CLibertyC

Egyptian nightmare for Erdogan

"True, the danger of a military coup in Turkey at the moment is close to zero, if only because Erdogan has locked up an entire army college (some 330 officers) on charges of plotting against him. But the parallels between the two countries run far beyond the superficial. For the record, so too did Egyptian still-President Mohammed Morsi try to purge the army last year, although he only removed a few top generals. The Turkish and the Egyptian governments - both democratically elected - have cracked down on the press, rolled back some civil liberties and planned to change the constitutions in ways many citizens found unacceptable." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEgyptian nightmare for Erdogan

Military Plans to Maintain Power in Egypt after Coup

"Behind the scenes, the military, led by General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, plans to continue running the show. Since it took power in a coup in 1952, the military has remained the most important political player in Egypt. Neither Mubarak's fall in 2011, nor the short rule by Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, have changed this. At 58, el-Sissi is the country's youngest general. He has never fought in a war, and only knows about conflicts with Israel from the stories of others. He belongs to a generation that was invited to receive military training in the West. In 1992 he was in Britain, and in 2006, the United States." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMilitary Plans to Maintain Power in Egypt after Coup

It Is Now Common Knowledge That US Drones Bomb Civilian Rescuers

"That tactic is known as the 'double tap,' which bombs multiple targets in relatively quick succession — meaning that the second strike often hits first responders. In 2007 the FBI said the tactic as commonly used by terrorist organizations such as Hamas. Last year a study by NYU and Stanford detailed the U.S. use of the double tap, providing first-hand accounts of its devastating effect on rescuers and humanitarian workers. Last June the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Christof Heyns said he considers secondary strikes to be 'war crimes.' The fact that it is now normalized as a common tactic of the U.S. drone war is stunning." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIt Is Now Common Knowledge That US Drones Bomb Civilian Rescuers

Missouri governor vetoes bill to nullify federal gun laws

"The legislation would have made it a misdemeanor crime for federal agents to attempt to enforce any federal gun regulations that 'infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms.' It also sought to invalidate some specific federal laws, including a 1934 law that imposed on tax on transferring machine guns or silencers. The measure would have made it a misdemeanor to publish the names of gun owners. Missouri's age to obtain a conceal-carry permit would have been lowered to 19 instead of the current 21, and the bill would have allowed people with concealed gun permits to openly carry firearms up to 16 inches long." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMissouri governor vetoes bill to nullify federal gun laws

Texting while judging: Judge texted assistance to prosecutors during trial(s)

"Not only is the judge who texted advice to prosecutors still on the bench, the assistant prosecutor accused of passing on her texts has herself been elected state district judge! Further evidence that the mechanisms for holding prosecutors and judges accountable for misconduct in Texas simply aren't effective or functional. A report by a court observer from the DA's office found that this was 'not the first time' the judge had provided such ex parte assistance and the lead prosecutor said her second chair was 'in her ear all the time regarding information she believes to be given her by Judge Coker via text during trial,' not just in this case but in others." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexting while judging: Judge texted assistance to prosecutors during trial(s)

Students DESTROY NSA Recruiters Over Illegal Spying and Lies

"When NSA recruiters went to the University of Wisconsin earlier this week to pitch language students on working for the agency, they got more than they bargained for. The informed students turned the question-and-answer session into a hearing. On trial were the NSA's lies, their legality, and how they define 'adversary'. The students recorded audio of the exchange on an iPhone proving that the language-analyst NSA recruiters were left tongue-tied." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStudents DESTROY NSA Recruiters Over Illegal Spying and Lies

Can You Pass The Terrorism Quiz? (Updated June 2013)

"It should be banal to read in the mainstream media that the US not only engages in terrorism but often aggravates it; that if the current crop of terrorists in, say, the Middle East were killed, new terrorists would simply arise if the underlying political and economic conditions remained unchanged; and, that if a particular country is perceived as actively supporting dysfunctional political and economic conditions in a part of the world, it will become the target of anger and, possibly, violence. Yet, instead of such obvious conclusions about terrorism, we are daily exposed to much bias and distortion. To counter such inadequate journalism, I have prepared the following quiz." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCan You Pass The Terrorism Quiz? (Updated June 2013)

Wall Street Journal says Egypt needs a Pinochet

"Presumably, the WSJ thinks the Egyptians now have 17 years in which to think themselves lucky when any who dissent are tortured with electricity, raped, thrown from planes or – if they’re really lucky – just shot. That’s what happened in Chile after 1973, causing the deaths of between 1,000 and 3,000 people. Around 30,000 were tortured. Presumably, the WSJ hopes a general in the mold of Pinochet (or generals, as they didn’t break the mold when they made him) will preside over all this with the assistance of Britain and America. Perhaps he (or they) will return the favour by helping one of them win a small war." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWall Street Journal says Egypt needs a Pinochet

Mexican police chief killed with rifle lost in ATF ‘Fast and Furious’ program

"A high-powered rifle lost in the ATF’s Fast and Furious controversy was used to kill a Mexican police chief in the state of Jalisco earlier this year, according to internal Department of Justice records, suggesting that weapons from the failed gun-tracking operation have now made it into the hands of violent drug cartels deep inside Mexico. Luis Lucio Rosales Astorga, the police chief in the city of Hostotipaquillo, was shot to death Jan. 29 when gunmen intercepted his patrol car and opened fire. Also killed was one of his bodyguards. His wife and a second bodyguard were wounded." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMexican police chief killed with rifle lost in ATF ‘Fast and Furious’ program

Cops Booed, Pelted With Objects After Arresting Ice-Cream Bicycle Chef

"During last Friday night's ride, Miami Police officers were booed and pelted with objects after arresting local chef Aleric 'AJ' Constantin for selling ice cream out of the back of his bicycle. 'I basically spent a day and a half in jail for selling ice cream,' Constantin says. Around 10 p.m., one of the officers approached Constantin just as he was selling some ice cream to a fellow cyclist. The cop asked the chef if he had a license to sell his dessert. Constantin handed over his driver's license and said that all of his paperwork was in order. Moreover, he had permission from the Filling Station to be there. But that wasn't good enough for the officer." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCops Booed, Pelted With Objects After Arresting Ice-Cream Bicycle Chef