State Terrorism

U.S. Keeps Nuclear First-Strike Option [2010]

"The Obama administration will release a new national nuclear-weapons strategy Tuesday that makes only modest changes to U.S. nuclear forces, leaving intact the longstanding U.S. threat to use nuclear weapons first, even against non-nuclear nations. But the new policy will narrow potential U.S. nuclear targets, and for the first time makes explicit the goal of making deterrence of a nuclear strike the 'sole objective' of U.S. nuclear weapons, a senior Obama administration official said Monday." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. Keeps Nuclear First-Strike Option [2010]

U.S. Keeps Nuclear First-Strike Option [2010]

"The Obama administration will release a new national nuclear-weapons strategy Tuesday that makes only modest changes to U.S. nuclear forces, leaving intact the longstanding U.S. threat to use nuclear weapons first, even against non-nuclear nations. But the new policy will narrow potential U.S. nuclear targets, and for the first time makes explicit the goal of making deterrence of a nuclear strike the 'sole objective' of U.S. nuclear weapons, a senior Obama administration official said Monday." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. Keeps Nuclear First-Strike Option [2010]

Pentagon linked to Iraqi torture centers by Central American ‘dirty war’ veteran

"The Pentagon sent a US veteran of the 'dirty wars' in Central America, Colonel James Steele, to oversee sectarian police commando units in Iraq, that set up secret detention and torture centres to get information from insurgents. These units conducted some of the worst acts of torture during the US occupation and accelerated the country’s descent into full-scale civil war. A second special advisor, retired Colonel James H Coffman (now 59) worked alongside Steele in detention centres that were set up with millions of dollars of US funding." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPentagon linked to Iraqi torture centers by Central American ‘dirty war’ veteran

Children ‘Traumatized and Re-Traumatized by Drones’ in Yemen

"A report from a clinical and forensic psychologist just back from Yemen offers a disturbing picture of the horror drones have inflicted on children, who are 'traumatized and re-traumatized' by the strikes whose use 'amounts to a form of psychological torture and collective punishment.' The findings come from clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Peter Schaapveld, who presented his evidence of a 'psychological emergency' in the country as a result of drone strikes, and of the particularly heavy toll they have on the mental health of children, plagued with PTSD as the mental anguish from the deadly strikes last long after the sound of the unmanned aircraft above." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChildren ‘Traumatized and Re-Traumatized by Drones’ in Yemen

Sen. Rand Paul Filibustering John Brennan CIA Nomination Over Domestic Drones

"Attorney General Holder stated in a letter to Sen. Paul dated March 4, 2013: 'It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States.' 'The U.S. Attorney General's refusal to rule out the possibility of drone strikes on American citizens and on American soil is more than frightening - it is an affront the Constitutional due process rights of all Americans,' Sen. Paul said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSen. Rand Paul Filibustering John Brennan CIA Nomination Over Domestic Drones

UN investigator: Obama must release details of Bush kidnapping and torture program

"Ben Emmerson, the U.N. special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, will release a new report on Tuesday detailing his findings about the Bush-era program, according to Reuters. The report was not published online ahead of a planned hearing set for Tuesday, and a spokesperson was unavailable for comment. He added that there is 'credible evidence' that the CIA under the Bush administration had 'black sites' in Thailand, Poland, Morocco, Lithuania and Romania. Emmerson’s report is expected to urge lawmakers in those countries to fully investigate the matter and prosecute former officials if necessary." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUN investigator: Obama must release details of Bush kidnapping and torture program

Americans – Like Nazi Germans – Don’t Notice that All of Our Rights Are Slipping Away

"More and more commonly, the government prosecutes cases based upon 'secret evidence' that they don’t show to the defendant … or sometimes even the judge hearing the case. The government uses 'secret evidence' to spy on Americans, prosecute leaking or terrorism charges (even against U.S. soldiers) and even assassinate people. And see this and this. Secret witnesses are being used in some cases. And sometimes lawyers are not even allowed to read their own briefs. Indeed, even the laws themselves are now starting to be kept secret. And it’s about to get a lot worse." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmericans – Like Nazi Germans – Don’t Notice that All of Our Rights Are Slipping Away

How to become a drone target

"The government apparently calls such attacks signature strikes because the targets are identified based on intelligence 'signatures' that suggest involvement in terror plots or militant activity. So what signatures does the U.S. look for and how much evidence is needed to justify a strike? The Obama administration has never spoken publicly about signature strikes. Instead, generally anonymous officials have offered often vague examples of signatures. The resulting fragmentary picture leaves many questions unanswered." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow to become a drone target

Why Is the Navy Building a Shiny Drone Base in Sunny Malibu?

"Don't you think of red Corvettes, sunglasses, coconut oil, and Hellfire missiles? It's perfect, right? The Navy is inclined to agree. All that, and you get to fly drones. But not just any drones—state-of-the-art drones. The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is at the fore of robotic surveillance, and the Navy wants their 131-foot wings and spiffy 360-degree sensors cruising around the Pacific Ocean in the name of American supremacy. The goal is 24/7 surveillance—an American eye over the water at all times, during wartime, during peacetime, and all the time." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhy Is the Navy Building a Shiny Drone Base in Sunny Malibu?