Friday, May 29, 2015

Video: Cuba removed from US Terrorist list



As part of  this week's Friday news dump by the Obama administration, news just out that Cuba has been dropped from the US list of nations that support terrorism.

From Homeland Security NewsWire:

U.S. removes Cuba from list of terrorism-supporting states
29 May 2015
The United States earlier today (Friday) officially removed Cuba from the list of terrorism-supporting states. The move is the latest step toward the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba.

Removing Cuba from the list – which now has only three countries left on it: Iran, Syria, and Sudan – removes a major legal obstacles, because U.S. law imposes serious restrictions on political and economic relations with countries on the list.

 Still, the removal of Cuba from the terrorism-supporting countries list would have a limited impact, because many of the limitations on normal economic relations with Cuba are the result of Cuba-specific embargo legislation by Congress outside the scope of the terrorism-related measures. 

These pieces of legislation will have to be removed by Congressional action. The administration’s decision to remove Cuba from the list comes while the negotiations between the two countries are encountering difficulties. Officials have so far failed to reach an agreement on re-establishing diplomatic relations and opening embassies...


US drops Cuba from list of state sponsors of terrorism
May. 29, 2015

 State Department announcement paves way for full diplomatic ties


Stay tuned.

Iran nuke deal: France won't sign unless...



From Homeland Security NewsWire:


France will not sign off on a nuclear deal with Iran if military sites are off limits to inspectors

29 May 2015

Laurent Fabius, France’s foreign minister, said France will not accept a deal on Iran’s nuclear program if Tehran refuses to allow inspections of its military sites as part of the final agreement. Throughout the negotiations with Iran, France has taken a tougher stance toward Iran than the other negotiating countries, known as the P5 + 1 (the five permanent members of the Security Council – the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France – and Germany). “France will not accept a deal if it is not clear that inspections can be done at all Iranian installations, including military sites,” Fabius told the national assembly in Paris.

The Guardian notes that Fabius’s comments came a week after Iran’s supreme leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei, insisted he would not allow the Iranian negotiating team to accept inspections of military sites or questioning of the country’s nuclear scientists.

We have already said that we will not allow any inspections of military sites by foreigners,” the ayatollah said last week. “They also say that we must allow interviews with nuclear scientists. This is interrogation. I will not allow foreigners to come and talk to scientists who have advanced the science to this level.”  [emphasis mine]

Fabius said: “Yes to an agreement, but not to an agreement that will enable Iran to have the atomic bomb. That is the position of France, which is independent and peaceful.”...



Waiting for MIC to call France to tell them to get back in line in 3...2...1

Sudan: Christian pastors arrested - face death

Yet more Christians under attack because of their faith.

From FOX News:
2 pastors in Sudan face death over Christian faith
By 
Two Christian pastors from South Sudan who traveled north to Sudan and were arrested on charges of spying could face the death penalty when their trial begins next week, according to their attorneys.


 Yat Michael Ruot and Peter Yein Reith, both Presbyterian pastors from the breakaway Christian nation of South Sudan, are being held by Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services on charges of undermining the constitution and espionage. Their supporters say their arrest and pending trial is just the latest effort by the militant Islamist government in Khartoum to stamp out Christianity.


“I’m fearful that they will execute these pastors for practicing their faith,” said David Curry, CEO of Open Doors USA, a group dedicated to advocating for the victims of Christian persecution.
The pair also was charged with “inciting organized groups” and “offending Islamic beliefs,” which call for imprisonment...

Much more here. 


 Pay attention.

UK: Video - Gurhkas celebrate 200 years service

Gurkhas: 200 Years Of Service To The Crown 28.05.15
Forces TV May 28, 2015
Probably the best known, and to their adversaries the most feared, body of fighting men in the British Army, Gurkhas were first recruited to serve the British Crown 200 years ago in 1815 and for all those years their signature weapon has remained the Kukri.

In that time, these young men, from the Nepalese hills, have fought in all the major wars where the British Army has been deployed. Winning an extraordinary number of medals for bravery, the Regiment has also won an extraordinary romantic place in the hearts of British people. 

This book, written by Major General J C Lawrence CBE, with a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales and an introduction by Joanna Lumley OBE, is the complete visual history of Britain s Gurkhas and the mystique that surrounds them.



Follow the above link for more videos on the incredible Gurkhas...

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

UK: EU referendum set - for 2017

(source)


From Reuters:

Queen Elizabeth sets in train Cameron's EU referendum plan

LONDON Britain's Queen Elizabeth set in motion Prime Minister David Cameron's plans for a European Union membership referendum on Wednesday as he faced pressure to explain when it will be held and what changes to the EU he wants beforehand.

Cameron, who says he would prefer to stay inside a reformed EU but isn't "ruling anything out" if it fails to change, was re-elected on May 7 on a pledge to reshape ties with the bloc before allowing Britons to vote on whether to stay or leave.

Donning her crown as she sat on a gilded throne in a packed House of Lords, the 89-year-old queen outlined the referendum plans in a speech written for her by Cameron's Conservative government as she opened parliament with a customary display of pomp.

"My government will renegotiate the United Kingdom's relationship with the European Union and pursue reform of the European Union for the benefit of all member states," the queen told an audience made up of politicians and lords clad in crimson robes trimmed with white ermine.

"Alongside this, early legislation will be introduced to provide for an in-out referendum on membership of the European Union before the end of 2017."...

Program Offers [free] Museum Visits to Service Members, Families

From DoD:

Program Offers Museum Visits to Service Members, Families


By Shannon CollinsDoD News, Defense Media Activity


WASHINGTON, May 26, 2015 – From Memorial Day through Labor Day, service members and their families can visit more than 2,000 museums in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and American Samoa courtesy of collaboration among the Blue Star Museums, the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Defense Department.
[...]

The Program


The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card, a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military, National Guard, reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and up to five family members.


Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, contact the museum directly. To find participating museums and plan a trip, visit the Blue Star Museums website, arts.gov/bluestarmuseums


Syria: Kurds regain Christian villages


Kurds oust IS from Christian villages in Syria

27 May 2015


Beirut (AFP) - Kurdish forces have driven the Islamic State group from more than a dozen Assyrian Christian villages that the jihadists had captured in northeastern Syria, a monitor said Wednesday.

"Following a 10-day offensive, Kurdish fighters took control early this week of 14 Assyrian villages that IS had controlled since February," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Assyrian Christians, who are from one of the world's oldest Christian communities, have been under increasing threat since IS seized control of large parts of Syria.

Thousands of Christians fled an assault by the jihadists in the northeastern province of Hasakeh in February after a spate of kidnappings by IS, which is still holding 210 Assyrians hostage.

Assyrians number about 30,000 among Syria's 1.2 million Christians and mostly live in 35 villages in Hasakeh, all of which are now held by Kurdish or regime forces.

Osama Edward, head of the Sweden-based Assyrian Network for Human Rights, said the recapture of the villages by the Kurds "was made possible by intense raids by the international coalition" led by the United States against IS.

He said that photos "show a lot of destruction of houses and churches".

"Most people are afraid to return because they fear that IS booby-trapped their houses before fleeing," he added.

                                                                           -30-

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Syria: End game - Assad on the run?



From Homeland Security NewsWire:

Endgame in Syria: Assad forces in retreat as rebels increase pressure

20 May 2015


The attention to developments in Iraq caused many to miss the more important developments to the north, where the Assad regime, for the first time since the Syrian rebellion began four years ago, appears to be weakening in the face of the growing effectiveness of the rebel forces and the accelerating disintegration of what remains of the Syrian military. Military analysts say that the regime may soon be forced to abandon Damascus and concentrate its dwindling forces in the northwest coastal region of Syria which is controlled by Alawites, but the Alawite region may not be a safer haven for Assad, though. Since March, the rebels have defeated the Syrian military in a series of important battles, and have been pressing their westward advance. There is a growing sense in the region that the situation in Syria is changing, and that these changes do not favor President Assad.


[...]


Military analysts say that the regime may soon be forced to abandon Damascus and concentrate its dwindling forces in the northwest coastal region of Syria which is controlled by Alawites, the Shi’a branch to which the Assads belong. There are 2.6 million Alawites in Syria, accounting for 12 percent of the country’s twenty-two million people.


Since January, the tide of the civil war in Syria has turned. Sunni rebel groups have:


  • Increased their pressure in and around Damascus
  • Made major gains in the strategic Qalamoun Mountains range which controls the border between Syria and Lebanon
  • Have made important advances in northwest Syria, threatening the Alawite enclave in northwest Syria
  • Gained control of most of Syria’s border crossing...


Pay attention.

9/11 Flag returns home



National 9/11 flag at the National September 11 Memorial and MuseumJIN LEE/911 MEMORIAL

National 9/11 Flag Returns Home After Touching Lives in 50 States

BY TIARE DUNLAP5/22/2015


After being unearthed from the rubble of the World Trade Center,  lovingly repaired by veterans and tornado survivors and visiting all 50 states, the National 9/11 flag has finally made it home. 

The flag's arrival this week at the  National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City marks the end of a 14-year journey. 

"The National 911 Flag is the sum of many parts," Seidler Ramirez, the chief curator of the museum told The Huffington Post.  "Its metamorphosis from a symbol of nationhood at Ground Zero – ravaged by the harsh conditions of its service – into a larger icon of healing, hope and human kindness, is an inspirational journey that summarizes what people can do collaboratively in response to an immense tragedy." 

The 30-foot American flag was flying proudly at 90 West Street in Lower Manhattan when it was destroyed in the aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center, according to the New York Says Thank You Foundation. It was unearthed from the rubble in late October 2001....

Monday, May 25, 2015

Memorial Day: Am I worth dying for?



Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.


Eleanor Roosevelt's Wartime Prayer

Dear Lord,
Lest I continue
My complacent way,
Help me to remember that somewhere,
Somehow out there
A man died for me today.
As long as there be war,
I then must
Ask and answer
Am I worth dying for?

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Benghazi surprise? Truths continue to show Obama lied (and people DID die)



Of course, the latest revelations do not surprise those of us who continue to pay attention. This week it seems more documents have been obtained which show unequivocally that the narrative on the murders of US citizens on September 11, 2012, was a lie knowingly spread by Obama, Rice, Hillary Clinton and the administrration.

Judicial Watch  has this:

Obama Admin Knew About Benghazi Before It Happened: Defense, State Department Documents Reveal Obama Administration Knew that al Qaeda Terrorists Had Planned Benghazi Attack 10 Days in Advance 


 MAY 18, 2015

Administration knew three months before the November 2012 presidential election of ISIS plans to establish a caliphate in Iraq 

Administration knew of arms being shipped from Benghazi to Syria


(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it obtained more than 100 pages of previously classified “Secret” documents from the Department of Defense (DOD)and the Department of State revealing that DOD almost immediately reported that the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi was committed by the al Qaeda and Muslim Brotherhood-linked “Brigades of the Captive Omar Abdul Rahman” (BCOAR), and had been planned at least 10 days in advance. Rahman is known as the Blind Sheikh, and is serving life in prison for his involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and other terrorist acts.  The new documents also provide the first official confirmation that shows the U.S. government was aware of arms shipments from Benghazi to Syria.  The documents also include an August 2012 analysis warning of the rise of ISIS and the predicted failure of the Obama policy of regime change in Syria.


The documents were released in response to a court order in accordance with a May 15, 2014, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed against both the DOD and State Department seeking communications between the two agencies and congressional leaders “on matters related to the activities of any agency or department of the U.S. government at the Special Mission Compound and/or classified annex in Benghazi.”
Spelling and punctuation is duplicated in this release without corrections.


Defense Department document from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), dated September 12, 2012, the day after the Benghazi attack, details that the attack on the compound had been carefully planned by the BOCAR terrorist group “to kill as many Americans as possible.”  The document was sent to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Obama White House National Security Council.  The heavily redacted Defense Department “information report” says that the attack on the Benghazi facility “was planned and executed by The Brigades of the Captive Omar Abdul Rahman (BCOAR).”  The group subscribes to “AQ ideologies:”


The attack was planned ten or more days prior on approximately 01 September 2012. The intention was to attack the consulate and to kill as many Americans as possible to seek revenge for U.S. killing of Aboyahiye ((ALALIBY)) in Pakistan and in memorial of the 11 September 2001 atacks on the World Trade Center buildings....


Is ANYbody surprised by this?  Really?  Read the rest here.


As FOX reports, Judicial Watch had to sue 'the most transparent administration' in federal court to get these documents, which go part way (only) to confirm what MIC and his sycophants determined to keep from public view.

Stay tuned.


Related: Selected Libya-Related Messages From Hillary Clinton’s Personal Email Account

Judicial Watch: Administration knew Benghazi attack planned 10 days in advance




Friday, May 15, 2015

Boston: Bomber sentenced to death

This just in:

Boston Marathon bombing trial: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev sentenced to death - latest coverage
[...] Boston jury announces Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will die by lethal injection
By Raf Sanchez, and David Lawler, Washington 7:44PM BST 15 May 2015

21.05 (16.05)
 Marty Walsh, the mayor of Boston, has put out a muted statement in which he doesn't acknowledge that the verdict is death and certainly doesn't applaud it.

QuoteI hope this verdict provides a small amount of closure to the survivors, families, and all impacted by the violent and tragic events surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon. We will forever remember and honor those who lost their lives and were affected by those senseless acts of violence on our City. Today, more than ever, we know that Boston is a City of hope, strength and resilience, that can overcome any challenge.

[...]

20.48 (15.48)
Loretta Lynch, the new US attorney general, is the first senior government official to applau[d] the news of the death penalty.


QuoteWe know all too well that no verdict can heal the souls of those who lost loved ones, nor the minds and bodies of those who suffered life-changing injuries from this cowardly attack. But the ultimate penalty is a fitting punishment for this horrific crime and we hope that the completion of this prosecution will bring some measure of closure to the victims and their families. We thank the jurors for their service, the people of Boston for their vigilance, resilience and support and the law enforcement community in Boston and throughout the country for their important work.”

[...]

20.31 (15.31)
Tsarnaev shows no reaction as he learns that he has been sentenced to death....

Video: Syria - Mr Obama needs to listen to Senator Cotton



Israel National News has this about America's Man of INaction:

Obama: Chlorine Gas Not 'Historically' a Chemical Weapon


POTUS insists that US is investigating reports of attacks, but implies that chlorine may not justify action against Syria.

By Tova Dvorin  15 May 2015


Widespread reports of chlorine gas attacks in Syria have not been prevented - or acted upon - because chlorine is not "historically" considered a chemical weapon, US President Barack Obama stated Thursday.


Obama was forced to answer the chlorine question during a press conference from a summit at Camp David with leaders of the Gulf states. Syria and Iran were key issues at the conference.


However, when pressed about chlorine, Obama evaded defining it as a "weapon," noting that it has many other non-threatening uses, as caught in this footage from the Washington Free Beacon.  ...




(MUST watch)


GO read the rest at INN here.

Senator Tom Cotton schools the current resident of 1600 Penn Avenue.  Take a look:





"Those who refuse to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it...."

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Saudi Islamist 'preacher': "Jews poison muslim hearts and minds"

Really,  Abdulla Ba Neema said that.

Watch:




May 10, 2015
Saudi Islamist Preacher: The Jews Poison Muslim Hearts and Minds with WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook
In an address posted on the Internet on May 3, 2015, Saudi Islamist preacher Abdulla Ba Neema (sometimes spelled Baneameh) said that the Jews "put poison into things that the Muslims like." According to him, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook are tools used by the Jews to poison and hearts and minds of the Muslims. "Our women's honor has been violated as a result of social networks," he said, adding that WhatsApp "is the sewage that flows in your heart." Despite his criticism of social networks, Ba Neema runs very active Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Ba Neema was paralyzed in a swimming pool accident. 


 Israel National News has the full story.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Iran is lying? Say it isn't so!


From National Review:
Iran Is Lying, and We Know It


by HAROLD RHODE & JOSEPH RASKAS


 May 7, 2015 


 If the White House doesn’t pull the plug on negotiations, Congress must. 


The most frustrating part for a rational observer of the P5+1 negotiations with Iran is this: There is little doubt that Iran is lying, and will continue to lie, but that doesn’t seem to matter to those negotiating with it. 


 Rather than cause Tehran to capitulate by ratcheting up the pressure, the White House and its negotiating partners first eased the sanctions that had been compelling Tehran to negotiate and then effectively tabled the military option. Since then, they have made a seemingly unending catalog of tangible and irreversible concessions, to which the Iranians have responded with increased hostility. 


Yet, still the talks go on....

Yes, there is more here, and it is well worth the read.

Related:  Senate OKs bill giving Congress review of Iran nuclear deal

War On Terror News has this to say about the above link:

The Senate has voted to 'require Congressional approval" of any Iran deal, and the politician in chief is unlikely to "veto" that. It almost sounds like the Senate has re-claimed its Constitutional responsibility to approve treaties, right?


Wrong. The DNC has played the RNC like a fiddle. The "deal" with Congress is an abrogation of Constitutional authority. It requires that DNC members oppose the DNC politician in chief to prevent a deal, and that the RNC find enough of them to do that, within thirty days. That is a near impossible feat.


All The Party has to do is "Not Support" opposition to their chief politician for him to then be in compliance with Congress, and they only have to "Not Support" opposition to him for a month.


Constitutionally, no "executive order" can override legislation from Congress and ALL Treaties must be ratified by the Senate. Neither bar can pass muster in the current Congress, unless it is truly a "good deal," but a straight party vote prevents opposition to a bad deal.


Tom Cotton is the only one that got this right.

It's official: "Terrorism has gone viral" - *gasp*

Who knew?  Well, those of us paying attention, of course.  For years since the Global War on Terrorism was declared, some of us haave been pointing out the meaning of the name GLOBAL.  Even while politicians have consistently declared jihadist attacks are 'lone wolf' attacks and assured us that there is no need for alarm, there have been continuing daily reports of terrorist attacks both at home and around the world.

Now, today from JihadWatch comes this:

"Terrorism has gone viral"
May 10, 2015 By Robert Spencer
And the media is counseling appeasement. 


“‘Terrorism has gone viral': US officials, lawmakers warn of growing jihad-inspired attacks,”FoxNews.com, May 10, 2015:


Top U.S. officials and lawmakers on Sunday intensified concerns about the growing threat of jihad-inspired terror attacks against the United States, after last week’s attempt in Texas and the dire FBI warning that followed.


“I think there’s been an uptick in the stream of threats out there,” Texas GOP Rep. Mike McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, told “Fox News Sunday.” “We’re seeing these directives on almost a daily basis. It’s very concerning. Terrorism has gone viral.”...


[...] 


[McCaul] also said the terror threat now is “one of the highest that I’ve ever seen” and warned of similar incidents in the future.


“It’s going to get worse, not better,” he said. “This is very difficult to stop.”


Also on Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the U.S. is facing a new phase of terrorism in which a so-called lone-wolf terrorist, inspired by Islamic State propaganda on social media, could “strike at any moment.”


The Obama administration has said the attack in suburban Dallas last week was a “lone wolf” effort…


'Lone wolf' my ***.   This despite viral evidence to the contrary.  Read the rest of this here.


Repeat after me:  What happens 'over there' is already here.


PAY ATTENTION.

Related:  4,300 people in more than fifteen countries killed in 504 suicide bombings in 2014

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Mothers Day

Thinking of ALL the Mothers I am privileged to know: 9/11 Moms, Blue Star Moms, Silver Star Moms, Gold Star Moms.


Motherhood is FOREVER, and I honor you all, with much gratitude and respect every.single.day.


You have my heart.







(Be sure to revisit a previous Mothers Day column, go here.)



Thursday, May 7, 2015

Canada: Omar Khadr set free - on bail

It's official: Omar Khadr, convicted of killing US Army Medic SFC Christopher Speer, is out of prison and 'free' to walk the streets of Canada.  When Canada agreed to take Khadr from GITMO, following his Tribunal, I predicted that within the year he WOULD be walking free...Long time readers know what I think about this, so here's the CBC reportage on this day:



Omar Khadr to be freed on bail while awaiting appeal


Alberta Court of Appeal judge says no clear evidence there would be irreparable harm

CBC News  May 07, 2015

After 13 years in prison Omar Khadr will be free on bail while he appeals his convictions in the United States for war crimes.


​In court on Thursday, Alberta Court of Appeal Justice Myra Bielby said there was no clear evidence there would be irreparable harm if he were released.


Khadr was expected to be released within the next two hours and was expected to be free by noon MT.


Some supporters gasped and clapped while others cried after hearing Justice Bielby ruling.


Court of Queen's Bench Justice June Ross granted Khadr bail last month, but the federal government appealed that decision....
Be sure to watch the reaction to this development from FOX: Canadian judge frees former teen terrorist who killed US Army medic

Video: Geller -v- Choudary


In the wake of last weekend's "Draw Mohammed" event in Texas, the organiser Pam Geller appeared on Hannity to 'debate' London's Anjem Choudary.  Of course, as usual, Choudary proved his idea of debate is to yell and attempt to drown out - intimidate - any dissenters.

Take a look:

Whether you agree with what Geller did or not, I think Rob O'Neill stated the case best when discussing the terrorist attack on the TX gathering: “Fortunately these guys showed up because they were offended by something protected by the First Amendment and they were quickly introduced to the Second Amendment.”



Related:  Garland, Texas exhibit, terrorist attack highlight tensions between free speech and public safety

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

GITMO 5: US 'negotiating' with Qatar


Remember these thugs?  In a secret deal put together behind closed doors by Barack "we do not negotiate with terrorists' Obama, these five were swapped for Bowe Bergdahl. Now, they are apparently going to be free to return to their pre-GITMO ways at the end of this month.  Not to worry, though, because Obama is  'negotiating ' with Qatar.

From Clarion Project comes this:

US Negotiating With Qatar Over Fate of 'Taliban Five'

As negotiations continue it was announced the Taliban will open a political office in the Qatari capital Doha.

 May 5, 2015


The US and Qatar are negotiating over security arrangements for five Taliban commanders who were released from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for U.S. staff-sergeant Bowe Berghdal last May. The prisoner exchange, in which the detainees were handed over to Qatar, caused an national outcry.

Under the current arrangements the ‘Taliban Five’ are forbidden from leaving Qatar and are monitored. That agreement expires at the end of May. If it is not renewed, the men will have no restrictions on them once it expires.

The outcome of the talks is unknown. Qatari officials are said to be open to renewing aspects of the deal or perhaps transferring the men to another country.
However, Qatar has just agreed to allow the Taliban to open a political office in the capital Doha....

You KNOW there is more.  Read it here.  What could possibly go wrong?

US Military: Training the future K9 force

From Homeland Security Newswire:

Training the future canine force
6 May 2015


Canines have proven to be expert bomb detectors for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. With combat operations winding down, however, the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) Expeditionary Canine Sciences program says it is taking a fresh look at how dogs are trained to identify different explosive devices — and their roles in future conflicts.


“We don’t know what challenges the battlefield of the future will present,” said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Mat Winter. “Our canine warfighters must be as well trained as their human counterparts. It’s critical that we learn as much as we can about how canines process scents and how long they retain scent memory.”


Researchers hope to streamline and enhance canines’ training so they can work with any Navy or Marine Corps dog handler, not just one. Another goal is to get the dogs to the point where they can even work without a handler’s leash.


In previous years, research and training focused primarily on developing physically strong dogs that could withstand the harsh climate, terrain and stress of combat. ONR’s new research focuses on cracking the code of olfactory and cognitive optimization — essentially, how dogs recognize and remember odors, and for how long and to what degree.


For example, different combustible elements are used to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Researchers want to find out if bomb-detecting dogs can expand their recognition of odors within these diverse elements and in what ratios.


“Before, dogs were trained on one dominant odor to identify explosive devices,” said Dr. Joong Kim, who oversees the canine program. “In this research, we want to expose them to a variety of elements and odors. Also, it’s not known whether dogs forget odors over time, so our tests will see how long dogs can remember smells before requiring retraining.”...

Read the rest here, although the BratCrew could already  answer some of those vexxing questions without need for any further research.  (*wooooof*!)

Stay tuned.

Video: Blue Lives Matter - Rest In Peace PO Brian Moore



(picture: NYPD)


New York lost another one of its finest this past weekend, as another on duty cop was gunned down.


NBC New York

In direct contrast with other recent events, as news of this killing spread, there were no riots, no looting, no torching of whole communities.

Instead there was this:

Salute: NYPD officers salute as an ambulance carrying the body of NYPD officer Brian Moore leaves Jamaica Hospital in New York  (Reuters)

Read the Daily Mail story here.


  Rest In Peace. Prayers for all who know and love Police Officer Brian Moore. Read more here.


Related:  Where is the outrage?

Fellow police, citizens honor fallen NYPD officer with #MooreMatters hashtag; Mets to wear NYPD hats

Monday, May 4, 2015

Congo: Full face veil banned


From Reuters:

Congo Republic bans full-face veil for security reasons

BRAZZAVILLE
May 2, 2015


(Reuters) - Authorities in Congo Republic will impose a ban on wearing the full-face Islamic veil in public in order to tackle a security threat from people using it to conceal their identity, the head of the Congo's Islamic Council said on Saturday.
[...]
Islamic Council head Djibril Abdoulaye Bopaka said Congo's Islamic community, which he estimated at some 800,000 people, was in agreement with the measure after what he said were reports of individuals using this kind of veil to carry out illegal acts.

"The government took this step based on what was happening in the neighboring countries and the rest of the world," Bopaka said. "We regard this as a legitimate step for the security of the country."

"Together with authorities, we recognized that there were non-Muslims and badly intentioned people making use of the veil to carry out unauthorized acts," he told Radio France International....

Iran: As Kerry guarantees "no bomb" - executions increase


 US Secretary of State John Kerry continues working on that 'understanding' with Iran , and Iran continues with their chants of  'death to Israel and America'..the rate of executions of citizens in Iran gathers speed.

From Clarion Project:

Reports: Huge Surge in Executions in Iran
As many as 115 executions took place in the last two weeks in the Islamic republic. 

 Tue, April 28, 2015

The Iranian regime executed as many as 115 people in the two weeks to April 26, according to the opposition group the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

Another report speaks of 55 executions in a three week period in late March and April.

Amnesty International recently published the personal account of Hamed Ahmadi, an Iranian on death row.

Execution followed me and my family every second. My family was executed with me over and over. If they had not received news from me for one day, they would come to the prison immediately thinking that we are finished... We were left in this situation where every minute felt like we had a noose put around our neck.

Ahmadi’s family has not heard from him since he wrote these words....

Meanwhile, John Kerry is reported as giving guarantees to America's one-time closest ally in the Middle East.

Kerry tells Israelis: U.S. “guarantees” it can prevent Iran from getting the bomb


4 May 2015


U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry tried to assuage concerns in Israel over the nuclear deal with Iran, saying in a Sunday interview on Israel’s Channel 10 TV that “There is a lot of hysteria about this deal.” He added: “I say to every Israeli that today we have the ability to stop them if they decided to move quickly to a bomb, and I absolutely guarantee that in the future we will have the ability to know what they are doing so that we can still stop them if they decided to move to a bomb.”


Israel regards a nuclear-armed Iran to be an existential threat to Israel, and Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a leading critic of the emerging deal negotiation between the P5+1 group and Iran.


Kerry said the deal would not affect American options to counter any possible effort by Iran to build atomic weapons.


“I say to every Israeli that today we have the ability to stop them if they decided to move quickly to a bomb, and I absolutely guarantee that in the future we will have the ability to know what they are doing so that we can still stop them if they decided to move to a bomb,” Kerry said.


The Guardian notes that Netanyahu contents that the potential deal leaves intact too much of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, including research facilities, weapons testing sites, and advanced centrifuges capable of enriching uranium to weapon grade....

My take-away questions is this:  WHY should Israel - or anybody else for that matter - trust anything that this US administration says?    We continually see evidence that the only consequence of  unacceptable actions by despots et al is one of Obama's now infamous 'strongly worded letter.'




Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian 'faces Iran spy trial'