For months now, the Internet has been buzzing with rumors of massive ammo buys by the U.S. government.
Now, some members of Congress have taken notice and have begun holding hearings about just how much ammo is being bought and for what purpose.
Ben has the Reality Check you won't see anywhere else.
Sources
Puppet Masters
© Associated Press
This file photo provided by the National Park Service shows the inside of the deactivated Delta Nine Launch Facility near Wall, S.D., that is now open to the public. The Air Force stripped an unprecedented 17 officers of their authority to control — and if necessary launch — nuclear missiles after a string of unpublicized and unacceptable failings, including a potential compromise of missile launch codes.
This file photo provided by the National Park Service shows the inside of the deactivated Delta Nine Launch Facility near Wall, S.D., that is now open to the public. The Air Force stripped an unprecedented 17 officers of their authority to control — and if necessary launch — nuclear missiles after a string of unpublicized and unacceptable failings, including a potential compromise of missile launch codes.
Hagel reacted strongly after The Associated Press reported the unprecedented sidelining of the officers at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., where one of their commanders complained of "such rot" that even the willful violation of safety rules - including a possible compromise of launch codes - was tolerated.
The AP quoted from an internal email written by Lt. Col. Jay Folds, deputy commander of the 91st Operations Group, which is responsible for all Minuteman 3 missile launch crews at Minot. He lamented the remarkably poor reviews they received in a March inspection. Their missile launch skills were rated "marginal," which the Air Force told the AP was the equivalent of a "D'' grade.
"We are, in fact, in a crisis right now," Folds wrote in the email to his subordinates.
© RIA Novosti / Alexei Druzhinin
President Vladimir Putin, center, chairs a Security Council meeting on May 8, 2013.
President Vladimir Putin, center, chairs a Security Council meeting on May 8, 2013.
The NATO security mission - which will pull out of Afghanistan in 2014 - has failed to bring stability to the region, Putin said at a meeting of the Russian Security Council on Wednesday.
"There are all grounds to believe that we may face an escalation of the situation in Afghanistan in the short term," the president said.
"The foreign military contingent, whose backbone is American forces, has not achieved a breakthrough in the fight against terrorist and radical groups as yet. On the contrary, their activity has been particularly increasing lately," Putin explained.
There has also been "a drastic increase in drug production in the territory of Afghanistan and the creation of stable drug-trafficking routes to other countries, including - unfortunately - to Russia," he said. Putin also noted that the ISAF does little to address the problem, while Russia's proposals on the matter have so far been ignored.
© AFP Photo
An Afghan farmer collects raw opium as he works in a poppy field in Khogyani District of Nangarhar province on April 29, 2013.
An Afghan farmer collects raw opium as he works in a poppy field in Khogyani District of Nangarhar province on April 29, 2013.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, has recently been criticized for taking 'ghost money' from the CIA and MI6. The sums are unknown - for the usual reasons of 'national security' - but are estimated to have been in the tens of millions of dollars. While this is nowhere near the eye-bleeding $12 billion shipped over to Iraq on pallets in the wake of the invasion a decade ago, it is still a significant amount.
And how has this money been spent? Certainly not on social projects or rebuilding initiatives. Rather, the reporting indicates, the money has been funneled to Karzai's cronies as bribes in a corrupt attempt to buy influence in the country.
Robert Fisk discusses his reaction to what he calls President Obama's "pitiful" backing of the recent Israeli missile strikes.
As the United States moves toward increased intervention in Syria, we're joined by Robert Fisk, the longtime Middle East correspondent of the British newspaper The Independent. Just back from two weeks in Syria reporting around the capital Damascus, Fisk discusses what he calls the "theater of chemical weapons," the latest in Syria's civil war - a battle he says the Syrian government is winning - as well as his reaction to what he calls President Obama's "pitiful" backing of the recent Israeli missile strikes. "Don't ask me if they have used chemical weapons," Fisk says. "It's conceivable. There really isn't any proof. What you have got to realize is that this is a propaganda war just as much as it is a savage war, killing many thousands of human beings."
As the United States moves toward increased intervention in Syria, we're joined by Robert Fisk, the longtime Middle East correspondent of the British newspaper The Independent. Just back from two weeks in Syria reporting around the capital Damascus, Fisk discusses what he calls the "theater of chemical weapons," the latest in Syria's civil war - a battle he says the Syrian government is winning - as well as his reaction to what he calls President Obama's "pitiful" backing of the recent Israeli missile strikes. "Don't ask me if they have used chemical weapons," Fisk says. "It's conceivable. There really isn't any proof. What you have got to realize is that this is a propaganda war just as much as it is a savage war, killing many thousands of human beings."
© Unknown
Experts advise that call-center staff should be educated about DDoS attacks, in case customers call in about online outages or experience difficulty accessing accounts. And network and security teams should actively monitor Internet traffic on May 7 and take steps to block specific IP addresses.
Anonymous has said the attacks are being waged because of perceived social and political injustices. In an April 21 Pastebin post, it states: "Anonymous will make sure that this May 7th will be a day to remember. On that day Anonymous will start phase one of operation USA. America, you have committed multiple war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and recently you have committed war crimes in your own country."
© Unknown
#OpUsa
"Greetings Obama and USA citizens. We are the N4m3le55 Cr3w. Anonymous will make sure that's this May 7th will be a day to remember. On that day anonymous will start phase one of operation USA.
America you have committed multiple war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and recently you have committed war crimes in your own country. You have killed hundreds of innocent children and families with drones, guns, and now bombs. America you have hit thousands of people where it hurts them, now it is our time for our Lulz. For this you shall pay.
© Defense Department
The attacks, dubbed #OpUSA, for Operation USA, will begin Tuesday, the department said in a warning bulletin circulated to the private sector last week. The bulletin was first obtained and posted online by blogger and cybercrime expert Brian Krebs.
The attacks are called for in the name of Anonymous, the leaderless coalition of hackers whose trademark Guy Fawkes mask has become a global symbol for their anarchistic spirit.
© Unknown
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Putin did not say how, but he did announce he had ordered the acceleration of highly advanced Russian weapons supplies to Syria.
Israeli Debkafile's military sources disclosed that the Russian leader was referring to S-300 anti-air systems and the nuclear-capable 9K720 Iskander (NATO named SS-26 Stone) surface missiles, which are precise enough to hit a target within a 5-7 meter radius at a distance of 280 kilometers.
In his phone call to Netanyahu, the Russian leader advised the prime minister to make sure to keep this in mind.
© Unknown
Syrian military forces
Syrian military forces
According to FNA dispatches, the Syrian army destroyed several terrorist bases in Reef (outskirts of) Latakia, including Salma, Tartiah and Kafar Delbeh villages, killing two Jordanian terrorists and several Saudi snipers.
During the army operations in al-Dareh and Borj al-Ahrash, a number of foreign terrorists, including the notorious Saudi terrorist, Masha'al al-Saleh, were killed.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.
