Posted on 03/09/2010 9:57:13 AM PST by bs9021
Al Qaeda, Gitmo & National Security
Bethany Stotts, March 9, 2010
Are the Obama Administrations actions putting Americans at increased risk of a terrorist attack? Keep America Safe and its board members argue that it is.
A recent ad released by KAS questions the loyalties of The Al Qaeda 7, the seven unnamed Department of Justice lawyers who have either represented terror suspects, worked on related cases, in some cases, advocated for detainees. In a February 18 letter to Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Assistant Attorney General Ron Welch wrote (pdf) that To the best of our knowledge, during their employment prior to joining the government, only five of the lawyers who serve as political appointees in those components represented detainees, and four others either contributed to amicus briefs in detainee-related cases or were otherwise involved in advocacy on behalf of detainees. He refused to give the names of the unknown seven, but just days after the KAS ad, on March 3, Fox News identified them and outlined their history. An extensive review of court documents and media reports by Fox News suggests many of the seven lawyers in question played only minor or short-lived roles in advocating for detainees, writes Mark Levine for Fox News. However, its unclear what roles, if any, they have played in detainee-related matters since joining the Justice Department.
On March 2nd Josh Gernstein at Politico reprinted a quote by Center for American Progress (CAP) Ken Gude which condemns the KAS ad pure McCarthyism. This is plainly unacceptable in the United States
Condemnation is not sufficient. This is pure McCarthyism, Gerstein quotes Gude....
(Excerpt) Read more at academia.org ...
The Obama Administration's actions fall into just three categories: those that put Americans at increased risk of a terrorist attack, those that put Americans at increased risk of losing their jobs, and those that put Americans at increased risk of national bankruptcy. It's hard to find anything the socialist does that doesn't fit neatly and perfectly into one or more of those categories. Either he's had a striking run of unfortunately poor decisions or this is intentional.
CBS NEWS.com: Washington - "...Blond-Haired, Blue-Eyed American Who Took Name "Jihad Jane" on Web Represents a Vexing Problem for U.S. Anti-Terror Agencies" by Bob Orr (SNIPPET: "The Internet is filled with Web sites and videos promoting Jihad and bloggers, many based in the U.S., looking for recruits. On Wednesday CBS News researcher Khaled Wassef scrolled through a long list. "It would not be an exaggeration if I said that there are at least dozens of bloggers operating from the United States," Wassef said.") (March 10, 2010) (Read More...)
YNET NEWS.com: "NEW IRAN DESTROYER TEST FIRES MISSILE First Iranian-built warship Jamaran destroyer successfully tests surface-to-surface 'Nour' missile" (March 9, 2010, 17:24/Israel News) (Read More...)
THE MEMRI BLOG ("Source: Qodsna, Iran, March 2, 2010"): "HAMAS LEADER MASH'AL: THE RESISTANCE BREATHES THANKS TO IRANIAN LEADER KHAMENEI" (Posted March 8, 2010) (Read More...)
WEEKLY STANDARD.com: "WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW The 'most transparent administration in history' stonewalls" by Stephen F. Hayes (SNIPPET: "So, too, are thousands of pages of documents on the Guantanamo detainees the Obama administration has transferred or released over the past 14 months. When Obama came to office there were approximately 242 detainees remaining at Guantanamo. With a few exceptions, these individuals were still at Gitmo for a very good reason: They were among the most dangerous of the jihadists captured by the United States since September 11, 2001. There are now 188 detainees at Guantanamo. Who are the 54 detainees no longer there?" SNIPPET: "Consider the case of Abdullahi Sudi Arale, who was sent to Guantanamo Bay on June 6, 2007.") (March 15, 2010) (Read More...)
SOUTH ASIA ANALYSIS.org - Paper No. 3702: "FRESH FEARS OF MARITIME TERRORISM - International Terrorism Monitor - Paper No. 626" by B. Raman (SNIPPET: "6. It is in this context that one has to see reports from Singapore that an unidentified terrorist group is planning attacks against oil tankers in the Malacca Strait. The Singapore Shipping Association has been quoted as saying on March 2, 2010, that it had received an advisory from the Singapore Navy Information Fusion Centre about "an indication that a terrorist group is planning attacks on oil tankers in the Malacca Strait." It added: "This does not preclude possible attacks on other large vessels with dangerous cargo." The Navy Centre's advisory reportedly said: "The terrorists' intent is probably to achieve widespread publicity and showcase that it remains a viable group." It reminded shipping operators that the militants could use smaller vessels such as dinghies and speedboats to attack oil tankers. It recommended that ships should "strengthen their onboard security measures and adopt community reporting to increase awareness and strengthen the safety of all seafarers," according to the Association.") (March 5, 2010) (Read More...)
HERITGATE.org - Research - National Security - Issues - Defense - Web Memo #2822: "ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE WEAPONS: CONGRESS MUST UNDERSTAND THE RISK" by Baker Spring (March 3, 2010) (Read More...)
THE MEMRI BLOG.org ("Source: Al-Siyassa, Kuwait, March 3, 2010"): "AHWAZI ORGANIZATION: IRAN EQUIPPED MISSILES WITH CHEMICAL WARHEADS" (SNIPPET: "The Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa stated, citing a Sunni Ahwazi organization opposed to the Iranian regime, that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has equipped Russian SS-4 missiles with chemical warheads - mustard gas, sarin, and cyanide - and that they are aimed at the Gulf countries and other Arab countries." SNIPPET: "According to the report, the IRGC has stepped up research of biological weapons research...") (Posted March 3, 2010) (Read More...)
TERRORISM-INFO.org.il - INTELLIGENCE AND TERRORISM INFORMATION CENTER: "Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, a Religious Authority and Iranian President Ahmadinejad's Spiritual Mentor, Implies in a Theological-Political Book that Iran Must Acquire a Nuclear Weapon ("a Special Kind of Weapon"): a Rare Expression of Internal Discourse about Nuclear-Related Issues among the Iranian Elite" (March 2, 2010) (Read More...)
WASHINGTON INSTITUTE.org - Policy Watch #1637: "DINNER IN DAMASCUS: WHAT DID IRAN ASK OF HIZBALLAH?" by David Schenker and Matthew Levitt (SNIPPET: "On February 26, Syrian president Bashar al-Asad hosted Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinezhad and Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah for a dinner in Damascus.") (March 2, 2010) (Read More...)
TREAS.gov - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY - TG-571: Washington - "TREASURY DESIGNATES MOST WANTED COLOMBIAN DRUG LORDS ALLIED WITH THE FARC AS SPECIALLY DESIGNATED NARCOTICS TRAFFICKERS Treasury Takes Action Against More Than 70 Individuals and Entities" (March 2, 2010) (Read More...)
INVESTORS.com: "VENEZUELA'S CHAVEZ: FRIEND OF TERRORISTS" (SNIPPET: "What came to light Monday isn't the first time Venezuela's Hugo Chavez has been caught aiding terrorists, but it may well be the most egregious. Spanish Judge Eloy Velasco named a Venezuelan government official as a key link between 12 FARC and ETA terrorists who were indicted in a 2003 plot to kill Colombia's president.") (March 2, 2010) (Read More...)
stepping back in time...WEEKLY STANDARD.com: "COMANDANTE CHAVEZ'S FRIENDS" by Thor Halvorssen (SNIPPET: "Last December a high-level Venezuelan military defector gave sworn testimony that terrorist links exist between al Qaeda and the Chavez government. The defector, President Chavez's personal pilot, alleges that one operation involved the transfer of close to $1 million in cash to Osama bin Laden." SNIPPET: "Also, the congressional signatories turn a blind eye to mountains of hard evidence -- most supplied by U.S. allies in the Colombian government -- confirming Chavez's support for the FARC and ELN terrorist networks.") (March 10, 2003) (Read More...)
BBC NEWS: "ALAN JOHNSON BANS SOMALI 'TERRORIST' GROUP AL-SHABAAB" (SNIPPET: "The home secretary is to designate the Somalia-based group Al-Shabaab as a terrorist organisation and ban its operation in the UK. The Home Office says the group is committed to violence, deploys terror tactics and has been implicated in attacks on Somali citizens." SNIPPET: "In a statement released in February, the group said that the "jihad of Horn of Africa must be combined with the international jihad led by the al-Qaeda network". Recently, Mr Johnson has also banned Islam4UK, the group run by al-Muhajiroun founder Anjem Choudary, and which had threatened to march through Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire.") (Page last updated March 1, 2010, 12:57 GMT) (Read More...)
CNS NEWS.com: "NAPOLITANO SAYS PEOPLE FROM COUNTRIES TIED TO TERRORISM COULD 'POTENTIALLY' ENTER USA, BUT DHS REPORTS SAY THOUSANDS ALREADY HAVE" by Penny Starr (March 1, 2010) (Read More...)
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: "IAEA SAYS IT CAN'T CONFIRM IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS PEACEFUL" by Scott Peterson (March 1, 2010) (Read More...)
LONG WAR JOURNAL.org - Threat Matrix - blog: "IRANIAN AIR FORCE TO TEST NEW LASER-GUIDED BOMB" by Austin Knuppe (March 2, 2010, 9:34 am) (Read More...)
THE MEMRI BLOG.org ("Source: Fars, Iran, March 1, 2010"): "IRAN TO TEST-FIRE OPTIMIZED SMART BOMBS" (Posted March 1, 2010) (Read More...)
INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT.org - IPT News: "CAIR TARGETS WASHINGTON STATE PRISONS" (February 25, 2010) (Read More...)
THE MEMRI BLOG.org ("Sources: Mehr, Press TV (Iran), www.palestine-info.info, February 27, 2010; Al-Thawra (Syria), February 28, 2010"): "KHAMENEI CALLS TO FORM AN ISLAMIC NEW MIDDLE EAST; MASH'AL: ISRAEL WILL PASS FROM THE WORLD" (Posted February 28, 2010) (Read More...)ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS: "AHMADINEJAD MANEUVERING HIZBULLAH AND ISRAEL INTO WAR?" by Hana Levi Julian (SNIPPET: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is reportedly angling to start another war between Israel and the Lebanese Hizbullah terrorist group in order to deflect attention away from his own lack of popularity at home. Ahmadinejad has faced constant friction from grassroots opposition movements since last June, when lopsided election results re-electing the president raised red flags among suspicious voters, who suspected the government had rigged the polls.") (Last Update February 28, 2010, 12:10 pm) (Read More...)WASHINGTON POST.com: Jerusalem - "IRAN, SYRIA MOCK U.S. POLICY; AHMADINEJAD SPEAKS OF ISRAEL'S 'ANNIHILATION'" by Howard Schneider (SNIPPET: "The presidents of Iran and Syria on Thursday ridiculed U.S. policy in the region and pledged to create a Middle East "without Zionists," combining a slap at recent U.S. overtures and a threat to Israel with an endorsement of one of the region's defining alliances.") (February 26, 2010) (Read More...)
REUTERS.com - Beijing: "CHINA PLA OFFICER URGES CHALLENGING U.S. DOMINANCE" (SNIPPET: "Senior Colonel, Liu Mingfu") (February 28, 2010, 11:11 pm EST) (Read More...)
Link (Read More...)
WHITEHOUSE.gov: "Briefing Room" (Read More...)
WHITEHOUSE.gov: "Issues" (Read More...)
WHITEHOUSE.gov: "Presidential Actions" (Note: Includes Executive Orders, Proclamations, & Memos) (Read More...)
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