More Tax Dollars Going to the Middle East

By marinevetforfreedom on August 28, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Votes

The U.S. government will fund $313 million in home mortgages for Palestinians living on the West Bank, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Monday.
The U.S. will also guarantee $110 million in loans to small- and medium-sized businesses located on the West Bank.
The mortgage and business-loan activities will be conducted by the federal Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).
“OPIC is the U.S. Government’s development finance institution,” says OPIC’s website. “OPIC provides financial products, such as loans and guaranties; political risk insurance; and support for investment funds, all of which help American businesses expand into emerging markets.”
Let me tell you right now how it is not the responsibility of the United States to give loans or finance another country’s mortgage industry.  This is not acceptable use of the money hardworking taxpayers make.
I understand that we want to look like a good guy around the world, but with a staggering 17 trillion dollars in debt, we cannot afford to help with such matters.  It is time that we start decreasing our spending and paying down our debt.
This is just one more example of poor use of the money by our government.

Pentagon makes civilians fair game by changing drone rules of engagement

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Although not covered often by the corporate media, many Americans have learned the consequences of unmanned drone warfare and the collateral damage that occurs when innocent civilians are killed while trying to take out a specific target.  According to a recent report from a human rights organization dedicated to monitoring drone warfare, an estimated 27% of all casualties incurred by U.S. led strikes are on civilians and verified non-combatants.
Yet, to the Obama administration and Department of Defense, this collateral damage is considered acceptable, and in a new report by the Pentagon, rule changes to drone usage will now allow operators to only attempt to ‘avoid’ civilians during their missions, rather than the previous rule of ‘ensuring’ they are not killed or injured.

The Pentagon has loosened its guidelines on avoiding civilian casualties during drone strikes, modifying instructions from requiring military personnel to “ensure” civilians are not targeted to encouraging service members to “avoid targeting” civilians.
Administration officials say the strikes are legal because the U.S. is at war with al Qaeda and its associates.  - Washington Times via  Liberty Blitzkrieg blog

The use of unmanned drones to conduct aerial strikes has been controversial, especially in light of the fact that the U.S. has used them to destroy terrorists and perceived enemy combatants in countries that are considered our allies.  Additionally, the Obama Administration has denied reports made by foreign leaders of the collateral damage these strikes have caused, and which have led to the death of many civilians.  Over time, these denials are threatening  America’s partnership in the War on Terror, and in our alliances for eradicating Al Qaeda insurgencies.
The United States has never declared war on any nation state since they created the ideological ‘War on Terror’, and as such, many believe the U.S. is acting in a rogue manner, violating numerous international laws in their quest to assert their National Security policies.  Thus the continuous attacks on human targets deemed to be enemies in that ideological war are being done with few boundaries, and with a justification that killing innocent civilians is simply the cost of doing business to protect the mission of the Department of Defense.

Read more at http://www.secretsofthefed.com/pentagon-makes-civilians-fair-game-changing-drone-rules-engagement/#0MjSXqwg6M96vZwW.99