Women in combat no later than 2016, Pentagon says

"Women could be officially moving into combat roles by 2016, according to top US military officials. But some lawmakers continue to express concern about whether the Pentagon will be able to make this move without lowering physical standards. Others express concern that the integration of women into fighting units could increase incidents of sexual assault." Continue reading

Continue ReadingWomen in combat no later than 2016, Pentagon says

U.S. Senator Wants Resolution Authorizing War With Iran If ‘Nothing Changes’ In Two Months

"Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Tuesday that he plans to introduce a resolution authorizing war with Iran if 'nothing changes' regarding the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program by the end of the year. 'If nothing changes in Iran, come September, October, I will present a resolution that will authorize the use of military force to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb,' Graham told a 'cheering' audience at a conference put on by the right-wing group Christians United for Israel, according to CQ Roll Call." Continue reading

Continue ReadingU.S. Senator Wants Resolution Authorizing War With Iran If ‘Nothing Changes’ In Two Months

DEA raids pot shops in Washington state, where marijuana is legal

"The Drug Enforcement Administration swooped in on several medical marijuana storefronts in Washington on Wednesday, despite the state’s law allowing marijuana possession. Raids took place in Pierce, King and Thurston counties. They were reportedly targeted by a two-year investigation into dispensaries thought to be laundering money and selling marijuana under the table to unlicensed buyers. Voters in Washington passed an initiative last November that legalized adult marijuana possession up to one ounce and directed the state to develop ways of regulating production and taxing sales of the drug." Continue reading

Continue ReadingDEA raids pot shops in Washington state, where marijuana is legal

Senate committee votes unanimously to sanction any country that takes Snowden

"The 30-member Senate Appropriations Committee adopted by consensus an amendment to a spending bill that would direct Secretary of State John Kerry to meet with congressional committees to come up with sanctions against any country that takes Snowden in. Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela have said they could offer sanctuary to Snowden. Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said he introduced the amendment to try to get the attention of any country that might take in Snowden, not Russia in particular, although he noted Moscow has lined up against the United States on other issues, including the civil war in Syria." Continue reading

Continue ReadingSenate committee votes unanimously to sanction any country that takes Snowden

CIA displays Osama bin Laden’s personal AK-47 at ‘secret’ museum

"An AK-47 assault rifle once owned by terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden is on display at a museum in Washington, D.C. Problem is, you’ll never get to see it up close. That’s because the weapon is stored inside a glass case at the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) 'secret' museum, according to NBC News, and visitors are strictly prohibited. 'I think for our people it’s an acknowledgment that the hard work over that 10 years and partnership with other members of the intelligence community and partnership with the military was a success,' a spokesperson said." Continue reading

Continue ReadingCIA displays Osama bin Laden’s personal AK-47 at ‘secret’ museum

Homeland Security’s Future Home: A Former Mental Hospital

"Chris Mills frequently gives tours of St. Elizabeths Hospital, a former mental institution where the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is building a $4.5 billion headquarters. It’s the largest construction project in the District of Columbia since the Pentagon was completed in 1943. The project is moving slowly, even by the geologic standards of the U.S. government. It’s been plagued by delays and mounting costs. People might not even remember Napolitano when the building is completed, which might be around 2026. Today, DHS has 240,000 employees and a yearly budget of $60 billion." Continue reading

Continue ReadingHomeland Security’s Future Home: A Former Mental Hospital

U.S. lawmakers blast Guantanamo’s $2.7 million per prisoner cost

"The current cost of operating the facility has jumped to $454 million in the fiscal year ended September 30, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, or about $2.7 million for each of the 166 inmates. Overall, $4.7 billion has been spent running Guantanamo since the facility opened in 2002. By comparison, super-maximum security prisons in the United States spend about $60,000 to $70,000 at most to house their inmates, analysts say. Advocates for closure also argue that holding prisoners for years without charge or trial is a stain on the United States. They say Guantanamo is a threat to national security because it is a powerful recruiting tool for militants." Continue reading

Continue ReadingU.S. lawmakers blast Guantanamo’s $2.7 million per prisoner cost

The Anti-Default Pomposity of U.S. Officials

"White House Press Secretary Jay Carney dropped a doozie yesterday: 'We are the United States. We do not default. It is unthinkable for the greatest country on Earth to default for the first time in its history. And I believe that Republican leaders share that conviction, and the President believes that Republican leaders share that conviction.' A denial of truth, sprinkled with a dash of 'American Exceptionalism.' Hire this man! The truth is that default is not something new for the U.S. It has already been done in the past. Prior to 1971, foreign central banks, that were holding dollars, were able to turn them into the U.S. Treasury in exchange for gold." Continue reading

Continue ReadingThe Anti-Default Pomposity of U.S. Officials

Snowden plans to settle and work in Russia – lawyer to RT

"Anatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer who assists the whistleblower, told RT: 'It’s hard for me to say what his actions would be in terms of a positive decision [on the asylum plea],' Kucherena said. 'We must understand that security is the number one issue in his case. I think the process of adaptation will take some time. It’s an understandable process as he doesn’t know the Russian language, our customs, and our laws.' 'He’s planning to arrange his life here. He plans to get a job. And, I think, that all his further decisions will be made considering the situation he found himself in,' he added." Continue reading

Continue ReadingSnowden plans to settle and work in Russia – lawyer to RT

U.S. General: US military intervention in Syria would create ‘unintended consequences’

"The top US military officer warned senators on Monday that taking military action to stop the bloodshed in Syria was likely to escalate quickly and result in 'unintended consequences', representing the most explicit uniformed opposition to deeper involvement in another war in the Middle East. Dempsey's letter came after McCain announced he would block the general's reappointment to chair the joint chiefs of staff, the most senior position in the US military, until Dempsey provided the Senate with his assessment of the merits of US military action in Syria." Continue reading

Continue ReadingU.S. General: US military intervention in Syria would create ‘unintended consequences’