Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG): US Marines return to Afghanistan's Helmand province for first time since 2014

 News Updates from CLG
30 April 2017

http://www.legitgov.org/
All links are here:http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news

 

Previous editions: 'Operation Gotham Shield': US govt will 'simulate 10,000-ton nuclear blast over New York and New Jersey' 

 

US Marines return to Afghanistan's Helmand province for first time since 2014 | 29 April 2017 | US Marines have returned to Afghanistan's southernmost Helmand province, which is mostly controlled by the Taliban. The Marines withdrew from the area in October of 2014, and the security situation there has deteriorating over the years. The province saw some of the worst fighting in the earlier years of the US-led occupation. The 300-strong Marine force arrived in Helmand on Saturday, AFP reported.

 

Pentagon: Two service members killed 'fighting ISIS' in Afghanistan | 27 April 2017 | Two US service members were killed during an operation against Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan overnight on Wednesday, a Pentagon spokesman said Thursday. Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said the incident took place in the southern Nangarhar province. US troops are battling suspected Islamic State fighting in Nangarhar province, near the border with Pakistan, where earlier this month the United States dropped a massive bomb known as "the mother of all bombs."

 

U.S. service member killed by IED in Mosul, Iraq | 29 April 2017 | A U.S. service member has died in the line of duty, CNN reports. According to a statement from the anti-ISIS coalition, the service member died from wounds they sustained from an explosive device blast outside of Mosul, Iraq, on Saturday.

 

Russia 'fully ready' to cooperate with US on Syria - Lavrov | 29 April 2017 | Moscow is eager to resume cooperation with Washington on solving the Syrian crisis, Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said during his meeting with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, in the Russian capital. During the meeting, Lavrov noted that Jordan's King Abdullah II has repeatedly emphasized the importance of joint Russian-American efforts in Syria. "I can assure that we’re fully ready for this. We count on Washington to demonstrate the same approach," he said.

 

North Korea warns of 'nuclear holocaust' after US drills --North Korean foreign minister drafted a letter to 10 Southeast Asian countries --In it, he said the situation on the Korean Peninsula was reaching the brink of war | 27 April 2017 | North Korea has warned of a nuclear holocaust if Southeast Asian countries do not join forces in the wake of US military drills in the region. In a letter to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' secretary general, North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-Ho insisted the situation on the Korean Peninsula was 'reaching the brink of war' because of Washington's actions. He urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chief to inform the 10 countries' foreign ministers 'about the grave situation' on the peninsula 'and give them a proper proposal', and also heavily criticised US-South Korean military exercises.

 

Trump says 'major, major' conflict with North Korea possible, but seeks diplomacy | 27 April 2017 | U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute. "There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely," Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview ahead of his 100th day in office on Saturday. Nonetheless, Trump said he wanted to peacefully resolve a crisis that has bedeviled multiple U.S. presidents, a path that he and his administration are emphasizing by preparing a variety of new economic sanctions while not taking the military option off the table.

 

Reports of North Korea artillery drill as U.S. submarine makes South Korea port call | 25 April 2017 | North Korea put on a massive live-fire drill on Tuesday to mark the foundation of its military, a media report said, as a U.S. submarine docked in South Korea in a show of force [to trigger WW III] amid growing concern over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. The port call by the USS Michigan came as a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group steams for Korean waters and as the top nuclear envoys from South Korea, Japan, and the United States met in Tokyo to discuss the North's refusal to give up its nuclear program. [Why doesn't the US give up *its* nuclear program?]

 

Entire U.S. Senate to go to White House for North Korea briefing | 24 April 2017 | Top Trump administration officials will hold a rare briefing on Wednesday at the White House for the entire U.S. Senate on the situation in North Korea. All 100 senators have been asked to the White House for the briefing by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Monday.

 

Trump complains Saudis not paying fair share for U.S. defense | 28 April 2017 | President Donald Trump complained on Thursday that U.S. ally Saudi Arabia [aka ISIS on steroids] was not treating the United States fairly and Washington was losing a "tremendous amount of m-ney" defending the kingdom. In an interview with Reuters, Trump confirmed his administration was in talks about possible visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel in the second half of May. "Frankly, Saudi Arabia has not treated us fairly, because we are losing a tremendous amount of money in defending Saudi Arabia," he said. Trump's criticism of Riyadh, the world's top oil exporter  [and exporter of terrorism], was a return to his 2016 election campaign rhetoric when he accused the kingdom of not pulling its weight in paying for the U.S. security umbrella. 

[Just maybe Drumpf should review the agreements we have with Saudi Arabia AKA OPEC. Anyone wonder why World Oil Sales are denominated in US DOLLARS?] 

 

UK government refuses to deny voting to put Saudi Arabia on the UN Women's Commission | 28 April 2017 | The British government has refused to deny that it voted in favour of Saudi Arabia's installation on the United Nations Women's Commission, after the Belgian Prime Minister apologised for his country's role in the secret ballot. A Foreign Office spokesman refused to say how the UK had voted after the oil rich Middle Eastern kingdom had [*insanely*] been given a place on the body which is "exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women", according to its website. The country ranks 141/144 for gender equality in the World Economic Forum's 2016 Global Gender Gap report - third place from the bottom. But it gained the approval of 47 of 54 countries on the UN's economic and social council in a secret ballot earlier this month.

 

Another 'terror attack' in Westminster: Armed police 'swarm like bees' to tackle man carrying 'a rucksack full of knives' yards from Parliament as it's revealed he was 'known to security services' --Scotland Yard confirms man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife and preparing terrorism --The arrest was made as part of an ongoing operation and it is believed the man was already known to police [as usual] | 27 April 2017 | Armed police tackled a suspected terrorist 'with a rucksack full of knives' near Parliament Square this afternoon - just five weeks after the Westminster terror attack killed five people. A bundle of gruesome-looking knives were seen on the floor after a team of officers swooped and arrested a bearded man dressed all in black shortly before 2:30pm. Witnesses said the man, who was wearing a tracksuit and trainers, was crossing Whitehall amid the usual crowds of tourists and political staff when a police car suddenly pulled up and officers confronted him. A large number of armed officers then flooded the scene as the suspect was pinned to the ground just yards from Downing Street.

 

Reunion island: French police shot by suspected radical Islamist | 27 April 2017 | Two French police officers have been shot and wounded on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion as they tried to arrest a suspected radical Islamist. The suspect opened fire with a shotgun as a special police squad raided his home in the town of Saint Benoit. Police said the man, who is in his 20s and in custody, was spreading Islamist propaganda online. Weapons and ingredients used to make Molotov cocktails were found at his flat, France's interior minister said.

 

U.S., European military chiefs call for better data-sharing against terrorism | 26 April 2017 | Top military officials from the United States and Europe called on Wednesday for better information-sharing to fight terrorism and regular coordinating meetings for justice officials. "Terrorism is a trans-regional problem and presents a clear and present danger to us all," U.S. General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. European Command, told reporters after the first gathering of European defense chiefs to focus specifically on countering violent extremism. He said it was imperative to improve the speed at which data was shared, and to address countries' concerns about revealing "sources and methods" to bolster the fight against Islamic State and other extremist groups.

 

Full-scale drill focused on preparing for complex terror attacks to include National Capital Region first responders, emergency managers | 24 April 2017 | Law enforcement officials and other first responders will participate in a full-scale exercise on April 26 designed to prepare for the possibility of a complex coordinated terror attack in the National Capital Region. Emergency managers who work together at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) planned the exercise to help protect residents by preparing for an attack involving multiple target locations and teams of perpetrators. The regional exercise will be staged at six sites in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia, and will involve hundreds of police, fire, and emergency medical service personnel and volunteer actors.

 

Major Terrorism Exercise Coming to Arlington Tomorrow | 25 April 2017 | A "full-scale" exercise to simulate the response to a terrorist attack in the National Capital Region is set for tomorrow, with Arlington one of six sites where the action will be taking place. From 8 a.m.-4 p.m., the Arlington police SWAT team will take part in the exercise near George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School at 3301 Fairfax Drive...Law enforcement officials and other first responders will take part in the exercise organized by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. MWCOG spokeswoman Jeanne Saddler said the exercise is designed to be as realistic as possible.

 

Valve Failure at LaSalle County Nuclear Plant Is Under Investigation | 28 April 2017 | (IL) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has begun a special investigation of a valve failure at the (Exelon-owned) LaSalle County Nuclear Generating Station. When the plant shut down its Unit 2 in February for refueling, workers noticed a valve in the High Pressure Core Spray system failed to open as designed. This system provides cooling water to the reactor in abnormal operating conditions.

 

Groundwater drunk by BILLIONS of people may be contaminated by radioactive material spread across the world by nuclear testing in the 1950s | 25 April 2017 | A shocking new study has revealed that groundwater drunk by billions of people may have been contaminated by decades of nuclear weapons testing. Researchers looked at more than 6,000 wells around the globe, some containing water more than 10,000 years old, found more than half had traces of tritium. Even at low doses, tritium has been linked with increased risk of mutation and cancer because it goes directly into the tissues of organs of the human body.

 

Mega barf alert: China-owned Smithfield Foods, using U.S. Dept. of Defense grant, moves to supply pig organs for transplantation into humans | 12 April 2017 | Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, has established a separate bioscience unit to expand its role in supplying pig parts for medical uses, with the ultimate goal of selling pig organs for transplantation into humans. Smithfield, the 14 billion subsidiary of China's WH Group, in its first move has joined a public-private tissue engineering consortium funded by an 80 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. Smithfield is the only pork producer, joining health-care companies including Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic and United Therapeutics Corp.

 

In Harrisburg, Trump touts his first 100 days, boasts the fight is 'just beginning' | 29 April 2017 | President Trump delivered a slashing, campaign-style speech here to mark his 100th day in office, accusing the media of lying about his success and saying he would rather spend the day with "much better people" in Pennsylvania than those in Washington. "Make no mistake: we are just beginning in our fight to make America great again," Trump told a raucous and loyal crowd at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, many wearing his signature red "Make America Great Again" hats. "We are keeping one promise after another and, frankly, the people are really happy about it."

 

Environmental protesters swarm outside White House as Trump hits milestone | 29 April 2017 | A sea of protesters swarmed in front of the White House on Saturday to voice displeasure with President Donald Trump's stance on the environment and demand that he rethink plans to reverse the climate change policies backed by his predecessor. The Peoples Climate March, the culmination of a string of Earth Week protests that began with last Saturday's March for Science, coincides with Trump's 100th day in office, the end of the traditional "honeymoon" period for a new president. As temperatures rose above 90 degrees Fahrenheit under hazy skies in the nation's capital, tens of thousands of people marched from the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and passed the White House en route to the Washington Monument for a rally.

 

House, Senate approve stopgap bill to keep gov't open | 28 April 2017 | The federal government will stay open for another week after both the House and Senate on Friday passed a stopgap funding bill as lawmakers continued to negotiate over the 1 trillion omnibus spending bill needed for the next five months. The Senate passed a measure by voice vote after the House approved it in an overwhelming bipartisan 382-30 vote. The three Democrats and one Republican representing Long Island voted for the stopgap funding bill.

 

House will not vote on Affordable Care Act rewrite, smoothing way for government to stay open | 28 April 2017 | Despite pressure from the White House, House GOP leaders determined Thursday night that they didn't have the votes to pass a rewrite of the Affordable Care Act and would not seek to put their proposal on the floor on Friday. A late push to act on health care had threatened the bipartisan deal to keep the government open for one week while lawmakers crafted a longer-term spending deal. Now, members are likely to approve the short-term spending bill when it comes to the floor and keep the government open past midnight on Friday.

 

White House unveils dramatic plan to overhaul tax code in major test for Trump | 26 April 2017 | President Trump on Wednesday proposed a dramatic overhaul of the tax code, calling for sharply lower rates for individuals and businesses but also eliminating key tax breaks. The proposal is a one-page outline - key details are left incomplete - but it presents an initial offer to begin negotiations with lawmakers, as White House officials think reworking the tax code is one of their biggest priorities to boost economic growth. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do something big and important on taxes," White House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn said Wednesday.

 

Nasdaq trades above historic milestone of 6,000 as stocks jump | 25 April 2017 | The Nasdaq Composite Index in early Tuesday trade hit a major milestone: surpassing Nasdaq 6,000. The Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.50% touched at an intraday record of 6,022, up 0.7%, Tuesday morning in New York...Stocks are running higher on the back of easing geopolitical risks, better-than-expected corporate earnings and the so-called Trump rally, fueled by hope of tax cuts, infrastructure spending and deregulation from President Donald Trump. 

 

California judge blocks portion of Trump's sanctuary cities order | 25 April 2017 | A federal judge in California has temporarily blocked a portion of President Trump's executive order on sanctuary cities that was designed to pull federal funding from such jurisdictions. Philadelphia, like other cities commonly defined as "sanctuary cities," does not honor requests from federal immigration officials to hold undocumented immigrants in custody for nonviolent crimes. The city had braced for potential funding cuts when the order was signed in January, and officials said Tuesday they were "gratified" with the ruling by Judge William Orrick of U.S. District Court in San Francisco, but were still reviewing his order.

 

Ann Coulter Says She Will Pull Out of Speech at Berkeley | 26 April 2017 | Ann Coulter said Wednesday that she is canceling her planned speech at the University of California, Berkeley, because she had lost the backing of conservative groups that had initially sponsored her appearance. Ms. Coulter, in a message to The New York Times, said, "It's a sad day for free speech."

 

'Much-loved' giant rabbit found dead after United flight to O'Hare | 26 April 2017 | April truly is the cruelest month, at least when it comes to public relations disasters for United Airlines. In the airline's latest high-profile calamity, a giant 10-month-old rabbit - which could have grown to a record-setting size - was found dead after traveling on a United Airlines flight from the United Kingdom to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

 

*****

CLG needs your support.

http://www.legitgov.org/donate.html

Or, please mail a check or m*ney order to CLG: Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG) 
P.O. Box 1142 
Bristol, CT 06011-1142 
Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible.

Feel free -- and CLG encourages you -- to forward this newsletter to your lists and friends!
Those who wish to be added to the list can go here: http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg and add your name.  Please add clg_news@legitgov.org to your contacts or approved senders list. For subscription questions, pls. write signup at legitgov dot org.

 

CLG News Managing Editor: Lori Price. Copyright © 2017, Citizens for Legitimate Government ® All rights reserved.