CLG: FBI, Justice Department open civil rights investigation into Charlottesville car attack

 News Updates from CLG
13 August 2017

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Previous edition: North Korea is 'carefully examining' a plan to strike U.S. Pacific territory Guam with missiles

 

FBI, Justice Department open civil rights investigation into Charlottesville car attack | 12 Aug 2017 | U.S. officials have opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances of the deadly car attack that took place amid clashes of white nationalists and counterdemonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia. The investigation was announced late Saturday by officials of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia and the Richmond field office of the FBI. In a statement, Attorney General Jeff Sessions says U.S. Attorney Rick Mountcastle has begun the investigation and will have the full support of the Justice Department.

 

2 State Troopers Dead After Helicopter Crash in Albemarle County | 12 Aug 2017 | (Albemarle County, VA) Virginia State Police are mourning the loss of two members of an aviation team killed in a helicopter crash following Saturday's Unite the Right rally. The Bell 407 helicopter went down in the woods along Old Farm Road in Albemarle County just before 5 p.m. Saturday. The pilot, 48-year-old Lt. H. Jay Cullen of Midlothian, and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates of Quinton, died at the scene. No one on the ground was injured.

 

Charlottesville officials: 1 dead, 19 injured after crash near rightist vs. 'anti-fascist' clash | 13 Aug 2017 | One person was killed and 19 were hurt when a speeding car slammed into a throng of counterprotesters in Charlottesville, where a "Unite the Right" rally comprised of right-wing groups had been scheduled to take place, the city tweeted on its verified account. A 32-year-old woman was killed while walking across the street, Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas said...Two Virginia State Patrol troopers were killed in a helicopter crash while "assisting public safety resources with the ongoing situation in Charlottesville," the agency said in a news release.

 

State of Emergency Declared in Charlottesville After Protests Turn Violent | 12 Aug 2017 | A planned protest in Virginia by white nationalists was abandoned on Saturday after a spate of violence prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency and law enforcement officers to clear the area. The demonstration, which both organizers and critics had said was the largest gathering of white nationalists in recent years, turned violent almost immediately and left several people injured and a report of at least one death. The turmoil began with a march Friday night and escalated Saturday morning as hundreds of white nationalists gathered...Hundreds of counterprotesters quickly surrounded the crowd, chanting and carrying their own signs. By 11 a.m., the scene had exploded into taunting, shoving and outright brawling.

 

Chanting 'blood and soil!' white nationalists with torches march on University of Virginia | 11 Aug 2017 | Chanting "blood and soil," "white lives matter" and "you will not replace us," scores of white nationalists holding torches marched across the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville on Friday night. Scuffles broke out between them and a small group of counter-protesters calling themselves "anti-fascists" who were surrounded as they demonstrated in advance of Saturday's "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, which is expected to be one of the largest far-right gatherings in the U.S. in at least a decade.

 

Judge rules Charlottesville alt-right rally can go on | 11 Aug 2017 | A federal judge has ordered a Virginia city to allow a weekend rally of white nationalists and others to take place at its originally planned location downtown. U.S. District Judge Glen Conrad issued a preliminary injunction Friday in a lawsuit filed against Charlottesville by right-wing blogger Jason Kessler. Kessler organized the Saturday rally to protest Charlottesville's decision to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Emancipation Park. Social media users posted photos Friday night with the hashtag #UniteTheRight at the University of Virginia.

 

The Pentagon dusts off plan to attack North Korea using bombers from Guam --The Pentagon has a plan for a preemptive strike on North Korea | 10 Aug 2017 | The Pentagon has a detailed plan for a military strike on North Korea, dispatching heavy bombers from Guam -- the fortified U.S. territory that Pyongyang is threatening with missiles. The plan would be to launch heavy B1-B bombers from Guam's Andersen Air Force Base, limiting the flight time. U.S. forces have conducted practice maneuvers as recently as Monday, NBC News reported -- and have done 11 sets of exercises. The bombers would get an escort from fighter jets providing protection. Satellites and drones would aide in the effort.

 

Take cover, avoid bomb flash. Guam issues nuclear guidelines | 11 Aug 2017 | Guam posted emergency guidelines on Friday to help residents prepare for any potential nuclear attack after a threat from North Korea to fire missiles in the vicinity of the U.S. Pacific territory. Pyongyang's state-run KCNA news agency said on Thursday its army would complete plans in mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near Guam as North Korea and the United States engaged in increasingly heated rhetoric this week over the North's nuclear weapons program. North Korea did not threaten Guam with a nuclear attack, but the crisis between Pyongyang and the United States has stirred fears that a nuclear conflict could break out in the region.

 

North Korea Guam missile strike plan 'ready by mid-August' | 10 Aug 2017 | North Korea says its plan to fire four missiles near the US territory of Guam will soon be ready, as a war of words with Washington intensifies. State media said Hwasong-12 rockets would pass over Japan and land in the sea about 30km (17 miles) from Guam, if the plan was approved by Kim Jong-un. It denounced Donald Trump's warnings of "fire and fury" and said the US leader was "bereft of reason"...US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Pyongyang would be "grossly overmatched" in any war against the US and its allies.

US flies bombers over Guam | 08 Aug 2017 | The United States military flew two B-1B bombers over Guam this week alongside the South Korean and Japanese militaries as a show of force directed toward North Korea. "Two U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers, under the command of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, joined their counterparts from the Republic of Korea and Japanese air forces in sequenced bilateral missions," a Pacific Air Forces press release said. The bombers flew over the area on Monday in a 10-hour long demonstration.

S.Korea closely monitoring possible DPRK 'provocation' after strike warning against Guam - official | 09 Aug 2017 | South Korea's unification ministry said Wednesday that the country was closely monitoring "possible provocation" of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after Pyongyang's warning of preemptive missile strikes against the U.S. island of Guam in the Pacific. Seoul's unification ministry spokesman Baek Tae-hyun told a press briefing that the authorities of South Korea and the United States were closely watching relevant moves in preparation for the DPRK's "further provocation." Baek said the South Korean military authorities maintained a complete defense readiness in preparation for several possible situations, noting that it would be important for the DPRK "to stop provocation and change attitude."

US has been conducting back-channel talks with North Korea for months --Talks ramped up after President Donald Trump's inauguration | 11 Aug 2017 | Despite the bombastic rhetoric exchanged between North Korean and American leaders this week, the Trump administration has been quietly engaged in back-channel diplomacy with North Korea for several months, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The ongoing talks, which were first reported by The Associated Press, included discussions about U.S.-North Korean relations and Americans imprisoned in North Korea, the source said. According to the source, the talks are being held between Ambassador Joseph Yun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, and Pak Song Il, a senior North Korean diplomat at the country's U.N. mission, using what's known as the "New York channel," which has been an avenue of communication between the U.S. and North Korea throughout the years.

Trump warns North Korea: US military 'locked and loaded' | 11 Aug 2017 | President Donald Trump further escalated his rhetorical standoff with North Korea Friday morning, suggesting the US was ready to respond with military force should the rogue nation "act unwisely." In an early morning tweet, Trump appeared to warn the Pyongyang government that the US military was on the verge of a strike. "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!" he tweeted. It was the third consecutive day that Trump has used incendiary language to describe the threat posed by North Korea, which has responded with a threat to launch a series of missiles in the direction of the US Pacific territory of Guam.

Trump: North Korea should be 'very, very nervous' | 11 Aug 2017 | Donald Trump has doubled down on his calls for North Korea to stop its nuclear threats - adding his warnings of "fire and fury" may not have been tough enough. The US President said Kim Jong Un's government "better get their act together", or they will be in trouble "like few nations have ever been". He told Americans that the leader of the rogue state had "disrespected our country greatly" by saying "horrific" things, adding: "And with me, he's not getting away with it." Mr Trump was speaking following a meeting with his top national security advisers, where Pyongyang's threat to fire missiles towards the US territory of Guam dominated discussion.

Seeking de-escalation of tensions with U.S. a foreign policy priority - Iranian FM | 09 Aug 2017 | Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday that seeking de-escalation of tensions with the United States is among Iran's foreign policy priorities. The top Iranian diplomat made the remarks in a meeting with members of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. "De-escalation of tensions and tension management with the U.S. are among the Foreign Ministry's priorities," Zarif said while elaborating on the his ministry's programs for the second term in office of President Hassan Rouhani. "We want peace among countries and we do not want tension," Zarif said.

30 civilians killed in U.S.-led airstrikes in north Syria | 09 Aug 2017 | At least 30 civilians were killed over the past 24 hours in Syria's northern city of Raqqa in the intensified U.S.-led airstrikes on the Islamic State (IS) positions, a monitor group said Tuesday. Nine women and 14 children were among those killed in the airstrikes on Raqqa, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a Britain-based watchdog group. The death toll is likely to rise due to the large numbers of critically injured people, SOHR said.

Latin America slams Trump's Venezuela 'military options' threat | 12 Aug 2017 | After months of attacking Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, Latin America came out strongly against U.S. threats of military action against the struggling OPEC nation. U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise comments on Friday may give beleaguered leftist leader Maduro a regional boost...Following Trump's comment on Friday that military intervention [other than the 'regular' CIA intervention] in Venezuela was an option, Maduro's critics are caught between backing the idea of a foreign invasion of Venezuela or supporting a president they call a dictator.

U.S. soldier who murdered Afghan civilians will blame controversial malaria drug | 08 Aug 2017 | An Army court will decide this week whether to review and perhaps reduce the life sentence of a soldier who massacred Afghan civilians -- and in the process it will judge a controversial malaria drug given to troops that is known to cause hallucinations, anxiety and paranoia. Attorneys for Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the serviceman convicted in 2013 of killing 16 Afghans in the worst U.S. military massacre since Vietnam, are expected to raise the soldier's use of mefloquine, also known by the brand name Lariam, before or during his deployment. The prescription was not considered during the investigation and his legal team will use this as the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals weighs whether Bales is entitled to a new sentencing hearing on two procedural issues -- whether the prosecution failed to disclose evidence related to his case and that the court failed to investigate a military judge’s disclosure of protected information.

Psychologists who helped design CIA's torture programme to stand trial | 08 Aug 2017 | Two psychologists who helped design the CIA's post-9/11 detainee interrogation programme will stand trial in September for promoting the use of torture methods like water-boarding, starvation and chaining prisoners in extreme stress positions. Federal judges in Washington state late Monday ordered a lawsuit on behalf of three former detainees -- one of whom died in a CIA prison following harsh interrogation -- to go to a jury trial, rejecting efforts to force a settlement and prevent a full hearing of the case. The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the ex-detainees, will be the first involving the torture program to go to trial. The government has headed off previous efforts, citing what is said is a need to protect sensitive intelligence.

Military commanders get OK to shoot down drones over bases | 08 Aug 2017 | The Pentagon has sent new guidance to the armed services that lays out the military's authority to disable or shoot down any drone that violates airspace restrictions over a U.S. base and is deemed a security risk. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told Pentagon reporters Monday that a classified policy was approved in July. On Friday, additional public information was sent to military bases around the country so officials can alert their communities about the restrictions and the actions the military can take. He said the new policy provides details about the actions the military can take to stop any threat, including destroying or seizing any unmanned aircraft -- including the smaller ones that the general public can easily buy -- that is flown over a base.

Fukushima disaster: 'WW2 bomb' found at Japan nuclear site | 10 Aug 2017 | A suspected unexploded bomb has been found at the site of the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. The US is thought to have dropped the 89cm-long (3ft) device during WW2. It was found by workers building a car park at the site where a four-decade-long decommissioning process is under way...Tepco said construction work was immediately suspended after the object was found and a temporary exclusion zone put in place while bomb disposal experts were deployed.

Man shot and arrested over car attack on anti-terror soldiers outside Paris | 09 Aug 2017 | A man has been shot and arrested in relation to Wednesday morning's assault when anti-terror soldiers in the northwestern suburbs of Paris were rammed into by a car, leaving six injured. French security forces have shot and arrested a man suspected of being behind an attack on a group of soldiers on Wednesday morning in the town of Levallois-Perret, security sources told AFP. The man, aged in his late 30s, was intercepted on the A16 motorway north of the French capital in a vehicle used to drive into the soldiers, the sources said, asking not to be named.

Man shot by police after car 'deliberately rams into soldiers injuring six' in suspected Paris terror attack --Wounded soldiers were on routine patrol as part of Operation Sentinelle, created after attacks in 2015 | 09 Aug 2017 | French police have shot a man in their hunt for a suspect who "deliberately" rammed a BMW into six soldiers in a suspected terror attack in Paris. The man was "seriously wounded" near the northern port town of Boulogne-sur-Mer and was allegedly driving the BMW used in the attack in the capital just hours earlier. He was shot five times, while an officer was also hit by a bullet in the thigh before the man was arrested, a source revealed. The attack occurred in Paris's Levallois-Perret area as the car, allegedly "parked up in wait close to a barracks", suddenly accelerated and struck the servicemen "at high speed".

Coming to a Metrorail station near you: Miami-Dade's anti-terrorism squad | 09 Aug 2017 | Miami-Dade has a new tactic for fighting terrorism: deploying police with rifles, gas masks and riot helmets to well-traveled public places, including Metrorail stations, County Hall and courthouses. Members of the new "Rapid Deployment Force-Counter Terrorism" can travel in an armored vehicle that's equipped with an overhead turret and slots for firing rifles...Miami-Dade already deploys officers with military rifles to the Clark Center (also known as County Hall), Miami International Airport and to large events.

FBI raided Manafort's home for documents he gave Congress [LOL! Morons.] | 09 Aug 2017 | The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the home of Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, to obtain documents he had already provided to Congress, Manafort's spokesman has confirmed. The pre-dawn raid on the Alexandria, Virginia residence took place on July 26, a day after Manafort voluntarily met with staff for the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday. FBI agents seized documents and other materials related to the special counsel's probe of alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

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