Search Results for “https:” – Page 867

Drone strikes are an order of magnitude deadlier to Afghans than manned aircraft

“A study conducted by a US military adviser has found that drone strikes in Afghanistan during a year of the protracted conflict caused 10 times more civilian casualties than strikes by manned fighter aircraft. The new study, referred to in an official US military journal, contradicts claims by US officials that the robotic planes are more precise than their manned counterparts. It appears to undermine the claim made by President Obama in a May speech that ‘conventional airpower or missiles are far less precise than drones, and likely to cause more civilian casualties and local outrage’.” Continue reading →

Lying To Congress Is Legal, If You’re Intelligence Chief James Clapper — Now Apologizing

“The US director of national intelligence, James Clapper, has attempted to head off criticism that he lied to Congress over the extent of government surveillance on American citizens, with a letter to senators in which he apologised for giving ‘erroneous’ information. Two weeks after telling NBC news that he gave the ‘least untruthful answer possible’ at a hearing in March, Clapper wrote to the Senate intelligence committee to correct his response to a question about whether the National Security Agency ‘collected data on millions of Americans’.” Continue reading →

Rafael Correa says Ecuador helped Edward Snowden by mistake

“Ecuador is not considering Edward Snowden’s asylum request and never intended to facilitate his flight from Hong Kong, president Rafael Correa said. Snowden was Russia’s responsibility and would have to reach Ecuadorean territory before the country would consider any asylum request, the president said. The president, speaking to the Guardian at the presidential palace in Quito, said his government did not intentionally help Snowden travel from Hong Kong to Moscow with a temporary travel pass. ‘It was a mistake on our part,’ he added, clashing with expressions of gratitude the 30-year-old fugitive issued hours later, before Correa’s views had been published.” Continue reading →

Putin says Snowden should stop harming ‘our American partners’

“President Vladimir Putin made starkly clear on Monday that Edward Snowden was not welcome in Russia, and voiced solidarity with the United States over the fugitive former U.S. spy agency contactor. However, Putin repeated that Russia had no intention of handing the American over to the United States, which wants him on espionage charges. For the second time in a week, he said Russian intelligence agencies were not working with Snowden and urged him to leave as soon as possible. ‘If he wants to go away somewhere and someone will accept him there, by all means,’ Putin said.” Continue reading →

Putin says Snowden should stop harming ‘our American partners’

3 big revelations from the newly leaked NSA documents

“Perhaps the most damning new revelation is that the U.S. government may have been spying on friends as well as foes. Thirty-eight embassies and missions are outlined as ‘targets’ on one document, reports the Guardian. The document details the range of spying techniques employed, ‘from bugs implanted in electronic communications gear to taps into cables to the collection of transmissions with specialized antennae.’ Along with ‘traditional ideological adversaries’ and ‘sensitive Middle Eastern countries,’ the unofficial roster of spy targets includes French, Italian, and Greek embassies, as well as Japan, Mexico, South Korea, India, and Turkey.” Continue reading →

3 big revelations from the newly leaked NSA documents

Egyptian president rejects army’s ultimatum to meet demands of protesting crowds

“Egypt’s presidency on Tuesday rejected an army ultimatum threatening to intervene if Islamist President Mohamed Morsi did not meet the demands of the people, raising the stakes in the country’s political crisis. The army statement, read out on television Monday, had given Morsi 48 hours to comply with its call. ‘If the demands of the people are not met in this period… (the armed forces) will announce a future roadmap and measures to oversee its implementation,’ it said. But in a statement issued overnight, the presidency insisted it would continue on its own path towards national reconciliation.” Continue reading →