their Tuesday meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
  The Syrian war, which started as an uprising and has turned into a military stalemate for the country, has been going on for two years, and has claimed the lives of some 70,000 people.
  The Syrian government refers to the opposition fighters as 'terrorists', while many Western countries consider them freedom fighters and question the legitimacy of President Assad's regime.
  The US has been a particularly staunch supporter of Assad's overthrow, although it lists some of the Syrian rebel fighters groups as terrorist.
  Russia has repeatedly urged for the violence in Syria to stop, stressing that a dialogue between the conflict's sides must be established without precondition.
  'No government '' no oil'The Syrian opposition won't be able to profit from the captured oil reserves, unless it comes up with an interim government, Osama Al-Qadi, general director of the Syrian economic task force under the umbrella of the opposition's coalition, told Reuters following the EU decision.
  ''Without an interim government, nothing can be done now,'' Al-Qadi, himself an SNC prime minister candidate, admitted, adding that the proposal of such government will be submitted for the coalition's approval by the end of the month.
  A provisional government would enable the opposition to oversee possible sales and sign contracts with countries like Turkey.
  As a matter of fact, Turkey is the only country which could make it possible for the Syrian opposition to sell oil.
  ''There is no physical way to export oil from Syria except on trucks via Turkey '' and that's if they manage to produce it,'' one industry source said as quoted by Reuters.
  So far, the opposition has not managed to set up control over the crude oil, and some of it is being smuggled from northeastern Syria.
  'European Union waving the flag of Al Qaeda'Investigative journalist, Willy Van Damme the EU is contradicting itself by helping the rebels.''It is a blatant lie to say, look we are afraid of Al Nusra, we are afraid of Al Qaeda but in reality one sees them arming and financing and supporting Al Qaeda in Syria,'' Van Damme told RT.
  Yet, the journalist argues that the EU still continues to recognize Assad's government because their label for the opposition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people ''is meaningless in diplomatic and in law'' terms.
  ''So what they are doing is legalizing theft by an armed gang. The European Union is waving the flag of Al Qaeda,'' Van Damme concludes.
Presidential Proclamation -- National Volunteer Week, 2013
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  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:58
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  April 20, 2013
  NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK, 2013
  - - - - - - -
  BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
  A PROCLAMATION
  As Americans, we are inheritors to a legacy of diversity unlike any other place on earth. We are home to more than 300 million people who come from every background, practice every faith, and hold every point of view. But where difference could draw us apart, we are bound together by a single sacred word: citizen. It defines our way of life, and it captures our belief in something bigger than ourselves -- the notion that our destiny is shared, and all of us do better when we accept certain obligations to one another.
  National Volunteer Week is a time to renew that fundamentally American idea of service and responsibility. It is also a time to recognize the men, women, and children who bring that principle into practice every day by lifting up the people around them. Volunteering rates are the highest they have been in years. More Americans are answering the call to serve -- not for fanfare or attention, but because they want to give back. And as they do, they are making our communities stronger. They are boosting local economies. And they are building ladders of opportunity for those who need them most.
  My Administration is dedicated to helping more Americans make that commitment. Through the Corporation for National and Community Service, we are investing in programs like AmeriCorps, FEMA Corps, and Senior Corps so more people can focus their talents on improving our neighborhoods. As we continue to draw down our forces abroad, we are opening up new ways for Americans to serve our veterans and military families here at home. We are encouraging States to let workers on unemployment insurance volunteer and build the skills they need to find a job. And this year, we are proposing new funding for the Volunteer Generation Fund that would help nonprofits recruit, manage, and maintain strong volunteer workforces. We also renamed the program the George H.W. Bush Volunteer Generation Fund, honoring the legacy of our 41st President and his enduring commitment to volunteerism.
  We need not look far to see the power of service. Less than 6 months ago, when Hurricane Sandy bore down on our Atlantic coast, Americans responded with compassion and resolve. As an act of terror struck Boston at the finish line of a great race, and an explosion in Texas tore through a tight-knit community, we stood by each other in times of need. Ordinary men and women have stepped forward and accomplished extraordinary things together, uniting as friends and neighbors and fellow citizens. The strength they have shown reminds us that even in our darkest hours, we look out for each other. We pull together. And we move forward as one. During National Volunteer Week, let us tap into that spirit once more. To find a service opportunity nearby, visit www.Serve.gov.
  NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 21 through April 27, 2013, as National Volunteer Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by volunteering in service projects across our country and pledging to make service a part of their daily lives.
  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
  BARACK OBAMA
Readout of the President's National Security Council Meeting Today
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  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:57
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  April 22, 2013
  President Obama convened the National Security Council in the Situation Room today from 11:30 to 1:00 to review the events in Boston. The President was updated by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Monaco, National Security Advisor Donilon, Attorney General Holder, FBI Director Mueller, and Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano on the apprehension of Dzhokar Tsarnaev, and the related investigation. He was also briefed by the leadership of the intelligence community, including DNI Clapper and Director Brennan, about our ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and protect the American people. The President commended the work that was done to pursue justice in the Boston Marathon bombing, and underscored the need to continue gathering intelligence to answer the remaining questions about this terrorist attack going forward. As he did last night, the President also expressed appreciation for the efforts made by state and local officials, and law enforcement, in Boston and Massachusetts. Vice-President Biden joined the meeting via video-conference.
  A photo of the meeting is available here: http://bit.ly/ZFYn6Y
Readout of President Obama's Call with President Putin
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  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:56
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  April 19, 2013
  President Obama spoke by phone tonight with President Putin of Russia. President Putin expressed his condolences on behalf of the Russian people for the tragic loss of life in Boston. President Obama thanked President Putin for those sentiments, and praised the close cooperation that the United States has received from Russia on counter-terrorism, including in the wake of the Boston attack. The two leaders agreed to continue our cooperation on counter-terrorism and security issues going forward.
Petition '' Stop wasteful practice of using LNT as basis for illogical regulations
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  Archived Version
  Source: Atomic Insights
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:49
  Though I am pretty skeptical about the value of the Whitehouse.gov petition system, I have been convinced that it might sometimes be a vehicle for starting an important conversation.
  Recently, someone started a petition asking the Obama Administration to stop using the Linear, No-Threshold Dose response assumption as the basis for EPA regulations that set limits on low level radiation doses.
  The silliness and wastefulness of our current regulatory regime using that basis is best demonstrated by the requirement to prove that no one would be exposed to more than 15 mrem (0.15 mSv)/year during the next 10,000 years as a result of long term storage of used nuclear fuel at a permanent repository. That dose is just 1/20th of the average background exposure for an American, even if you ignore the additional 300 mrem (3 mSv)/year that is added to the average as a result of medical treatments.
  Please take a few minutes out of your day to go and sign the petition. Again, here is the URL Stop using linear no-threshold (LNT) model in EPA regulations. Recognize that there is a hormetic or threshold response at low doses (I have reworded the title; I think the existing one is not an accurate reflection of the petition itself.)
  Hat tip to Andrea Jennetta, the publisher of Fuel Cycle Week and I Dig U Mining for convincing me that we need to squeak loudly about this issue. (I'm using the word ''squeak'' in the sense of ''the squeaky wheel gets the grease.)
CRASH 2: Why awful is the new normal
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  Archived Version
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:23
  Next time somebody tries to give you a bullish view, accept the fact that it's really bullsh*t.
  Chinese manufacturing slowed in April, exacerbating concerns over the strength of the world's second biggest economy.
  Eurozone deficits are falling, but only because its economy has slumped. Thus if you used to trade badly but now there's no trade at all,your deficits will fall. Also, you will starve.
  Interest rates are low because Sovereigns would quickly go bust if they were raised'....so great is their debt.
  Unemployment has stopped rising in northern Europe, but this disguises the fact that hours worked are falling. In the UK, only 1 in 4 of the economically active now has a full-time job.
  Four bouts of QE from Ben Bernanke have had a steadily reducing effect. None of them has restarted the US economy. 7.6 million Americans would like to work on a more fulltime basis.
  The US housing market went into reverse during March. No American recovery in history has ever occurred without a growing housing sector.
  Gold prices were forced downwards through manipulation last week, in order to dissuade physical gold holders from starting a run on the metal. Gold coins and bullion continue to be heavily demanded, while huge FOREX warehouse withdrawals were noted at the end of March. Both strongly suggest low trust and confidence in the econo-financial system.
  No banks anywhere in the Western world are now doing the job they're supposed to: viz, lend money to growing small businesses and underwrite new technological growth sectors. The chicken and egg thing is simple here: they lost all their money, cut small business off without a penny, then used all our spending money to avoid insolvency. The result is no expansion and no demand.
  In Asia, it looks like Chinese banks have been overlending to local authorities, who now can't pay them back. So a China slowing because of reduced Western demand is now also likely to be starved of investment monies too.
  There isn't going to be any good news '' and things are not going to get better '' until the following actions are taken:
  Global debt relief, forgiveness, and in some cases write-off.A massively reduced role in the world economy for bourses and investment banking.The near-abolition of government bureaucracy in favour of mutualised services'...and a much bigger use of mutual company models in the private sector.The complete deregulation of Western political structures in order to re-establish democratically relevant Establishments.The abandonment for good of Socialist and Friedmanite models in favour of more flexible and less ideologically constipated economic ideas.The abandonment of globalist mercantilism in favour self-sufficiency judiciously mixed with trade in surpluses.A lot of ugly frogs will ask us to kiss them before we find the sort of people who will change the rules in this manner. Get over it: stop looking for easy ways out and pretending everything is normal.
  A good start to all of this would be a return to equality before the law
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Bloomberg Says Interpretation of Constitution Will 'Have to Change' After Boston Bombing | Politicker
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  Archived Version
  Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:07
  Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. (Photo John Moore/Getty Images)
  In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday the country's interpretation of the Constitution will ''have to change'' to allow for greater security to stave off future attacks.
  ''The people who are worried about privacy have a legitimate worry,'' Mr. Bloomberg said during a press conference in Midtown. ''But we live in a complex word where you're going to have to have a level of security greater than you did back in the olden days, if you will. And our laws and our interpretation of the Constitution, I think, have to change.''
  Mr. Bloomberg, who has come under fire for the N.Y.P.D.'s monitoring of Muslim communities and other aggressive tactics, said the rest of the country needs to learn from the attacks.
  ''Look, we live in a very dangerous world. We know there are people who want to take away our freedoms. New Yorkers probably know that as much if not more than anybody else after the terrible tragedy of 9/11,'' he said.
  ''We have to understand that in the world going forward, we're going to have more cameras and that kind of stuff. That's good in some sense, but it's different from what we are used to,'' he said.
  The mayor pointed to the gun debate and noted the courts have allowed for increasingly stringent regulations in response to ever-more powerful weapons.
  ''Clearly the Supreme Court has recognized that you have to have different interpretations of the Second Amendment and what it applies to and reasonable gun laws '... Here we're going to to have to live with reasonable levels of security,'' he said, pointing to the use of magnetometers to catch weapons in city schools.
  ''It really says something bad about us that we have to do it. But our obligation first and foremost is to keep our kids safe in the schools; first and foremost, to keep you safe if you go to a sporting event; first and foremost is to keep you safe if you walk down the streets or go into our parks,'' he said. ''We cannot let the terrorists put us in a situation where we can't do those things. And the ways to do that is to provide what we think is an appropriate level of protection.''
  Still, Mr. Bloomberg argued the attacks shouldn't be used as an excuse to persecute certain religions or groups.
  ''What we cant do is let the protection get in the way of us enjoying our freedoms,'' he said. ''You still want to let people practice their religion, no matter what that religion is. And I think one of the great dangers here is going and categorizing anybody from one religion as a terrorist. That's not true '... That would let the terrorists win. That's what they want us to do.''
  Follow Jill Colvin on Twitter or via RSS. jcolvin@observer.com
The Tsarnaev brothers were double agents who decoyed US into terror trap
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  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:46
  TTamerlan Tsarnaev killed. His brother Dzhokhar captured
  The big questions buzzing over Boston Bombers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have a single answer: It emerged in the 102 tense hours between the twin Boston Marathon bombings Monday, April 15 '' which left three dead, 180 injured and a police officer killed at MIT - and Dzohkhar's capture Friday, April 19 in Watertown.
  The conclusion reached by debkafile's counterterrorism and intelligence sources is that the brothers were double agents, hired by US and Saudi intelligence to penetrate the Wahhabi jihadist networks which, helped by Saudi financial institutions, had spread across the restive Russian Caucasian.
  Instead, the two former Chechens betrayed their mission and went secretly over to the radical Islamist networks.
  By this tortuous path, the brothers earned the dubious distinction of being the first terrorist operatives to import al Qaeda terror to the United States through a winding route outside the Middle East '' the Caucasus.
  This broad region encompasses the autonomous or semi-autonomous Muslim republics of Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Chechnya, North Ossetia and Karachyevo-Cherkesiya, most of which the West has never heard of.
  Moscow however keeps these republics on a tight military and intelligence leash, constantly putting down violent resistance by the Wahhabist cells, which draw support from certain Saudi sources and funds from the Riyadh government for building Wahhabist mosques and schools to disseminate the state religion of Saudi Arabia.The Saudis feared that their convoluted involvement in the Caucasus would come embarrassingly to light when a Saudi student was questioned about his involvement in the bombng attacks while in a Boston hospital with badly burned hands.
  They were concerned to enough to send Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saudi al-Faisal to Washington Wednesday, April 17, in the middle of the Boston Marathon bombing crisis, for a private conversation with President Barack Obama and his national security adviser Tom Donilon on how to handle the Saudi angle of the bombing attack.That day too, official Saudi domestic media launched an extraordinary three-day campaign. National and religious figures stood up and maintained that authentic Saudi Wahhabism does not espouse any form of terrorism or suicide jihadism and the national Saudi religion had nothing to do with the violence in Boston. ''No matter what the nationality and religious of the perpetrators, they are terrorists and deviants who represent no one but themselves.''
  Prince Saud was on a mission to clear the 30,000 Saudi students in America of suspicion of engaging in terrorism for their country or religion, a taint which still lingers twelve years after 9/11. He was concerned that exposure of the Tsarnaev brothers' connections with Wahhabist groups in the Caucasus would revive the stigma.
  The Tsarnaevs' recruitment by US intelligence as penetration agents against terrorist networks in southern Russia explains some otherwise baffling features of the event:1. An elite American college in Cambridge admitted younger brother Dzhokhar and granted him a $2,500 scholarship, without subjecting him to the exceptionally stiff standard conditions of admission. This may be explained by his older brother Tamerlan demanding this privilege for his kid brother in part payment for recruitment.2. When in 2011, a ''foreign government'' (Russian intelligence) asked the FBI to screen Tamerlan for suspected ties to Caucasian Wahhabist cells during a period in which they had begun pledging allegiance to al Qaeda, the agency, it was officially revealed, found nothing incriminating against him and let him go after a short interview.
  He was not placed under surveillance. Neither was there any attempt to hide the fact that he paid a long visit to Russia last year and on his return began promoting radical Islam on social media.Yet even after the Boston marathon bombings, when law enforcement agencies, heavily reinforced by federal and state personnel, desperately hunted the perpetrators, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was never mentioned as a possible suspect
  3. Friday, four days after the twin explosions at the marathon finishing line, the FBI released footage of Suspect No. 1 in a black hat and Suspect No. 2 in a white hat walking briskly away from the crime scene, and appealed to the public to help the authorities identify the pair.We now know this was a charade. The authorities knew exactly who they were. Suddenly, during the police pursuit of their getaway car from the MIT campus on Friday, they were fully identified. The brother who was killed in the chase was named Tamerlan, aged 26, and the one who escaped, only to be hunted down Saturday night hiding in a boat, was 19-year old Dzhokhar.
  Our intelligence sources say that we may never know more than we do today about the Boston terrorist outrage which shook America '' and most strikingly, Washington - this week. We may not have the full story of when and how the Chechen brothers were recruited by US intelligence as penetration agents '' any more than we have got to the bottom of tales of other American double agents who turned coat and bit their recruiters.
  Here is just a short list of some of the Chechen brothers' two-faced predecessors:
  In the 1980s, an Egyptian called Ali Abdul Saoud Mohamed offered his services as a spy to the CIA residence in Cairo. He was hired, even though he was at the time the official interpreter of Ayman al-Zuwahiri, then Osama bin Laden's senior lieutenant and currently his successor.
  He accounted for this by posing as a defector. But then, he turned out to be feeding al Qaeda US military secrets. Later, he was charged with Al Qaeda's 1998 bombings of US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es-Salaam.On Dec. 30, 2009, the Jordanian physician Humam Khalil al-Balawi, having gained the trust of US intelligence in Afghanistan as an agent capable of penetrating al Qaeda's top ranks, detonated a bomb at a prearranged rendezvous in Kost, killing the four top CIA agents in the country.Then, there was the French Muslim Mohamed Merah. He was recruited by French intelligence to penetrate Islamist terror cells in at least eight countries, including the Caucasus. At the end of last year, he revealed his true spots in deadly attacks on a Jewish school in Toulouse and a group of French military commandoes.
  The debate has begun over the interrogation of the captured Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarmayev when he is fit for questioning after surgery for two bullet wounds and loss of blood. The first was inflicted during the police chase in which his brother Tamerlan was killed.
  An ordinary suspect would be read his rights (Miranda) and be permitted a lawyer. In his case, the ''public safety exemption'' option may be invoked, permitting him to be questioned without those rights, provided the interrogation is restricted to immediate public safety concerns. President Barack Obama is also entitled to rule him an ''enemy combatant'' and so refer him to a military tribunal and unrestricted grilling.
  According to debkafile's counter terror sources, four questions should top the interrogators' agenda:
  a) At what date did the Tsarnaev brothers turn coat and decide to work for Caucasian Wahhabi networks?
  b) Did they round up recruits for those networks in the United States - particularly, among the Caucasian and Saudi communities?c) What was the exact purpose of the Boston Marathon bombings and their aftermath at MIT in Watertown?d) Are any more terrorist attacks in the works in other American cities?
TSA Delays Plans To Allow Knives On Planes : The Two-Way : NPR
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  Archived Version
  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:35
  A TSA illustration of knives that will be allowed on planes.
  TSAA TSA illustration of knives that will be allowed on planes.
  TSAThe Transportation Security Administration said today that it was delaying implementation of a plan that would allow air travelers to carry small knives, golf clubs, hockey sticks and other sporting equipment onboard aircraft.
  The AP reports:
  John Pistole, head of the Transportation Security Administration, proposed the policy change last month, saying it would free up the agency to concentrate on protecting against greater threats. TSA screeners confiscate about 2,000 small folding knives from passengers every day.
  The policy was to go into effect Thursday. The TSA's statement said the delay was temporary, but no new date for implementation was provided.
  Since the plan was announced it has been vigorously opposed by flight attendants' unions.
  USA Today reports the TSA said delaying the implementation would allow time "to incorporate the feedback about the changes to the Prohibited Items List and continue workforce training."
G3USF's Worldwide List of HF Beacons
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Presidential Proclamation -- National Crime Victims' Rights Week, 2013
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:09
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  April 20, 2013
  NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS' RIGHTS WEEK, 2013
  - - - - - - -
  BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
  A PROCLAMATION
  Every year, millions of Americans fall victim to crime through no fault of their own. These are people we know: families trying to rebuild after financial fraud or identity theft, grandparents spending their golden years in the shadow of elder abuse, children whose right to safety has been stolen away by violence or neglect. Many struggle to get help in the aftermath of a crime, and some never report their crime at all. During National Crime Victims' Rights Week, we reaffirm our solemn obligation to ensure they get the services they need -- from care and counseling to justice under the law.
  Thanks to thousands of victim assistance programs all across our country, we are making progress toward that goal. As dedicated advocates continue their important work, my Administration will continue to support them by raising awareness about victims' rights, making sure those rights are protected and practiced, and investing in training programs for law enforcement and other professionals. I was proud to sign the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act into law last month, preserving and strengthening critical services for victims of abuse. We have continued to crack down on financial crimes that leave too many families struggling to get back on their feet. And we are stepping up our efforts in the fight against human trafficking, whether it occurs halfway around the world or right here at home.
  Even now, we have more work to do. As an epidemic of gun violence has swept through places like Newtown, Aurora, Oak Creek, and cities and towns all across America, our country has come up against the hard question of whether we are doing enough to protect our children and our communities. As Americans everywhere have stood up and spoken out for change, my Administration has responded with reforms that give law enforcement, schools, mental health professionals, and public health officials better tools to reduce violent crime. But we cannot solve this problem alone. That is why I will continue to fight for common-sense measures that would address the epidemic of gun violence and help keep our children safe.
  By working to prevent crime and extend support to those in need, we keep faith with our fellow citizens and the basic values that unite us. Let us renew that common cause this week, and let us rededicate ourselves to advancing it in the year ahead.
  NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 21 through April 27, 2013, as National Crime Victims' Rights Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by participating in events that raise awareness of victims' rights and services, and by volunteering to serve victims in their time of need.
  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
  BARACK OBAMA
Remarks by the President at the 2013 White House Science Fair
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  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:37
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  April 22, 2013
  East Room
  2:21 P.M. EDT
  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Please have a seat. Have a seat. Well, good afternoon, everybody. And welcome to the White House Science Fair, one of my favorite events during the course of the year.
  And I just had a chance to see some of the outstanding exhibits that have been put forward by some of these amazing young people. And let me just start by saying, in my official capacity as President: This stuff is really cool. (Laughter.) And I want to thank these incredible young people for explaining to me what the heck is going on. (Laughter.)
  Every one of you is enormously talented, obviously, but there's also a community of people who helped all these young people succeed -- dedicated teachers who believed in them and challenged them to do even more; all of them have loving parents and mentors and family. So I want to not only give the young people a big round of applause, but all the parents and teachers and principals and everybody who was involved, give yourselves a big round of applause as well. (Applause.)
  Of course, primarily we're here to celebrate these young scientists and visionaries who dream, and create, and innovate; who ask the question, why not? Why not try something better? Something that's faster; something that helps more people. And that drive, that refusal to give up, that focus on the future is part of what makes America great. And all of you are participants in this long line of inventors and creators that have made this the most dynamic economy and the most dynamic country on Earth.
  And that's one of the things that I've been focused on as President is how do we create an all-hands-on-deck approach to science, technology, engineering, and math. And I'm happy to have so many key members of my science team who are here today, including my Chief Science Advisor, John Holdren, who is here. There's John. NIH Director Francis Collins. There's Francis right there, the tall guy. We've got Acting Director of the National Science Foundation, Cora Marrett, who is here. There's Cora. And we've got real-life astronaut and NASA Administrator, Charles Bolden. Where's Charlie? There he is, right there.
  So we need to make this a priority to train an army of new teachers in these subject areas, and to make sure that all of us as a country are lifting up these subjects for the respect that they deserve. And one of the things that I'm concerned about is that, as a culture, we're great consumers of technology, but we're not always properly respecting the people who are in the labs and behind the scenes creating the stuff that we now take for granted. And we've got to give the millions of Americans who work in science and technology not only the kind of respect they deserve but also new ways to engage young people.
  So today, I'm proud to announce a new AmeriCorps program that are going to -- (applause) -- that's our Community Service Director. (Laughter.) She is a little bit biased, but I like that in her. She's got that kind of get-up-and-go. A new AmeriCorps program that's going to connect more professional scientists and engineers to young students who might follow in their footsteps. And other people are stepping up, too.
  Some of America's biggest tech companies are encouraging their workers to mentor young students. You've got media organizations that are working with athletes like outstanding wide receiver Victor Cruz from the New York Giants, who's here to highlight how critical math and science are to sports. (Applause.) And, by the way, since Victor is here, I don't know -- did you see the exhibit about the whole cooling shoulder pads and helmet that these young guys did? And they had a whole slogan that said you can succeed in athletics and science. They were very impressive. Had the little Gatorade so you -- (laughter) -- you didn't even have to, like, reach for your Gatorade; you could just -- it would automatically transmit itself into your helmet. (Laughter.) It could work.
  We've got non-profits that are helping to organize 1,000 summer learning events this year. They all realize how important science, technology, engineering, and math are to our future. So we are doing this together.
  And, after all, the science fair projects of today could become the products and businesses of tomorrow. Three students -- Evan Jackson, Alec Jackson, and Caleb Robinson -- those are the folks that I talked about. They're from Flippen Elementary School. Keep in mind, they're in third, fourth grade, and they've already got this idea for COOL Pads so that Victor doesn't get overheated when he's out on the field. But think about that. If you're inventing stuff in the third grade, what are you going to do by the time you get to college? (Laughter.)
  And we just had the University of Alabama's national championship football team here last week, and I know they're interested in this idea because it gets really hot down in Alabama.
  A lot of these students are working on the next generation of medical research. So listen to this story. When pancreatic cancer took the life of Jack Andraka's close family friend, it inspired Jack to look for new ways to improve detection. So Jack requested space from research labs to pursue his work -- nearly 200 times. Two hundred times he asked. Two hundred times he was turned down. Finally, with the help of some folks at Johns Hopkins, he got the research facilities that he needed, developed a pancreatic cancer test that is faster, cheaper and more sensitive than the test that came before it -- which is not bad for a guy who is just barely old enough to drive. So where's Jack? There he is. Jack, stand up, because that's pretty spectacular stuff. (Applause.) That's great work. I don't know what you guys were doing when you were juniors in high school. (Laughter.) That's what Jack is doing. (Laughter.) Better than I was doing, I promise you. (Laughter.)
  Now, today is not just the third White House Science Fair. It's also the 43rd Earth Day. So I want to give a special shout-out to all of the young people who participated, who focused their attention on how to harness cleaner forms of energy and how to create more energy efficiency. So we've got young people like Caleb Meyer -- where's Caleb? Caleb is way back there. Stand up, Caleb, so we can see you. (Applause.) Caleb built a wind turbine that's small and fast enough to be installed on your roof or in your front yard.
  We've got Jon Kubricki and Bridget Zarych, who, together with their classmates, designed an inexpensive press that can recycle garbage like banana peels into briquettes as an alternative to using wood for fuel. They're in eighth grade. I don't know what you were doing in eighth grade. (Laughter.) That's what they're doing -- which could potentially help to reduce carbon emissions, save trees and deforestation, and reduce the amount of smoke inhalation that has an impact on people.
  We've got Sara Volz, who is breeding new types of algae. Where's Sara? There's Sara. (Applause.) Sara is breeding new types of algae. She stores this in a lab in her bedroom. (Laughter.) So, Sara, you have very supportive parents. (Laughter.) One reporter asked her, ''Exactly what is growing under your bed that's going to save the planet?'' (Laughter.) And Sara's answer was algae that can produce more oil for cheaper biofuels. So, by the way, Jon Kubricki and Bridget Zarych, I didn't have them stand up. I want to acknowledge them. I saw them. Maybe they're still cleaning their hands off. (Applause.) But there they are. There they are.
  So I've got to say, young people like these, every one of them have these kinds of incredible innovations. Some of them are already fully operational. Some of them are getting fine-tuned. But young people like these have to make you hopeful about the future of our country. And it's also a reminder for us -- the adults -- we've got to do our part. We've got to do everything we can to make sure that we are giving these young people opportunity to pursue their studies and discover new ways of doing things. And we've got to make sure that we're also leaving behind a world that is safer and cleaner and healthier than the one we found. That's our obligation.
  And that's why, over the last four years, we've made historic investments in the clean energy future that we need. And today we import less oil than we have in 20 years. Thanks to new fuel economy standards, by the middle of the next decade, cars will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. We've doubled the amount of renewable energy that we're generating from sources like wind and solar -- and, by the way, creating tens of thousands of good, American jobs in the process. We're emitting less carbon pollution into the environment than we have in nearly 20 years.
  But we understand this is not enough. We've got to do better. And that's why we've got to pursue an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes investing in more biofuels and more fuel-efficient vehicles, and more solar power and more wind power, and more people going back to work building cars and homes and businesses that are more energy efficient than the ones that we've got right now.
  And that's why I've proposed new job-creating investments in science and innovation. And all these young people, as young as they are, they're all going to be going to college, and a lot of them are going to want to continue to pursue their research and pursue their dreams. And if there is not the research grant pipeline in place, many of them will not have the resources to invent and discover the things that will make us healthier and make us more energy efficient and improve the quality of our lives.
  So this is not the time to gut investments that keep our businesses on the cutting edge, that keep our economy humming, that improve the quality of our lives. This is the time to reach a level of research and development that we haven't seen since the height of the Space Race. That's what we should be doing. That's what we should be focused on. (Applause.)
  And that should not be a partisan idea. America has always been about discovery, and invention, and engineering, and science and evidence. That's who we are. That's in our DNA. That's how this country became the greatest economic power in the history of the world. That's how we're able to provide so many contributions to people all around the world with our scientific and medical and technological discoveries.
  And that's what these young people here are all about. And if extraordinary young people like all of you can use your talents to shape the future for our families and our communities and our countries, we've got a responsibility to make sure that they've got the tools to do it.
  So I want to thank all the Science Fair winners not only for the work that you guys are doing, but also the example that you're setting for your peers and also for your adults -- the adults in your lives. We could not be prouder of you. And I want you to keep up your incredible work.
  And part of the reason that we're doing this here -- we celebrate our great football players like Victor, and we celebrate outstanding musicians, and that's all appropriate. But we've got to make sure that we're also celebrating every single day in our schools, in our classrooms, and in our country the outstanding contributions that scientists and engineers and mathematicians and engineers are providing to us every single day. And we want you to know that you've got a whole country behind you as you pursue your dreams. And your success is going to be our success, as well. So way to go.
  Thank you. Appreciate it, everybody. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
  END2:35 P.M. EDT
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 04/22/2013
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  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:31
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  April 22, 2013
  James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
  12:47 P.M. EDT
  MR. CARNEY: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here. Before I take your questions I wanted to let you know that on Thursday afternoon, after the formal opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, the President and First Lady will travel to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, to attend the memorial service for those lost and injured in the deadly explosion at the fertilizer plant there.
  With that, I will take your questions.
  Q Thanks, Jay. It appears as though the suspect in the Boston bombings is having some level of communication with investigators. Can you give us any sense about how much information he's been able to provide to authorities, and are they getting any closer to being able to identify a motivation in the attacks?
  MR. CARNEY: Let me say a few things. First of all, at the request of the hospital, the FBI did put out a release this morning on the suspect's condition and that is that he remains in serious condition.
  When it comes to the ongoing investigation and the prosecution of the suspect, I am not going to give a play-by-play -- for obvious reasons. There is a comprehensive investigation underway. As you heard the President say on Friday, we need to know everything we can about why this happened, what the motivation was, how it happened, and all of those issues are under investigation.
  As for the process that the Department of Justice and the FBI are using to move forward in the investigation, they can comment on that. But I think it is entirely appropriate when you have an investigation like this into a terrorist act that that process be protected so that it is as effective as possible.
  Q Is the President, though, getting a play-by-play briefing on what authorities are able to get from this man at this point?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, as you saw on Saturday, President Obama convened the National Security Council here in the Situation Room to review the events in Boston and he was updated on the apprehension of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and the related investigation. He was also briefed by the leadership of the intelligence community about our ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and protect the American people.
  He commended the work done. And it is extraordinary work and worth noting the work done by law enforcement officials at the state, local, and federal level last week, the remarkable period from Monday to Friday night, in the act of terrorism in the terrible bombings and the tragedy, the immediate coming together of all relevant authorities at the state, local, and federal level to investigate these acts; the ability through remarkable work to provide to the public video and photographic images of the suspects; and then the successful apprehension of and bringing to justice of the suspects on Friday night -- that really is quite remarkable. And so the President commended the work that was done and underscored the need to continue gathering intelligence to answer the remaining questions about this terrorist attack going forward.
  And the President has been and will continue to be updated regularly on the progress of the investigation and related matters. But as I said in answer to your first question, this is an ongoing investigation that is really still in its early stages.
  Q There are some questions being raised by lawmakers about whether the FBI was thorough enough as it looked into the older brother in 2011. Is the President comfortable with that review that the FBI did at that point? Has he asked for there to be any further review of what the FBI did at that point?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, let me say, first of all, as you heard the President comment on Friday, the FBI did extraordinary work in responding to this attack -- identifying the suspects, and working with state and local authorities to bring them to justice.
  With respect to the events in 2011 that you mentioned, the FBI has spoken about this and put out a statement. It is clear from that, that the FBI followed up on the information that it received about Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother. They investigated it thoroughly and did not find terrorist activity, domestic or foreign.
  As for the President, you heard him say on Friday, and I think it merits repeating -- I don't have it here, but it merits repeating in that he called for answers to a number of questions, as I said earlier: why this was done, what the motivations were, how it was done, any possible associations that the suspects may have had. And all of this is being investigated. And I think that you absolutely can expect that all the agencies involved as part of the broader investigation are examining these issues.
  Q There's some chatter now that the immigration reform effort could be derailed because of what happened in Boston. What's the White House view on this?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, I think we agree with what some of the coauthors of the bill -- including, I believe, Senators McCain and Graham and Rubio -- have said, which is that one of the positive effects and one of the reasons why we need comprehensive immigration reform is because it will enhance when implemented our national security. And it is another reason why we need to move forward with this very important bipartisan legislation. That is certainly our view.
  Q Are you worried that the effort may lose some momentum now because of this?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, I will simply say that it should not because of the reasons I just mentioned, and that Republican authors of the legislation as well as Democratic authors of The legislation I think have said, which is that one of the reasons why we need comprehensive immigration reform is we need to bring out of the shadows the roughly 11 million residents of this country who are here illegally. The process of moving along the earned path to citizenship and the various hurdles that have to be cleared in that process allows for much more information to be known by the relevant authorities and agencies about these individuals. And that's very important. It also enhances the entry and exit procedures that are part of the immigration process.
  So we will continue to press forward in a bipartisan way with Congress to move this legislation because it's the right thing to do for the middle class, for our security and for our economy.
  Q Some Senate Republicans -- lastly, Jay -- are saying that the Boston suspect should be treated like an enemy combatant. Is that something that you guys have looked at or made a determination on?
  MR. CARNEY: He will not be treated as an enemy combatant. We will prosecute this terrorist through our civilian system of justice. Under U.S. law, United States citizens cannot be tried in military commissions. And it is important to remember that since 9/11, we have used the federal court system to convict and incarcerate hundreds of terrorists. The effective use of the criminal justice system has resulted in the interrogation, conviction and detention of both U.S. citizens and noncitizens for acts of terrorism committed inside the United States and around the world.
  The system has repeatedly proven that it can successfully handle the threat that we continue to face. And there are a number of examples of this -- high-profile: the Times Square Bomber, Faisal Shahzad, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Abdulmutallab, the so-called Underwear Bomber, was sentenced to life in prison. Warsame, a Somali national who was a member of Al Shabaab and has close associations with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is now currently in this system and we have acquired valuable intelligence from him through the process that is allowed in the system.
  So this is absolutely the right way to go and the appropriate way to go. And when it comes to United States citizens, it is against the law to try them in military commissions.
  Q Does the President believe that there is a system in place to adequately target and deal with lone operators, those who may not be tied to some kind of larger extremist organization?
  MR. CARNEY: You have heard the President and many others address the evolving threats that we have as a nation. As we have taken the fight to al Qaeda and have met with significant progress in removing from the battlefield senior members of al Qaeda Central, we have seen other threats develop and emerge. And John Brennan, the President, many others, the Attorney General have spoken about those threats.
  I would not in any way characterize the suspects in this investigation in any way with regards to that question because that is something that is being determined by investigators and prosecutors. But there is no question that the threat remains. It remains from al Qaeda Central, even though it's been decimated. It remains from affiliates of al Qaeda, as we've talked about -- AQAP and the like. And it remains within the context of your question, self-radicalized actors, individual actors who pose a threat. We have to remain vigilant in the face of all those threats. And the President, of course, expects our various agencies within the national security apparatus to do just that.
  Q I want to follow up on an earlier question about whether or not the President feels like law enforcement, the FBI, adequately dealt with this issue back in 2011. During his briefings, has he been asking specific questions about what law enforcement knew and is he comfortable with the answers that he's getting?
  MR. CARNEY: Without getting into specifics of the meetings he has had, he has been thoroughly briefed and has asked a host of questions, as you would expect. And what I can tell you is that the FBI -- as the FBI itself has said -- thoroughly investigated the information that it had received in 2011. That included checking U.S. government databases and other information to look for such things as derogatory telephone communications, possible use of online sites associated with the promotion of radical activity, associations with other persons of interest, travel history and plans, and education history. And the FBI, as you know, interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev and family members and at the time did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign.
  As part of the overall investigation into these two individuals, into the bombings in Boston and obviously the events later in Watertown, there will be a whole picture I think put together to find out exactly what led to these bombings, the motivations that were behind them, any associations that may have existed if they did. And that is part of the process that's being undertaken now, now that these suspects -- one is obviously deceased and one is in custody -- there is a process underway to thoroughly investigate the whole matter.
  Q And as that picture is being painted and put together at this stage, is there any indication at all that, looking back on it now, there are some things that pointed to what happened?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, I would point you to the statement the FBI made and that I just repeated, which is, looking back on it now at this time, the FBI did thoroughly investigate this matter when it received information from a foreign government and went through the process that I just described. All of this obviously will be part of an investigation into an ongoing matter, and that is the investigation and prosecution of the suspect in custody.
  Jon.
  Q Jay, I've got two things. First, a quick follow on immigration. Senator Rand Paul is saying at the very least that the process should be slowed down. We understand what happened in Boston. And he wrote a letter saying, "Why did the current system allow two individuals to immigrate to the United States from the Chechen Republic in Russia, an area known as a hotbed of extremism, who then committed acts of terrorism? Were there any safeguards? Could this have been prevented?" My question: Do you think Rand Paul has a point at all, that what happened in Boston reflects something wrong with the current system of immigration that should cause us to slow down a little bit and figure it out?
  MR. CARNEY: We believe that we need to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform for a whole host of reasons and the benefits that reform will provide to our country, to our economy, to our security. And we agree with those coauthors of the legislation in the Senate who have made the point in recent days that enhancing our security is one of the reasons why we should press forward with comprehensive immigration reform.
  Speculation about this particular matter is fine, but this is under investigation. The fact is that comprehensive immigration reform, as anybody who has looked into it and can attest, would enhance our security for all the reasons that I talked about at the top.
  Q Okay. Now I'll ask about the FAA furloughs, which started yesterday. A group of almost the entire airline industry, including air traffic controller unions, flight attendants, pilot unions, and the industry itself, have written Denis McDonough and the White House a letter saying that the FAA should be granted flexibility so they don't have to furlough the air traffic controllers. What do you say to this broad coalition? They say that other agencies have been given such flexibility and they believe the FAA should have the same flexibility.
  MR. CARNEY: Let me give you some facts. The Department of Transportation is required by law to cut about $1 billion between now and the end of September; $637 million of that comes from the FAA. The FAA has initiated a series of cost-saving measures for personnel and non-personnel related, including a hiring freeze, restrictions on travel, termination of certain temporary employees, and reductions to contracts, among other savings.
  But furloughs cannot be avoided. Seventy percent of the FAA's operations budget is personnel. The FAA must furlough 47,000 employees for up to 11 days between now and the end of the fiscal year.
  And that's why Secretary LaHood, here in this room two months ago, called on Congress to replace these dumb sequester cuts and put instead in place a smarter approach to deficit reduction. Remember, this is a result of sequester that was never meant to be law. And it was never meant to be law for reasons like this -- because the across-the-board nature of cuts. And in an agency like DOT and the FAA, because they're personnel-heavy, the effect of these cuts inevitably will be felt at the personnel level.
  Congress can act. It could have acted in the past. It could have brought down the sequester and avoided it entirely. Congress could act now to do that. Republicans in Congress could decide that the victory party is over and it's time to get serious about the economy, get serious about the effects of the sequester on Americans across the country in a variety of ways, and either postpone it by buying it down or take up the President's balanced approach to broader deficit reduction that would eliminate the sequester entirely.
  Q But this coalition, again, it's the industry, it's all the unions. I mean, theoretically, they know a little something about how the FAA operates. They point out that the Bureau of Prisons, the meat inspectors, other agencies have been able to figure out another way. Are they just wrong?
  MR. CARNEY: I think I enumerated the ways in which the FAA has already done what it could to mitigate the effects of the sequester. The FAA, unlike other agencies, is personnel-heavy, and in the end, you cannot avoid -- when 70 percent of your budget, of your operating budget, is personnel, you cannot avoid, when the cuts are as deep as they are in the sequester, the kinds of actions that are taken. These furloughs, that's the unfortunate fact of arbitrary, across-the-board cuts like this. They affect agencies differently depending on the makeup of an agency's budget, what kinds of actions they can take within the law to mitigate the impacts of the sequester.
  In this case, those actions have already been taken. So it's an unfortunate result. And it is unfortunate, just as those families whose children are no longer on Head Start or will not be on Head Start because of the arbitrary nature of the sequester's impact, those seniors who are not getting Meals on Wheels because they can't participate anymore because funding cuts. There are a variety of effects of this, and none of this was necessary, nor should it be necessary going forward if Republicans would simply revert to their previous position that they held vociferously, which is that the sequester was terrible policy that shouldn't become law, that would do damage to our economy and to job creation.
  They were right then. When they called it a political victory and a tea party victory, they were wrong -- at least wrong when it comes to the American people and the economy.
  Bill.
  Q When the Russian government asked the FBI or the U.S. government and the FBI to check on the activities of Tamerlan and the FBI reported back they had no evidence of terrorism, there was also a report that the FBI asked the Russians for further information, which was not forthcoming. Is there going to be an attempt to find out what else was in the pipeline?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, as you know, the President spoke with President Putin on Friday and we have a useful, cooperative relationship with the Russians when it comes to matters of counterterrorism. That has been true in the past and will be true going forward we expect. And that coordination and cooperation is ongoing, and I think that that applies specifically to this matter and broadly on a host of issues. It also applies to our counterterrorism cooperation with a number of countries, which is very similar.
  Q Do we know why their cooperation apparently failed in this earlier request?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, the FBI has put out a fairly detailed statement about that time period and its investigation into the elder Tsarnaev, and I would refer you to that statement.
  What is and was the case is that we have a cooperative relationship with the Russians. It is also certainly the case that information passed on by a foreign government would not necessarily lead to the arrest of an individual. We have a process in this country where we have to find grounds for action, and the FBI did an investigation and did not find grounds for action at the time.
  Q On another subject, what gives you confidence the agreement reached by the core group of the Friends of Syria this weekend will actually keep weapons out of the hands of extremists in that country?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, Wendell, as you know, we have upped our provision of nonlethal assistance to the Syrian opposition. We have increased our humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people.
  I would also, since I'm discussing Syria, be remiss if I did not note that we are appalled by horrific reports that hundreds of Syrians were killed over the weekend in a Damascus suburb. And as the violence drags out while President Assad clings to power, we cannot lose sight of the men, women and children whose lives are being so brutally cut short. And we reinforce our solidarity with the Syrian people, even as we strongly condemn this massacre.
  At the President's directive, we will continue to work with the coalition and other opposition representatives to determine how the new $123 million in nonlethal assistance can best support their efforts to accelerate a political transition and build the inclusive, democratic Syria that its people deserve.
  This new pledge brings our total nonlethal assistance to the Syrian opposition and civil society groups to $250 million. A portion of this nonlethal assistance will be used to implement the President's directive to provide an expanded range of support to the Supreme Military Council. We intend to expand our support beyond military food rations and medical kits to include other types of nonlethal supplies, which will be determined in collaboration with the SMC leadership.
  Now, this is a process that we have engaged in now for some time where we have increased our aid. As we make assessments about the opposition, we have recognized the Syria Opposition Coalition and we have been increasing our nonlethal assistance. And together with our international partners we are working to bring about the day when the Syrian people can decide their future, and that future cannot and will not include President Assad.
  Q Can I ask the question again? The agreement itself, what about that gives you confidence that other countries' lethal assistance will not fall into the hands of extremists in Syria?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, we work with the Syrian opposition and we have recognized the coalition because we recognize their assertions about democracy for the Syria people and their intentions to bring about a more democratic and prosperous and freer Syria.
  This is an issue that we have discussed repeatedly over the last many months now, and it's one -- it's the kind of assessment we make all the time about providing assistance to the Syrian opposition. We obviously make the decisions that we make based on the aid that we provide. We work with our partners and allies in this matter. Other countries obviously have to make the decisions that they make based on the assessments that they have.
  Q A lot of the criticism of Friends of Syria of the Syrian government, of Bashar al-Assad, has fallen on Russia. But Xinhua this weekend said that the meeting of the Friends of Syria further complicates the crisis. Is China equally culpable as Moscow in holding back the effort to get rid of Bashar al-Assad?
  MR. CARNEY: We pursued a process through the United Nations Security Council with regards to Syria that was, unfortunately, not successful because of actions and vetoes taken by the Russians and the Chinese. We were very clear about our disappointment in that and our frustration in that, and we discussed with both countries -- in particular the Russians because of their relationship with the Syrian government, the Assad government -- why we believe it is essential to bring about a future in Syria without Assad because Assad has so much blood on his hands, the blood of his own people; because there is no possible better, democratic, more prosperous future for the Syrian people as long as Assad is there. But these are conversations we have all the time.
  It goes to the point I've made previously about the fact that we have an important relationship with Russia. We have our disagreements and we have areas where we can cooperate, and we are clear and candid about both of them.
  Q One final question. The North Koreans apparently had moved a missile near the coast in preparation for a test. We haven't heard much from them in the past couple of days. Do you feel that the crisis is -- I won't say over, but tempers have cooled?
  MR. CARNEY: We monitor this situation very closely and carefully. We have said for some time we would not be surprised if there were a missile launch because it is in keeping with a pattern of behavior that we have seen before. Unfortunately, that pattern of behavior is one that flies in the face of North Korea's commitments to the United Nations, its commitment to denuclearization, its commitment not to pursue the kind of missile development that it has pursued.
  And we are working with our partners and allies to isolate and pressure North Korea to get it to cease and desist this kind of provocative behavior, to dial back the provocative and unhelpful rhetoric, and instead to choose the path open to it -- the path that is best for the North Korean people -- and that is one that recognizes the need to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and for North Korea to verifiably abide by its commitments.
  Q Does the lack of recent rhetoric suggest it's working?
  MR. CARNEY: Again, we would not be surprised if action of the like that you've asked about were to be taken by the North Koreans. And we remain in a state of constant monitoring and vigilance with regards to all the developments that we have seen in recent weeks. So we're not in any way prepared to say that this episode or period is over.
  The fact is North Korea remains out of compliance. It continues to say and do things that serve no other purpose than to heighten tensions and to further isolate the North Korean people and the North Korean regime with negative consequences for the North Korean economy and, as I said, the North Korean people. So we'll continue to monitor this.
  Peter.
  Q Jay, I want to ask you, ahead of the President's trip on Thursday to Waco, Texas -- ask you specifically about the deadly explosion that took place there. That facility was last inspected by OSHA in 1985. The risk plan, we're learning, filed with regulators listed no flammable chemicals. It was cleared to hold many times more ammonium nitrate than was used in the Oklahoma City bombing. As a result of some of these findings, there are a lot of safety advocates, work-safety advocates who have been saying that the U.S. government needs to better crack down on facilities like this, citing some stats about OSHA in particular, and sort of the ratio of OSHA employees has dropped dramatically in the number of employees in sites that they're checking these days.
  Is the White House satisfied that there is sufficient -- that the regulators are doing sufficient work right now and that there's a sufficient number of people doing this?
  MR. CARNEY: Let me say a few things. First of all, as I think many of you noted on Friday night, shortly after 10 p.m. when the President came to the briefing room to discuss the apprehension of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect, he made also the point that our thoughts and our prayers are with the people of West, Texas, where so many good people lost their lives, some lost their homes, and many were injured and are still missing.
  As you know, the President has spoken with Governor Perry and the Mayor of West, Texas. The President has directed his administration to make sure that the people of West have the resources that they need to recover and rebuild.
  On Friday, the President approved an emergency declaration under the Stafford Act for the state of Texas, including public assistance for emergency protective measures and direct federal assistance.
  On the issue that you raise, this is currently, obviously, an active investigation. The cause is still unknown. And it is still too early to point to specific violations, if any. The National Response Team of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives along with the National Criminal Enforcement Response Team and a criminal investigative team from the Environmental Protection Agency are on scene to investigate the explosion at the fertilizer plant.
  Let's be clear, though. Chemical plant safety is a high priority and all of the relevant departments and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the EPA, the Department of Labor, including OSHA within the Department of Labor, the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Chemical Safety Board continue to work together within their authorities to assess this tragic situation on the ground and provide technical assistance as requested.
  Q I just want to follow up if I can. I want to move quickly back to the conversation we're having about what took place in Boston and on the issue of guns that was in many ways sort of lost in the conversations about Boston last week. We're learning more details about the firearms and at least one rifle that was being carried by these two men during the firefight that took place Thursday night into Friday. The Cambridge Police Department just said recently that there was no record of Tamerlan Tsarnaev having a license to carry, among other things. What, if anything, does this reflect? Obviously they don't have -- law doesn't give them the right to carry explosives, but about guns in particular, the fact that they had access to these weapons -- does that demonstrate anything that underscores the message you're trying to send?
  MR. CARNEY: This is an active investigation that's just still in its early stages with regards to the Boston bombings. There's no question that in the bombings themselves and in the events in Watertown on Friday that there was a lot of firepower deployed. But beyond that, which is information that's obvious to anyone who was paying attention, I'm not going to characterize the investigation and I'm not going to characterize what weapons may or may not have been recovered.
  On the separate matter of the efforts that the President spoke about last week, which is the need to continue to take common-sense measures and make them law to reduce gun violence in America, the President remains committed to that. And it was a sad day, as the President said, in Washington when a minority of United States senators voted against -- not just against the majority of the American people, not even a large majority -- 90 percent of the American people who understand that expanded background checks, making better the system that already exists to prevent people who by law should not have access to weapons was the right thing to do and remains the right thing to do.
  Peter.
  Q This is a different issue. Does the President support legislation allowing states to require Internet retailers to collect sales taxes? And if that were to pass, would he sign that into law?
  MR. CARNEY: We believe that the Marketplace Fairness Act will level the playing field for local small business retailers who are undercut every day by out-of state online companies. Today, while local small business retailers follow the law and collect sales taxes from customers who make purchases in their stores, many big business online and catalogue retailers do not collect the same taxes. This puts local neighborhood-based small businesses at a disadvantage to big, out-of-state, online companies. And because these out-of-state companies are able to cut corners and play by a different set of rules, cities and states lose out on funding for K-12 education, police and fire protection, access to affordable health care and funding for roads and bridges.
  This administration has carefully considered the legislation and our team has met with a broad array of people on the issue, and we have heard overwhelmingly from governors, mayors and the business community on the need for federal legislation to level the playing field for our businesses and address sales tax fairness. The bill also provides an important exception for small business and has bipartisan support, which I'm sure you know. It is broadly supported on a bipartisan basis.
  This is simply about leveling the playing field so that bricks-and-mortar businesses that depend on customers to survive are not playing at a disadvantage, competing at a disadvantage, and selling products that others are selling online but not collecting taxes.
  Q You were ready for the question.
  MR. CARNEY: I was brilliantly prepared for the question.
  Q Jay, whose decision was it to try this terror suspect the way he is going to be tried, in the civilian courts?MR. CARNEY: This is a matter that is decided by the Department of Justice and the Attorney General, obviously, at the top of that. The whole national security team supports this decision. And let's be clear, there is not an alternative for a U.S. citizen to be tried in a military commission by law.
  Q Did the President weigh in on this, too?
  MR. CARNEY: The President has had many briefings on the Boston bombings, on the investigation, on the progress being made thus far, and he has been an active participant. But I'm not going to characterize his specific comments within those meetings except to say that the entire national security team that he leads is in agreement on this approach.
  Q Now, looking ahead on the Bush Library dedication, can you characterize what President Obama's relationship is with George W. Bush?
  MR. CARNEY: I think that there is, and he believes that there is a special bond between those who have served their country from the Oval Office. There's no job like it and there are very few in our history who have held it. And there are, fortunately, a number of living ex-Presidents and the President looks forward to meeting with all of them. And he is firmly of the view that every one of his predecessors that he will be seeing in Dallas approached their job trying to do the very best for the country, that they all love their country, and they're all patriots, and they made policy decisions based on what they thought was the right thing to do.
  Q How much has he relied on Mr. Bush for any advice? How often are they in touch?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, I'm not going to get into private conversations that the President has had with any of his predecessors except to say that he looks forward to the event. And he had a nice, obviously, conversation with and meeting with former President George W. Bush when he was here for the portrait unveiling. But beyond that, I'm not going to characterize their conversations.
  Yes, Roger.
  Q Yes, just a quick follow-up on that. What is the President's role on Thursday at the dedication?
  MR. CARNEY: We'll get more details for you on that.
  Q Will he be speaking?
  MR. CARNEY: Let me find out and get that for you.
  Q Quick follow-up on the immigration question's relationship to Boston: What is it about immigration reform that might have had a connection to a case like this? I mean, how are these -- these two men don't seem to have been in the shadows at all.
  MR. CARNEY: I'm not making any assertions about this case with regards to immigration reform. I'm simply saying that it is a fact -- as Senator Rubio, McCain and Graham have been saying, and others -- that our nation will be more secure if we enact comprehensive immigration reform, that there is a national security benefit from implementing this legislation. It will bring --
  Q You don't think it would have made any --
  MR. CARNEY: Again, I'm not -- I have tried hard, in answer to some of these questions about specific matters related to this investigation, to back up and not characterize or color anyone's views, at least with regards to the White House, on that investigation, but to make broader points about, in this case, immigration reform, about the need to look into the whole array of questions that are raised by the Boston bombings, including motivations and possible associations, again, without making assertions specific to this case.
  Zach.
  Q Jay, last week at this time, there still seemed to be some hope in the White House that the background check bill could pass. Since the failure of the bill, have you -- has the White House done any kind of look-back at what went wrong, what could have been done better? And a second question related to that: What's the next concrete step the President will take to try to revive this legislation?
  MR. CARNEY: I don't have a legislative plan to present to you. If I did, I might not present it. But let's be clear what happened. Ninety percent of the American people were in favor of one thing; a minority of United States senators derailed that. What the President made clear in the Rose Garden is that this will happen. The time will come when this legislation passes, when we expand and improve our background check system, because it has to be done. It is common sense. Americans across the country from different regions, rural and urban, red, blue and purple states, support this approach. And it will happen. As we have seen in our history, sometimes Congress takes a little bit of time to catch up to the American people. This is one of those times.
  I don't have a specific next step to tell you about. I know that we are continuing, obviously, to implement the 23 executive actions that the President made part of his comprehensive proposal to reduce gun violence. But we will clearly, as Senators Reid and Manchin and others have said, continue to pursue legislative remedies that are common sense, that respect our Second Amendment rights, that have the support of the American people because they are very common sense about this, including gun owners who support expanding background checks.
  I think you heard from, in an editorial, Gabrielle Giffords a remarkable expression of disappointment and commitment to action. And those are sentiments that the President shares.
  Q On the legislative strategy component of this, is there any look-back at why the President was unable to convince enough members of his own party, as well as Republicans to vote for the bill?
  MR. CARNEY: We are absolutely -- well, let me say two things. One is this just happened, and we -- everybody here worked, from the President on down, worked hard to bring about this action on legislation that in the end Congress has to vote on.
  The fact is, and I've noted it and the President noted it, and it is I think essential to recall that this is an issue that 90 percent of the American people support. It is an issue that 90 percent of Democrats voted for and one that 90 percent of Republicans voted against. So 90 percent of Republicans voted with 10 percent of the American people.
  So there is no question the President is disappointed with all those who did not vote yes. But the fact is there was a decision made largely within the Republican Party that they did not need to listen to the majority of the American people. And for whatever reason -- and there was no plausible reason laid out at a policy level for why we should not simply make better a background check system that has been in existence for a long time now, that has been effective where it is in place in preventing criminals from getting weapons, which should be a goal that we all share -- why not make that system better in a way that does no harm to Second Amendment rights, in a way that 90 percent of the American people support, that gun owners support, that avid sportsmen and women support? We should do that. And the President believes we should do that.
  And the fact that a minority in the Senate disagreed with not just the President -- it's not about the President -- disagreed with 90 percent of the American people is I think unfortunate and will -- they will go down, I think, as being wrong on this because it will happen.
  Q Did he speak individually to the Democrats who voted no before the vote? Did he lobby each one of them personally?
  MR. CARNEY: The President, the Vice President, everybody here was involved in this effort, and everybody here was having conversations with lawmakers and other stakeholders. I'm not going to -- some of these conversations that the President had haven gotten out, but I'm not going to detail every one of them. You can believe that he was engaged in this process, as was the Vice President.
  Q You don't think he could have twisted more arms or done more personal one-on-one lobbying for this?
  MR. CARNEY: I think the President spoke to this issue numerous times, as you know --
  Q We know that, but --
  MR. CARNEY: -- and he made numerous phone calls and had numerous meetings, and his entire team here engaged in this process completely and thoroughly.
  And I think it is -- the fact is a phone call from the President in this case matters. The fact that 90 percent of your constituents support something and you vote against it should matter even more. And there are those who chose to ignore the 90 percent.
  Alexis, and then Peter.
  Q Jay, the Boston suspect has been charged while in the hospital. Can you clarify why the indictment is sealed? When the public safety exception actually expired, can you confirm that he has been Mirandized, told his rights? And can you offer any information --
  MR. CARNEY: As you can imagine, there is a firewall here on this matter. I was not aware that that indictment had been announced. If you're -- I'll take you at your word, so I would have to say that these are matters that the Department of Justice, rightly, both evaluates and answers questions on. So we'll have to point you to the Justice Department on that.
  What I can tell you is that we have a long history here of successfully prosecuting terrorists and bringing them to justice. And the President fully believes that that process will work in this case.
  Q I have a quick follow-up. The FBI statement that was put out about the 2011 investigation talked about searching for derogatory information through telephone conversations and also Internet websites. Can you tell us whether the government used the FISA Court to eavesdrop on the family's phone conversations or their website use before interviewing them?
  MR. CARNEY: The FBI conducted a thorough investigation. It made inquiries. It had interviews with -- interrogated both Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his family members, and did a search for derogatory information and any connection to terrorism, foreign or domestic. And it made the assessment that it made. For more than those many details, I would refer you to the FBI.
  Q Jay, can I just follow up on that on the Miranda issue?
  MR. CARNEY: Yes. And then, sorry, Peter --
  Q Did you say you don't know if the suspect has been Mirandized yet?
  MR. CARNEY: Again, this happened while I was up here.
  Q Okay. And can you also say has the President been personally involved in conversations about when that should happen?
  MR. CARNEY: I can tell you a couple of things. One, the President has been regularly updated. Two, not commenting on this specific case, it is a fact that the public safety exception to Miranda allows for law enforcement to quickly interrogate a suspected terrorist without giving Miranda warnings under certain circumstances to gain critical intelligence and national security information.
  Again, it is not for me to characterize the specific procedures in place in this investigation in its early stages, in this prosecution in its early stages. But it is important to note that that public safety exception exists and why it exists.
  Peter -- change your mind?
  Q No, no --
  MR. CARNEY: Are you coming to Texas?
  Q I am coming to Texas.
  MR. CARNEY: It's a perfect confluence for you.
  Q Perfect storm.
  MR. CARNEY: Yes -- I wasn't going to say storm.
  Q Did you say that -- you probably said this and I missed it. Did you say he's going to speak at Baylor at the service, or attend?
  MR. CARNEY: I simply said he was going to attend. We'll get back to you about how he's participating.
  Q All right. And on the gun thing, the discussion we were just having now, you rightly point out that 90 percent of the public in the polls suggest they support background check expansion. What does it say, though, about the President's future ability to get legislation through -- other than, say. immigration where there's an obvious Republican response at this point -- if he can't convince Congress to pass something where 90 percent -- what is the future for him in the next three years legislatively if on something like this he's unable to do it?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, let me say a few things. One, we made clear from the beginning that this would be difficult, that all of these pursuits legislatively had not come to pass, had not been successful in the past precisely because of the obstacles that exist and, unfortunately, continue to exist, and presumably led a minority of United States senators to vote against the vast majority of the American people.
  But this President will continue to push on that front, as well as on all the initiatives that he has put forward to help our economy grow and create jobs, as well as on comprehensive immigration reform, which we are very pleased with the progress. But nobody should be making any assumptions about the fact that this, too, is challenging work. And we remain committed to working with the Congress to bring it about.
  It was the case during the discussions about legislation to reduce gun violence that at various times it was conventional wisdom that one of at least two -- the background checks or limiting the capacity of ammunition clips -- would be easy. And you're shaking your head, Mara, but I got those questions -- ''well, that's in the bag, but what about the assault weapons ban?''
  So the fact is this is hard because there are institutional reasons, there are political reasons, and there are other, I'm sure, personal reasons for why senators chose to vote against the vast majority of the American people. But we will continue to press the case. And this President made clear on Friday that this is just round one of this fight, that this will happen because it's the right thing to do and it's entirely common sense, and it would result in lives being saved. And that's what we should be about.
  Q What's round two?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, as I said before, I don't have a legislative strategy to lay out to you today. But there will be a round two and there will be a continued effort by this administration -- and more importantly, by the American people who want this done, and by advocates like the Newtown families and Gabrielle Giffords -- to make it clear that it is unacceptable when the United States Senate defies the will of the American people in the way that they have.
  Q Do we have to wait until after the midterm, though?
  MR. CARNEY: I'm sorry?
  Q Is that something we have to wait until after the next midterm or --
  MR. CARNEY: I would not predict that at all. I think that we need to press forward and make it clear that, most importantly, through the voices of the American people who support this sensible action, that they are not happy with the result. They are not happy with a Senate that entirely dismissed the position of the vast majority of the people.
  Q Continuing on the gun issue, does the President have a philosophical objection to using his power of the presidency -- as the American public has just been educated by the Lincoln film where President Lincoln used those threats almost against people in Congress -- does the President object to --
  MR. CARNEY: The President promised to use every tool in his toolbox, every lever available with him and the power that comes with the office that he holds to try to make this happen, and he did. And part of that resulted in the fact that the American people was engaged and made clear -- in red states and blue states and purple states -- that they wanted this done. And there was a decision by a minority of United States senators to buck the will of the American people.
  And as the President made clear in I think remarks that reflected his passion on this issue in the Rose Garden, this fight is not over. Nor should it be, because we need to do common-sense things to reduce gun violence. And those who decide that it's politically safer to flout the will of the vast majority of their constituents we hope will reconsider that position.
  Q One more.
  MR. CARNEY: All right. Connie.
  Q Does the President have any stand on capital punishment in this case? And also do you think this case make it more difficult for Muslims to emigrate into America?
  MR. CARNEY: On the first part, I will obviously not characterize any potential outcome to a prosecution that has not yet taken place. The President's views on capital punishment are known and his support for it in particularly heinous instances is known. But I won't comment beyond on that.
  And obviously, we need an effective comprehensive immigration system that is functional both for dealing with legal immigration, as well as dealing with the 11 million illegal immigrants who are in this country.
  Thanks, all.
  Q Thank you.
  END 1:38 P.M. EDT
CNN Caught Red Handed Interviewing Crisis Actor : Boston False Flag
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  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:55
Boston Marathon Bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev Dead''WARNING EXTREMELY GRAPHIC PHOTOS!
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  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:51
  The older Chechen terrorist, who executed the deadly Boston Marathon bombings, leaves behind a young wife from Rhode Island named Katherine, and a precious daughter Zahara, 3. Read on for more shocking details.Slain Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was not only a suspected terrorist murderer who allegedly killed three people during the April 15 attacks '-- he was also a young husband and father. His wife, Katherine Russell, 24, is now a widow and single mom to their precious daughter, 3-year-old Zahara after the Chechen bomber was killed by police.
  Tamerlan Tsarnev's Family: Leaves Behind Wife & DaughterBefore engaging in the deadly April 15 terrorist attack, Tamerlan lived a seemingly normal and quiet life with his wife Katherine and their daughter, Zahara. A neighbor tells the Daily Mail that she converted to Islam for her husband. The source says:''I knew she was married and she had converted to Islam. She went away to college about three or four years ago, and I saw her a year later and she was dressed in the Islamic style. Her hair was covered and she was wearing very baggy, flowy clothing.''The source also says the couple had moved to Massachusetts, but would come up to Rhode Island most weekends '-- until the wife moved back home with her family, and Tamerlan wasn't to be seen. The source adds:''She moved back home and was living at home with the baby. I never saw him again, I thought maybe he's gone away or he's busy with school.''Tamerlan & Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: Suspects Behind Boston BombingOn April 18, the two brothers were identified by authorities as the suspects behind the deadly Boston Marathon bombing. Later that night, the brothers were reportedly involved in a deadly shootout with police.Tamerlan was killed during the standoff, and CNN reports that his brother Dzhokhar ran him over and drove away. CNN is reporting that when Tamerlan was brought to a hospital in critical condition from gunshot wounds, it was discovered that he had explosives strapped to his body. He was later pronounced dead.So tragic for everyone involved. Our thoughts are with their families during this difficult time.
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CNN Video Of Suspect #1 Being Detained - YouTube
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  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:21
Inrocks - Mali: the Senate sets its doubts
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  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:07
  ''Il est aujourd'hui permis d'en douter''. En parcourant les 135 pages du rapport du S(C)nat concernant la situation au Mali, publi(C) le 16 avril, la phrase revient telle une antienne. Doutes sur la tenue des (C)lections, doutes sur la volont(C) des autorit(C)s maliennes de pacifier le pays, doutes sur la capacit(C) d'endiguer l'islam radical'... Plus de trois mois apr¨s le d(C)but de l'op(C)ration Serval, la France d(C)chante.
  Le calendrier des (C)lections intenable
  Fran§ois Hollande l'avait annonc(C) : les (C)lections maliennes devront avoir lieu avant la fin du mois de juillet. Et le chef d'Etat, torse bomb(C), avait assur(C) qu'il serait ''intraitable'' sur le respect de cette date. C'(C)tait la fin du mois de mars. Vingt jours plus tard, force est de constater, la lumi¨re du rapport s(C)natorial, que le souhait de Fran§ois Hollande ne sera pas r(C)alis(C) : ''Chacun a bien conscience que ce calendrier est tr¨s (trop?) serr(C)''.
  Dans un Etat en pleine d(C)liquescence, l'organisation d'(C)lections dignes de ce nom rel¨ve du chemin de croix : actualisation des listes (C)lectorales, impression et distribution des cartes d'(C)lecteurs, s(C)curisation des lieux de vote, prise en compte des nombreux d(C)plac(C)s, financement du processus'... La tche est gargantuesque.
  Un pays plus que jamais divis(C)
  A l'imbroglio des (C)lections s'ajoute la mauvaise volont(C) du r(C)gime pr(C)sid(C) par Dioncounda Traor(C). Si l'on se fie au texte du S(C)nat, ''le z¨le des autorit(C)s maliennes faire avancer le processus de r(C)conciliation para®t pour le moins mod(C)r(C)''. Et pour cause : la commission ''Dialogue et r(C)conciliation'', cr(C)(C)e la fin du mois de janvier, n'a toujours pas commenc(C) ses travaux. A Tombouctou par exemple, o¹ la charia a r(C)gn(C) durant dix mois, Touaregs et Arabes sont persona non grata. Le pays est scind(C). Et la situation n'est pas prªte de s'arranger selon le sp(C)cialiste du Mali au Centre d'(C)tudes et de recherches internationales (CERI) Roland Marchal, encore Bamako la fin du mois de mars :
  ''Une grande partie de la classe politique malienne n'est pas int(C)ress(C)e par le dialogue. Et les gens ne sont pas pr¨s d'oublier les forfaits commis. Il ne faut pas croire que seuls les djihadistes se sont livr(C)s des atrocit(C)s.''
  Inqui(C)tant car le Mali ne se reconstruira pas sans une pacification des relations entre les diff(C)rentes ethnies du pays.
  Le retour des anciens putschistes
  Le rapport pointe (C)galement l'influence des anciens acteurs du coup d'Etat, savoir la junte command(C)e par le capitaine Sanogo. Bien qu'officiellement (C)cart(C)s du pouvoir, ils peuvent compter sur leurs alli(C)s qui d(C)tiennent des minist¨res cl(C)s, comme celui organisant les (C)lections. Le Mali doit en outre composer avec un chef d'Etat dont l'(C)nergie n'est pas la premi¨re qualit(C), comme l'explique Roland Marchal :
  ''Le pr(C)sident Dioncounda Traor(C) est physiquement affaibli depuis son agression et c'est un adepte de la procrastination. Il pr(C)f¨re (C)viter les questions qui fchent et compter sur le temps. Pour imager, on pourrait dire que c'est un Chirac vieillissant.''
  La junte profite de cette mollesse pr(C)sidentielle pour placer ses pions. Elle tente aussi de gagner la confiance des Maliens : au d(C)but du mois d'avril, le capitaine Sanogo se targuait d'avoir ''sauv(C) le pays''.
  L'islam radical se propage
  Trois mois apr¨s l'arriv(C)e des troupes fran§aises au Mali, l'islam radical gagnerait l'ensemble du pays. Le salafisme au Nord, le wahhabisme au Sud. Les rapporteurs pr(C)f¨rent user du conditionnel, se basant sur des ''all(C)gations'' de la presse malienne. Ainsi, des organisations non gouvernementales comme le ''Croissant rouge qatari'' apporteraient une aide financi¨re certains groupes arm(C)s. Des princes (C)miratis se rendraient dans le Nord-Mali sans que l'on sache pourquoi. Et l'Arabie Saoudite construirait une mosqu(C)e par semaine dans le pays.
  ''Attention ne pas tout confondre, pr(C)vient Roland Marchal. On met tous ces courants dans le mªme panier et on parle d'islamisme. C'est typique de la France.''
  L'arm(C)e fran§aise pas prªte de quitter le pays
  ''La France n'a pas vocation rester au Mali''. Ces mots datent du 15 janvier 2013. Ils sont sign(C)s Fran§ois Hollande. Pourtant, au vu du constat tir(C) par ce rapport, le d(C)sengagement fran§ais n'est pas pour maintenant. Le Mali n'est pas assez stable et son arm(C)e ne sera pas prªte avant ''plusieurs ann(C)es''. Les forces africaines cens(C)es prendre la rel¨ve sont quant elles loin de donner satisfaction. Ainsi, selon le rapport, ''au moins 1 000 soldats devraient rester'', au risque d'ªtre per§us comme une ''force d'occupation''. Rien d'(C)tonnant pour Roland Marchal :
  ''Il (C)tait (C)vident qu' partir du moment o¹ l'arm(C)e partait, elle allait rester l -bas. Les propos de Fran§ois Hollande ou de Laurent Fabius promettant un retour rapide des soldats sont ahurissants et inacceptables.''
  Sur la base de ce rapport, le Parlement fran§ais d(C)battra ce lundi de la demande du gouvernement de prolonger l'intervention des forces fran§aises au Mali. D(C)put(C)s et s(C)nateurs devront ensuite se prononcer. Aucune surprise n'est en vue : ils ont massivement soutenu l'op(C)ration Serval.
DEBKAfile
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  Archived Version
  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:50
  The big questions buzzing over Boston Bombers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have a single answer: It emerged in the 102 tense hours between the twin Boston Marathon bombings Monday, April 15 '' which left three dead, 180 injured and a police officer killed at MIT - and Dzohkhar's capture Friday, April 19 in Watertown.
  The conclusion reached by debkafile's counterterrorism and intelligence sources is that the brothers were double agents, hired by US and Saudi intelligence to penetrate the Wahhabi jihadist networks which, helped by Saudi financial institutions, had spread across the restive Russian Caucasian.
  Instead, the two former Chechens betrayed their mission and went secretly over to the radical Islamist networks.
  By this tortuous path, the brothers earned the dubious distinction of being the first terrorist operatives to import al Qaeda terror to the United States through a winding route outside the Middle East '' the Caucasus.
  This broad region encompasses the autonomous or semi-autonomous Muslim republics of Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Chechnya, North Ossetia and Karachyevo-Cherkesiya, most of which the West has never heard of.
  Moscow however keeps these republics on a tight military and intelligence leash, constantly putting down violent resistance by the Wahhabist cells, which draw support from certain Saudi sources and funds from the Riyadh government for building Wahhabist mosques and schools to disseminate the state religion of Saudi Arabia.The Saudis feared that their convoluted involvement in the Caucasus would come embarrassingly to light when a Saudi student was questioned about his involvement in the bombng attacks while in a Boston hospital with badly burned hands.
  They were concerned to enough to send Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saudi al-Faisal to Washington Wednesday, April 17, in the middle of the Boston Marathon bombing crisis, for a private conversation with President Barack Obama and his national security adviser Tom Donilon on how to handle the Saudi angle of the bombing attack.That day too, official Saudi domestic media launched an extraordinary three-day campaign. National and religious figures stood up and maintained that authentic Saudi Wahhabism does not espouse any form of terrorism or suicide jihadism and the national Saudi religion had nothing to do with the violence in Boston. ''No matter what the nationality and religious of the perpetrators, they are terrorists and deviants who represent no one but themselves.''
  Prince Saud was on a mission to clear the 30,000 Saudi students in America of suspicion of engaging in terrorism for their country or religion, a taint which still lingers twelve years after 9/11. He was concerned that exposure of the Tsarnaev brothers' connections with Wahhabist groups in the Caucasus would revive the stigma.
  The Tsarnaevs' recruitment by US intelligence as penetration agents against terrorist networks in southern Russia explains some otherwise baffling features of the event:1. An elite American college in Cambridge admitted younger brother Dzhokhar and granted him a $2,500 scholarship, without subjecting him to the exceptionally stiff standard conditions of admission. This may be explained by his older brother Tamerlan demanding this privilege for his kid brother in part payment for recruitment.2. When in 2011, a ''foreign government'' (Russian intelligence) asked the FBI to screen Tamerlan for suspected ties to Caucasian Wahhabist cells during a period in which they had begun pledging allegiance to al Qaeda, the agency, it was officially revealed, found nothing incriminating against him and let him go after a short interview.
  He was not placed under surveillance. Neither was there any attempt to hide the fact that he paid a long visit to Russia last year and on his return began promoting radical Islam on social media.Yet even after the Boston marathon bombings, when law enforcement agencies, heavily reinforced by federal and state personnel, desperately hunted the perpetrators, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was never mentioned as a possible suspect
  3. Friday, four days after the twin explosions at the marathon finishing line, the FBI released footage of Suspect No. 1 in a black hat and Suspect No. 2 in a white hat walking briskly away from the crime scene, and appealed to the public to help the authorities identify the pair.We now know this was a charade. The authorities knew exactly who they were. Suddenly, during the police pursuit of their getaway car from the MIT campus on Friday, they were fully identified. The brother who was killed in the chase was named Tamerlan, aged 26, and the one who escaped, only to be hunted down Saturday night hiding in a boat, was 19-year old Dzhokhar.
  Our intelligence sources say that we may never know more than we do today about the Boston terrorist outrage which shook America '' and most strikingly, Washington - this week. We may not have the full story of when and how the Chechen brothers were recruited by US intelligence as penetration agents '' any more than we have got to the bottom of tales of other American double agents who turned coat and bit their recruiters.
  Here is just a short list of some of the Chechen brothers' two-faced predecessors:
  In the 1980s, an Egyptian called Ali Abdul Saoud Mohamed offered his services as a spy to the CIA residence in Cairo. He was hired, even though he was at the time the official interpreter of Ayman al-Zuwahiri, then Osama bin Laden's senior lieutenant and currently his successor.
  He accounted for this by posing as a defector. But then, he turned out to be feeding al Qaeda US military secrets. Later, he was charged with Al Qaeda's 1998 bombings of US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es-Salaam.On Dec. 30, 2009, the Jordanian physician Humam Khalil al-Balawi, having gained the trust of US intelligence in Afghanistan as an agent capable of penetrating al Qaeda's top ranks, detonated a bomb at a prearranged rendezvous in Kost, killing the four top CIA agents in the country.Then, there was the French Muslim Mohamed Merah. He was recruited by French intelligence to penetrate Islamist terror cells in at least eight countries, including the Caucasus. At the end of last year, he revealed his true spots in deadly attacks on a Jewish school in Toulouse and a group of French military commandoes.
  The debate has begun over the interrogation of the captured Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarmayev when he is fit for questioning after surgery for two bullet wounds and loss of blood. The first was inflicted during the police chase in which his brother Tamerlan was killed.
  An ordinary suspect would be read his rights (Miranda) and be permitted a lawyer. In his case, the ''public safety exemption'' option may be invoked, permitting him to be questioned without those rights, provided the interrogation is restricted to immediate public safety concerns. President Barack Obama is also entitled to rule him an ''enemy combatant'' and so refer him to a military tribunal and unrestricted grilling.
  According to debkafile's counter terror sources, four questions should top the interrogators' agenda:
  a) At what date did the Tsarnaev brothers turn coat and decide to work for Caucasian Wahhabi networks?
  b) Did they round up recruits for those networks in the United States - particularly, among the Caucasian and Saudi communities?c) What was the exact purpose of the Boston Marathon bombings and their aftermath at MIT in Watertown?d) Are any more terrorist attacks in the works in other American cities?
The Boston Bombing: Should Cameras Now Be Everywhere? | TIME.com
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:49
  APThis frame grab from a video released by the FBI on April 18, 2013, shows Tamerlan, front, in black cap, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, in white cap, back right, walking through the crowd before the explosions at the Boston Marathon in Boston, Mass., on April 15, 2013.
  After the death of Tamerlan Tsarnaev and the capture of his brother Dzhokhar, some lawmakers began calling for more public cameras of the sort that were so instrumental in their swift apprehension. Representative Peter King (R-N.Y.,) a member of the House Homeland Security and Intelligence committees, told MSNBC that video cameras in public locations are ''a great law enforcement method'' that ''keeps us ahead of the terrorists who are constantly trying to kill us.''
  (MORE: Brother's Keeper: Did Older Brother Lure Bombing Suspect into Plot?)
  It's a safe bet that there will be more video cameras coming to cities across the United States. London, which was shaken by a subway bombing on July 7, 2007, now has upwards of one million surveillance cameras. So this is a good time to ask if we should put some limits on the government's all-seeing eye. The answer should be yes. We should craft our laws to allow images of criminal suspects to be captured in public '' but also to make sure that the government does not unduly infringe on the privacy rights of innocent citizens.
  (MORE: FBI Will Face Questions Over Past Probe of Suspects)
  The first thing to understand about surveillance video in public places is that there is already a lot of it going on '' though it is impossible to know how much. Back in 2006, the New York Civil Liberties Union sent inspectors out to look for street-level surveillance cameras and found nearly 4,500 in Manhattan alone. There are, no doubt, many thousands more today in Manhattan, and countless more in cities and towns and shopping malls across the country.
  In addition to these government-installed cameras, there are street-facing security cams installed by office complexes, apartment buildings, and retail stores. In the Boston Marathon investigation, law enforcement relied in large part on surveillance video from a Lord & Taylor department store that appeared to show someone dropping off a heavy bag at the bombing site. (Photos taken the old-fashioned way were also important.)
  (MORE: Bloody Visions: What Would the Boston Bombings Look Like in the Google Glass Era?)
  Adding to this far-reaching network of public cameras, the government is now ramping up the use of domestic drones '' pilotless aircraft equipped with powerful surveillance cameras that can photograph both public places and private property. Congress has been leading the charge, ordering the Federal Aviation Administration to open airspace that was once off-limits to drones.
  (MORE: Criminals and Terrorists Can Fly Drones Too)
  As video surveillance inevitably ramps up, there are several ways that law enforcement interests should be against by privacy concerns. We need to develop clearer principles about when and where surveillance cameras should be used, which are now woefully lacking. It makes sense to have cameras in places where terrorism and crime are of particular concern'-- such as in Times Square or near major bridges and tunnels. It would be more troubling to learn, however, that the government has focused cameras on the front doors of our homes just to keep track of our comings and goings.
  We also need laws establishing strong ''data minimization'' requirements. When the government takes video of people in public places, the images should only be kept as long as they may reasonably be needed to investigate a crime. After a few days, if there has not been a report of a crime, they should be destroyed. The government '-- and private companies '-- should not use surveillance cameras to create massive databases of where we all have been, or searchable archives of political protesters.
  (PHOTOS: Images: Joy and Relief in Boston After Bombing Suspect's Arrest)
  Finally, we need to proceed with particular caution with domestic drones. If we are going to have them '--and it seems that we are '--we must establish strong standards for transparency about where they go and what they do, and we need to start developing robust privacy protections, including particular checks on their use to photograph private property.
  (MORE: First Pictures of Bombing Suspects After Arrest)
  When photos quickly turned up of the Boston Marathon bombers, and those images helped in tracking them down, it was hard not to cheer for the role that video technology can play in fighting terrorism and other crimes. There was good reason for cheering but now that we are done, we should begin to put in place well-considered rules that strike the right balance between law enforcement and privacy.
  Adam CohenCohen, the author of Nothing to Fear, teaches at Yale Law School. The views expressed are solely his own.
  Cohen is the author of Nothing to Fear: FDR's Inner Circle and the Hundred Days That Created Modern America
Shooting threat at 4chan leads to arrest, closure of over 20 Dutch schools | The Verge
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  Archived Version
  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:45
  Authorities have quickly made an arrest after an anonymous threat posted to 4chan this weekend warned of an imminent school shooting. "Tomorrow, I will shoot my Dutch teacher, and as many students as I can," read the message '-- posted days after a terrorist attack rattled the US. Even more troubling, an attached photo seemingly shows off the gun and ammunition meant to be used in the mass show of violence. The post even goes so far as to reveal a target. "It's a school in a Dutch city called Leiden." That specificity led local authorities to keep thousands of students home Monday, according to Agence France-Presse. The individual behind the 4chan message said he would be carrying a note explaining his actions, and said a friend would publish the letter if authorities opted not to share it publicly.
  Thankfully despite the perpetrator's insistence that the "police is not gonna find me before tomorrow," it didn't take long for authorities to make their first arrest '-- a former pupil reportedly expelled in 2011 over bad behavior. Sadly, previous threats posted to the popular website have turned out to be more than words. Earlier this month, minutes before opening fire in a crowded Virginia mall, a gunman outlined his plans on 4chan.
Economists Say Parallel Currencies in Euro Zone Would Fail - SPIEGEL ONLINE
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  Archived Version
  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:41
  Bernd Lucke, the spokesman of the newly established Alternative for Germany party, is no ordinary economics professor. Giving the most complicated answers to the most straightforward questions is normally one of the trademarks of his profession. But the Hamburg economist takes precisely the opposite approach. He has a simple solution for even the trickiest problem of the day.
  Lucke and his flock of supporters believe that the euro crisis can be solved if the Southern European countries leave the monetary union -- not with a big bang, but slowly and quietly. The professor wants to see these countries ejected from the monetary union in a civilized way, so that their withdrawal occurs as gently and harmoniously as a person's withdrawal from a school glee club.
  And what is Lucke's miracle cure for a crash without side effects? He proposes that the Southern European countries introduce parallel currencies -- that is, bring back the drachma, the peseta, the escudo and the lira alongside the euro. The countries' national central banks would then tie these currencies to the euro at fixed rates. The professor essentially wants to combine the best of both worlds, allowing Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy to remain connected to the euro zone and yet receive their own currencies. This would allow them to devalue their currencies and still have a calculable form of payment at their disposal. At the same time, argues Lucke, this will reduce the cost of their goods in world markets without assets losing their value overnight.
  It is a patent remedy with which the professor and party spokesman wants to avoid the horror scenario that most economists associate with a sudden breakup of the euro zone: bank failures, financial collapses and mass layoffs. In other words, a financial and economic crisis that many believe could easily surpass the catastrophic consequences of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. But if parallel currencies are introduced, Lucke suggests, the risks could be reduced. Withdrawal from the euro would take place "in an orderly and certainly cautious manner," and could possibly be reversed after a few years through a complete return to the monetary union.The plan that Lucke advocates is certainly appealing, but it has one drawback: It doesn't work. "A parallel currency is the worst conceivable way to solve the euro crisis," says Peter Bofinger, a member of the German Council of Economic Experts, which advises the government. And Clemens Fuest, head of the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW), sees "considerable disadvantages" in the concept.
  You Can't Be 'Half-Pregnant'
  To begin with, Lucke's plan is extremely confusing. To ensure that both currencies can coexist in an orderly way, the plan calls for using euros only for cash payments. Half of all bank transfers, however, would be conducted in the new currency. This means that a Greek tradesman charging '‚¬100 ($131) for his services would be paid '‚¬50 and 50 drachmas in the future. All domestic credit agreements would also be split between the parallel currencies in the future. Only the existing bank balances of citizens would likely be exempt from the conversion, and all trans-border lending relationships would continue to be settled in euros.
  At the same time, the central banks would have to commit themselves to gradually devalue the new drachmas, escudos, pesetas and lira against the euro. This would make the goods produced by the crisis-ridden countries cheaper and therefore more marketable in global markets. Lucke hopes that this would lead to rising export sales and a new economic boom.
  This may be his intention, but it won't happen. "Lucke acts as you can be half-pregnant," says Bofinger.
  The citizens of Southern Europe know all too well that a gradual devaluation is far from enough to make their domestic economies competitive again. The true value of the drachma or the escudo is many times lower than that of the euro. Thus what would happen is what always happens when two currencies with different stable values are circulating in an economy: The people will try to exchange their domestic currency into hard euros as quickly as possible, or they will simply move their savings abroad. Instead of stimulating the economy, the new currency regime could very well trigger a boom in the shadow economy.
  As a result, the opposite of what Lucke and his fellow euro critics want to achieve would occur. Instead of more certainty, the supposed miracle cure would only create new uncertainty. People would have to maintain two accounts, and no one could predict the value of his money tomorrow. The consequences would be fatal.
  The main reason money has succeeded as a form of payment is that it makes the buying and selling of goods and services calculable. But if half of every tradesman's invoice had to be paid in a soft currency in the future, this benefit would quickly be lost. "A monetary system that no one understands is doomed to failure," says ZEW President Fuest. "When two currencies compete in a country, the weaker one is always left with nothing."
  50-50 in Theory Only
  This is also borne out by historical experiences. Parallel currencies have indeed become established in many countries in the past. The deutsche mark was a common currency in the Balkans in the 1990s, and the US dollar is popular in several Latin American countries today. El Salvador even declared the greenback as its official currency in 2001.
  Whether it was dollars or deutsche marks, the strong currency has always prevailed over its weak counterpart. Citizens in the Balkans and Latin America were merely following an economic rule: Stable currencies are preferred for saving, while weak ones are spent as quickly as possible -- or simply exchanged.
  It shouldn't be assumed that the Greeks, Italians, Spaniards and Portuguese will be pleased when their old, inflation-addicted currencies return, especially as the drachma and other national currencies have a psychological disadvantage: They are immediately stigmatized as poverty currencies. Part of the purpose of Lucke's proposal is to reduce labor costs in Southern Europe. If implemented, it would mean that someone in Greece who had been paid '‚¬2,000 a month in the past would have to make do with '‚¬1,000 and 1,000 drachmas in the future -- along with accepting the devaluation of the drachma.
  But this also exacerbates social imbalances. Those who manage to move their euro assets abroad in time are spared the supposedly soft currency devaluation. But those who receive half of their income in drachmas are made to be fools. This could only be prevented with strict capital controls, which could hardly be permanently enforced in the European Union.
  And even if all citizens behaved in practice the way Lucke assumes they will, Southern Europe's banks would be threatened with substantial write-offs, perhaps even bankruptcy. Because their customers' account balances, as well as their liabilities to foreign customers, would still be denominated in euros, while half of their domestic receivables would consist of a shrinking currency, banks would quickly see large holes developing in their balance sheets. Hard euros would be on one side, while half of the other side could consist of soft drachmas or escudos. Even the soundest lenders would soon find themselves overwhelmed by this accounting principle.
  States Wind Up with Bigger Debts
  Southern European governments would also be hard-hit. Whereas the treasuries in Athens, Rome, Madrid and Lisbon have high euro debts abroad, half of their future tax revenues would consist of drachmas or escudos, which would gradually lose value. Companies that have borrowed money from foreign lenders, like Deutsche Bank or Commerzbank, would face the same problems.
  The predictable failure of banks, companies and governments in Southern Europe would affect the financial industry worldwide, but especially in Germany. German lenders' claims against borrowers on the Iberian Peninsula, in Italy and in Greece amount to more than '‚¬200 billion. A considerable share of that money would likely be lost.
  In the end, this shows that the consequences of Lucke's parallel currency concept are comparable to those of a country's withdrawal from the monetary union, both for the countries themselves and the other members of the euro zone. Only with a great deal of luck could these consequences be at least somewhat softened.
  Even Lucke probably senses that his proposal doesn't really solve the current problems. When it comes to the side effects of his recipe, he issues a typical caveat: "It goes without saying," he writes, "that the transition to a second national currency entails a number of technical problems."
The Airmail Home Page
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  Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:08
  The Airmail Home PageThe Airmail Home Page
  AirMail is a radio mail program for sending and receiving messages via Pactor over HF radio, either via the ham radio system or participating marine and commercial services.
  [More Info] [Downloads] [Links]
  Airmail is a messaging program (similar to Outlook) specifically designed for connection to a HF radio mailbox station. Once connected to a compatible station, message transfer is completely automatic. On the ham bands, Airmail can transfer messages automatically with any station supporting the BBS or F6FBB protocols, such as Winlink-2000 (www.winlink.org), Winlink, F6FBB and MSYS and other Airmail stations. Airmail is also used as the client program by the SailMail marine system and other participating systems. A "dumb terminal" mode is also provided but ordinary QSO's are not the program's forte.
  Airmail is a 32-bit program which runs under Windows-95, 98, NT, 2000 or XP. Airmail supports the SCS PTC-II and PTC-IIe Pactor-2 modems as well as the original PTC Pactor modem, the Kantronics KAM+ and KAM-98, AEA/Timewave PK-232, PK-900, DSP-1232 and 2232, the MFJ 1276 and 1278B, and the HAL DXP-38 Clover/Pactor modem. (Sound cards are not supported).
  Airmail is a program developed specifically for sending messages via HF radio and optimized for low-speed links, not an adaptation of an ordinary email. Airmail is written and supported by Jim Corenman, a cruising sailor who developed the program in an environment that rewarded efficient wireless communications- far from wired Internet connections.
  AirMail is licensed without charge to the amateur radio community and is dedicated to the many sysops who have donated generously of their time and equipment to make the digital ham radio network a reality. Airmail can also be used with other participating systems. Airmail is not ''freeware'' and may not be used for other applications without permission; send an email to Airmail Support (Subject:''Airmail'') for more information.
  More information can be found by following these links:
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