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unhappycamper
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April 25, 2013
Military says Guantánamo hunger strike grows again
Carol Rosenberg | Miami Herald
Posted on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The number of hungers strikers has more than doubled since the U.S. military put most prisoners under lockdown at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo, the military said Wednesday, reporting that it now classified 92 of the captives as hunger strikers and was force feeding 17 of them.
Two were getting tube feedings at the prison camps hospital, said Army Lt. Col. Samuel House, but neither “currently have any life-threatening conditions.”
Defense lawyers for some detainees have insisted that about 130 of the 166 captives joined in the hunger strike two months ago, and accused the military of refusing to acknowledge it
House, acting prison camps spokesman, released the figures in a short email from the prison that noted the medical forces’ tally jumped from 84 captives on hunger strike Monday.
Military says Guantánamo hunger strike grows again
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/24/189534/military-says-guantanamo-hunger.htmlMilitary says Guantánamo hunger strike grows again
Carol Rosenberg | Miami Herald
Posted on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The number of hungers strikers has more than doubled since the U.S. military put most prisoners under lockdown at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo, the military said Wednesday, reporting that it now classified 92 of the captives as hunger strikers and was force feeding 17 of them.
Two were getting tube feedings at the prison camps hospital, said Army Lt. Col. Samuel House, but neither “currently have any life-threatening conditions.”
Defense lawyers for some detainees have insisted that about 130 of the 166 captives joined in the hunger strike two months ago, and accused the military of refusing to acknowledge it
House, acting prison camps spokesman, released the figures in a short email from the prison that noted the medical forces’ tally jumped from 84 captives on hunger strike Monday.
April 25, 2013
Pentagon’s budget cuts could slow F-35 program, Congress told
By Beena Raghavendran | McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
WASHINGTON — The on-time rollout of the F-35 fighter jet for its 2017 deadline could be in jeopardy as a result of forced federal budget cuts, testified a key military official to Congress on Wednesday.
The monetary problems could lead to a loss of customers for Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas,-based program, hurting the company. Six thousand people work on the F-35 project in Fort Worth.
Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan, the Pentagon’s executive officer of the F-35 program, told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee that he has “moderate confidence” that the first two software upgrade phases needed to complete the program will be delivered on time, but is less optimistic that the final phase will be completed as scheduled because of mandated budget cuts, known as sequestration, in the current fiscal year.
President Barack Obama’s proposed budget for next fiscal year would give $6.36 billion to plan to build 29 F-35s for 2014, and would increase production to as many as 60 aircrafts a year by 2018.
Pentagon’s budget cuts could slow F-35 program, Congress told
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/24/189577/pentagons-budget-cuts-could-slow.htmlPentagon’s budget cuts could slow F-35 program, Congress told
By Beena Raghavendran | McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
WASHINGTON — The on-time rollout of the F-35 fighter jet for its 2017 deadline could be in jeopardy as a result of forced federal budget cuts, testified a key military official to Congress on Wednesday.
The monetary problems could lead to a loss of customers for Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas,-based program, hurting the company. Six thousand people work on the F-35 project in Fort Worth.
Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan, the Pentagon’s executive officer of the F-35 program, told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee that he has “moderate confidence” that the first two software upgrade phases needed to complete the program will be delivered on time, but is less optimistic that the final phase will be completed as scheduled because of mandated budget cuts, known as sequestration, in the current fiscal year.
President Barack Obama’s proposed budget for next fiscal year would give $6.36 billion to plan to build 29 F-35s for 2014, and would increase production to as many as 60 aircrafts a year by 2018.
April 25, 2013
'Terrorism' and the Perpetual Emotion War Machine
by Norman Solomon
Published on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 by Common Dreams
As a perpetual emotion machine -- producing and guzzling its own political fuel -- the “war on terror” continues to normalize itself as a thoroughly American way of life and death. Ongoing warfare has become a matter of default routine, pushed along by mainline media and the leadership of both parties in Washington. Without a clear and effective upsurge of opposition from the grassroots, Americans can expect to remain citizens of a war-driven country for the rest of their lives.
Across the United States, many thousands of peeling bumper stickers on the road say: “End this Endless War.” They got mass distribution from MoveOn.org back in 2007, when a Republican was in the White House. Now, a thorough search of the MoveOn website might leave the impression that endless war ended with the end of the George W. Bush presidency.
MoveOn is very big as online groups go, but it is symptomatic of a widespread problem among an array of left-leaning organizations that have made their peace with the warfare state. Such silence assists the Obama administration as it makes the “war on terror” even more resolutely bipartisan and further embedded in the nation’s political structures -- while doing immense damage to our economy, siphoning off resources that should go to meet human needs, further militarizing society and undermining civil liberties.
Now, on Capitol Hill, the most overt attempt to call a halt to the “war on terror” is coming from Rep. Barbara Lee, whose bill H.R. 198 would revoke the Authorization for Use of Military Force that Congress approved three days after 9/11. Several months since it was introduced, H.R. 198 only has a dozen co-sponsors. (To send your representative and senators a message of support for Lee’s bill, click here.)
'Terrorism' and the Perpetual Emotion War Machine
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/04/24'Terrorism' and the Perpetual Emotion War Machine
by Norman Solomon
Published on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 by Common Dreams
As a perpetual emotion machine -- producing and guzzling its own political fuel -- the “war on terror” continues to normalize itself as a thoroughly American way of life and death. Ongoing warfare has become a matter of default routine, pushed along by mainline media and the leadership of both parties in Washington. Without a clear and effective upsurge of opposition from the grassroots, Americans can expect to remain citizens of a war-driven country for the rest of their lives.
Across the United States, many thousands of peeling bumper stickers on the road say: “End this Endless War.” They got mass distribution from MoveOn.org back in 2007, when a Republican was in the White House. Now, a thorough search of the MoveOn website might leave the impression that endless war ended with the end of the George W. Bush presidency.
MoveOn is very big as online groups go, but it is symptomatic of a widespread problem among an array of left-leaning organizations that have made their peace with the warfare state. Such silence assists the Obama administration as it makes the “war on terror” even more resolutely bipartisan and further embedded in the nation’s political structures -- while doing immense damage to our economy, siphoning off resources that should go to meet human needs, further militarizing society and undermining civil liberties.
Now, on Capitol Hill, the most overt attempt to call a halt to the “war on terror” is coming from Rep. Barbara Lee, whose bill H.R. 198 would revoke the Authorization for Use of Military Force that Congress approved three days after 9/11. Several months since it was introduced, H.R. 198 only has a dozen co-sponsors. (To send your representative and senators a message of support for Lee’s bill, click here.)
April 24, 2013
NATO, Eucom Commander Outlines Challenges Ahead
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2013 – Winding down four years as commander of U.S. European Command and as supreme allied commander for NATO’s global operations, Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis called on NATO members to live up to their defense spending commitments and to continue working together to address challenges confronting the alliance.
The admiral outlined a long list of challenges Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove will take on when he succeeds Stavridis next month. The Senate confirmed Breedlove’s nomination last week, and change-of-command ceremonies are expected to take place in mid-May in Stuttgart, Germany, and the NATO headquarters in Mons, Belgium.
Stavridis will travel to Berlin later this month to deliver what he called “a bit of a valedictory address” to outline challenges facing the NATO alliance. “There are many,” he acknowledged in his blog posting today.
Cyber is at the top of the list, the admiral said, citing the mismatch between the potential threat and the alliance’s preparation for it. He noted tremendous skill and capability in the cyber realm across NATO’s 28 nations, but caveats and concerns about technology, intelligence and knowledge sharing that hamper their ability to work together effectively.
“We simply need to break down barriers to cooperation here, recognizing the sensitivity of the material involved,” Stavridis said. He pointed to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia, as “a good start,” and noted more exercises and planned events that promote cyber cooperation.
Stavridis outlined other challenges: proliferation, trafficking, piracy and fragile states such as Afghanistan, Mali and Syria. But some of the most difficult challenges facing the alliance are rooted in financial crunches impacting member nations’ defense budgets, he said.
Stavridis noted that NATO’s members account for more than half the world’s gross domestic product and collectively spend nearly $1 trillion on defense. This spending level dwarfs that of any possible opponent or combination of opponents, he said.
But citing declining European budgets and the fact that the United States represents nearly three-quarters of NATO’s defense spending, Stavridis called the current model “unbalanced and sustainable over time.”
He called on NATO nations to meet their own self-assigned goal of spending 2 percent of their GDPs on defense. The United States spends “well over 3 percent,” he noted, even with recent budget cuts.
“American taxpayers will begin to feel that the European allies and partners are ‘getting a free ride,’ as some already say in the U.S.,” Stavridis warned.
Stavridis recommended ways to “enhance efficiencies and add ‘bang for the buck” as nations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean work through the financial crisis. He urged more pooling and sharing of resources under the “smart defense” initiative, improved cooperation and sharing of best practices among special operations forces, and more joint training and live exercises to increase interoperability within the NATO Response Force.
In advancing these efforts, Stavridis emphasized the importance of a comprehensive approach that works across the political, economic, humanitarian, cultural and private sectors. To address the next pandemic, for example, all entities -- military and civilian, foreign and domestic, public and private, academia, and nongovernmental and multinational organizations -- must pool and share resources and capabilities, he said.
“To meet these many challenges, there is much to be done on this side of the Atlantic, and inevitably NATO will continue to be a useful platform for encouraging a re-emergence of European defense,” Stavridis said.
The admiral expressed confidence in Breedlove’s abilities to take the alliance forward.
“I have known General Breedlove for many years and can tell you that his impressive credentials, professionalism, and dynamic leadership make him an ideal choice,” he said of Breedlove’s confirmation. “I can think of no better officer to lead the men and women of Allied Command Operations and U.S. European Command over the coming years.”
NATO, Eucom Commander Outlines Challenges Ahead
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=119843NATO, Eucom Commander Outlines Challenges Ahead
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2013 – Winding down four years as commander of U.S. European Command and as supreme allied commander for NATO’s global operations, Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis called on NATO members to live up to their defense spending commitments and to continue working together to address challenges confronting the alliance.
The admiral outlined a long list of challenges Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove will take on when he succeeds Stavridis next month. The Senate confirmed Breedlove’s nomination last week, and change-of-command ceremonies are expected to take place in mid-May in Stuttgart, Germany, and the NATO headquarters in Mons, Belgium.
Stavridis will travel to Berlin later this month to deliver what he called “a bit of a valedictory address” to outline challenges facing the NATO alliance. “There are many,” he acknowledged in his blog posting today.
Cyber is at the top of the list, the admiral said, citing the mismatch between the potential threat and the alliance’s preparation for it. He noted tremendous skill and capability in the cyber realm across NATO’s 28 nations, but caveats and concerns about technology, intelligence and knowledge sharing that hamper their ability to work together effectively.
“We simply need to break down barriers to cooperation here, recognizing the sensitivity of the material involved,” Stavridis said. He pointed to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia, as “a good start,” and noted more exercises and planned events that promote cyber cooperation.
Stavridis outlined other challenges: proliferation, trafficking, piracy and fragile states such as Afghanistan, Mali and Syria. But some of the most difficult challenges facing the alliance are rooted in financial crunches impacting member nations’ defense budgets, he said.
Stavridis noted that NATO’s members account for more than half the world’s gross domestic product and collectively spend nearly $1 trillion on defense. This spending level dwarfs that of any possible opponent or combination of opponents, he said.
But citing declining European budgets and the fact that the United States represents nearly three-quarters of NATO’s defense spending, Stavridis called the current model “unbalanced and sustainable over time.”
He called on NATO nations to meet their own self-assigned goal of spending 2 percent of their GDPs on defense. The United States spends “well over 3 percent,” he noted, even with recent budget cuts.
“American taxpayers will begin to feel that the European allies and partners are ‘getting a free ride,’ as some already say in the U.S.,” Stavridis warned.
Stavridis recommended ways to “enhance efficiencies and add ‘bang for the buck” as nations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean work through the financial crisis. He urged more pooling and sharing of resources under the “smart defense” initiative, improved cooperation and sharing of best practices among special operations forces, and more joint training and live exercises to increase interoperability within the NATO Response Force.
In advancing these efforts, Stavridis emphasized the importance of a comprehensive approach that works across the political, economic, humanitarian, cultural and private sectors. To address the next pandemic, for example, all entities -- military and civilian, foreign and domestic, public and private, academia, and nongovernmental and multinational organizations -- must pool and share resources and capabilities, he said.
“To meet these many challenges, there is much to be done on this side of the Atlantic, and inevitably NATO will continue to be a useful platform for encouraging a re-emergence of European defense,” Stavridis said.
The admiral expressed confidence in Breedlove’s abilities to take the alliance forward.
“I have known General Breedlove for many years and can tell you that his impressive credentials, professionalism, and dynamic leadership make him an ideal choice,” he said of Breedlove’s confirmation. “I can think of no better officer to lead the men and women of Allied Command Operations and U.S. European Command over the coming years.”
April 24, 2013
FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2011 file photo provided by the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales participates in an exercise at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. Bales, 39, accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians during a 2012 rampage, faces another preliminary hearing Tuesday. Defense lawyers for Robert Bales and military prosecutors were convening at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle. Bales is to be court-martialed on premeditated murder and other charges in the attack on two villages in southern Afghanistan. The Ohio native and father of two is accused of slaying mostly women and children during pre-dawn raids on March 11, 2012.
Another hearing in case of US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians
By Gene Johnson, The Associated Press April 23, 2013
OINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Robert Bales, the American soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians during a 2012 rampage, faces another preliminary hearing Tuesday.
Defence lawyers for Robert Bales and military prosecutors were convening at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle.
Bales is to be court-martialed on premeditated murder and other charges in the attack on two villages in southern Afghanistan. The Ohio native and father of two is accused of slaying mostly women and children during pre-dawn raids on March 11, 2012.
Bales, 39, has not entered a plea. The Army is seeking the death penalty. The U.S. military has not executed anyone since 1961.
Another hearing in case of US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Another+preliminary+hearing+case+soldier+accused+killing/8280379/story.htmlFILE - In this Aug. 23, 2011 file photo provided by the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales participates in an exercise at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. Bales, 39, accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians during a 2012 rampage, faces another preliminary hearing Tuesday. Defense lawyers for Robert Bales and military prosecutors were convening at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle. Bales is to be court-martialed on premeditated murder and other charges in the attack on two villages in southern Afghanistan. The Ohio native and father of two is accused of slaying mostly women and children during pre-dawn raids on March 11, 2012.
Another hearing in case of US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians
By Gene Johnson, The Associated Press April 23, 2013
OINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Robert Bales, the American soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians during a 2012 rampage, faces another preliminary hearing Tuesday.
Defence lawyers for Robert Bales and military prosecutors were convening at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle.
Bales is to be court-martialed on premeditated murder and other charges in the attack on two villages in southern Afghanistan. The Ohio native and father of two is accused of slaying mostly women and children during pre-dawn raids on March 11, 2012.
Bales, 39, has not entered a plea. The Army is seeking the death penalty. The U.S. military has not executed anyone since 1961.
April 24, 2013
Panelists say post-traumatic stress disorder can't be cured, can only be managed
By Caitlin Dineen
Published: 06:15 AM, Wed Apr 24, 2013
There is no way to cure post-traumatic stress disorder, but those suffering from it can learn to manage it, health professionals said Tuesday night.
Kevin Smythe, a supervisory psychologist in the Mental Health Service Line at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center, said managing the disorder is currently the only option.
"There are a lot of ebbs and flows (with the disorder)," Smythe said.
He was one of five panelists to speak about the disorder and post-traumatic stress symptoms.
unhappycamper comment: Tis true. Ask any veteran who has spent time in a war zone.
Panelists say post-traumatic stress disorder can't be cured, can only be managed
http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2013/04/24/1252501?sac=fo.militaryPanelists say post-traumatic stress disorder can't be cured, can only be managed
By Caitlin Dineen
Published: 06:15 AM, Wed Apr 24, 2013
There is no way to cure post-traumatic stress disorder, but those suffering from it can learn to manage it, health professionals said Tuesday night.
Kevin Smythe, a supervisory psychologist in the Mental Health Service Line at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center, said managing the disorder is currently the only option.
"There are a lot of ebbs and flows (with the disorder)," Smythe said.
He was one of five panelists to speak about the disorder and post-traumatic stress symptoms.
unhappycamper comment: Tis true. Ask any veteran who has spent time in a war zone.
April 24, 2013
Army To Congress: If You Can't Stop Sequester, At Least Slow It Down
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Published: April 23, 2013
CAPITOL HILL: "Speed kills." It looks as if the Pentagon may well adopt that old highway-safety slogan as its new strategy to combat the so-called sequester, which will cut $500 billion from the defense budget over the next decade unless the White House and Congress can reach the ever-elusive "grand bargain" to reduce the deficit by other means. Commentators -- myself included -- have derided President Obama's 2014 defense budget, released this month, for assuming sequestration somehow goes away. But while most discussion focuses on the sheer size of the cuts, the Army's top two officials emphasized their timing in testimony today to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Rather than reduce the defense budget evenly by about $50 billion in each of the next decade, argued Army Secretary John McHugh, the cuts should be "backloaded into later fiscal years."
This morning's wide-ranging hearing on the Army budget ranged across subjects from homestate bases to overseas crises. In particular, the service's Chief of Staff, Gen. Ray Odierno, made sure to emphasize that 60,000 Army soldiers are still in harm's way in Afghanistan. He also suggested keeping 8,000 to 9,000 US troops there -- to hunt terrorists and to advise and support the Afghan force -- after regular combat forces are withdrawn in 2014. He was careful to defer to the commander in-country, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, to make the final recommendation to President Obama. (Dunford's boss, Central Command chief Gen. James Mattis, recommended a 13,600-strong residual force last month). "What we have to watch is the confidence of the Afghan security forces," Odierno said. "We think they're ready," he went on, but while they are fierce fighters, the Afghans remain painfully short on key "enablers," from air support to medical care to logistics, all currently provided by the US.
But the budget wars in Washington overshadowed the literal war abroad during the hearing. In fiscal 2013 alone -- which ends in just five months -- sequestration hits the Army for $7.6 billion, said Secretary McHugh. Add in another $7.8 billion in greater-than-expected wartime expenses not covered by the current Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund, and that puts service $15.4 billion in the hole. One of the short-term sacrifices the Army has made to save money, Gen. Odierno said, was cutting training for combat brigades not specifically committed to Afghanistan. That, he added pointedly, reduces the Army's ability to respond to a crisis elsewhere -- say, Korea.
In the longer term, said Odierno, "it really puts into question our ability to deter potential future conflict." The Army already is set to shrink to 490,00 troops, barely enough to cover Pentagon plans for one "major theater war," said Odierno, and fully implementing the $50 billion a year reduction would require cutting another 100,000. If that happens, Odierno said, "we now put into question our ability to respond to large-scale major contingencies." (The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Amos, made the same point in starker terms last week).
unhappycamper comment: A $500 billion dollar reduction (over ten years) is a lousy 5% of their budget. Five fucking percent.
Army To Congress: If You Can't Stop Sequester, At Least Slow It Down
http://defense.aol.com/2013/04/23/army-to-congress-if-you-cant-stop-sequester-slow-it-is-back/Army To Congress: If You Can't Stop Sequester, At Least Slow It Down
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Published: April 23, 2013
CAPITOL HILL: "Speed kills." It looks as if the Pentagon may well adopt that old highway-safety slogan as its new strategy to combat the so-called sequester, which will cut $500 billion from the defense budget over the next decade unless the White House and Congress can reach the ever-elusive "grand bargain" to reduce the deficit by other means. Commentators -- myself included -- have derided President Obama's 2014 defense budget, released this month, for assuming sequestration somehow goes away. But while most discussion focuses on the sheer size of the cuts, the Army's top two officials emphasized their timing in testimony today to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Rather than reduce the defense budget evenly by about $50 billion in each of the next decade, argued Army Secretary John McHugh, the cuts should be "backloaded into later fiscal years."
This morning's wide-ranging hearing on the Army budget ranged across subjects from homestate bases to overseas crises. In particular, the service's Chief of Staff, Gen. Ray Odierno, made sure to emphasize that 60,000 Army soldiers are still in harm's way in Afghanistan. He also suggested keeping 8,000 to 9,000 US troops there -- to hunt terrorists and to advise and support the Afghan force -- after regular combat forces are withdrawn in 2014. He was careful to defer to the commander in-country, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, to make the final recommendation to President Obama. (Dunford's boss, Central Command chief Gen. James Mattis, recommended a 13,600-strong residual force last month). "What we have to watch is the confidence of the Afghan security forces," Odierno said. "We think they're ready," he went on, but while they are fierce fighters, the Afghans remain painfully short on key "enablers," from air support to medical care to logistics, all currently provided by the US.
But the budget wars in Washington overshadowed the literal war abroad during the hearing. In fiscal 2013 alone -- which ends in just five months -- sequestration hits the Army for $7.6 billion, said Secretary McHugh. Add in another $7.8 billion in greater-than-expected wartime expenses not covered by the current Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund, and that puts service $15.4 billion in the hole. One of the short-term sacrifices the Army has made to save money, Gen. Odierno said, was cutting training for combat brigades not specifically committed to Afghanistan. That, he added pointedly, reduces the Army's ability to respond to a crisis elsewhere -- say, Korea.
In the longer term, said Odierno, "it really puts into question our ability to deter potential future conflict." The Army already is set to shrink to 490,00 troops, barely enough to cover Pentagon plans for one "major theater war," said Odierno, and fully implementing the $50 billion a year reduction would require cutting another 100,000. If that happens, Odierno said, "we now put into question our ability to respond to large-scale major contingencies." (The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Amos, made the same point in starker terms last week).
unhappycamper comment: A $500 billion dollar reduction (over ten years) is a lousy 5% of their budget. Five fucking percent.
April 23, 2013
Fragment believed to be part of bomb used in Boston bombings
Weapon of mass destruction charge, explained
By Natasha Lennard
Monday, Apr 22, 2013 02:49 PM EDT
When you hear the term “weapon of mass destruction,” what comes to mind? A nuclear warhead? Biological agents? The sort of armaments so destructive, in fact, they are pitched as grounds for war. Homemade pressure cooker bombs — as we now know all too well — can wreak murderous, flesh- and bone-cleaving devastation. But are the devices used in the Boston bombings really weapons of mass destruction?
The Massachusetts U.S. attorney announced Monday that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be federally charged with “using a weapon of mass destruction against persons and property at the Boston Marathon.” No one would seek to underplay the heinous act that killed three people and injured over 170. But the WMD charge already prompted some confusion, given the DIY nature of the tools used in the bombings. Nukes they were not.
Last month, before the marathon massacre, Wired’s Spencer Ackerman explored the way in which the WMD designation has become so expansive that it is barely descriptive. “U.S. law isn’t particularly diligent about differentiating dangerous weapons from apocalyptic ones,” wrote Ackerman in a post about possible WMD charges brought against Eric Harroun, a U.S. Army veteran who joined the rebellion in Syria. Ackerman noted:
Weapon of mass destruction charge, explained
http://www.salon.com/2013/04/22/weapon_of_mass_destruction_charge_explained/?source=newsletterFragment believed to be part of bomb used in Boston bombings
Weapon of mass destruction charge, explained
By Natasha Lennard
Monday, Apr 22, 2013 02:49 PM EDT
When you hear the term “weapon of mass destruction,” what comes to mind? A nuclear warhead? Biological agents? The sort of armaments so destructive, in fact, they are pitched as grounds for war. Homemade pressure cooker bombs — as we now know all too well — can wreak murderous, flesh- and bone-cleaving devastation. But are the devices used in the Boston bombings really weapons of mass destruction?
The Massachusetts U.S. attorney announced Monday that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be federally charged with “using a weapon of mass destruction against persons and property at the Boston Marathon.” No one would seek to underplay the heinous act that killed three people and injured over 170. But the WMD charge already prompted some confusion, given the DIY nature of the tools used in the bombings. Nukes they were not.
Last month, before the marathon massacre, Wired’s Spencer Ackerman explored the way in which the WMD designation has become so expansive that it is barely descriptive. “U.S. law isn’t particularly diligent about differentiating dangerous weapons from apocalyptic ones,” wrote Ackerman in a post about possible WMD charges brought against Eric Harroun, a U.S. Army veteran who joined the rebellion in Syria. Ackerman noted:
The statutory definition of “weapon of mass destruction” refers to “any destructive device as defined in section 921 of this title,” which in turn includes: a “rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces.”
April 23, 2013
277 Million Boston Bombings
Posted on Apr 23, 2013
By Robert Scheer
The horror of Boston should be a reminder that the choice of weaponry can be in itself an act of evil. “Boston Bombs Were Loaded to Maim” is the way The New York Times defined the hideousness of the weapons used, and President Obama made clear that “anytime bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror.” But are we as a society prepared to be judged by that standard?
The president’s deployment of drones that all too often treat innocent civilians as collateral damage comes quickly to mind. It should also be pointed out that the U.S. still maintains a nuclear arsenal and, as our killing and wounding hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese demonstrated, those weapons are inherently, by the president’s definition, weapons of terror. But it is America’s role in the deployment of antipersonnel land mines, and our country’s refusal to sign off on a ban on cluster munitions agreed to by most of the world’s nations, that offers the most glaring analogy with the carnage of Boston.
To this day, antipersonnel weapons––the technologically refined version of the primitive pressure cooker fragmentation bombs exploded in Boston––maim and kill farmers and their children in the Southeast Asian killing fields left over from our country’s past experiment in genocide. An experiment that as a sideshow to our obsession with replacing French colonialism in Vietnam involved dropping 277 million cluster bomblets on Laos between 1964 and 1973.
The whole point of a cluster weapon is to target an area the size of several football fields with the same bits of maiming steel that did so much damage in Boston. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has been active in attempting to clear land of remaining bomblets, estimates 10,000 Lao civilian casualties to date from such weapons. As many as twenty-seven million unexploded bomblets remain in the country, according to the committee.
unhappycamper comment: For more cluster bomb pics, google images: cluster bombing
277 Million Boston Bombings
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/277_million_boston_bombings_20130423/277 Million Boston Bombings
Posted on Apr 23, 2013
By Robert Scheer
The horror of Boston should be a reminder that the choice of weaponry can be in itself an act of evil. “Boston Bombs Were Loaded to Maim” is the way The New York Times defined the hideousness of the weapons used, and President Obama made clear that “anytime bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror.” But are we as a society prepared to be judged by that standard?
The president’s deployment of drones that all too often treat innocent civilians as collateral damage comes quickly to mind. It should also be pointed out that the U.S. still maintains a nuclear arsenal and, as our killing and wounding hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese demonstrated, those weapons are inherently, by the president’s definition, weapons of terror. But it is America’s role in the deployment of antipersonnel land mines, and our country’s refusal to sign off on a ban on cluster munitions agreed to by most of the world’s nations, that offers the most glaring analogy with the carnage of Boston.
To this day, antipersonnel weapons––the technologically refined version of the primitive pressure cooker fragmentation bombs exploded in Boston––maim and kill farmers and their children in the Southeast Asian killing fields left over from our country’s past experiment in genocide. An experiment that as a sideshow to our obsession with replacing French colonialism in Vietnam involved dropping 277 million cluster bomblets on Laos between 1964 and 1973.
The whole point of a cluster weapon is to target an area the size of several football fields with the same bits of maiming steel that did so much damage in Boston. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has been active in attempting to clear land of remaining bomblets, estimates 10,000 Lao civilian casualties to date from such weapons. As many as twenty-seven million unexploded bomblets remain in the country, according to the committee.
unhappycamper comment: For more cluster bomb pics, google images: cluster bombing
April 23, 2013
Brokaw: We Need to Examine Drone Policy as a Motivation for Terrorism
By Nicole Belle
April 21, 2013 02:00 PM
The media narrative around the Boston marathon bombing is beginning to coalesce: Older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev had recently embraced fundamentalist and radical Islamic thought after a trip to Russia, starting a YouTube channel that pointed to jihadist videos. Such was his interest that he became a subject of an investigation by the FBI, reportedly at the request of the Russian government. Angry, isolated and increasingly radicalized, he enlisted the services of his younger, idolizing brother to fulfill the jihad here in the US, of whom he felt used the Bible "as an excuse for invading other countries".
Never mind that Tamerlan cannot speak for himself (nor at this point can Dzhokhar, who reportedly has neck injuries that may prevent him from ever speaking). This narrative can be built without any actual facts, much like the common wisdom behind Columbine shooters Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, and it serves its purpose: to marginalize and demonize the suspects and not look at the larger environment in which we all contribute and how that can possibly radicalize those who feel oppressed by it.
Surprisingly, Tom Brokaw broke away from the surging media narrative to bring a rare moment of tempering during the Meet the Press panel. And even more amazingly, he pointed to a very specific foreign policy that may be driving more and more people against this country:
Brokaw: We Need to Examine Drone Policy as a Motivation for Terrorism
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/brokaw-we-need-examine-drone-policy-mBrokaw: We Need to Examine Drone Policy as a Motivation for Terrorism
By Nicole Belle
April 21, 2013 02:00 PM
The media narrative around the Boston marathon bombing is beginning to coalesce: Older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev had recently embraced fundamentalist and radical Islamic thought after a trip to Russia, starting a YouTube channel that pointed to jihadist videos. Such was his interest that he became a subject of an investigation by the FBI, reportedly at the request of the Russian government. Angry, isolated and increasingly radicalized, he enlisted the services of his younger, idolizing brother to fulfill the jihad here in the US, of whom he felt used the Bible "as an excuse for invading other countries".
Never mind that Tamerlan cannot speak for himself (nor at this point can Dzhokhar, who reportedly has neck injuries that may prevent him from ever speaking). This narrative can be built without any actual facts, much like the common wisdom behind Columbine shooters Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, and it serves its purpose: to marginalize and demonize the suspects and not look at the larger environment in which we all contribute and how that can possibly radicalize those who feel oppressed by it.
Surprisingly, Tom Brokaw broke away from the surging media narrative to bring a rare moment of tempering during the Meet the Press panel. And even more amazingly, he pointed to a very specific foreign policy that may be driving more and more people against this country:
MR. BROKAW: But I think that there’s something else that goes beyond the event that we’ve all been riveted by in the last week. We have to work a lot harder as a motivation here. What prompts a young man to come to this country and still feel alienated from it, to go back to Russia and do whatever he did and I don’t think we’ve examined that enough? I mean, there was 24/7 coverage on television, a lot of newspaper print and so on, but we have got to look at the roots of all of this because it exist across the whole subcontinent, and the-- and the Islamic world around the world. And I think we also have to examine the use of drones that the United States is involved and-- and there are a lot of civilians who are innocently killed in a drone attack in Pakistan, in Afghanistan, and in Iraq. And I can tell you having spent a lot of time over there, young people will come up to me on the streets and say we love America. If you harm one hair on the-- on the head of my sister, I will fight you forever and there is this enormous rage against what they see in that part of the world as a presumptuousness of the United States.
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