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Wyden asks Obama’s terrorism chief for rules governing assassination of U.S. citizens

"'Senior intelligence officials have said publicly that they have the authority to knowingly use lethal force against Americans in the course of counterterrorism operations, and have indicated that there are secret legal opinions issued by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel that explain the basis for this authority,' Wyden wrote. 'I have asked repeatedly to see these opinions, and I have been provided with some relevant information on the topic, but I have yet to see the opinions themselves.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWyden asks Obama’s terrorism chief for rules governing assassination of U.S. citizens

Documents reveal U.S. sells arms to Bahrain’s anti-democracy government crackdown

"Despite Bahrain’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, the U.S. has continued to provide weapons and maintenance to the small Mideast nation. Defense Department documents released to ProPublica give the fullest picture yet of the arms sales: The list includes ammunition, combat vehicle parts, communications equipment, Blackhawk helicopters, and an unidentified missile system. Defense Department spokesman Paul Ebner declined to offer any more detail. 'We won’t get into specifics in any of these because of the security of Bahrain,' said Ebner." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDocuments reveal U.S. sells arms to Bahrain’s anti-democracy government crackdown

A Little Bit Of History To Think About

"We hear very little of Wounded Knee today. It is usually not mentioned in our history classes or books. What little that does exist about Wounded Knee is normally a sanitized 'Official Government Explanation.' And there are several historically inaccurate depictions of the events leading up to the massacre, which appear in movie scripts and are not the least bit representative of the actual events that took place that day. Wounded Knee was among the first federally backed gun confiscation attempts in United States history. It ended in the senseless murder of 297 people." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA Little Bit Of History To Think About

Texas lawmaker wants to make federal weapons ban illegal in Texas

"Don't mess with Texans or their guns. That’s how state Rep. Steve Toth (R-Woodlands) sees it. Toth wants to make any new federal weapons ban illegal in the state of Texas. 'This is a hardened state. This isn't a good place for a criminal to show up and start shooting,' said Rep. Toth. So, he’s proposing legislation that would make any federal law banning semiautomatic firearms or limiting the size of gun magazines unenforceable in the Lone Star State. 'We want to make sure this legislation protects the Second Amendment gun rights and the Tenth Amendment which is state sovereignty rights of Texans.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas lawmaker wants to make federal weapons ban illegal in Texas

TX gun classes reporting influx of teachers

"The push to provide firearms training to teachers has taken hold in Texas, where, as NBC News reported on Tuesday, hundreds of instructors are hitting the firing ranges. KXAS-TV reported on Monday that the state’s lieutenant governor, David Dewhurst (R) will ask the state senate to consider using public funding to pay for schools to send employees to similar courses. State law allows teachers with concealed handgun permits to bring them to campus if granted permission by their district superintendents." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTX gun classes reporting influx of teachers

Navy wants drones stashed on the seafloor

"The U.S. Navy wants to pack aerial drones and other intelligence-gathering technology into special containers built to withstand deep ocean pressures and distribute them around the world’s seas. The containers will rise to the surface when called into service from a remote location. These 'upward falling payloads' are seen as readying the Navy to address conflicts in corners of the world where it is too expensive or complex to establish a forward operating area, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) explained in a call for proposals. The containers would be stealthily deployed well ahead of time and designed to stay put on the seafloor for years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNavy wants drones stashed on the seafloor

Panetta: US Has ‘Responsibility’ to Support French Offensive in Mali

"The White House and Pentagon have a 'responsibility' to provide support to French forces looking to push out al Qaeda-linked militants out of northern Mali and ensure the terror group does not gain a foothold in western Africa, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said today. Panetta commended French forces to taking action in Mali, noting the Pentagon and White House were 'engaged in discussions' with Paris over what kind of support may be needed. Over the weekend, France began military airstrikes in Mali, targeting rebel training camps and other targets. Some French troops are already on the ground and more are being deployed to the area." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPanetta: US Has ‘Responsibility’ to Support French Offensive in Mali

Bernanke urges Congress to lift debt ceiling

"US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Monday urged Congress to raise the nation’s borrowing limit as Democrats and Republicans battle over the federal budget. 'It’s very, very important that Congress take the necessary action to raise the debt ceiling to avoid the situation where the government doesn’t pay its bills,' Bernanke said at a University of Michigan forum. The United States ran up against its current borrowing limit of $16.4 trillion at the end of 2012, but the Treasury says it is using 'extraordinary measures' to extend the limit until late February." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBernanke urges Congress to lift debt ceiling