US to pump $300mn into Afghanistan to end 'war economy'

Breaking News and Commentary from CLG13 Feb 2014

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Previous edition: White House Mulls Killing Another American

CLG surpasses 6,000 'likes' on Facebook By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org 12 Feb 2014 CLG News got an early Valentines Day gift on Wednesday when the Citizens for Legitimate Government page on Facebook surpassed 6,000 'likes.' CLG very much appreciates the 'love' shown by readers on Facebook! Now, for those of you on Facebook who haven't clicked 'like' on our page, please join us. :)

OMG. US to pump $300mn into Afghanistan to end 'war economy' - report 09 Feb 2014 Washington will announce on Monday a massive aid package to Afghanistan, which it hopes will assist the war-torn country get back on its feet after 12 years of playing host to foreign troops, Reuters has learned. The US Agency for International Development (USAID aka CIA-front group) will announce three new development programs worth almost $300 million to wean Afghanistan off its 'war economy,' which is heavily subsidized today by opium exports -- a trade that had been practically squashed while the country was under Taliban rule. [AND revived by the US after its invasion/occupation. USociopaths slash food stamps, will not extend unemployment insurance, won't help Detroit, can't fix a pothole -- and yet, there's $300 million to give to US mercenaries in Afghanistan to protect the CIA's poppy fields and opium routes?]

GCHQ 'using online viruses and honey traps to discredit targets' - Edward Snowden revelations --Documents provide evidence that GCHQ has moved beyond its role as a surveillance agency and now occupies operational territory more traditionally associated with its confreres, MI6 and MI5. 09 Feb 2014 Britain's GCHQ has a covert unit which uses dirty tricks from "honey trap" sexual liaisons to texting anonymous messages to friends and neighbours to discredit targets from hackers to governments, according to the latest leaks from whistleblower Edward Snowden... The revelations on Sunday sparked criticism that GCHQ is adopting tactics used by illegal hackers, such as so-called denial of service (DoS) attacks to disable chatrooms, which have no clear authority under British law and may have infringed the rights of other internet users. The covert GCHQ unit -- the Joint Intelligence Threat Research Group (JTRIG) -- runs what it terms an "Effects" programme against Britain's enemies under what it calls the four Ds: "Deny/ Disrupt/ Degrade/ Deceive."

US senator files class-action suit on NSA 13 Feb 2014 US Republican senator Rand Paul is filing a "class-action" lawsuit challenging a National Security Agency's surveillance program. Represented by former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli, Paul filed his suit at 11am (0200 AEDT on Thursday) in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. Paul's lawsuit is the latest to challenge NSA surveillance, but it's the first to be filed by a member of congress.

Lights Out for NSA? Maryland Lawmakers Push to Cut Water, Electricity to Spy Agency Headquarters --NSA nerve center in Fort Meade targeted by bill. 10 Feb 2014 The National Security Agency's headquarters in Ft. Meade, Md., will go dark if a cohort of Maryland lawmakers has its way. Eight Republicans in the 141-member Maryland House of Delegates introduced legislation Thursday that would deny the electronic spy agency "material support, participation or assistance in any form" from the state, its political subdivisions or companies with state contracts. The bill would deprive NSA facilities water and electricity carried over public utilities, ban the use of NSA-derived evidence in state courts and prevent state universities from partnering with the NSA on research.

Online, live protests target NSA surveillance 11 Feb 2014 Hundreds of websites posted messages opposing online government surveillance on Tuesday, as activists planned live protests and other gatherings in cities all over the world. Social news giant Reddit, blogging site Tumblr and Mozilla, the makers of the Firefox browser, were among the most high-profile sites to take part in the online protest. Much of it targeted surveillance by the National Security Agency in the United States.

Homeland Security to Purchase 141,000 Rounds of Sniper Ammo 11 Feb 2014 The Department of Homeland Security is buying more bullets with a solicitation for over 141,00 rounds of sniper ammunition. According to a solicitation posted on FedB-zOpps, the federal agency is looking to procure 141,160 rounds of Hornady .308 Winchester 168gr A-MAX TAP ammunition. Such ammunition is sometimes retailed as "Zombie Max," a marketing gimmick alluding to its power. The latest purchase further illustrates the fallacy of the DHS's excuse that it is buying bullets in bulk in order to save money. The federal agency will pay around $1.20 for each round, when a lower grain round could be acquired for around a quarter of the price.

Fifteen Iraqi soldiers killed in pre-dawn attack 11 Feb 2014 Iraqi security and morgue officials say militants have attacked an army encampment guarding an oil pipeline in northern Iraq, killing 15 soldiers overnight. The pre-dawn attack took place near the town of Hamam al-Alil, situated 330 kilometers (200 miles) north of Baghdad, late on Monday. A medical official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said eight of the soldiers were beheaded while the others were killed by gunfire.

Israeli arms seized from al-Qaeda-linked militants: Iraqi Cmdr 10 Feb 2014 A senior Iraqi commander says weapons seized from al-Qaeda[al-CIAduh]-linked militants in the Arab country are advanced Israeli-made arms. Fadhel Jamil al-Barwari, who is the commander of the prominent Golden Battalion, has made the remarks on his Facebook page, adding that all arms that have been confiscated from the terrorists since 2006 are Israeli-made. Barwari established the Special Forces group for countering terrorism in the year 2003. [Well, I guess now we know why Al-Qaeda never attacks Israel.]

Blast hits US-led military convey in Afghan capital, Kabul 10 Feb 2014 Casualties are feared after a powerful bomb blast rocked a US-led military convoy in an administrative district of the Afghan capital, Kabul. Reports coming out of the country suggest that the bomb explosion targeted a US-led foreign military group near Pul-e-Charkhi prison in eastern Kabul. A thick cloud of smoke has been seen rising over the scene of the explosion.

Pakistani anti-drone activist abducted in Rawalpindi 11 Feb 2014 A Pakistani anti-drone activist is missing after being kidnapped from his home in the city of Rawalpindi. Kareem Khan was seized at his home by 15 to 20 men in the early hours of February 5 and has not been heard from ever since, his lawyer Shahzad Akbar said on Monday. Khan's brother and teenage son were killed in a US drone attack that targeted his home in the tribal area of North Waziristan in December 2009. Despite the Pakistani government's repeated calls on Washington to end the drone attacks, the US government continues its strikes on the Waziristan region.

Two NATO contractors killed in attack in eastern Afghanistan 10 Feb 2014 The US-led Western military alliance says at least two civilian contractors working for coalition forces have been killed in a bomb attack in eastern Afghanistan. This comes after a car bomb explosion targeted a convoy of US-led forces in the country's troubled east on Monday. NATO has confirmed that two of its civilian contractors were killed in the deadly explosion.

Judge sets 'trial' date for marathon bombing --Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges over April 15 bombings 13 Feb 2014 A US federal judge has set a November 'trial' date for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, despite objections from defence lawyers who say that will not give them enough time to prepare. Judge George O'Toole Jr said he believed a November 3 trial was realistic and fair. Tsarnaev's lawyers had asked for a trial date no earlier than September 2015. Prosecutors, who are seeking the death penalty for [patsy] Tsarnaev, want the trial this year.

Homeland Security Chair: 'High Degree of Probability' for Explosion During Olympics [Hmm... How on earth does he *know* this?] 09 Feb 2014 The Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security said Sunday that there is a "high degree of probability" of an explosion during the Sochi Olympic games. Speaking on Fox News [sic] Sunday, Rep. Mike McCaul said that an explosion or bomb of some sort is likely to go off during the Olympics in Russia, although he suggested it would happen outside the Olympic Village itself. "There's a high degree of probability that something will detonate, something will go off," McCaul said.

US media, politicians mobilize against Sochi Olympics 10 Feb 2014 The Sochi Olympics opened on Friday amid a propaganda onslaught from the US media. Taking its cues from the Obama administration and allied powers in Europe, the American press has sought to sabotage the event and turn it into a humiliation for the regime of President Vladimir Putin... Recently passed anti-gay laws in Russia that ban "homosexual propaganda" are being utilized as one of the principal cudgels against the Putin government. While the US maintains the closest ties with regimes like Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is punishable by flogging and death, Washington and its allies have whipped up a frenzy in the human rights community around these issues with regards to Russia. While Russia is hardly a paragon of democratic rights, the signatories of this letter come from countries that are carrying out a massive assault on civil liberties. US President Barack Obama openly declares that he has the right to authorize the assassination of US citizens without due process, and has done so. His government presides over the largest spying operation in world history.

Corpora-terrorists strike again: Explosion at NH Ball Bearings Plant Injures 15 11 Feb 2014 An explosion rocked a small-town ball bearings plant on Monday, shaking walls, shattering windows and sending at least 15 people to the hospital. Hazardous-materials teams responded after Monday afternoon's explosion at the New Hampshire Ball Bearings Inc. plant in Peterborough... Local hospitals were asked to prepare for patients who may have been exposed to hazardous materials.

MAD COW DISEASE ----

North Carolina hospital to 18 patients: You may have been exposed to incurable disease --Instruments used in surgery didn't get approved sterilization 10 Feb 2014 Doctors and hospital officials from Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, are notifying 18 neurosurgery patients that they might have been exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a serious and incurable neurological disorder. "Today we are reaching out to 18 neurosurgery patients who were exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease over the last three weeks at Forsyth Medical Center," said Jeff Lindsay, president of the center.

New bridgegate subpoena focuses on former Port Authority official's November testimony 12 Feb 2014 A newly issued subpoena in the ongoing George Washington Bridge investigation seeks information related to a former Port Authority official's November testimony before the committee investigating the controversy, an attorney for one of the subpoenaed groups confirmed Tuesday. The subpoena, issued yesterday by the joint legislative committee, seeks any drafts of former Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni's November testimony, any edits to it, or correspondence with Baroni prior to the appearance, attorney Mark Sheridan confirmed Tuesday. Sheridan represents Gov. Chris Christie's reelection campaign, which has been subpoenaed by both the committee and the U.S. Attorney.

Christie's bridge scandal lawyers seek interview with former top aide, Fort Lee mayor 11 Feb 2014 Lawyers hired by Gov. Chris Christie’s office to investigate the George Washington Bridge scandal want to interview a former top aide to the governor and the mayor of Fort Lee as the legal maneuvering over the controversial lane closures intensifies. Randy Mastro, a former federal prosecutor leading the governor's legal team, made a request for an interview in a letter sent Saturday to an attorney for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich. The firm also sent an interview request last week to lawyers representing Bridget Anne Kelly, the governor's former deputy chief of staff and a prominent player in the scandal. And David Wildstein, the former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official also at the center of the controversy, was contacted by the firm, his lawyer said today.

New Jersey traffic jam victims ask Christie to resign, if he knew 11 Feb 2014 Valerie Howard-Fadul recalled feeling "excruciating" pain after the anesthesia wore off, when her usual 45-minute drive home across the Hudson River after a medical eye treatment stretched into five hours in the now infamous bridge traffic jam orchestrated by aides of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Howard-Fadul, 55, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, was one of the motorists ensnared in last September's epic tie-up. She and others joined political activists on Tuesday to call for Christie's resignation - if he played a role in the traffic fiasco.

Senate clears debt limit measure for Obama 13 Feb 2014 Legislation to raise the federal debt limit and prevent a crippling government default cleared Congress on Wednesday with an awkward assist from top Senate Republican leaders who were forced into a politically treacherous vote engineered by tea party favorite Ted Cruz. The Texas Republican's maneuver forced several GOP colleagues, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, into a reluctant vote against a filibuster, helping the measure along. On a day of legislative drama, the key vote clearing the way for final action was held open for more than an hour and broke open only after McConnell and top lieutenant John Cornyn, R-Texas, unexpectedly voted "aye." Several other Republicans then switched their votes to support the measure, ultimately breaking the filibuster by a 67-31 margin.

House approves 'clean' debt limit after Republicans drop demands 11 Feb 2014 The House of Representatives narrowly approved a one-year extension of federal borrowing authority on Tuesday after Republicans caved into President Barack Obama's demands to allow a debt limit increase without any conditions. The 221-201 vote, carried mainly by Democrats, marked a dramatic shift from the confrontational fiscal tactics House Republicans have used over the past three years, culminating in last October's 16-day government shutdown.

Justice Department Sued Over $13 Billion JPMorgan Pact 10 Jan 2014 With a record $13 billion sticker price, the settlement deal between JPMorgan Chase and the government captured the attention of Wall Street and Washington late last year. And yet, according to a lawsuit that a nonprofit group filed against the Justice Department on Monday, the crucial details of the deal were for the government's eyes only. The lawsuit filed by Better Markets, a group critical of Wall Street, challenged the constitutionality of the deal, a landmark settlement stemming from accusations that JPMorgan overstated the quality of mortgage securities it sold before the financial crisis.

Republicans Setting Up Fake Websites for Democratic Candidates 07 Feb 2014 The National Republican Congressional Committee appears to have set up at least 16 websites meant to appear like the official websites of Democratic candidates. TIME wrote that "the tactic smacks of 'spoofing' scams, whereby spammers masquerade under fake phone numbers or email addresses to win trust." Paul S. Ryan of the Campaign Legal Center even said that the websites may violate an FEC regulation prohibiting political parties from using a candidate's name in special projects.

In Arkansas, 'Private Option' Medicaid Plan Could Be Derailed 10 Feb 2014 Last year, the Republicans who control this state's Legislature devised a politically palatable way to expand Medicaid under President Obama's health care law. They won permission to use federal expansion funds to buy private insurance for as many as 250,000 poor people instead of adding them to traditional Medicaid. But just as the idea is catching fire in other states with Republican or divided leadership -- Iowa has adopted a version of the plan, and New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Utah and other states are exploring similar avenues -- Arkansas may abruptly reverse course, potentially leaving the 83,000 people who have signed up so far without insurance as soon as July 1.

Missouri's Michael Sam says he's gay in advance of 2014 NFL Draft 09 Feb 2014 Former Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam, the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, is set to enter the 2014 NFL Draft under unique circumstances. Sam will enter the NFL as the league's first openly gay player. Sam was interviewed Sunday by the New York Times and ESPN. He told the media entities he came out of the closet and told his teammates "I'm gay" earlier during the 2013 season. This was the first time Sam has spoken publicly about his sexual orientation, and he's about to put the NFL on a different axis.

Nutjob Gustavo Pronotto, Mendoza zoo continue to torture polar bear: Arturo, 'a polar bear in the Argentine desert,' stays in his zoo 09 Feb 2014 The future of Arturo the polar bear, one of the main attractions at the zoo in the Argentine province of Mendoza, is no longer a mystery. A 'medical board' decided that, because of his advanced age and the fragile state of his health, it is not advisable to move him anywhere. Environmentalists did not agree. "The evaluation they did was visual, without touching him, observing him from a distance," complained Gabriel Flores, an activist of the Ecologists United movement, which for more than a year had denounced Arturo's living conditions. "It was a halfway fake evaluation that doesn't convince us at all," he said. Pictures of Arturo in the scorching 40 C (104 F) heat of the arid city of Mendoza during the Southern Hemisphere summer shocked Argentine society and sparked a debate about sending the bear to an ecological reserve in Canada or some other polar bear-friendly climate. "This is a polar bear in the middle of the desert," Flores said. [See also: Activists struggle to get elderly polar bear out of the Argentina heat 20 Dec 2013.]

Activists struggle to get elderly polar bear out of the Argentina heat --'There is no way for him to escape the heat, which can rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius in Mendoza.' 20 Dec 2013 Arturo is a 28-year-old polar bear who lives in a zoo in Mendoza, Argentina. Activists have been campaigning to get him out of Mendoza for months, saying the scorching hot weather is taking a toll on him. A zoo in Canada has even offered to adopt him, but local authorities have swayed back and forth on whether to refuse to let him go. Arturo has spent two decades in Mendoza's zoo, where he is the only polar bear... Maria Fernanda Arentsen is originally from Mendoza, Argentina. She works as a university professor in Winnipeg, Canada. "As you can see in the videos, Arturo lives in a concrete enclosure with only a shallow pool. There is no way for him to escape the heat, which can rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius during the summer months in Mendoza. [The polar bear in Buenos Aires, who was 16 years old, died on a day with a high of 36.7 degrees]. He has been filmed rocking back and forth in a way that animal experts say signals distress. It breaks my heart to see this."

Heavy ice and snow threaten travel again in U.S. South 12 Feb 2014 Another major winter storm unfurled across a wide swath of the U.S. South on Tuesday, and forecasters warned that potentially high accumulations of ice could cripple road travel and result in broad power outages in the coming days. The storm could be "a catastrophic event" of "historical proportions," the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City, Georgia, said of the latest blast of wintry weather to hit the region in recent weeks. Conditions were expected to worsen overnight, with up to an inch (2.5 cm) of ice predicted in parts of South Carolina and Georgia.

Sinkhole swallows eight prized Corvettes 12 Feb 2014 A gaping sinkhole collapsed part of the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky on Wednesday, damaging eight prized cars that plunged in a heap while the attraction geared to the classic American sports car was closed to visitors. "They're all just kind of nose down in the bottom of the hole," said Western Kentucky University engineering professor Matt Dettman, part of a team brought in to assess the damage and the stability of the surrounding area. Six of the cars were owned by the museum and two were on loan from General Motors, said museum spokesperson Katie Frassinelli.

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