Winning Hearts & Minds

Dr. Joseph Bonneau Wins NSA Award, Calls For NSA To Be Abolished

"Engineers and researchers like Bonneau have a unique and important role to play in fighting back against NSA oversteps. As Michael Hirsh noted in the Atlantic last month, tech companies have contributed enormously to wiring up Big Brother -- companies like Palantir Technologies, Eagle Alliance (of Computer Sciences Corp. and Northrup Grumman) and Booz Allen Hamilton. The only way the government gets to spy on everyone is when people who are intelligent and innovative enough to build scalable surveillance technologies decide to help them. Hopefully Bonneau’s example will inspire more cryptographers and security engineers to speak out." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDr. Joseph Bonneau Wins NSA Award, Calls For NSA To Be Abolished

Ex-President Jimmy Carter plans to visit North Korea to negotiate prisoner’s release

"Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is planning to visit North Korea soon to try to win the release of a U.S. citizen held for committing crimes against the reclusive state. Carter has made contact with the North to arrange for the visit, and he is likely to make the trip in a personal capacity to secure the release of Kenneth Bae, the U.S. citizen, a source in Washington was quoted as saying. Carter has made trips to the North on diplomatic missions and in 2010 helped earn the release of another American, Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a Boston native who had been sentenced to eight years hard labor for illegally entering the country." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEx-President Jimmy Carter plans to visit North Korea to negotiate prisoner’s release

Crisis in Egypt: ‘We didn’t have space in the fridges for all the bodies’

"Tens of thousands of pro-Morsi supporters have camped outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque since late June, when Morsi’s overthrow began to seem likely. Egypt’s interior minister has made it clear that he intends to clear Rabaa as soon as possible, and Saturday’s nearby massacre was considered an attempt to intimidate the protesters into leaving. Hundreds of thousands of anti-Morsi protesters also turned out on Friday to support a call by Egypt’s army chief, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, for a crackdown on what he called terrorists – a move sceptics saw as a veiled threat to protesters at Rabaa." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCrisis in Egypt: ‘We didn’t have space in the fridges for all the bodies’

VIDEO: Police Attacks on Protesters in Egypt

"Egyptian police have killed at least 72 people in an attack on pro-Morsi protesters early Saturday. An activist named Mohamed El-Zahaby recorded video Saturday that showed the pre-dawn street fighting, filmed from behind the pro-Morsi lines, reports NYT. Warning: the below video shows graphic images of wounded and dead protesters." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVIDEO: Police Attacks on Protesters in Egypt

FATCA: ‘Simple premise’ gone terribly wrong

"Most Americans living outside the U.S. are not 'tax cheats,' 'tax evaders' or 'traitors' though they are often characterized that way in the media or even by members of Congress. Instead, they are honest, productive, contributing residents of other countries, which they call home. In many cases, they are also citizens of those countries. President Obama and members of Congress, how did the 'simple premise' of 'cracking down on illegal tax evasion and closing loopholes' become an attack on financial lives and personal integrity of millions of people living outside United States, their banks and laws and constitutions of their countries of residence?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFATCA: ‘Simple premise’ gone terribly wrong

Fort Hood shooting suspect apologizes for U.S. ‘illegal and immoral aggression’ against Muslims

"Hasan asked for forgiveness and prayers from 'the believers and the innocents' for 'participating in the illegal and immoral aggression against Muslims, their religion and their lands.' Hasan was a army psychiatrist at Fort Hood and was about to be deployed to Afghanistan at the time of the shooting. Hasan is acting as his own attorney in his court martial. If convicted he could face execution or life in prison without parole. Hasan had said at a pre-trial hearing that he opened fire at the base to protect Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan from U.S. aggression. The base is a major center for soldiers deployed to Afghanistan." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFort Hood shooting suspect apologizes for U.S. ‘illegal and immoral aggression’ against Muslims

More than 1,000 escape in Libya prison break organized by area residents

"More than 1,000 inmates, mostly common law offenders, escaped during a prison riot and attack on Saturday in the restive Libyan city of Benghazi, a security official told AFP. 'There was a riot inside Al-Kuifiya prison, as well as an attack from outside. More then 1,000 prisoners escaped. Special forces called in as reinforcements were given orders not to fire at the prisoners,' he said, asking not to be named. Prime Minister Ali Zeidan confirmed the incident, without giving the number of fugitives. 'Residents of the area carried out the attack because they don’t want the prison near their homes,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMore than 1,000 escape in Libya prison break organized by area residents

At least 70 supporters of Mohamed Morsi killed by security services in Cairo

"Egypt’s troubled transition reached a new nadir of bloodletting today when at least 70 supporters of toppled President Mohamed Morsi were gunned down during a sustained attack by the security services – three weeks after the army committed a similar massacre in nearly exactly the same spot. Doctors at the scene said they believed more than 100 people may have been killed. An exact tally has not yet been confirmed, but the massacre ranks as one of the worst single incidents of violence since the fall of Hosni Mubarak two and a half years ago. Clashes continued this morning as police squared off against thousands of protesters close to Nasr City." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAt least 70 supporters of Mohamed Morsi killed by security services in Cairo

Snowden Gets Whistleblower Award in Germany

"Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has become the winner of this year’s Whistleblower Award established by German human rights organizations, the German branch of Transparency International said in a statement. The award, established in 1999, is sponsored by the Association of German Scientists (VDW) and the German branch of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA). A VDW spokesperson told RIA Novosti on Monday that the award money, amounting to 3,000 euros, would be passed to Snowden through his representatives – either a lawyer or a 'friendly' organization." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSnowden Gets Whistleblower Award in Germany

Seven killed, hundreds injured in new round of dueling protests in Egypt

"At least seven people were killed and hundreds wounded in scattered violence across Egypt during mass rallies for and against the army’s overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, who was placed under investigation for murder. With hundreds of thousands taking to the streets on Friday, the new bloodshed deepened the turmoil convulsing the Arab world’s most populous country, and could trigger a decisive move by the military against Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood. The country of 84 million people forms a bridge between the Middle East and North Africa and receives $1.5 billion a year in mainly military aid from Washington." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSeven killed, hundreds injured in new round of dueling protests in Egypt