U.S. Treasury Secretary: we have succeeded in drying the sources of funding for al-Qaeda

U.S. Treasury Secretary: we have succeeded in drying the sources of funding for al-Qaeda

Assistant Obama: Saudi Arabia, UAE Two models Pioneers in cooperation with the U.S. to combat terrorism

Washington: the gift of the divine
Witnessed a seminar combating the financing of terrorism, which was hosted by the U.S. Treasury Department focused on the methods of terrorist organizations in the search for new sources of funding, through kidnapping tourists for ransom and bank robberies, drug trafficking and human beings. The seminar focused on the political aspects of the organizations to cut off funding for the United States considers a terrorist, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which are funded by Iran. The participants said that the change of the political system in Iran and the fall of the current regime is the only way to cut off funding for Hamas and Hezbollah.

While participants praised the cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia in the field of control of funds and the establishment of a committee to monitor the Zakat funds and cut the road for the arrival of charitable donations in the hands of terrorists, the participants commended the efforts of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, in this area, pointing out that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE was a model a pioneer in the field of financial transparency and cutting sources of funding for terrorist organizations in the field of rehabilitation of the radicals, while calling for both Kuwait and Qatar to issue laws and legislation to criminalize the granting of funds to terrorist organizations.

The U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner that the attacks of 11 September 2001, there was a brutal, sophisticated and well-funded, and «That's what made us understand the complexity of the (Al-Qaeda) and other terrorist organizations, and to combat terrorism more effectively, because it is different from traditional military threats, and so by disrupting terrorists' ability to fund their operations ». The strategy of the Office of obstruction financing networks of terrorist organizations in his ministry, which was established after the attacks of September atheist, saying: «It depends on four basic things which intelligence work and the imposition of sanctions and cooperation with partners and international allies and the involvement of the private sector in order to identify donors, financiers and brokers involved in supporting terrorist organizations, in order to disable their ability to fund these organizations ».

Geithner said that the team led by David Cohen and Danny Glaser and Leslie Ireland and Adam Szubin and Jim Freeze develop a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism and disrupt networks financing terrorism, and restrict the activities of those who finance terrorism and to impose sanctions on them, have succeeded these sanctions to deter donors of terrorism all over the world. Geithner and used the proverb Thusaidayds Greek historian, who said: «The war is not about weapons as they relate to money», stressing the importance of discussing how draining sources of funding for terrorist organizations. He pointed out that a senior al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan, has said that without the money stops «jihad». The Geithner effectiveness of international cooperation and the provision of intelligence from allies and partners in the fight against terrorism, and said: «The international cooperation enhances the effectiveness of this work in addition to cooperation with multilateral institutions, including the Group of Twenty, to focus on combating the financing of terrorism; either through the adoption of new standards or through popular support for increased financial transparency ».

He focused U.S. Treasury Secretary on the importance of the role played by the private sector in combating the financing of terrorism as a partner of the national governments, and said: «The vigilance of financial institutions to identify and block money for terrorist activities enhances our ability to eliminate terrorism».

Geithner stressed that «thanks to the implementation of this strategy over the past ten years, the entities that finance terrorism have become restricted in movement and to facilitate the financing of terrorism, and it has become difficult to get away with it, and the funds are destined for terrorism is shrinking». He pointed out that «However, the al-Qaida struggles to secure stable funding, and will continue to look for ways to gain access to funding, and we will continue to develop innovative and effective strategies to stop them and search for the best ways to defeat them. Have demonstrated our efforts over the past decade the value of a strong focus on finance, and became the Treasury Department is an integral part of the structure of U.S. national security, and expanded the options available to the president to respond to threats ».

The adviser said the U.S. President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan that «after the killing of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda leader, has organized many of the pimp, was arrested on a number of leaders, and filtering units of the organization, but that will not stop the threats (base) and attempts to do attacks in the Middle East, Africa and Asia through other independent terrorist groups, but they follow the agenda (base) ».

He Brennan that the activities of these terrorist groups tended to kidnap tourists, and doing criminal activities, such as drug smuggling and trafficking in human beings in order to obtain sources of funding, and «may we issued in June last year, a strategy the Obama administration to combat terrorism in order to defeat (the base ), and one of our means to cut off funding for the organization and impose sanctions on organizations that are involved in the provision of funding, and cooperation with other countries and international organizations and bodies to put pressure on the (base), There is no doubt that we made it difficult for al Qaeda to get up and move and brings money to try to attack the U.S. United », he stressed:« (Al-Qaeda) have become financially weak ». The Brennan to successful cooperation with a number of partners in the Arab region, he said, «was our cooperation fruitful with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the drying sources of financing al-Qaeda, but unfortunately, not all governments in the region with the same commitment, and we are with these governments to do Adapted decisively against the financing of terrorist organizations ».

Brennan pointed to discussions by President Obama with a number of heads of states on the terrorist networks with the kidnapping and drug trafficking to obtain the means to finance the fiscal.

The Deputy Secretary of the Treasury for the fight against terrorism and financial intelligence David Cohen: «The Office of Financial Intelligence (TFI), succeeded in denying al-Qaeda and terrorists all over the world from the financial capabilities to work, by working with the international banking community».

He said Cohen that al-Qaeda and faced the worst financial crisis in 2010, and became a financial position to «Al-Qaeda» unstable, affecting the ability of the organization to work, and emphasizes the intelligence that al-Qaeda is dedicated attention and a great effort to raise funds and management of the budget and the costs of running the organization in terms of weapons and fuel and salaries ».

He explained Cohen that «the picture provided by the intelligence to al-Qaida, including news, good and bad, is that the global efforts to disrupt the financing of al-Qaeda began to bear fruit, but the enemy has the ability to adapt and innovate, and are beginning to see sought by terrorist groups to raise funds through kidnapping for ransom» and confirmed Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the United States continues to put pressure on al-Qaeda organization and disable networks and track down and kill senior leaders, such as Abu Yahya al-Libi, who was killed last month, and Younis Mauritanian who was arrested by Pakistani authorities a few days ago.

Cohen stressed that «the strategy is also meant the main line of financial funding for al-Qaeda, which runs from Kuwait and Qatar through Iran to Pakistan, and is based on an agreement between al-Qaeda and the Iranian government to allow this network to operate within the borders of Iran».

He accused Cohen, Kuwait, Qatar, they have become a permissive environment with the collection of donations to fund extremism, and said: «Although Qatar enacted a law to combat the financing of terrorism a year ago, it lagged behind the implementation, while Kuwait remains the only country in the Gulf, which did not criminalize the financing of terrorism, and this approach by Kuwait and Qatar, poses a threat to them and all of us, and we will continue to work with Kuwait and Qatar to take the necessary steps ».

Cohen stressed increased efforts in the fight against financial support networks of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the youth movement in Africa. And control their use of the increasing kidnapping and ransom, and soon became the source of funding for important al-Qaeda and its branches, said: «We have information that al-Qaeda got tens of millions of dollars since 2008 through kidnappings and ransom in operations in Africa.

Obama and radical Islam

From the site "Anformatziony Coretta" Italian 08/11/2013 By Zvi Matzal Translation: Marwa Mustafa Islam is still spreading in the United States, and jihadist organizations in Europe and the world, fighting for the imposition of the word of God, however, President Obama Egypt to follow a policy of "appeasement" with Islam, despite the many failures. It is worth mentioning that the Algerian writer Liberal famous "Boualem Sansal" recently announced that it has been terrorizing the result of growing terrorism, which occurred during the last ten years by Islam in Europe, on the one hand because the peoples of Europe have done nothing to reduce this phenomenon, on the other hand because the Arab countries The Islamic done everything in its power to prevent the penetration of Muslims in the country that host them, just as barricaded themselves from modernity, noted that radical Islamic organizations operating in the Internet sites to launch terrorist campaigns, and are Saudi Arabia, UAE funded the construction of mosques and Islamic centers in all parts of Europe, either directly or Through the power of business to them and influence. In America, where there are Muslims less, is the spread of radical Islam less visible there, however, efforts intensified; since there are hundreds of organizations that promote radical Islam among Muslim communities, who is active in terrorism busy criticizing Islam (and that with a charge of fear of Islam or the so-called Bvobaa Islam). In Europe and America, were confiscated documents to prove transfers of assets and capital of illegally extremist organizations that work on the spread of the thought of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West .. All this proves to those who have been abstinent for delivery so that the Muslim Brotherhood has a goal, namely to weaken the government from the inside in order to dominate the Western states. Based on these documents, the group has exploited the advantages of the democratic foundations to preempt criticism in the media and universities, while the incursion members in important positions in the U.S. government; Recently highlighted on the list of the names of high-level officials who are bound together by a relationship Brotherhood in Some sensitive sites the U.S. government. It is reported that there are many Islamic schools accept students the possibility of non-Muslims in order to guide them to Islam. In recent times, announced that one of the primary schools in the city of "Manhattan" that the American study the Arabic language it is compulsory to move to the next semester. Thus, we are still helping the rise of Islamic Thought in the world, which is the result of a tragic closely failure of the application of modernity in the Islamic country with a sense of logical disappointment and frustration, which falls in, especially since the elevation of Sharia and Islam as another religion celestial learned as well as from the cradle, and the whole world prompt to become a Muslim, wherever it was, while discovering young Muslims live under poverty and underdevelopment, Social and Scientific .. All of this explains the charm of terrorist organizations such as the "Al Qaeda" advocated by reference to life in accordance with the law as it was in the era of the Prophet Muhammad only one who can restore pride and glory of Islam . Hence, President Obama decided not to evaluate the weight of this trend in the world today, although its roots religious and political, economic and psychological depth; quickly decided to revive the relationship "calm" with Islam Once that became president. Although the result is unsuccessful, it is still at the heart of his policy, as they appear efforts to reach an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program. In his inaugural speech in January 2009, said the contribution of Islam in the development of the United States before they mention the contribution of Judaism. A few months later, he went to Ankara and Cairo, where he spoke for the Islamic countries, saying: "I've made here to Cairo to seek a new beginning gathering between America and the Muslim world based on mutual respect and mutual interests, bearing in mind that America and Islam are not competing with each other, but Conversely, they participate in the main principles of justice and progress, tolerance and dignity toward all human beings. " Unfortunately say every Muslim that this is not true; since the democracy and Islam Mtnafran and rhetoric severe does not change the fact; democracy is based on free and fair elections, where the members of the legislatures to enact laws, while the Sharia unequivocally law is the only law of God, which forbids clearly the establishment of parties political. In this context, it is noteworthy that the Muslim Brotherhood - who did not have a party that fell Mubarak - who founded the party, when it absorbed the chance to seize power in a democratic way, which is to choose to condemn the "Al Qaeda" as "the purity of Islam." In Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which are governed by the law, there are no elected legislatures, but it is an Islamic Shura Council who have given the reins of power in his hand. On the other hand, there are elected parliaments in some Arab countries ruled by military Anqlabion, but as an interface to show the false democracy of the West. The so-called "Arab Spring" has seen the fall of some dictatorial regimes, and the way was declared elections led to the arrival of the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Tunisia and Egypt, supported by the West, who greeted and welcomed this change as a matter of pragmatic and more recently, while he was then the basic rule the escalation of extremist Islam in the twentieth century, which breathe life into jihadist organizations; note that the Brotherhood was frankly calls for the return of the Islamic caliphate. It is hard to see the principles of "tolerance and dignity of all people" in Islam; religion he calls and Balalo greatness and all other religions, and women are less than men and control on Muslims to kill apostates and corporal punishments such as cutting off the hands awesome .. It is true that some changes have taken place recently and that the law is not being monitored in a comprehensive manner, but the basic legislation and what remains of a dare to propose new explanations fit the facts .. It's been taboo in the eleventh century after long discussions. In a plan to "calm" Obama's, important emerging feature of significance, namely the prevention of the use of expressions such as "radical Islam" and "military Islamist" and "Islamic terrorism or Jihadist" in 2010. In this context, he said, "John Brennan" - former national security adviser who was a specialist counter-terrorism (which is currently the President of the "CIA") - said he no longer was a need to go to the enemies of America Kaljhadian or Islamists because "Jihad is a holy war aimed at achieving the purity and purity based on legitimate purpose. " Thus, the distribution of brochures recently been pivotal new ideas on institutions and intelligence to fight terrorism. There is no reason to say that the terrorist organizations announced loudly that she was acting on behalf of and according to Islam. Later, Obama proposed to open a dialogue with the Taliban in Afghanistan, serious jihadist organization that led to the destruction of the country and the destruction of the Buddha statues famous because they were replicas of people, which is banned by the law. It should be noted that this request was a remarkable dialogue of most countries of the world, especially the Afghan president as a point of weakness. On the other hand he was convicted before its inception, despite the fact that Qatar agreed to the possibility of establishing a headquarters for the Taliban in Doha (an offer was turned down). In any case, it was the failure of Obama's policy in Egypt mistake; since America has tried in various ways to support and sustain the Muslim Brotherhood. According to an article published in the journal "New York Times" on 4/2/2011 before dropping Mubarak several days, the White House expressed its desire in the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the new government. For its part, announced that former Secretary of State "Hillary Clinton" in the thirtieth of June of the same year, saying: "We welcome the Muslim Brotherhood who want to dialogue with us," official sources also expressed the U.S. government for its willingness to expand relations with the Muslim Brotherhood. This is not the first relationship; In the fifties there was an incident task; since I tried the "CIA" The use of the Muslim Brotherhood in the fight against the Soviet Union "agnostic", when he met with the president, "Eisenhower" in the Washington delegation on the head with "Happy Ramadan," the secretary-founder of the group " Hassan al-Banna. " In 2009, he declared, "Nicole Champion" head "Egypt Office" in the U.S. administration to the newspaper "Al Masry Al Youm" that "the United States has conducted a dialogue with the Muslim Brotherhood," but refused to disclose its contents. There were encounters multiple, but it is not serious; What happened to U.S. President established a confidential relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood after Mubarak's fall: first because he was convinced that they are political power only true on the Egyptian arena, and secondly because he would like to establish a new relationship between America and Islam, especially and that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, he has close ties with the Brotherhood, and maybe it was a decisive factor in the matter, taking into account that these relations were public after remarks "Hillary", noted that the Egyptian media discussed the long political and financial support presented by the American Brotherhood. Following the election, "Marina" president of Egypt, showed "Anne Patterson," former U.S. ambassador in Cairo support on several occasions, which aroused and angered Egyptians many and when they visited the "Hillary" Egypt in July 2012, has been tossed her car with tomatoes, while protesters carried banners were condemns the attitude of America refused activists revolutionary movements - who toppled Mubarak - to meet her. Notes that the U.S. administration did not fall aid, when reinforced "Marina" Islamic dictatorship, despite mounting opposition in the country. Before several days of large demonstrations in the thirtieth of June 2013 and the arrest of "Marina", has taken "Anne Patterson" funny position of the opposition. For its part, wasted no time in America and oppose announcement of the arrest, but she described as a military coup; resulting in the express desire to cut off all aid to Egypt. After several weeks, Obama chose a compromise and avoid "temporarily" for the part of the military aid it needs Egypt strongly to fight Islamic terrorism in the Sinai and the armed attacks of the president's supporters isolated, which was considered by the Egyptians insult and a blow to Egypt, which has been for decades a loyal ally of America. Thus, become anti-American sentiment overwhelming, while the new government went to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to win financial aid, and in the meantime, and for the purchase of military equipment, was presented the proposal to go to Russia and China. Thus, we can say that America may have hurt herself. For his part, is still the new regime in Egypt is fighting the Muslim Brotherhood, who represent radical Islam; which is also considered the interests of the U.S., and that this system is looking for the establishment of close ties with the West, which turned his back, which is destabilizing the Middle East and other allies of the United States - such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE - are unaware of the aims of America. On the other hand, the position of Syria, Obama is not feasible, and the tour, "John Kerry" current area represents a very anticipated effort to heal the rift. There is no doubt that there are all good motives to believe that the next step in the policy of "appeasement" with Islam, will result in a vague agreement with Iran that will not stop its nuclear program to purchase nuclear materials at all levels. Of course, this agreement will satisfy Israel or Saudi Arabia or the Gulf States, and Turkey, not Egypt. In any case, it could push the Middle East into a race for nuclear weapons, and is not considered a threat to the region, but the entire world. For his part, Obama honestly search for ways to make a new dialogue with Muslim countries, but he did not understand the nature of Islam, so it was completely wrong from the beginning, and the result will be disastrous. It is worth mentioning that anti-American sentiment is still running high and allies underlings current state of anxiety. Finally, comes to mind several questions: What happened to all that? Are you exhausted America after the war in Iraq and Afghanistan? Do you think Obama's actually the possibility to reach a compromise with radical Islam? Or is the Middle East is no longer of interest from America, because it produces oil, thanks to new stores, and then they are no longer dependent on the region?.

Facebook keeps track of every message you type – even ones you don’t post

By Brad Reed on Dec 13, 2013 at 4:35 PM

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Everyone social network user has at some point typed something they knew they’d regret sharing and has promptly erased it before clicking “post.” However, Slate’s Jennifer Golbeck reports that these discarded thoughts don’t completely disappear — rather, Facebook uses a code that keeps track of every time you delete a would-be message and sends metadata about that message back to its own data bases.
Just what is Facebook doing with information on these non-posts, you ask? Golbeck cites a new research paper written by Facebook data scientist Adam Kramer and Carnegie Mellon Ph.D. student Sauvik Das that examines the reasons for Facebook users’ “self-censorship” and takes a look at millions of users’ “aborted status updates, posts on other people’s timelines, and comments on others’ posts.”
Facebook isn’t keeping a database on all these non-posts’ contents, mind you — it’s simply keeping a record of all the data surrounding self-censored posts such as what time it was almost posted and whether it was set to be posted on a friend’s page or on the user’s own page. Kramer and Das say that Facebook wants to understand all the reasons that people decide against posting because the company “loses value from the lack of content generation” every time a would-be post gets the axe.
“Consider, for example, the college student who wants to promote a social event for a special interest group, but does not for fear of spamming his other friends — some of who may, in fact, appreciate his efforts,” the authors write in explaining their interest in self-censoring behavior.
Golbeck concludes that Facebook’s desire to get users to post absolutely everything that comes into their heads is somewhat perverse because the company is essentially encouraging its users to lower the standards of what they share with their friends.
“So Facebook considers your thoughtful discretion about what to post as bad, because it withholds value from Facebook and from other users,” she writes. “Facebook monitors those unposted thoughts to better understand them, in order to build a system that minimizes this deliberate behavior.”

Nelson Mandela Family Finally Gives Up Charade and Admits Mandela Died in June

Thursday, December 12, 2013 22:29

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Funeral was planned a year ago

Added by Rebecca Savastio

The Nelson Mandela family has finally given up their charade and admitted that Nelson Mandela is dead by announcing today that the former leader of South Africa is no longer with us. The charade began in June of 2013, and Guardian Express has maintained Mandela has been deceased since we were informed of his passing in June via one of our reporters embedded in South Africa. 

That reporter had received a text message from her close friend who works for the South African News which stated that Mandela had died the night prior. Since June, The Guardian Express has come under attack; first from a “denial of service” attack which shut the site down on and off for three days right after we published the news that Mandela had died. That denial of service attack was traced back to South Africa.

The Guardian Express was also attacked by people denying that the Nelson Mandela family was carrying on a charade. However, we stood by and continue to stand by our account that Mandela was declared permanently brain dead with total organ failure in June of 2013. Now, today, the family has finally decided to give up their charade.

We sent an additional reporter to South Africa who returned with an audio recording of two top government officials confirming the fact that Mandela was totally brain dead and was declared so on June 11. However, his family refused to turn off the life support machines hooked up to his body. Thus, the family could keep him artificially “alive.” Their motive? To settle a huge lawsuit against Mandela’s estate.

It was revealed that Mandela’s family was suing him for control of his estate and since it is impossible to sue a dead person, it seems Mandela had to be kept “alive” with machines until a resolution could be found for the lawsuit.  Thus far, there is no word on whether that lawsuit had been settled, but there are already many speculations in the press that this announcement today will begin the battles over the Mandela estate afresh.

The Mandela daughters and granddaughters have shown a good deal of greed when it comes to Mandela’s legacy. It has been reported that their fighting over his money got so bad that Mandela “lost faith” in his daughters and worried that their concern over money was overshadowing their concern for family harmony.

The Mandela funeral was planned a year in advance, according to reports. The funeral date is set for December 14 and there is a comprehensive schedule of events leading up to that date. Stay tuned to Guardian Express for complete funeral coverage. The Mandela family has finally given up their charade which they have been carrying on since June and have admitted the great former South African leader is dead. As we have wished him since June, may he rest in peace.

http://guardianlv.com/2013/12/nelson-mandela-family-finally-gives-up-charade-and-admits-mandela-dead/

The Tap Blog is a collective of like-minded researchers and writers who've joined forces to distribute information and voice opinions avoided by the world's media.

Source: http://the-tap.blogspot.com/2013/12/nelson-mandela-family-finally-gives-up.html

TV Correspondent In Japan: I’ve Come Across Terrible Information (Video)

Friday, December 13, 2013 9:01

Joël Legendre, RTL foreign correspondent: My question is about guidelines, but also health impacts (repeats phrase to translator) health, sanitary, health. I heard recently terrible information about how doctors and local and regional authorities – prefectures, city halls — do not, repeat do not, provide information to the mothers who are trying to make tests for their children about thyroid risk. They are not receiving information from the doctors. There is no information about the exact contamination that is not only spreading on Tohoku, but also on Tokyo. And I would like to know, well there’s so many examples I’m not going to talk about it. But, could you tell us about a time when you were Prime Minister, and if you make a comparison today with what you have with Abe, what type of instruction do you give to the prefectures to the point we can believe that doctors can’t tell the truth to their patients? And are you worried about the future sanitary [health] situation in this country, which apparently is much more risky than what we see on Japanese television.
Naoto Kan, Japan Prime Minister during 3/11: I’m sorry, in regard to the question that you raise, I do not have any specific information.
This is not new to us but apparently some foks in japan still don’t believe that there is a cover up even after the secrecy bill was passed.  Welcome to reality.  -Mort


Naoto Kan: "What light can the former PM shed on the future of the anti-...: http://youtu.be/Oii6OkVBLcQ via @youtube

Rep. Tom Rice: Resolution Would Allow Him to Take President to Court

Friday, 13 Dec 2013 10:01 PM

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Rep. Tom Rice — the South Carolina lawmaker who's drafted a resolution to take President Barack Obama to court for tweaking the Affordable Care Act without congressional approval — says he wants to serve the commander-in-chief notice that he can't selectively enforce the law.

"The resolution just requires a vote of the House, it doesn't even require a vote of the Senate … to bring a lawsuit against the president for violation of Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution, which requires that he take care to faithfully execute the laws of the land," Rice, a Republican, told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.

Story continues below video.



"He can't pick and choose which laws he wants to enforce. He has to enforce all of the laws," Rice said.

Obama roiled many Republicans when he delayed the employer mandate for a year and made other changes to the healthcare law without first seeking approval on Capitol Hill.

"The president is someone who will continue to press until he finds the line, and we're going to try to push back a little bit," Rice said.

"I don't think it's a slam dunk either way, but the legal experts that I conferred with before I did this — and I've been working on this for months — came to the conclusion that this is a legitimate question for the courts …"

"Many of the steps the president has taken are certainly outside of his authority. Things like extending, unilaterally, the employer mandate for a year, things like allowing the 'substandard insurance policies' to continue to be issued for a year …"

He said House action against a president is not unprecedented.

"The House has brought institutional suits to enforce subpoenas where the executive branch has ignored subpoenas in the past," he said.

"It was determined in those cases that we had what's called institutional standing. There's never been a case like this, and we're looking forward to prosecuting it.''

Lawmakers Assemble At Mount Vernon To Discuss Constitutional Convention

December 12, 2013 by NewsEditor 9 Comments

At a time when the federal government appears truly broken, state lawmakers have assembled to reclaim the power vested in the states by calling for a convention of the states as a means of creating constitutional amendments…



State Lawmakers Assemble At Mount Vernon To Discuss A Constitutional Con...: http://youtu.be/4Q5UniPm2SM via @youtube

Ron Paul predicts "major crash of the dollar" ... here's how to protect your savings

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House Dismantles Fourth Amendment While America Distracted

House Dismantles Fourth Amendment While America Distracted

Daniel Noe

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While Americans were focusing on the Boston Marathon bombings and defending the Second Amendment to the Constitution from the Senate’s efforts to eliminate guns, the House was busy about the business of destroying the Fourth Amendment.
After two days of debate this week, the House passed CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, by a vote of 288-127, with 18 abstaining. The legislation would allow the federal government to engage private sector firms — think Google — in the business of monitoring your emails, postings and user data for nebulous “threat information” which would then be shared “voluntarily” without need for any sort of warrant.
The IRS and other federal agencies already have policies in place stating their belief that they are allowed to waltz through your data anytime they please, so CISPA seems primarily crafted to protect the Facebooks, Twitters, Yahoos, Sprints and other electronic communications businesses from legal reprisals.
Amendments that would have required data to be made anonymous before being handed over were defeated. Among the defeated amendments was a proposal to allow companies to keep their privacy policies intact and legally enforceable.
Democrat Rep. Jared Polis told CNET that CISPA would ensure that firms that hand over private user data would be “completely exonerated from any risk of liability.”
Read more at Godfather Politics. By Tad Cronn.

Working Age" Military Retirees Screwed Over in the Ryan/Murray Deal

Working Age" Military Retirees Screwed Over in the Ryan/Murray Deal

by angelajean Dec 11, 2013 2:44pm PST

In an attempt to save the military money, the Ryan/Murray budget has come up with a grand solution. Let's have "working age" military retirees give up some of their piece of the pie. They'll have more than enough, after all, if they decide to go work for a government contractor after their time in service. Of course, for all those retirees that have had enough of the system and would prefer to go back home and take a job in their local town or start their own small business or work for non-profit helping veterans, tough shit. They should just retire near Washington DC or San Antonio, Texas or Omaha, Nebraska or just name another big time military community with a list of contractors longer than the military who serve there. Yep, military retirees are rich because they all have another job waiting for them - or they should if they know what's best for them.
The saddest part of all of this is that the savings to the government are actually pretty damn small but the loss to the average retiree is huge. According to the Stars in Stripes:

Murray said the deal would cut $6 billion from military retirement over 10 years, and another $6 billion from federal civilian retirement by forcing new hires with fewer than five years’ federal service to contribute an additional 1.3 percent of salary toward their pensions.

Each retiree can expect to lose $83,000 if enlisted and $124,000 if an officer. That's a lot of money to a family, especially one that will be getting ready to send kids off to college, as most of these families will be. Military retirees and their spouses are generally 45 years or older and facing a tough economy upon getting out. Some will be like my family, with a spouse that hasn't had consistent employment because of multiple moves and will be trying like crazy to cobble together a resume that might convince someone in this economy to hire them. Those contracting jobs look awfully bright and shiny when there aren't any jobs back home and the spouse can't get hired due to a spotty work history. But do we really want to keep feeding the system this way? Do we really want to encourage more folks to head into a self-perpetuating military machine? I'm proud of my husband's service but I am not proud of our nation's addiction to the Military Industrial Complex. The irony of all of this is that Congress has been given multiple opportunities to save even more money this past year and these opportunities was presented by the military itself.

It starts with the Abrams Tank:

Under a years-old plan, the Army intends to suspend buying upgraded Abrams tanks in 2016, a freeze that would last until 2019. The service wants to use the savings for other priorities, and believes sales to other nations will keep the production line running. If the Pentagon holds off repairing, refurbishing or making new tanks for three years until new technologies are developed, the Army says it can save taxpayers as much as $3 billion.

That's half of the amount that would be saved by cutting the COLA raises on military retirees. And that's just one recommendation that Congress refused to take. Even FOX news was getting in on the action earlier this year with an article that highlighted several programs that Congress refuses to touch:

Parked around the airstrip at Lackland Air Force Base are more than a dozen massive C-5A Galaxy transport planes. There is no money to fly them, repair them or put pilots in the cockpits, but Congress rejected the Air Force's bid to retire them.

Along the eastern seaboard, two Navy cruisers -- the USS Anzio in Norfolk, Va., and the USS Vicksburg in Mayport, Fla. -- were scheduled for retirement this year but both are now sitting pierside. Navy leaders will soon schedule the ships for significant repairs and begin readying their crews so they can go back into service. Altogether, Congress is requiring the Navy to keep seven cruisers and two amphibious warships in service, eliminating the $4.3 billion the retirements would have saved over the next two years.

While the Navy sought to retire the seven ships, the Air Force wanted to save more than $600 million by retiring C-130 and C-5A cargo aircraft, three B-1 bombers and 18 high-altitude Global Hawk surveillance drones. Congress disagreed, adding various requirements that the Navy and Air Force maintain the ships and aircraft, and in some cases added money to the budget to cover them. Fifteen of the C-5A Galaxy aircraft no longer set to retire are at Lackland, while 11 are at Martinsburg, W.Va., and are flown by the Air National Guard there.

The biggest fiasco of all that Congress refuses to address is the infamous F-35. A petition asking that the program be scrapped tallies the costs of the project at over $1.5 trillion dollars and the project continues to experience severe delays and cost overruns. The plane isn't even wanted by many in the military. You can read all about it in the lengthy article at Vanity Fair. The problem with cutting any of those programs? Some Congressman has an invested interest in keeping them in his district. It would be a hard move to make. But to cut COLA from a small group of military retirees, no matter how hard they've worked these last 20 plus years to defend the nation, that's easy to do. There aren't enough of any of them in any single district to make a difference when it comes time to vote. Worse yet, they're all still on active duty and have taken an oath to refrain from political activity while in uniform. For most, that means they won't even consider calling their Congressman, no matter how angry they get.
Well, this military wife is angry. I'm tired of seeing the little guys take the hits. It's about time Congress stood up and fought for the average American and stopped protecting the Military Industrial Complex. If we need more jobs in this country, for heaven's sakes, lets create an economy that can rely on non-military related jobs. Get rid of the tanks and the planes and invest in our infrastructure. Build those high speed railways! Repair those bridges! Find real jobs that build our nation and quit funding corporate welfare. Because that is what we are really doing at the end of the day. We're keeping companies in business that are providing weapons and systems we no longer want and need. We have to cut the excess where it will make a true difference in the long run. Cutting my husband's retirement only means we will have $124,000 less to invest in our economy, whether it's in a future business, a future home, or just in our own children's education.
3:21 PM PT: Just in case you missed it, aznavy wrote his first diary about the same topic. It's right on the mark:

"Spread the pain to the youngest military retirees"  - the most likely to have spent multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thank you for your service. It just cost you $83K or $123K. Our military industrial complex thanks you. On behalf of Congress, they also thank you for your service.

t's Official - The Lie and Liar of The Year Award Goes To ...

t's Official - The Lie and Liar of The Year Award Goes To ...
Friday, December 13, 2013 8:21:00 AM
http://www.right180.com/13210.asp?c=12&g=0&a=0&s=679

Published by  Jake Baker



Category:  Politics

Tagged Under:  Obama, ObamaCare, Liar, Lies, Socialist, Dishonest, President, White House

By: Eddie Scarry

The popular factchecking website PolitiFact announced its “Lie of the Year” on CNN Thursday. The distinction went to President Barack Obama’s oft-repeated claim during the health care policy debate that “if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.”

PolitiFact named President Barack Obama’s oft-repeated claim that Americans could keep their existing health insurance policies under Obamacare its “Lie of the Year.” (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Angie Drobnic Holan, editor of PolitiFact, said on CNN that her colleagues at PolitiFact made their choice based on Obama’s “lie” having “the most impact” on the debate.

Millions of Americans have actually lost their existing health insurance policies after the new health care law, also known as “Obamacare,” was implemented.

“Boiling down the complicated health care law to a soundbite proved treacherous, even for its promoter-in-chief,” reads a post on PolitiFact. “Obama and his team made matters worse, suggesting they had been misunderstood all along. The stunning political uproar led to this: a rare presidential apology.”

In 2009, PolitiFact rated the claim as “half true.”

Holan named three runners-up for the title.

• Conservative author Ann Coulter’s claim that “no doctors who went to an American medical school will be accepting Obamacare.” It received the “pants on fire” rating, the most extreme type of lie by PolitiFact’s rating.
• Rep. Michele Bachmann’s (R-Minn.) claim that the IRS is going to be “in charge” of “a huge national database” on health care that will include Americans’ “personal, intimate, most close-to-the-vest-secrets.” It also received the pants on fire rating.
• Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) claim that ”President Obama just granted all of Congress an exception” to Obamacare. The claim was rated “false” which is one step below pants on fire.

Wearable surveillance camera detection ‘armor’ makes its debut

Published time: December 14, 2013 00:01

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An image grab taken from a video uploaded on Vimeo by user@stml

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Information Technology, Intelligence, SciTech, Security, UK, USA

As surveillance cameras are pushed closer and closer to omnipresence in society, one London artist has added to the growing lineup of tools available to alert and protect those wary of the relentless monitoring.
James Bridle has created a wearable device he’s dubbed the ‘surveillance spaulder’ -- inspired by the spaulder, a medieval plate armor used to protect “the wearer from unexpected and unseen blows from above.”
The surveillance spaulder alerts the wearer to surveillance camera presence by detecting the infrared lighting they commonly use. Upon discovering a camera in its vicinity, the device sends an electric signal to two “transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation” pads that cause the wearer of the device to twitch. Similar to the spaulder of old, the device warns the wearer of unwanted assaults from above.
Bridle says his apparatus provides “a tap on the shoulder every time one comes under the gaze of power,” though it does not block cameras or algorithms as other designers and artists have achieved in their own conceptions of surveillance defense.
Bridle’s invention is among a growing number of surveillance detecting devices that straddle the line between functional technology and political statement.
In October, Dutch artist Simone C. Niquille unveiled ‘REALFACE Glamoflage’ t-shirts -- garments covered in jagged, bizarre designs that she claims confuse facial recognition algorithms. Niquille says the shirts were inspired in part by the ‘ugly t-shirt’ from author William Gibson’s book ‘Zero History’ which could give cover from CCTV surveillance. The design, which she describes as “facial recognition dazzle,” also doubled as her master’s thesis project.
American designer Adam Harvey created make-up, hair styles, and shawls known as ‘CV Dazzle,’ which he calls “camouflage from computer vision (CV). It is a form of expressive interference that combines makeup and hair styling (or other modifications) with face-detection thwarting designs.”
Harvey, a trained mechanical engineer, also made ‘Stealth Wear,’ clothing that includes an “anti-drone hoodie.” It utilizes metalized material which counters the thermal imaging used by unmanned aerial vehicles to spot targets on the ground. The line also includes a cell phone pocket made of “signal attenuating fabric” that blocks phone signals, disallowing any tracking or interception by devices like the FBI-used ‘Stingray’ tool. And the ‘XX-Shirt’ uses material that aims to “protect your heart from X-ray radiation,” Harvey says.
In 2012, German artist Martin Backes introduced a pixelated anti-facial recognition balaclava called ‘Pixelhead.’
The projects come at a time of rapidly increasing facial-recognition and surveillance technology in both the private and public spheres. The United States intelligence community’s research arm is preparing to launch a program that will thoroughly expand the capabilities of biometric facial recognition software in order to establish an individual’s identity.
The Janus program of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency (IARPA) will begin in April 2014 in an effort to "radically expand the range of conditions under which automated face recognition can establish identity," according to documents released by the agency last month.
And Trapwire, a spy system uncovered by RT last year while analyzing hacked emails obtained from the Stratfor private intelligence firm, has been sold to major US cities, allowing customers to scan the faces of people caught on surveillance cameras in only seconds. The Electronic Privacy Information Center describes TrapWire as “a technology solution predicated upon behavior patterns in red zones to identify surveillance. It helps you connect the dots over time and distance.”
Intelligence contractor Abraxas developed TrapWire to, every few seconds, collect data at surveillance points in major cities and landmarks across the United States. The data is recorded digitally on the spot, then encrypted and instantaneously delivered to a fortified central database center at an undisclosed location to be aggregated with other intelligence.

Senate confirmed President Obama's pick for Secretary of the Air Force

Published December 13, 2013

Associated Press

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The Senate has confirmed President Barack Obama's pick to serve as Secretary of the Air Force, continuing a series of round-the-clock confirmation votes.
Deborah Lee James was confirmed by a 79-6 vote Friday morning, one of several votes scheduled throughout the day. She is the second woman to lead the Air Force.
James is president of the Technical and Engineering Sector at Science Applications International Corp., a major federal government contractor.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has kept the Senate in session throughout the week as Democrats push through 11, mostly noncontroversial nominations. The session could culminate in a possible vote on Jeh Johnson (jay JAHN'-suhn) to head the Department of Homeland Security.
If Republicans keep their allotted debate time, the Senate could be in session continuously into Saturday.

  

Obama will extend amnesty for young illegals, says top White House aide

5:11 PM 12/11/2013

Neil Munro

White House Correspondent

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President Obama will extend his mini-amnesty for young illegals, said Cecilia Muñoz, White House director of domestic policy.
“As long as this president is president… you’re going to be able to renew your deferred action,” Muñoz told one illegal immigrant 23 minutes into an online question-and-answer session on immigration conducted via Skype.
So far, Obama’s deputies have granted the two-year “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” amnesty to at least 567,563 illegals aged between 15 and 31, giving them the right to get jobs in every state, get drivers’ licenses in some states, to enroll in school and to receive government aid. Only 21,162 illegals have been rejected. Roughly 11 million illegals are living in the United States.
Obama’s two-year amnesty will start timing out in 2014, shortly before the midterm elections.
Munoz’s promise of another mini-amnesty may torpedo the White House’s closed-door to push the House leadership to pass a very ambitious business-backed immigration bill, similar to the bill passed by the Senate in June.
Numerous GOP legislators already say they can’t strike an immigration bargain with Obama because they don’t trust him to enforce curbs on immigration. Also, polls show swing-voters strongly oppose provisions to boost the inflow of foreign workers.
Obama granted the mini-amnesty even though Congress voted down similar proposals. Roughly 20 million Americans are underemployed or unemployed. Wages have been stalled for several years, and many Americans are forced to take low-skill, low-wage jobs.
For example, there’s been a sharp jump in the number of college grads stuck in minimum-wage jobs. Their number is 71 percent higher than in 2002, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest figures. In 2012, 284,000 college graduates were working at minimum-wage jobs, up from 127,000 in 2006, according to U.S. News.
Obama announced the new rules in June 2012 during a campaign-style speech in the Rose Garden. In the months after, his support among Latinos rose sharply, and he eventually received 71 percent of the Latino vote, which comprised roughly 8.4 percent of the electorate.
Muñoz, however, downplayed Obama’s role in the amnesty.
“The president doesn’t have the authority to suspend deportations. … That was a action by the Department of Homeland Security, and it was a use of its enforcement authority,” she claimed.
Vice President Joe Biden was part of the video conference, and he also played down Obama’s role: “It is not the president saying, ‘I’m changing the law, you can stay.’”
“He doesn’t have the authority to say that,” Biden said.
Up to 1.9 million illegal immigrants could be given work permits under Obama’s policy, according to an August 2013 report by the Migration Policy Institute. That’s triple the original estimate of 800,000 announced by the government in June 2012.
Roughly 900,000 of the potential beneficiaries are aged 14 or below, making them too young to be eligible. Just over 1 million people are immediately eligible for the temporary amnesty, said the MPI report.
Only 8,000 of the 1 million immediate beneficiaries have a post-graduate degree, and only 53,000 have a bachelor’s degree, according to the MPI report. That means only 6 percent of eligible illegals have college credentials. In comparison, 20 percent of native-born Americans hold college degrees.
Roughly 240,000 of the eligibles, however, are enrolled in a college and may graduate with two-year or four-year degrees, said the MPI report.
Almost half, or 482,000, of the currently eligible candidates are unskilled workers, with only a high-school qualification, said the report.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/13/obama-youth-amnesty-numbers-jump-to-1-9-million/#ixzz2nCqf0X3M
Illegals older than 30 in June 2012 are ineligible, according to the current DACA rules.
The video exchange was arranged by the Bing online service, which is run by Microsoft. The company is lobbying to increase the inflow of foreign workers.
Many immigration reformers are willing to offer legal status to the illegals who arrived as children, said Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies. They’d offer that prize in exchange for non-political enforcement of immigration laws, a legal requirement that employers check would-be employees’ eligibility to work, plus checks at airports to record the arrival and verify the departure of tourists and business visitors, he said.
But that exchange isn’t on the table because progressives and businesses are using the younger illegals as sympathetic poster-children in their allied push for the far-reaching Senate bill, he said.
If House Republicans submit to the pressure, the Senate bill would deliver millions of Democratic-leaning immigrants to Democratic politicians, more low-wage university workers to major companies and increased profits to investors, Krikorian said.
The losers from that law would be American workers and families, he said.
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Tags: Immigration reform

Military retirees: You betrayed us, Congress

By Jennifer Liberto  @CNNMoney December 13, 2013: 3:39 PM ET

Retired military veterans are outraged that their pensions are being cut by the budget deal.

WASHINGTON (CNNMoney)

Military retirees are outraged that Congress will start voting Thursday on a budget deal that trims military pensions, calling the move "an egregious breach of faith."

The Military Coalition, some 27 military groups, wrote to leaders in Congress and President Obama late Wednesday about their "strong objection" and "grave concern" over the budget deal.

The deal cuts pension cost of living raises by 1 percentage point for military retirees who aren't disabled and not yet 62 years old. Cost of living hikes are automatic raises intended to keep up with inflation.
The problem is, most military retirees are a lot younger than private sector retirees. They enlist in their 20's and retire in their 40's. Very few stay on till they are 62 -- those who may be lucky enough to escape major injuries at war, or rose to higher echelons in the military system.
When compounded, the 1 percentage point cut could result in much more than a 20% reduction in retiree pensions over 20 years.
Related: 5 things the budget deal doesn't do
The average cut in pension payouts, including compounding interest, for a retiring Army Sergeant first class, would be about $3,700 each year, according to the Military Officers Association of America. Over 20 years, the total losses could balloon to more than $80,000.
"While portrayed as a minor change, a 20% reduction in retired pay and survivor benefit values is a massive cut in military career benefits," wrote groups, including the Air Force Sergeants Association, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Marine Corps League, among others in the letter.
The change is infuriating to military retirees like Army Col. Michael Barron, who retired nearly 4 years ago, after 30 years of service, which included being deployed to both Iraq wars.
"It's not fair at all. I spent a 30 year career in the military. I clearly understood what the (cost of living increases) would be," said Barron, deputy director of government relations for the Military Officers Association of America. "This is the worst kind of example of a shady, backroom deal."
The cut is forcing some to reconsider how much longer they will continue to work with the military.
Rebekah Sanderlin's husband is two years away from hitting his 20 year retirement mark with the Army and she's wondering if its worth it. He's served in Afghanistan four times, among other places, and has many injuries.
"The war has been very hard on our family," said Sanderlin, a writer. "We'd like to stay in, but it seems stupid to give more time to a government that goes back on their word."
Military groups say the cut is particularly unfair because the changes will affect those who have already put in their years of service.
"To tax the very men and women who have sacrificed and served more than others is simply a foul," the letter stated.
Related: A new normal for government retirees
Washington leaders, and House Republicans, in particular, have been worried about the cost of military retiree benefits.
In 2012, the Pentagon spent $52.4 billion on 2.3 million military retirees and survivors, a cost that is expected to rise over the next few decades, according to the Department of Defense Office of the Actuary.
House budget chief Rep. Paul Ryan's website states that military retirement "provides an exceptionally generous benefit, often providing 40 years of pension payments in return for 20 years of service," as it explains why benefits should be trimmed.
"Current levels of military compensation are incompatible with the overall demands on the defense budget," according to a House Committee on the Budget Report.
Military groups say they're open to reforms, but they'd like such changes to go through the normal legislative process that allows time to review and "assess any recommendations that could significantly impact retention and readiness."
Barron said groups like his were "blindsided" by the cuts to military pensions.

 

More budget cuts loom at Pentagon

The cut ends up saving the budget $6 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Congress would also make newly hired civilian federal workers contribute 1.3% more of their paychecks to pensions if the budget deal becomes law.
The Department of Defense wouldn't comment on the Military Coalition letter and pointed to a statement by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel saying the budget deal provides greater "budget certainty," while reducing the impact of massive cuts from so-called sequester.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly characterized the cost of living cut as 1%. In fact, it is a cut of 1 percentage point.

First Published: December 12, 2013: 11:48 AM ET

Judicial Watch Releases New Report on Benghazi

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by William Bigelow 11 Sep 2013 post a comment

Judicial Watch, which has put pressure on the Obama Administration before, during, and after the Benghazi massacre of 9/11/2012, has released a new report titled: “On the Anniversary of the Benghazi Attack of September 11, 2012: Unanswered Questions and the Quest for Accountability from the Obama Administration.”

The new report is a follow-up to Judicial Watch’s January 22, 2013 Benghazi report, and details the new information revealed as a result of Judicial Watch’s 23 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, Mandatory Declassification Review, and four lawsuits against the Obama Department of State and Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The new report asserts that the story of Benghazi is a “story of political treachery in high places.” Part One is devoted to in-depth analysis, supervised by former State Department Security Special Agent Raymond Fournier. It details the critical time period before the Benghazi attack, when the numerous requests for added security by U.S. personnel were ignored by top State Department officials. In addition, the Obama’s ludicrous and misleading claim that “an obscure Internet video” triggered the attacks is reviewed.
Lastly, the report examines the possibility that the internal problems within the State Department could endanger U.S. diplomatic personnel in the future.

Part Two of the Special Report deals with new information accrued revolving around the aftermath of the Benghazi attacks. This section shows how the Obama administration withheld information about the attacks and how the Administration responded. It also includes a “Benghazi Chronology,” listing more than 30 violent incidents revolving around Benghazi all the way back to December 2011, and also details the cable Ambassador Christopher Stevens sent to Washington D.C. the morning of September 11, 2012, which stated Libyans’ “growing frustration with police and security forces who were too weak to keep the country secure.”

A section devoted to “Loose Ends and Unanswered Questions,” follows, which includes these quotes from the Report:

Almost immediately after the September 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi, the President pledged, “We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done” … Despite these vows of swift justice, no one has yet been arrested or killed for participation in the attack. 

Of particular concern to lawmakers is the fact that CNN was able to conduct an interview with Ahmed Abu Khattala in July [2012]. Libyan officials identified Khattala as the ‘mastermind’ of the attack as early as October [2011]. 

The administration has also reportedly undertaken a concerted effort to keep government personnel who were on the ground in Benghazi on the night of the attack from testifying to Congress or providing information to the media. In July, Rep. Frank Wolf reported on the House floor that, ‘According to trusted sources that have contacted my office, many if not all of the survivors of the Benghazi attacks along with others at the Department of Defense, the CIA have been asked or directed to sign non-disclosure agreements about their involvement in the Benghazi attacks. 

The activities of Ambassador Stevens on the day of the attack also raise questions regarding a possible weapons transfer being conducted out of the SMC at Benghazi [to Syrian rebels via Turkey. Stevens met with Mahmoud El-Mufti, the owner of a Libya-based shipping company Al-Marfa … Stevens’ final meeting of the day was with Ali Akin, the Turkish Consul General in Benghazi … So, while the official version of events holds that the Ambassador was in Benghazi for routine meetings and opening of a cultural center, it seems clear that he was working on something undisclosed that involved both Turkey and cargo shipments.) 

Some evidence of the power of the FOIA law, and Judicial Watch’s persistence, came about with the release of the first US Government images of the aftermath of the attack on the Benghazi SMC. Judicial Watch’s lawsuit against the State Department compelled production of the images on June 21, 2013 – four months after going to federal court to get the Obama administration to obey the law. A total of seven (7) photographs were produced to Judicial Watch by the State Department.” Two of the images obtained by Judicial Watch are in the Special Report.

DOS hired a British firm, Blue Mountain, to manage its security in Benghazi, and Blue Mountain subcontracted the job to a local jihadist militia called the February 17 Martyrs Brigade who have known Muslim Brotherhood ties.”



The Report adds that [Regional Security Officer in Libya, Eric] “Nordstrom testified at the October 11, 2012 Congressional hearings that ‘in deference to sensitivity to Libyan practice, the guards at Benghazi were unarmed’– an inexplicable practice for a place as dangerous as Benghazi.”  Nordstrom also “told Congressional investigators that DOS Deputy Assistant Director for International Programs Charlene] Lamb “wanted to keep the number of U.S. security personnel in Benghazi ‘artificially low.”

The Judicial Watch Special Report calls for the creation of a bipartisan House Select Committee to fully investigate everything related to Benghazi, saying,



Five different House committees have, each in their own way, conducted disjointed, uncoordinated inquiries. A single Select Committee appears to be the best forum for the American people to ever learn the truth.



Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton concluded: "Here we are, one year after the Benghazi attack, and there has been zero accountability.  No military action, no drones, no arrests.  No one has been fired for the Obama administration lies and malfeasance. Without a select committee, Congress will continue to drift on Benghazi accountability.  Grassroots Americans want justice for the Benghazi Four but I fear, but for our independent investigations and lawsuits, the Washington Establishment would be happy to sweep Benghazi under the rug."