This Week in the World Affairs Brief:
A SCANDAL A WEEK AT THE WHITE HOUSE
The most corrupt presidency in US history is finally getting the negative spotlight that it deserves. Obama, with the help of powerful protectors in high places, has previously been successful at deflecting huge scandals relative to his foreign birth, his phony Social Security card, and the “Fast and Furious” gun running fiasco. Now, four more scandals have emerged to taint the White House and Obama’s handlers are working overtime to present the alien-in-chief as an indignant protector of justice, shocked about things that are happening on his watch! It is probably only because these latest scandals are less threatening to Obama directly that the media—ever protective of the government side of events—is giving them considerable coverage. Even with the broad, negative coverage, core truths are still being omitted or downplayed—the standard way for the press to assist in a cover-up. You can request a one-time free sample of the briefs by sending an email to editor@worldaffairsbrief.com.
Also:
- Immigration Bill’s Hidden Secrets
- Pentagon Plans to Share Missile Secrets with Russia
- Obama to Announce Nuclear Force Cut
Daily News
Not My Fault, Treasury secretary distances himself from IRS scandal
posted by askousen - Wednesday, May 22 2013
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew attempted to distance his
department from the Internal Revenue Service's
controversial actions at a Senate hearing on Tuesday
morning, despite acknowledging that the Treasury oversees
the IRS.
Lew said he did not know any details of the inspector
general's investigation into inappropriate targeting of
conservative nonprofit groups before the final report was
released, although he confessed that the inspector general
alerted him to it on March 15. — Free Beacon
Senate panel OKs tax-welfare benefits for newly legal immigrants
posted by askousen - Wednesday, May 22 2013
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Monday to allow illegal
immigrants who get legal status to begin collecting
tax-welfare payments, as the panel spent a fourth day
working through amendments to the massive immigration bill
and party-line splits began to emerge.
In one major change, the committee voted 17-1 to make a
third drunken-driving conviction a deportable offense for
the newly legalized immigrants if at least one of those
offenses occurs after they are approved for legal status.
But immigrant-rights groups called that a rollback of
due-process rights for the immigrants and said a
drunken-driving incident shouldn't cost someone a chance at
citizenship. — Washington Times
'Fast and Furious' Scandal Returns to Haunt Obama
posted by askousen - Wednesday, May 22 2013
Fast and Furious is back. As if the Obama Administration
needed an additional problem, the U.S. Justice Department
inspector general said Monday that one of the department’s
politically appointed officials retaliated against a
whistleblower by leaking derogatory information to a Fox
News (NWS) television producer. — Paul M. Barrett/Business Week
Tax official at center of scandal won't testify: lawyer
posted by askousen - Wednesday, May 22 2013
Lois Lerner, the Internal Revenue Service
official at the center of a scandal about the targeting of
conservative groups for extra tax scrutiny, plans to assert
her constitutional right not to answer questions from a
congressional committee on Wednesday.
"She has not committed any crime or made any
misrepresentation but under the circumstances she has no
choice but to take this course," Lerner's attorney, William
Taylor, wrote on Monday to the chairman of the House
Oversight and Government Reform Committee that is holding
hearings into the IRS scandal. — Reuters
IRS official refuses to testify in Tea Party probe
posted by askousen - Wednesday, May 22 2013
The IRS official responsible for tax exemptions refused to testify to a House oversight panel investigating the agency's treatment of conservative groups Wednesday.
Citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, Lois Lerner would not answer questions about how the IRS developed the "be on the lookout" list for Tea Party groups, what she did when she discovered it, and why she failed to tell Congress about it when asked directly. — USA Today
FBI says man shot dead while being questioned about Boston bombings
posted by askousen - Wednesday, May 22 2013
...The FBI said in a statement that a special agent, "acting on the imminent threat posed by the individual, responded with deadly force. The individual was killed and the special agent was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries."
It said the shooting occurred in Orlando, Florida, while the special agent and other law enforcement agents were interviewing the man about the blasts that killed three people and injured 264 others at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. — Reuters
Bin Laden Corpse Photos Can Be Kept Secret, Court Rules
posted by askousen - Tuesday, May 21 2013
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington today rejected arguments by Judicial Watch Inc., a conservative litigation group, that the Central Intelligence Agency failed to show that releasing images of bin Laden's body - specifically those showing it cleaned and prepared for burial - would harm national security or reveal classified intelligence strategies. — Bloomberg
Chinese hackers who breached Google gained access to sensitive data, U.S. officials say
posted by askousen - Tuesday, May 21 2013
Chinese hackers who breached Google's servers several
years ago gained access to a sensitive database with
years’ worth of information about U.S. surveillance
targets, according to current and former government
officials.
The breach appears to have been aimed at unearthing the
identities of Chinese intelligence operatives in the United
States who may have been under surveillance by American law
enforcement agencies. — Washington Post
Senate Panel Approves Even More Stringent Biometric Measures
posted by askousen - Tuesday, May 21 2013
Illegal immigration is a hot-button issue that genuinely
affects many communities and the motivation to do something
about it is understandable. However, anti-immigration
supporters may be playing right into Big Brother's hands by
being tricked into supporting the hi-tech enslavement of
themselves.
Some have referred to the sweeping immigration reform bill
in Congress as a "Trojan Horse for Biometrics." These
systems are a clear indication that illegal immigration is
being used to put the final touches on the full spectrum
surveillance grid in America.
And, shockingly, politicians are making the immigration
reform bill more stringent instead of less, apparently
fueled by anti-immigration zealots. — Eric Blair/Activist Post
6 Brave Govt. Whistleblowers Charged Under the Espionage Act by Obama's Administration
posted by askousen - Tuesday, May 21 2013
The Obama administration has been carrying out an
unprecedented crackdown on whistleblowers, particularly on
those who have divulged information that relates to national
security. The Espionage Act, enacted during the first World
War to punish Americans who aided the enemy, had only been
used three times in its history to try government officials
accused of leaking classified information — until the
Obama administration. Since 2009, the administration has
used the act to prosecute six government officials. Meet the
whistleblowers... — General Strike USA
Hezbollah suffers big losses in Syria battle: activists
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
...Syrian opposition sources and state media gave widely differing accounts of Sunday's ferocious clashes in Qusair, long used by rebels as a supply route from the nearby Lebanese border to the provincial capital Homs. Hezbollah has not commented.
The air and tank assault on the strategic town of 30,000 people appeared to be part of a campaign by Assad's forces to consolidate their grip on Damascus and secure links between the capital and government strongholds in the Alawite coastal heartland via the contested central city of Homs. — Reuters
North Korean pirates seize Chinese hostages, demand a ransom
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
The Chinese embassy in North Korea is "working on" securing the release of the crew of a Chinese fishing boat held by unidentified armed North Koreans, who are reportedly seeking a ransom.
The Associated Press reports that, according to the ship owner Yu Xuejun, the Liaoning-based boat was seized on May 5 by kidnappers demanding 600,000 yuan ($100,000) ransom for the 16 crew members' safe return. — CSM
The IRS's Job Is To Violate Our Liberties
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
"What do you expect when you target the President?" This
is what an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent allegedly
said to the head of a conservative organization that was
being audited after calling for the impeachment of
then-President Clinton. Recent revelations that IRS agents
gave "special scrutiny" to organizations opposed to the
current administration's policies suggest that many in the
IRS still believe harassing the President's opponents is
part of their job. — Ron Paul/The Free Foundation
Amnesty Opposition Grows
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
The union representing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services officials will officially oppose the proposed
Senate immigration reform legislation on Monday, according
to an advance statement obtained by the Washington Free
Beacon. — Free Beacon
Elite Gather on Gated Island for Secret Meeting
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
As reported by local media, billionaires are gathering on
the island of Kiawah, located near South Carolina. The story
broke on May 10, but the meeting was reported to have
started on the 8th. "Suspicion was raised when nearly 20
very expensive jets were seen lined up at the Charleston
International Airport on Johns Island," reported WBTW.
The meeting is reportedly being led by Bill Gates of the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The public has been kept
away from the hotel which is hosting the meeting. Other
reported attendees include Michael Bloomberg of New York,
Oprah Winfrey and Billionaire Warren Buffet. The potential
Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush is also reported to be
attending. — Black Listed News
Assad's message
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
...His
interview sends multiple messages to all parties involved in
the peace efforts, but its crux is this: he is unwilling to
step down.
Whether his enemies agree or not, Assad has also spoken some
truth. He said that a peace deal is impossible due to a
continuing lack of unity among the myriad rebel groups,
meaning that opposition leaders would be unable to implement
any ceasefire measures, such as surrendering arms. "They
are different groups and bands, not dozens but hundreds.
They are a mixture and each group has its local leader. And
who can unify thousands of people? We can't discuss a
timetable with a party if we don't know who they are" — The Peninsula
Obama's Counsel Told of IRS Audit Findings Weeks Ago
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
The White House's chief lawyer learned weeks ago that an
audit of the Internal Revenue Service likely would show that
agency employees inappropriately targeted conservative
groups, a senior White House official said Sunday.
That disclosure has prompted a debate over whether the
president should have been notified at that time.
In the week of April 22, the Office of the White House
Counsel and its head, Kathryn Ruemmler, were told by
Treasury Department attorneys that an inspector general's
report was nearing completion, the White House official
said. In that conversation, Ms. Ruemmler learned that "a
small number of line IRS employees had improperly
scrutinized certain…organizations by using words like 'tea
party' and 'patriot,' " the official said. — WSJ
North Korea fires short-range missiles for two days in a row
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
North Korea fired a short-range missile
from its east coast on Sunday, a day after launching three
of these missiles, a South Korean news agency said, ignoring
calls for restraint from Western powers. — First Post
Fears grow of clash between Israel and Syria
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
Fears about a possible escalation of violence
between Israel and Syria grew Sunday amid renewed Israeli
threats to destroy Syrian weapons caches and Syria's
warnings of retaliation.
After decades of relative calm along the two nations'
borders, some Israeli officials say tensions with Syria have
reached one of the highest points since the 1973 Yom Kippur
war. — LA Times
Hezbollah takes fight to anti-Assad rebels as Syria's war spills into Lebanon
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
Hezbollah launched a major offensive in support of the Assad
regime today, with fighters from the Lebanese militant group
playing their most significant role yet in Syria's
two-year-old civil war.
Opposition activists claim Hezbollah fighters, who were
supporting regular Syrian troops, stormed the rebel-held
town of Qusair, only six miles from the Lebanese border.
They fired multiple mortar rounds and launched
rocket-propelled grenades in an attack that witnesses say
killed at least 32 people. — UK Independent
Benjamin Netanyahu threatens more Israeli strikes on Syria
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
Benjamin Netanyahu raised the prospect of further Israeli
strikes on Syria today, amid claims that Bashar al-Assad's
regime has installed high-tech weapons aimed at hitting Tel
Aviv. — UK Telegraph
Interview: Bashar al-Assad on Syria and the international community - video
posted by askousen - Monday, May 20 2013
Bashar al-Assad speaks to Argentinian newspaper Clarin about
the ongoing civil war in Syria. The president says the
country's crisis has become so deadly because of
international interference. Assad claims Barack Obama's
reluctance to intervene further is not down to principles
but less finance and a lack of opportunity for America to
benefit from Syrian peace. When asked if he would stand down
in pursuit of peace, he replies he must 'face his duty' and
remain in his elected position — Guardian/Clarin
Calls for Benghazi Select Committee Mount
posted by askousen - Saturday, May 18 2013
...The Benghazi select committee would have subpoena power and
be able to compel the testimony of senior administration
officials who have remained silent about the attacks until
this point.
Support for the committee has gained steam in recent weeks
as more information about the Obama administration's
multiple failures during and after the attack have come to
light. — Free Beacon
North Korea fires three short-range missiles into eastern waters
posted by askousen - Saturday, May 18 2013
North Korea fired three short-range guided missiles into its
eastern waters on Saturday, in a move that could undermine
diplomatic efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.
The North fired two missiles on Saturday morning and another
in the afternoon, said a South Korean defense ministry
spokesman, Kim Min-seok. He said Pyongyang's intent was
unclear. North Korea routinely tests such missiles, but the
latest move follows weeks of relative quiet on the
peninsula, following a renewed bout of threats by the North
earlier this year. The defense ministry said it was watching
North Korea carefully, in case it conducts a provocation
against South Korea. — UK Guardian
Colorado sheriffs sue the state over new gun control laws
posted by askousen - Saturday, May 18 2013
A consortium of plaintiffs led by 54 of Colorado's 62
elected county sheriffs filed a lawsuit in federal court
against the state Friday in an effort to overturn two new
gun control bills that are set to go into effect on July 1. — Daily Caller
Question to IRS Official Was Planted
posted by askousen - Saturday, May 18 2013
The disclosure last week by a high-ranking Internal Revenue
Service official that the agency had improperly targeted
conservative groups wasn't an impromptu confession but an
orchestrated roll out of damaging news.
When Lois Lerner, who runs the exempt-organizations unit at
the IRS, acknowledged at a tax attorney panel in Washington
that her agency had singled out tea-party groups for special
scrutiny, she was responding to a question she had planted a
day earlier. — WSJ
IRS chief declines to identify employees involved in scandal
posted by askousen - Saturday, May 18 2013
The outgoing head of the U.S. Internal Revenue
Service angered Republican lawmakers on Friday by resisting
their demands that he identify who at the tax-collection
agency had inappropriately targeted conservative groups for
extra scrutiny.
But during the first hearing into a growing IRS scandal that
could preoccupy Washington for months, Republicans did learn
that a top official in President Barack Obama's
administration knew that the IRS was looking into targeting
by the tax agency nearly a year ago. — Reuters
GOP Congressman Mike Kelly Receives Standing Ovation After He Rips IRS Commissioner
posted by askousen - Saturday, May 18 2013
...You know, you can put anybody out of business that you want.
Any time you want. I gotta tell you. You could talk about
how you're a horribly run organization, if you're on the
other side of the fence, you're not giving that excuse. And
the IRS comes in, you're not allowed to be shoddy, you're
not allowed to be run horribly, you're not allowed to make
mistakes, you're not allowed to do one damn thing that
doesn't come in compliance, and if you do, you're held
responsible right then. I just think the American people
have seen what's going on right now in their government.
This is absolutely an overreach and this is an outrage for
all Americans. — Real Clear Politics
GOP decries 'culture of cover-ups'
posted by askousen - Friday, May 17 2013
Of the IRS, Camp said: "We were repeatedly told no such
targeting was happening. That isn't being misleading -
that is lying.
"But now we know the truth - or at least some of it," he
said. "We also know that these revelations are just the tip
of the iceberg."
"Mr. Miller, with all due respect, this systemic abuse
cannot be fixed with just one resignation," Camp said.
"And, as much as I expect more people need to go, the
reality is this is not a personnel problem. This is a
problem of the IRS being too large, too powerful, too
intrusive and too abusive of honest, hardworking
taxpayers." — The Hill Blog
House Votes to Fully Repeal Obamacare for Third Time
posted by askousen - Friday, May 17 2013
The House of Representatives voted today to repeal the
entire Affordable Care Act, 229-195. This was the third vote
for full repeal, and the 37th overall vote the House has
taken to disrupt, dismantle, defund or repeal parts of the
Affordable Care Act....
The bill stands no chance of passing in the Senate, or
reaching the president's desk. — ABC News