Seymour Hersh on bin Laden death: ‘One big lie, not one word of it is true’

"Seymour Hersh has got some extreme ideas on how to fix journalism – close down the news bureaus of NBC and ABC, sack 90% of editors in publishing and get back to the fundamental job of journalists which, he says, is to be an outsider. Holding court to a packed audience at City University in London’s summer school on investigative journalism, 76-year-old Hersh is on full throttle, a whirlwind of amazing stories of how journalism used to be; how he exposed the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, how he got the Abu Ghraib pictures of American soldiers brutalising Iraqi prisoners, and what he thinks of Edward Snowden." Continue reading

Continue ReadingSeymour Hersh on bin Laden death: ‘One big lie, not one word of it is true’

Bombshell: Iran Contra Whistleblower Blows The Lid off Benghazi

"Money makes the world go round. Nowhere is this motto more relevant than in the shadowy world of smuggling weaponry and drugs, not to mention legal arms sales which all too often lead to modern weaponry falling into the hands of America's worst enemies. This all becomes evident when dissecting recent events such as the 2011 ouster of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the death of US Border Agent Brian Terry with weapons obtained through the government's 'Fast and Furious' program, the 2012 murder of US Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Benghazi, and the arming of Syrian rebels attacking the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad." Continue reading

Continue ReadingBombshell: Iran Contra Whistleblower Blows The Lid off Benghazi

Sophisticated U.S. Arms Flowing to Jihadists

"Fox News is reporting a stunning theft of U.S. arms by jihadist salafists in Libya. This news item will be made much of by critics of Obama on the right. However, military and government blunders, cost overruns, unneeded weapons systems, and general mis-management are par for the course. Of more relevance is the light this sheds on the U.S. arms being shipped into Syria. There are no significant controls that prevent these arms from reaching the most terror-prone and jihadist elements among the Syrian rebels, whose numbers are large in proportion to all the rebels. This decision to ship arms was foolhardy from the get-go, and now it looks even more ill-conceived." Continue reading

Continue ReadingSophisticated U.S. Arms Flowing to Jihadists

Sophisticated U.S. Arms Flowing to Jihadists

"Fox News is reporting a stunning theft of U.S. arms by jihadist salafists in Libya. This news item will be made much of by critics of Obama on the right. However, military and government blunders, cost overruns, unneeded weapons systems, and general mis-management are par for the course. Of more relevance is the light this sheds on the U.S. arms being shipped into Syria. There are no significant controls that prevent these arms from reaching the most terror-prone and jihadist elements among the Syrian rebels, whose numbers are large in proportion to all the rebels. This decision to ship arms was foolhardy from the get-go, and now it looks even more ill-conceived." Continue reading

Continue ReadingSophisticated U.S. Arms Flowing to Jihadists

White House to Give Detroit $300 Million in Federal Aid

"Nearly $150 million of the proposed $300 million will go toward the demolition of Detroit’s many dilapidated and abandoned buildings. Another $140 million will go toward the city’s public transportation system, including renovations for buses (including more security cameras) and the city’s now-under construction light-rail system. Lastly, approximately $30 million will go toward hiring more firefighters to help the city deal with its arson problem and $3 million will go toward strengthening the city’s police force. But although the funds may come as a blessing, they won’t even come close to addressing the city’s $18 billion in liabilities." Continue reading

Continue ReadingWhite House to Give Detroit $300 Million in Federal Aid

White House to Give Detroit $300 Million in Federal Aid

"Nearly $150 million of the proposed $300 million will go toward the demolition of Detroit’s many dilapidated and abandoned buildings. Another $140 million will go toward the city’s public transportation system, including renovations for buses (including more security cameras) and the city’s now-under construction light-rail system. Lastly, approximately $30 million will go toward hiring more firefighters to help the city deal with its arson problem and $3 million will go toward strengthening the city’s police force. But although the funds may come as a blessing, they won’t even come close to addressing the city’s $18 billion in liabilities." Continue reading

Continue ReadingWhite House to Give Detroit $300 Million in Federal Aid

Private Probation Firm Illegally Extended Sentences, Judge Finds

"Last week, a Georgia county judge ruled that Sentinel Offender Service had illegally extended the sentence of Mantooth and potentially thousands of others who were required to pay the firm monthly probation fees, and was illegally ordering electronic monitoring for misdemeanor offenders — prohibited by state law — while charging probationers for their own monitoring. Other named plaintiffs in the pair of cases were hauled off to jail and/or subjected to electronic monitoring for alleged probation violations six years after their probation had ended for minor offenses like possession of marijuana and no proof of insurance." Continue reading

Continue ReadingPrivate Probation Firm Illegally Extended Sentences, Judge Finds

Missouri cops now using 80,000-volt ‘stun cuffs’ on prisoners

"The Sheriff’s Department in Buchanan County, Missouri has begun using 80,000-volt enhanced handcuffs for prisoner transfers and some court appearances while dismissing potential safety concerns, KQTV-TV reported on Monday. The 'stun cuffs,' as they have been called, are tied around a prisoner’s arm or leg and can be operated via remote control from as far as 100 yards away. His department is currently using only two pairs, valued at $2,200 apiece, citing 'bugs and kinks' that need to be corrected before more are ordered. In one demonstration, an unidentified officer from another department was seen flailing on the ground after being shocked while wearing the device." Continue reading

Continue ReadingMissouri cops now using 80,000-volt ‘stun cuffs’ on prisoners