Tag Archives: United States

Featured, Foreign Policy, Hot, International

Clinton Emails: Google Aided State Dept. in Attempt to Overthrow Assad

Mar 21, 2016 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

The latest batch of emails released from the private server of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton show Google officials working with the State Department to promote “defections” in Syria at a time when the United States was looking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The message, which was highlighted by Wikileaks, was sent by Jared Cohen, the head of Google Ideas, to Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns, senior Clinton adviser Alec Ross and Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Jake Sullivan.

[pull_quote_center]Please keep close hold, but my team is planning to launch a tool on Sunday that will publicly track and map the defections in Syria and which parts of the government they are coming from. Our logic behind this is that while many people are tracking the atrocities, nobody is visually representing and mapping the defections, which we believe are important in encouraging more to defect and giving confidence to the opposition.[/pull_quote_center]

Cohen went on to say that once the tool was created, Google planned to give it to Middle Eastern media outlets such as Al-Jazeera to “track the data, verify it, and broadcast it back into Syria.”

[pull_quote_center]Given how hard it is to get information into Syria right now, we are partnering with Al-Jazeera who will take primary ownership over the tool we have built, track the data, verify it, and broadcast it back into Syria. I’ve attached a few visuals that show what the tool will look like. Please keep this very close hold and let me know if there is anything [else] you think we need to account for or think about before we launch. We believe this can have an important impact.[/pull_quote_center]

Cohen sent the email on July 25, 2012, and Sullivan forwarded it to Clinton, calling the tool “a pretty cool idea.”

The Washington Examiner reported that before he was hired to lead Google Ideas in 2010, Cohen “worked as a low-level staffer at the State Department” and was “tied to the use of social media to incite social uprisings,” which included asking Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to “hold off of conducting system maintenance that officials believed could have impeded a brief 2009 uprising in Iran.”

In a Reality Check segment in Nov. 2015, Ben Swann discussed a leaked 2012 document from the Department of Defense, which revealed that the countries opposing Assad’s leadership, including the U.S., wanted a “fundamental Islamic group to take over eastern Syria in order to isolate and overthrow the Syrian President Assad’s regime.”

Reality Check: Proof The U.S. Government Wanted ISIS to Emerge…

A newly released Pentagon document proves that the U.S., Saudis, Qatar and other Gulf states wanted a radical, Islamist, fundamentalist group to emerge in Syria. So why would we trust them to now get rid of ISIS?Learn more: http://bit.ly/1QxhmjG

Posted by Ben Swann on Friday, November 20, 2015

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Featured, Foreign Policy, Government Accountability, International

Syrian al-Qaeda Seizes US-Made Missiles in Fight

Mar 14, 2016 Antiwar.com Leave a comment

by Jason Ditz

Al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing, Jabhat al-Nusra, has turned on one of their traditional allies in Idlib Province, the US-backed Free Syrian Army wing called Division 13, accusing the group of planning to attack its own bases.

Nusra followed this up with attacks on the Division 13 bases, seizing both bases and a number of US-made anti-tank missiles from the group. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a number of FSA fighters were detained.

Nusra dominates the Idlib Province as the head of a coalition of Islamist-leading rebel factions. This coalition includes, or at least included multiple US-backed factions who are recipients of US arms. The US has expressed concern about Russian airstrikes against Idlib, even if targeting al-Qaeda, on the grounds they threaten American allies.

This purge of Division 13 suggests this may soon be a concern of the past, with al-Qaeda apparently looking to further centralize their control over their “emirate” in Idlib, and other US allies in the coalition must likely be sleeping with one eye open tonight.

Editor’s Pick, Foreign Policy, International

Violations Reported, But Syria Ceasefire Mostly Holds

Feb 29, 2016 Antiwar.com Leave a comment

by Jason Ditz

Both Syrian rebels and government allies reported multiple ceasefire violations over the weekend, each blaming the other side for all violations, but by and large the ceasefire held through the weekend, with fighting enormously down from pre-ceasefire levels.

Russia announced late on Saturday that it is grounding all its warplanes in Syrian territory, despite the ceasefire allowing them to continue attacks on ISIS and al-Qaeda targets, saying they didn’t want there to be any “mistakes” to threaten the truce.

The rebels also say that they are going to stick to the ceasefire for the time being, but that they also intend to complain to the United Nations about “Russian violations” and also complained about the US not keeping them more directly involved in the negotiations.

The UN had suggested that if the ceasefire lasted through this first week they are going to attempt to get a new round of peace talks going. Though there are still several days left, the chances look a lot better now than they were expected to be.

The biggest incidents of fighting over the weekend where with parties not directly involved in the ceasefire, as ISIS attacked a major Kurdish-held town, and al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front launched attacks against coastal Latakia.

Featured, Foreign Policy, International

Syrian Rebels Backtrack on Endorsement of Ceasefire

Feb 25, 2016 Antiwar.com Leave a comment

by Jason Ditz

Yesterday, the Syrian rebel faction the “High Negotiations Council” (HNC) announced that it intended to abide by the ceasefire deal announced by the US and Russia. Today, they have backed off of that, saying they support the idea in theory, but haven’t committed to it.

Instead, the group says that they are willing to accept a separate two-week ceasefire as opposed to this open-ended one, to see if everyone is “serious.” They also rejected the idea of Russia being one of the nations negotiating the ceasefire.

The Syrian government has confirmed they are going to abide by the ceasefire, and today the Kurdish YPG also affirmed their intention to go along with the deal. Other rebel factions not part of the Saudi-backed HNC have not gone public about their intentions.

Officials say that factions have until noon Friday to announce whether or not they intend to take part in the ceasefire. It’s not clear what will happen to factions that don’t endorse the deal, though the terms explicitly exclude both ISIS and al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front, meaning fighting will continue against them at least.

Featured, International, US

Iran Releases 10 U.S. Navy Sailors Held for ‘Trespassing’ on Iranian Waters

Jan 13, 2016 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

After allegedly drifting into Iranian waters when their two boats experienced mechanical problems, the 10 U.S. Navy sailors that were being held have been released from the custody of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs Office released a statement claiming that the 10 U.S. Navy sailors were “safely returned to U.S. custody today, after departing Iran,” and that there are “no indications that the sailors were harmed during their brief detention.”

“The sailors departed Farsi Island at 8:43 a.m. GMT, aboard the two Riverine Command Boats that they had been operating when they lost contact with the U.S. Navy,” the statement said. “The sailors were later transferred ashore by U.S. Navy aircraft, while other sailors took charge of the RCBs and continued transiting toward Bahrain, the boats’ original destination. The Navy will investigate the circumstances that led to the Sailors’ presence in Iran.”

As previously reported, the 10 sailors were taken into custody by Iran on Tuesday, when they were traveling from Kuwait to Bahrain when they lost contact with the U.S. Navy near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf. U.S. defense officials said the sailors consisted of nine men and one woman who were traveling in two riverine patrol boats.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who worked closely with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif on the Iran nuclear deal, said he is “very pleased that our Sailors have been safely returned to U.S. hands.”

“As a former Sailor myself, I know the importance of naval presence around the world and the critical work being done by our Navy in the Gulf region,” Kerry said. “I’m proud of our young men and women in uniform and know how seriously they take their responsibilities to one another and to other mariners in distress.”

Vice President Joe Biden said on “CBS This Morning” Wednesday that there was “no apology” given for the two U.S. boats entering Iranian waters, and that Iran realized the sailors “were there in distress and said they would release them and released them like ordinary nations would do.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Biden said. “When you have a problem with the boat you apologize the boat had a problem? No, and there was no looking for any apology. This was just standard nautical practice.”

President Obama has yet to comment publicly on the incident, and he did not mention it during his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Featured, International

Pentagon Claims 10 U.S. Navy Sailors, 2 Boats Taken Into Custody by Iran

Jan 12, 2016 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

The Pentagon claimed that Tehran has promised to return two boats and 10 U.S. Navy sailors who were taken into Iranian custody after their boats experienced mechanical problems and drifted into Iranian waters.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told The Associated Press that the small boats were between Kuwait and Bahrain, near Farsi Island, when they experienced mechanical problems and the U.S. lost contact.

A U.S. defense official said the ten sailors consisted of nine men and one woman who were traveling in two riverine patrol boats.

U.S. officials do not know the exact location of the sailors, but Cook said they have been in contact with Iran and they have been assured that the sailors will be “returned promptly.”

“We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly,” Cook said.

When reporting on the capture, the semi-official Fars news agency reportedly claimed that “these two boats were seized by Revolutionary Guard naval forces near Farsi Island 2 km inside Iranian territorial waters.”

Featured, International, Politics

Russian Defense Ministry Accuses The U.S. of Fighting ISIS ‘In Word Only’

Dec 29, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

The Russian Defense Ministry accused the U.S. of fighting ISIS “in word only, instead of taking real action” after the Pentagon refused to give Russia information on its ISIS targets in Syria unless Russia changes its policy towards Bashar al-Assad.

A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the United States of protecting the Islamic State on Monday, after the Pentagon refused to share information about ISIS targets in Syria.

Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza told Sputnik News on Friday that the U.S. would not “cooperate with Russia on Syria until they change their strategy of supporting Assad and instead focus” on ISIS.

In response, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told TASS that the Pentagon’s statement confirms that the U.S. is fighting ISIS “in word only, instead of taking real action.”

[pull_quote_center]The hackneyed thesis has once again confirmed that the Pentagon will fight against IS in word only, instead of taking real action. The statement by the US Defense Department spokesperson Michelle Baldanza about the refusal from any cooperation in the fight against Islamic State is a broken record, and it’s high time to change it.[/pull_quote_center]

Konashenkov also said that last week General Sergey Rudskoy, the chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff, presented data on changes in the routes of illegal oil transportation by ISIS militants. He claimed that the new routes are in the northwestern regions of Iraq, which “are in the focus of constant attention of the United States.”

Rudskoy said on Friday that based on aerial imagery in the vicinity of Zakho, a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, Russian intelligence has spotted at least “11,775 tankers and trucks on both sides of the Turkish-Iraqi border.”

During the G20 Leaders Summit in Antalya, Turkey, in November, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that ISIS is being financed by 40 different countries. “We have established that financing is coming from 40 countries, including G20 countries,” he said.

While Putin did not list the specific countries he believes are financing ISIS, the “Group of Twenty” includes countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

In March, investigative journalist Ben Swann reported on the origin of ISIS, and he noted that the group grew drastically after it seized Humvees, tanks and weaponry left behind by the U.S. and that even when the U.S. government “became aware that ISIS fighters were capturing U.S. equipment, it did nothing.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kdi1UXxhY

Election, Featured, Foreign Policy

Ted Cruz: The Middle East was Safer Before The U.S. Toppled Hussein, Gaddafi

Dec 11, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) said on Thursday that he believes the Middle East was safer under the regimes of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi than it is now after intervention from the United States.

During an interview with Joe Scarborough on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Cruz said his foreign policy is “the Reagan approach.” He said he promotes “peace through strength,” and he believes the U.S. “should be defending vital national security interests of this country.”

[pull_quote_center]We’ve seen a consistent mistake in foreign policy, we’ve seen Democrats and a lot of establishment Republicans in Washington get involved in toppling Middle Eastern governments, and it ends up benefiting the bad guys. It ends up handing them over to radical Islamic terrorists.[/pull_quote_center]

Scarborough asked whether Cruz believed the Middle East was safer when Saddam Hussein was in power in Iraq and Muammar Gadhafi was in power in Libya, a question Scarborough said he has asked rival Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) along with other Democratic and Republican foreign policy experts.

“Of course it was,” Cruz answered. “That’s not even a close call.”

“Why won’t people say that?” Scarborough replied. “Because I couldn’t even get Rand to say it, but it’s important to admit, is it not, because isn’t this possibly where we’re guided in the future that maybe we don’t topple secular regimes, as offensive as they are.”

Cruz noted the cases of Egypt and Libya where the U.S. toppled dictators and as a result, Islamic terrorists were able to gain power, something he said President Obama along with rival candidates such as Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio promoted.

[pull_quote_center]Then you look at Syria. It seems Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and people like Senator Rubio have not learned the lessons of Libya and Egypt, because what are they trying to do – topple Assad. Now Assad is a bad man, he’s a monster, but if they succeed in toppling Assad, ISIS will take over Syria. It will be worse.[/pull_quote_center]

“My view, instead of getting in the middle of a civil war in Syria, where we don’t have a dog in the fight, our focus should be on killing ISIS,” Cruz said. “Why? Because ISIS has declared war on America. They’re waging jihad. We shouldn’t keep trying to find these mythical moderate rebels, that we keep being told – like the purple unicorn – they’re going to exist, but they turn out to all be jihadists.”

For more election coverage, click here.

Featured, Government Accountability, Politics

Senate Passes Bill Repealing Obamacare Provisions, Defunding Planned Parenthood

Dec 4, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

The United States Senate passed a budget bill on Thursday that aims to repeal several key provisions of the Affordable Care Act and seeks to halt funding to Planned Parenthood.

HR 3762, the “Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015,” would overhaul Obamacare provisions such as the requirement for most people to obtain healthcare coverage, the expansion of Medicaid, and the taxes imposed on income, insurance policies and medical devices that were required to fund Obamacare.

The bill would also put an end to the nearly $450 million given to Planned Parenthood annually. While the Senate did vote on over a dozen amendments to the bill, they rejected two amendments that would have given money to Planned Parenthood.

The Senate also blocked proposals for increased gun control that were pushed after a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, on Wednesday.

Although President Obama has promised to veto the bill, it marks the first time legislation of its kind could make it to the president’s desk without being prevented by Democrats in Congress.

Needing 51 votes to pass, the bill passed in the Senate 52-47, and will go on to the House of Representatives where it is expected to pass, as a similar bill was passed on Oct. 23.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the bill presents Obama with a choice that could lead to “better care” for Americans with his consent.

“President Obama will have a choice,” McConnell said. “He can defend a status quo that’s failed the middle class by vetoing the bill, or he can work toward a new beginning and better care by signing it.”

Healthcare spending topped $3.03 trillion in 2014, up 5.3 percent from 2013, which marked the highest growth since 2007.

In terms of GOP presidential candidates, the bill received the approval of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.), Marco Rubio (R-Fl.) Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) did not vote.

Editor’s Pick, Featured, Foreign Policy, International, US

NATO Unveils Expansion Plans, Invites Montenegro

Dec 3, 2015 Antiwar.com Leave a comment

by Jason Ditz

Far from the Atlantic and not particularly northerly, the tiny Balkan nation of Montenegro has formally been invited today to join NATO, as part of what the alliance is presenting as an ongoing growth strategy. A nation of 600,000 people, Montenegro first made efforts to secure an invite nine years ago.

NATO last expanded in 2009, with the admission of Albania and Croatia. Montenegro is one of four nations that had been actively seeking membership. Among the others, Bosnia and Herzegovina seems the only realistic potential member, as Georgia’s existing territorial disputes would preclude membership and Greece doesn’t want to allow Macedonia in because of their name. Ukraine has also recently talked up seeking membership, but similarly has outstanding territorial disputes.

Russia has objected to NATO’s repeated expansions in the past two decades, with those expansions absorbing the bulk of their former Warsaw Pact allies, and sees the continued expansion as a deliberately provocative move aimed at ultimately “surrounding” Russia.

With its accession, Montenegro will be the third smallest active military within NATO, larger only than Iceland and Luxembourg. With no active warplanes and only two active patrol boats, the addition to the alliance will be trivial to the broader balance of power between NATO and Russia.

Featured, Foreign Policy, International

DoD: Man Held at Guantanamo for 13 Years was ‘Case of Mistaken Identity’

Dec 2, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

Department of Defense officials admitted on Monday that a man who has been held in the United States prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the last 13 years as a suspected al-Qaeda trainer, was held due to a case of mistaken identity.

Mustafa al-Aziz al-Shamiri, 37, has been held as an indefinite detainee at Gitmo since 2002, despite the fact that he was never charged and prosecutors lacked adequate evidence for a trial.

During a panel meeting on Tuesday to evaluate whether al-Shamiri can be released, officials admitted he was actually a low-level Islamist foot soldier from Yemen who was taken into custody because he was confused with someone with a similar name.

In the DoD’s detainee profile on al-Shamiri, referred to as YM-434, it said he “fought in several jihadist theaters and associated with al-Qaida members in Afghanistan,” but also said he did not carry out the terrorist acts that were the basis of his detainment.

[pull_quote_center]It was previously assessed that YM-434 also was an al-Qaida facilitator or courier, as well as a trainer, but we now judge that these activities were carried out by other known extremists with names or aliases similar to YM-434’s.[/pull_quote_center]

In a statement from al-Shamiri’s personal representative, he was described as “cooperative, enthusiastic and supportive,” and his rep noted that he “does have remorse for choosing the wrong path early in life.”

The statement also said al-Shamiri “wants to make a life for himself,” and he is “aware that Yemen is not an option, and he is willing to go to any country that will accept him.”

[RELATD: Judge Orders Release of Guantanamo Force-Feeding Videos]

President Obama, who has promised to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay on numerous occasions, rejected a plan to relocate the prison to U.S. soil, labeling it as too expensive with a price tag of over $600 million, and sent it back for revision.

Foreign Policy, International

Russia Deploys Air Defenses to Syria-Turkey Border

Nov 25, 2015 Antiwar.com Leave a comment

by Jason Ditz

Fuming at the Turkish attack on and destruction of their Su-24 bomber in Syrian airspace, Russia has announced the deployment of significant new air defense equipment to the Syria-Turkey border, including the Moskva guided-missile cruiser, which will park off the coast of Latakia to destroy any “target that may pose danger.”

The Moskva is equipped with anti-aircraft missiles and an air defense system similar to the S-300 systems that are already deployed in some parts of Syria. The Russian Defense Ministry says they are going to cut military contact with Turkey as well in protest over the attack.

The biggest move, however, is likely to be Russia’s announcement that future bombing runs in northern Syria are going to include escorts of fighter jets, a move that is likely to dissuade hasty attacks on the bombers in future incidents along the border.

Turkey maintains that the Russian plane crossed the border, but US officials say they can’t confirm that this was the case, and that the plane was definitely inside Syrian airspace when Turkey attacked it.

Featured, Foreign Policy, Politics

Obama Criticizes Fear of ISIS, Asks Media to ‘Maintain Perspective’

Nov 23, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

During a press conference at a meeting of the United States-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Malaysia on Sunday, Obama maintained his belief that the U.S.-led coalition will defeat the Islamic State. Obama also warned against succumbing to fear of ISIS and called for the media to report in a way that would “maintain perspective” and avoid bolstering terrorism, while calling militants “a bunch of killers with good social media.”

At the conference, Obama began by discussing current relations with Japan, Australia and the Philippines, and said he wanted to talk about a headline that called the trip “Obama’s Asian Distraction?”

“The premise seemed to be that this region was somehow disconnected from pressing global events,” Obama said. “I could not disagree more. This region is not a distraction from the world’s central challenges, like terrorism. The Asia Pacific is absolutely critical to promoting security, prosperity and human dignity around the world.”

Obama noted that for over a year, the U.S. “has built and led a broad coalition,” which consists of 65 nations, against ISIS. However, because of “the frequent focus on America’s leadership of this campaign,” Obama claimed that the contributions of other partners are overlooked.

Obama also noted that “more than 40 countries have now passed or strengthened laws to prevent the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, and 34 nations, including the United States, have arrested foreign terrorist fighters.”

[pull_quote_center]All of which is to say that our coalition will not relent. We will not accept the idea that terrorist assaults on restaurants and theaters and hotels are the new normal – or that we are powerless to stop them. After all, that’s precisely what terrorists like ISIL want, because, ultimately, that’s the only way that they can win. That’s the very nature of terrorism – they can’t beat us on the battlefield, so they try to terrorize us into being afraid, into changing our patterns of behavior, into panicking, into abandoning our allies and partners, into retreating from the world. And as President, I will not let that happen.[/pull_quote_center]

When asked if he would consider Russia being a part of the coalition, Obama said it depends on whether the nation can make a “strategic adjustment.”

“It will be helpful if Russia directs its focus on ISIL, and I do think that as a consequence of ISIL claiming responsibility for bringing down their plane, there is an increasing awareness on the part of President Putin that ISIL poses a greater threat to them than anything else in the region,” Obama said. “The question at this point is whether they can make the strategic adjustment that allows them to be effective partners with us and the other 65 countries who are already part of the counter-ISIL campaign. And we don’t know that yet.”

When asked how Americans should feel about the Islamic State “if they shouldn’t be scared,” Obama said he believes there is a difference “between smart applications of law enforcement and military and intelligence, and succumbing to the kind of fear that leads us to abandon our values.”

Obama noted resilience of Americans in the face of terrorism, and said “once this network is destroyed- and it will be- there may be others that pop up in different parts of the world, and so we’re going to have to continue to take seriously how we maintain the infrastructure that we’ve built to prevent this. But it doesn’t have to change the fundamental trajectory of the American people. And that we should feel confident about.”

Obama went on to say that “the media needs to help in this. I just want to say- during the course of this week, a very difficult week, it is understandable that this has been a primary focus. But one of the things that has to happen is how we report on this has to maintain perspective, and not empower in any way these terrorist organizations or elevate them in ways that make it easier for them to recruit or make them stronger.”

Investigative journalist Ben Swann reported on the origin of ISIS in March, and he noted that while the perception has been created that the group is the “creation of American inaction,” the reality is that they are the “product of direct action.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kdi1UXxhY

Government Accountability, Health, Politics

FDA Approves Genetically Engineered Salmon as ‘Safe to Eat’

Nov 20, 2015 Derrick Broze Leave a comment

Following several years of controversy surrounding the safety of genetically engineered (GE) salmon, the FDA has announced that AquAdvantage salmon is as safe and nutritious to eat as the non-genetically engineered variety.

The FDA stated, “The FDA scientists rigorously evaluated extensive data submitted by the manufacturer, AquaBounty Technologies, and other peer-reviewed data, to assess whether AquAdvantage salmon met the criteria for approval established by law.”

The FDA says the data shows “that the inserted genes remained stable over several generations of fish, that food from the GE salmon is safe to eat by humans and animals, that the genetic engineering is safe for the fish, and the salmon meets the sponsor’s claim about faster growth.”

Assessments of the environmental impact of the GE salmon found that “the approval would not have a significant impact on the environment of the United States.” Critics have long feared that GE salmon might escape from AquaBounty facilities and disrupt salmon in the wild. However, the FDA writes that “the multiple containment measures the company will use in the land-based facilities in Panama and Canada make it extremely unlikely that the fish could escape and establish themselves in the wild.”

Several consumer advocacy and anti-genetic engineering groups condemned the decision. The group Food and Water Watch has launched a petition asking President Obama to overturn the FDA’s approval.

A statement from the Consumers Union reads, “Unfortunately, the evidence of FDA’s evaluation of the AquAdvantage salmon suggests that FDA has set the bar very low.” The group accused the FDA of “sloppy science, small sample sizes, and questionable practices.” The organization also challenged the FDA’s analysis of growth hormone levels in the flesh, accusing the agency of making a decision “despite having no data at all on growth hormone levels due to use of insensitive test methodology.”

The FDA released two guidance documents discussing their position on labeling and outlining what types of voluntary labeling would be accepted for non-GE salmon. The agency said food manufacturers may use phrases like “Not genetically engineered,” “Not genetically modified through the use of modern biotechnology,” and “We do not use Atlantic salmon produced using modern biotechnology.”

Despite the FDA’s decision, AquaBounty has faced criticism and lawsuits for their products. On Tuesday the Guardian reported that several environmental groups are suing the Canadian government in an attempt to end the production of GE salmon eggs. The lawsuit claims AquaBounty is operating a “huge live experiment” with the genes of the wild Atlantic salmon. The Canadian government previously gave AquaBounty permission to create GE salmon eggs in Canada and ship them to Panama to be grown before selling them on the market in the U.S. and Canada.

In April 2013 Food and Water Watch reported:

“When FDA first announced its intent to approve AquaBounty’s application in the fall of 2010, the public sent more than 400,000 comments in opposition. Now that opposition has grown to nearly 1.5 million people.”

The following year Kroger and Safeway, the nation’s two largest grocery chains, announced they would not sell the genetically engineered salmon. The two chains joined Target, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s in their opposition to the GE salmon. So although the FDA has approved the fish for human consumption, it may be unlikely that Americans will encounter the product at their local grocer.

What are your thoughts? Will you eat the GE salmon?

Featured, Foreign Policy, Politics

Clinton, Bipartisan Senators Push for New War Powers Against ISIS

Nov 20, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton joined a bipartisan group of Senators in calling for an updated authorization of military force against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

A possible vote on military authorization would be the first war vote in 13 years, as up until now, President Obama has used the congressional authorizations given to former President George W. Bush during the invasion of Iraq after 9/11.

During a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, on Thursday, Clinton called for a new phase in the war against ISIS, and said she thinks the U.S. should lead the fight.

“It’s time to begin a new phase and intensify and broaden our efforts to smash the would-be caliphate,” Clinton said. “This is a worldwide fight, and America must lead it.”

While Clinton called for the U.S. to increase its efforts to defeat ISIS, she said she does not believe ground troops will be necessary.

“That is just not the smart move to make here,” Clinton said. “If we have learned anything from 15 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s that local people and nations have to secure their own communities. We can help them, and we should, but we cannot substitute for them.”

Instead, Clinton said she thinks the U.S. should send more elite commanders to work with rebel forces. “We may have to give our own troops advising and training the Iraqis greater freedom of movement and flexibility, including embedding in local units and helping target airstrikes,” she said.

Clinton also called for a no-fly zone over Syria. “We should also work with the coalition and the neighbors to impose no-fly zones that will stop Assad from slaughtering civilians and the opposition from the air. Opposition forces on the ground, with material support from the coalition, could then help create safe areas where Syrians could remain in the country, rather than fleeing toward Europe,” Clinton said.

Indicating support for arming Sunni and Kurdish fighters, Clinton said that “Baghdad needs to accept, even embrace, arming Sunni and Kurdish forces in the war against ISIS. But if Baghdad won’t do that, the coalition should do so directly.”

“One thing that I believe we haven’t done yet is make it clear to Baghdad that we are going to be arming Sunni tribes and Kurds if they don’t, because at some point, they have to be in the fight,” she later remarked.

Clinton’s comments come after the Obama administration announced that it was ending the $500 million program training and equipping moderate Syrian rebels in October, after it was ultimately deemed a failure.

On Wednesday, GOP presidential candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) promised to introduce a new Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). He said he believes the U.S. has two choices when it comes to the Islamic State: “fight them in their backyard or fight them in ours.”

“We must allow this President and every future President to do whatever is necessary to destroy ISIL before they hit us here at home,” Graham said. “This authorization will mirror the approach we took against al-Qaeda after 9/11.”

Graham’s measure against ISIS, which he promises to introduce after the Thanksgiving recess, could be as broad as the 2001 AUMF granted to Bush, which justifies U.S. military force anytime, anywhere, against anyone believed to be connected to Al-Qaeda.

On Saturday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, spoke out against the current U.S. strategy, and said she believes “we need to further increase our efforts in Syria and Iraq directly and expand our support to partner nations in other countries” where the Islamic State is operating.

“It has become clear that limited air strikes and support for Iraqi forces and the Syrian opposition are not sufficient to protect our country and our allies,” Feinstein said. “This is a war that affects us all, and it’s time we take real action to confront these monsters who target innocent civilians.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kdi1UXxhY

Drug War, Featured, Politics, US

Wisconsin to Begin Drug Testing Welfare Recipients

Nov 6, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced that he has signed off on the state’s plan to drug test some welfare recipients, which will be implemented on November 9th.

Walker’s office released a statement on Tuesday which said that the program submitted by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families is “another step forward in implementing drug testing of able-bodied adults seeking certain welfare benefits.”

Walker said that the program will apply to “certain able-bodied adults seeking benefits and/or training through Transform Milwaukee, Transitional Jobs, and noncustodial parents in the W-2 program.”

[pull_quote_center]Our 2015-17 State Budget implements common-sense reforms that put in place drug screening, testing, and treatment mechanisms, so we can continue strengthening Wisconsin’s workforce Employers across the state frequently tell me they have good-paying jobs available in high-demand fields, but need their workers to be drug-free. These important entitlement reforms will help more people find family-supporting jobs, moving them from government dependence to true independence.[/pull_quote_center]

Under the new plan, Walker also noted that “individuals who test positive for a controlled substance without a prescription would be eligible for a drug treatment plan.”

While Walker dropped out of the presidential race in September, creating a drug-testing program for welfare recipients was one of the plans he highlighted when he announced his campaign bid in July.

“In Wisconsin, we enacted a program that says that adults who are able to work must be enrolled in one of our job training programs before they can get a welfare check,” Walker said at his campaign launch. “Now, as of the budget I just signed, we are also making sure they can take a drug test.”

Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against top officials at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in July, challenging the federal rules surrounding the U.S. food stamp program known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Federal rules were unclear regarding whether states could legally drug test welfare recipients.

In February, ThinkProgress reported that after looking at similar programs in Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah, it found that the states are spending “hundreds of thousands of dollars to ferret out very few drug users.”

The report noted that according to statistics, while the states collectively have spent nearly $1 million on the drug-testing efforts, welfare applications test positive for drugs at a rate of 0.002 percent to 8.3 percent, which is lower than the national drug use rate of 9.4 percent.

Featured, Foreign Policy, International

Intel Points to ISIS Bomb on Russian Plane

Nov 5, 2015 Antiwar.com Leave a comment

by Jason Ditz

Saturday’s crash of a Russian airliner, killing 224 people on board, is being called a probable bombing by several nations, citing intelligence gathered on internal ISIS communications. The U.S. said they had no specific intelligence prior to the incident but saw a flurry of activity in Sinai in the lead-up to the bombing.

British officials similarly confirmed their belief that the crash was likely caused by a bombing, and were the first of several nations to announce today that they are halting all flights into the Sinai Peninsula for the time being. The US isn’t banning flights, but is warning embassy employees to avoid the Sinai Peninsula pending further investigation.

Russian government officials are refusing to offer any confirmation for the reports, though the plane’s owner, Metrojet, is attributing the incident to an “external impact,” saying they are ruling out technical malfunction as a cause of the crash. Egypt’s military junta, most stubbornly, is refusing to increase security at the Sharm el-Sheikh airport in Sinai, insisting there is no proof that the plane was downed by terrorism.

That may be very much beside the point now, however, as Egypt’s tourism industry, already reeling since the 2013 military coup, seems certain to suffer another major blow with the loss of a major plane full of tourists, particularly in a likely terror attack.

ISIS affiliates in Sinai took credit for downing the plane almost immediately after it happened, though this claim was quickly dismissed by Russian and Egyptian officials as improbable. U.S. officials, however, are now saying they intercepted private communications, which, in addition to their public claims, suggest they had something to do with the bombing.

U.S. military satellites also detected a single “heat flash” before the plane crashed, likely an explosion. Though initially there was no way to tell if this was an accidental explosion or a bombing, the smart money now seems to be on the latter.

Police Accountability, US

Officer in Student Assault Investigation Accused of Pepper Spraying Vet in 2005

Oct 27, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

The South Carolina deputy who is under investigation after videos circulated online showing him assaulting a female student in a classroom has a history of violence, according to a man who said he was assaulted by the officer in 2005.

Carlos Martin, a 36-year-old Army veteran, told New York Daily News that he filed a lawsuit against Ben Fields, the officer identified in the videos, after he was allegedly assaulted by Fields on Oct. 24, 2005.

Martin said that he had recently moved to Columbia, South Carolina, and was working at the Moncrief Army Community Hospital at Fort Jackson.

Fields, who had been responding to a separate complaint at the apartment complex Martin resided in, reportedly confronted Martin about playing loud music in his car.

Martin told the New York Daily News that an argument ensued, and Fields “snapped” after Martin called him “dude,” and slammed Martin on the ground.

Martin said Fields went on to use pepper spray on him and ended up using the entire can, which Martin said he was able to resist because of his military training. “He became even more violent because I didn’t react like most people would,” Martin explained.

Martin also said that his wife at the time, Tashiana Rogers, witnessed the assault, and came to the scene to take pictures with her cellphone. Martin claimed Fields told his partner to “get her black ass,” and the officer responded by taking Rogers’ phone and deleting the pictures.

Martin said that although he filed a lawsuit against Fields, and criminal charges against Martin and Rogers were ultimately dropped, it took four years for Martin’s case to go to trial. During that time, he was labeled as a criminal in the military. The lawsuit was eventually dropped due to lack of evidence of excessive force.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott announced on Monday that he requested the FBI launch an independent investigation into Fields’ actions at Spring Valley High School. Federal authorities confirmed on Tuesday that both the FBI and the DoJ have opened a civil rights probe into the arrest to determine if federal law was broken.

Featured, Politics, US

House Freedom Caucus Opposes Paul Ryan’s Terms for House Speaker

Oct 22, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

The House Freedom Caucus ensured that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) would have the support to secure the position of Speaker of the House next week following a vote on Wednesday night.

However, while Ryan did receive two-thirds of the vote, he did not receive the 80 percent required for an endorsement, and the group stated that it would not accept all of his terms for Speaker.

After the meeting, Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) said, “We are not meeting all his demands, but if he wants to be speaker, he has the votes as of tonight.”

Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) shared a similar sentiment, regarding the group’s support for Paul. “We are sending the message to the conference and Paul Ryan that he has our support, but that we will continue to ask for the changes that we are asking for,” he said.

Following the vote, Ryan posted a statement on this Twitter, thanking the House Freedom Caucus for its support:

[pull_quote_center]I’m grateful for the support of a supermajority of the House Freedom Caucus. I look forward to hearing from the other two caucuses by the end of the week, but I believe this is a positive step toward a unified Republican team.[/pull_quote_center]

Paul’s run for Speaker of the House comes after Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced that he was stepping down, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the assumed replacement, dropped out of the race.

TIME noted that Ryan has given five main conditions to run for Speaker of the House, including that the Speaker should be a visionary who communicates the party agenda; the speaker will only concede to rules changes if the entire conference agrees; there will be no motions to vacate the chair; he must have free time to spend with his family; and everyone in the conference must vote for him.

Ryan’s condition for “family time” has drawn criticism due to the fact that during his time as a Representative, Ryan has opposed nearly every federal policy on paid family leave.

Foreign Policy, International

Justin Trudeau Vows to End Canadian Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria

Oct 21, 2015 Rachel Blevins Leave a comment

Canada’s prime minister-elect Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that he plans to end Canadian airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria by withdrawing the nation’s fighter jets from the U.S.-led mission.

A day after winning Canada’s federal election, the liberal candidate and son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau said he spoke to President Obama on the phone regarding the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, climate change, the Keystone XL pipeline, and removing Canadian fighter jets from the fight against ISIS.

“About an hour ago I spoke with President Obama, and we talked about Canada’s continued engagement as a strong member of the coalition against ISIL,” Trudeau said. “I committed that we would continue to engage in a responsible way that understands how important Canada’s role is to play in the fight against ISIL, but he understands the commitments I’ve made about ending the combat mission.”

While ending airstrikes in Iraq and Syria has been a part of Trudeau’s campaign, he has also pledged to keep the current Canadian military trainers in place.

The Guardian reported that Canada “currently has six CF-18 fighter jets taking part in the US-led bombing campaign,” that were due to remain in the region until March 2016, as well as “70 special forces troops to train Kurds in northern Iraq.”

When asked about the timeline he has planned for removing the fighter jets, Trudeau did not give an exact date. “We will be moving forward with our campaign commitments in a responsible fashion,” he replied. “We want to ensure that the tradition is done in an orderly fashion.”

CBC News noted that Trudeau’s plan for removing fighter jets caters to Canada’s Liberal party’s desire to “provide more humanitarian aid in Iraq and Syria” and to have Canada’s military “involved in training missions, not bombing missions.“

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Tag Archives: United States

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Syrian Rebels Backtrack on Endorsement of Ceasefire

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Pentagon Claims 10 U.S. Navy Sailors, 2 Boats Taken Into Custody by Iran

Russian Defense Ministry Accuses The U.S. of Fighting ISIS ‘In Word Only’

Ted Cruz: The Middle East was Safer Before The U.S. Toppled Hussein, Gaddafi

Senate Passes Bill Repealing Obamacare Provisions, Defunding Planned Parenthood

NATO Unveils Expansion Plans, Invites Montenegro

DoD: Man Held at Guantanamo for 13 Years was ‘Case of Mistaken Identity’

Russia Deploys Air Defenses to Syria-Turkey Border

Obama Criticizes Fear of ISIS, Asks Media to ‘Maintain Perspective’

FDA Approves Genetically Engineered Salmon as ‘Safe to Eat’

Clinton, Bipartisan Senators Push for New War Powers Against ISIS

Wisconsin to Begin Drug Testing Welfare Recipients

Intel Points to ISIS Bomb on Russian Plane

Officer in Student Assault Investigation Accused of Pepper Spraying Vet in 2005

House Freedom Caucus Opposes Paul Ryan’s Terms for House Speaker

Justin Trudeau Vows to End Canadian Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria

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