This Week in the World Affairs Brief:
UKRAINE'S TIMID RESPONSE TO RUSSIAN MOVES
The game of cat and mouse continues this week as Russia provokes more uprisings while Ukraine responded with minimal force, at best. Their threat of action against the pro-Russian separatists occupying government buildings came and went last Friday. So did Monday's deadline. Even though armed paratroopers were flown into the Eastern region, they quickly showed that they had no orders to use force. What this means is that Ukraine has no intention of confronting the armed separatists in the East. Numerous local police and even some of the armed forces continue to defect to the separatist side which is making enforcement of a Ukrainian national will almost impossible. The UN declined to send in peacekeepers, which sent yet another signal to Putin that the West will also only give minimal opposition to his stealth moves to recapture Ukraine. You can request a one-time free sample of the briefs by sending an email to editor@worldaffairsbrief.com.
Also:
- What Next for Bundy Standoff?
- More Heavy-Handed Tax Moves by the Feds
- Building the Candidates for 2016
Daily News
Satellites show North Korea nuclear test unlikely: think tank
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 23 2014
North Korea is unlikely to be ready to stage a nuclear test timed to coincide with U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Asia, a respected think tank said on Wednesday based on its assessment of satellite imagery.
Comments by South Korea's foreign ministry that the North could be moving towards what would be its fourth nuclear test prompted the U.S. State Department to urge Pyongyang to "refrain from actions that threaten regional peace". — Reuters
Fail: NYPD Photo Contest on Twitter Triggers Huge Backlash
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 23 2014
...In a tweet, the NYPD asked Twitter users to share pictures of them posing with a police officer with the hashtag "myNYPD." The original tweet may give a sense of what the NYPD wanted:
The responses came fast and furious - but they were likely not what the police department had in mind.
In a flurry of digital defiance, scores of users uploaded images appearing to show potential police brutality and other unflattering behavior. — NBC News
Supreme Court upholds Michigan affirmative action ban
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 23 2014
...Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, suggested that right extends even beyond college policies.
"There is no authority in the federal constitution or in the [courts'] precedents for the judiciary to set aside Michigan laws that commit to the voters the determination whether racial preferences may be considered in governmental decisions, in particular with respect to school admissions," he wrote.
Kennedy said voters chose to eliminate racial preferences because they deemed them unwise. — Fox News
Tactical advantage: Russian military shows off impressive new gear
posted by askousen - Tuesday, April 22 2014
Elite Russian troops are displaying a new arsenal of body armor, individual weapons, armor-piercing ammunition and collar radios - a menu of essential gear that gives them a big tactical advantage against a lesser-equipped Ukrainian army.
If President Vladimir Putin orders an invasion, the new-generation body armor, in particular, would provide exceptional protection against small arms if Russian troops go street by street to capture Kiev and other cities. — Washington Times
Appeals court orders govt to release drone strike legal opinion
posted by askousen - Tuesday, April 22 2014
The Obama administration must make public central portions of a Justice Department opinion that held that the government has the legal authority to launch drone strikes overseas against Americans it determines are plotting terrorist attacks on U.S. targets, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday. — McClatchy News
New Prowess for Russians
posted by askousen - Tuesday, April 22 2014
...But Western experts who have followed the success of Russian forces in carrying out President Vladimir V. Putin's policy in Crimea and eastern Ukraine have come to a different conclusion about Russian military strategy. They see a military disparaged for its decline since the fall of the Soviet Union skillfully employing 21st-century tactics that combine cyberwarfare, an energetic information campaign and the use of highly trained special operation troops to seize the initiative from the West.
"It is a significant shift in how Russian ground forces approach a problem," said James G. Stavridis, the retired admiral and former NATO commander. "They have played their hand of cards with finesse." — New York Times
Harry Reid Calls Cliven Bundy Supporters "Domestic Terrorists"
posted by askousen - Friday, April 18 2014
Senator Harry Reid has escalated the war of words over the Cliven Bundy dispute, sensationally labeling the Nevada cattle rancher's supporters "domestic terrorists" during an event in Las Vegas today. — InfoWars.com
Russia Blocks U.S. from Treaty-Approved Spy Flights
posted by askousen - Friday, April 18 2014
The Russian government this week canceled a planned U.S. surveillance flight over Russian territory in a bid to limit spying on massed troops facing off against Ukraine and Eastern Europe, according to U.S. officials.
The overflight mission was scheduled for April 14 to April 16 under the 1992 Open Skies Treaty, but Russia’s government notified the State Department 72 hours before the scheduled flight that it would not be permitted.
The cancelation is unusual because the sole reason for putting off such treaty-approve surveillance is flight safety, such as bad weather. — Washington Free Beacon
Bloomberg to spend $50 million targeting NRA, 'make them afraid'
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 16 2014
...Mr. Bloomberg's already put considerable cash into scaling back the NRA's lobby and legislative influences - to little avail. Congress still hasn't passed any substantial background check laws or federal limits on certain types of weapons that Mr. Bloomberg and his Mayors Against Illegal Guns group has placed on its ban list. But he’s hoping the fresh cash inflow will ratchet up the rhetoric and lead to widespread Second Amendment reform. Instead of simply relying on television anti-gun ads, Mr. Bloomberg said he'll now put chunks of money into community campaigns - much in the spirit of the NRA, the New York Times reported.
Moreover, his new campaign will target women and mothers, in hopes of replicating the success stories of Mothers Against Drunk Driving to lower legal alcohol limits for drivers. — Washington Times
The US's Invasion of Africa That Nobody Knows About
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 16 2014
...Washington has been increasing its support for African regimes, many with records of human rights violations, and boosting efforts to train African militaries to keep them dependent on the Pentagon. The U.S. is training and equipping militaries in countries including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia - not to mention operations in Libya, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti, et al.
Reporter Nick Turse has been at the forefront of reporting on America's gradual infiltration of Africa. He writes this week about, among other things, the difference between what military officials say about Africa policy when asked by reporters and what they tell U.S. contractors looking to do business for taxpayer money. — The New American
U.K. Lawmakers Seek Extreme Crackdown on Climate Realists
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 16 2014
Faced with the implosion of discredited United Nations theories on "Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming," climate alarmists in the United Kingdom, including some in Parliament, are now pushing for a major crackdown on skeptics - or "realists," depending on one's point of view - in government, media, and more. As more and more scientists defect from the crumbling alarmist bandwagon, however, critics say the hysterical shrieking and dangerous rhetoric from politicians only serve to further illustrate the accelerating collapse of what many climate experts refer to as the "global-warming hoax." — The New American
War on the West: Why More Bundy Standoffs Are Coming
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 16 2014
The federal government's over-the-top police action against the Bundy family ranch is an ominous portent of more to come, as rogue agencies and their corporate/NGO partners attempt to "cleanse" the West of ranchers, farmers, miners, loggers, and other determined property owners. — The New American
US Confirms 'Support' as Syrian Rebels Show US Missiles in Videos
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 16 2014
Though the details of how they are being smuggled into Syria remain somewhat unclear, Syrian rebels have released yet more videos showing themselves in possession of US-made anti-tank missiles, and US officials are privately confirming that they are part of the US "backing" of rebellion. — Antiwar.com
Putin warns of Ukraine civil war as Kiev moves on rebels
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 16 2014
...Tensions have mounted in recent days after pro-Russian rebels seized buildings in about 10 towns and cities across eastern Ukraine.
They are demanding greater autonomy or referendums on secession from Ukraine.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said Russia had sent in "thinly disguised" armed groups to spearhead the occupation of buildings.
Speaking in London, he said Moscow faced "serious long-term consequences" if it continued to destabilise Ukraine.
Ukrainian acting President Olexander Turchynov said on Tuesday that troops had regained control of a military airfield in Kramatorsk after fighting with armed pro-Russian groups. — BBC
Five dead in Calgary's worst mass murder; son of police officer charged
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 16 2014
The son of a senior Calgary police officer is behind bars after the worst mass murder in the city's history - a bloody night that saw the lives of five young people snuffed out in a sudden knife attack at a house party.
Matthew de Grood, a 22-year-old University of Calgary graduate and son of a 33-year veteran of the police force, was charged with five counts of first-degree murder Tuesday afternoon in connection with the death of four men and one woman — Canada Star
China growth slows to 7.4pc as hopes rise of state stimulus
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 16 2014
China's gross domestic product grew 7.4pc in the first three months of the year, increasing the chances Beijing will move to stanch a slowdown in the world's number two economy.
The year-on-year figure is sharply down from the 7.7pc expansion in the final three months of 2013, with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) blaming a slower-than-expected global recovery as well as economic structural reforms at home. — UK Telegraph
Health reform to play massive role in midterm elections
posted by askousen - Wednesday, April 16 2014
It's no surprise that health care reform is a wedge issue in national polls. However, the reality is that Obamacare is not only a wedge issue, it is a toxic issue in tight races.
As the White House declares victory with more than 7 million enrollees under the Affordable Care Act, the struggle over national health reform will once again return to the political trenches.
For the 2014 midterm elections, both Democrats and Republicans are focused on the U.S. Senate. — The Tennessean
DEMINT: White House land grab
posted by askousen - Monday, April 14 2014
You'd think the Obama administration is busy enough controlling the banks, insurance companies and automakers, but thanks to whistleblowers at the Department of the Interior, we now learn they're planning to increase their control over energy-rich land in the West.
A secret administration memo has surfaced revealing plans for the federal government to seize more than 10 million acres from Montana to New Mexico, halting job- creating activities like ranching, forestry, mining and energy development. Worse, this land grab would dry up tax revenue that's essential for funding schools, firehouses and community centers. — Washington Times
EU Ministers Blame Russia for Ukraine Interference
posted by askousen - Monday, April 14 2014
The coordinated action of armed pro-Russian groups occupying government buildings in eastern Ukraine clearly "is something that is being planned and brought about by Russia," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said ahead of a meeting with his EU counterparts.
In retaliation, the 28 EU ministers could decide to add more names to a list of Russian officials whose assets in EU member nations have been frozen. But a dramatic ratcheting up of sanctions wasn't expected. — ABC News
No sign of crackdown as Ukraine deadline passes
posted by askousen - Monday, April 14 2014
...Protesters forced police officers out of their four-story headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Horlivka, witnesses said, adding a new complication for a Kiev government worried about demonstrators' escalating activity in the east and a Russian neighbor that it accuses of fomenting the discontent. — CNN
Feds end high-profile cattle roundup
posted by askousen - Monday, April 14 2014
The Bureau of Land Management on Saturday pulled back from its high-profile confrontation with a Nevada rancher whose cattle were grazing on public lands. — USA Today
Internet Revolt Begins as Condi Rice Joins Dropbox Board
posted by askousen - Saturday, April 12 2014
...Dropbox CEO Drew Houston didn't mention the appointment during his keynote at a press event on Wednesday, but a day later, Rice's arrival had eclipsed the rest of the company's carefully crafted public event. Unsurprisingly, some people aren't too happy about the move. Over on Hacker News, a leading barometer for what's on the minds of tech geeks, the day's most popular link connects to DropDropbox, a new site calling on users to boycott the company unless it removes Rice....The campaign's apparently anonymous creators are calling for her removal in part because of her support for the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program, including claims that Rice herself authorized eavesdropping on UN Security Council members. "Why on earth would we want someone like her involved with Dropbox, an organization we are trusting with our most important business and personal data?" the site asks. — Wired.com
Ukraine says Russia stoking unrest as gunmen seize more buildings
posted by askousen - Saturday, April 12 2014
Ukraine appealed to Russia to halt "provocative actions" in its eastern regions on Saturday as pro-Russian militants seized two more government buildings and called for autonomy from Kiev.
At least 20 armed militants wearing mismatched camouflage outfits took over the police and security services headquarters in the eastern city of Slaviansk, about 150 km (90 miles) from the border with Russia, seizing hundreds of handguns.
Police said gunmen later took over the local headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service. — Reuters
Claims of new poison gas attack in Syria
posted by askousen - Saturday, April 12 2014
The government and opposition forces in Syria have accused each other of using poison gas in an attack on a village on Friday.
State TV said the jihadist Nusra Front group launched the attack on Kafr Zita in Hama province, killing two people and injuring dozens of others.
But opposition groups quoted doctors as saying that an attack by regime planes led to suffocation and poisoning.
There was no independent verification of either of the claims. — BBC
Exclusive: Lois Lerner's IRS is still targeting Tea Party and Liberty Groups
posted by askousen - Saturday, April 12 2014
...Belsom told Cook that the FBI never asked her any questions regarding the IRS' illegal targeting of conservative groups. Watch this video to learn more about the IRS targeting the Laurens Tea Party.
Today the DailyPaul is reporting that the IRS is targeting Campaign for Liberty, issuing the organization a hefty fine and demanding they turn over sensitive contributor information.
Both cases above illustrate that nothing has changed. The government is still targeting these groups. So far the Lerner hearings haven't produced any results. It appears that the Lerner campaign is still in play and the Obama IRS attack machine is still open for business. — Ben Swann
Out-of-state groups ride in to stand with Nevada rancher in battle with feds over grazing rights
posted by askousen - Saturday, April 12 2014
Groups from as far away as New Hampshire are riding out to Nevada to join the cattle rancher whose standoff with the federal government is growing tenser by the day.
The groups said they were going to the ranch, some 80 miles north of Las Vegas to stand with Cliven Bundy, who property is surrounded by federal agents. Bundy's herd, which once numbered nearly 1,000, is being thinned out by private contractors under the watch of dozens of armed federal agents in SUVs and helicopters, the government says, he has refused for two decades to pay fees to allow the cattle to graze on federal lands. — Fox News
Report: NSA Exploited Heartbleed to Siphon Passwords for Two Years
posted by askousen - Saturday, April 12 2014
The NSA knew about and exploited the Heartbleed vulnerability for two years before it was publicly exposed this week, and used it to steal account passwords and other data, according to a news report.
Speculation had been rampant this week that the spy agency might have known about the critical flaw in OpenSSL that would allow hackers to siphon passwords, email content and other data from the memory of vulnerable web servers and other systems using the important encryption protocol.
That speculation appears to be confirmed by two unnamed sources who told Bloomberg that the NSA discovered the flaw shortly after it was accidentally introduced into OpenSSl in 2012 by a programmer. — Wired.com
Standards, scandals, and sex in Louisiana
posted by askousen - Friday, April 11 2014
...Or more to the point, why is it, exactly, that the same Louisiana Republicans calling for McAllister's ouster are holding the congressman to an entirely different standard than the one applied to Vitter after the "family values" senator was caught having hired prostitutes?...But going one step further, let's also not forget that when McAllister was elected just six months ago in a special election, he was running against a state senator that the party establishment loved. Neil Riser had received endorsements from nearly all of Louisiana's Republican congressional delegation, the NRA, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), but he lost anyway to McAllister, a first-time candidate.
Party insiders were not pleased, and his messy personal life suddenly offers them a chance to smack him down. — MSNBC
Vigilantes with a Badge: The War Against the American People
posted by askousen - Friday, April 11 2014
... The following incidents are cautionary tales for anyone who still thinks that they can defy police officers, even if it's simply to disagree about a speeding ticket, challenge a search warrant or defend oneself against an unreasonable or unjust charge, without deadly repercussions. The message they send is that "we the people" have very little protection from the standing army that is law enforcement.
For example, Seattle police repeatedly tasered seven-months pregnant Malaika Brooks for refusing to sign a speeding ticket. While Brooks bears permanent burn scars on her body from the encounter, police were cleared of any wrongdoing on the grounds that they didn’t know that tasering a pregnant woman was wrong. — John W. Whitehead/Rutherford Institute
Albuquerque Police Violated Civil Rights, Justice Department finds
posted by askousen - Friday, April 11 2014
City police here committed civil-rights violations by engaging in a widespread pattern of excessive and deadly force during encounters with civilians who posed little if any threat, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday.
The sharply critical findings were the result of a 16-month civil-rights investigation examining the Albuquerque Police Department's high rate of officer-involved shootings, and accusations that police too often resorted to force. — WSJ