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Laura Ingraham blames female weakness for recent White House security breach

David Edwards
Raw Story
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 23:21 UTC
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Awful human being Laura Ingraham
Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham on Tuesday argued that a recent security breach at the White House had happened because the Secret Service had placed a woman on duty instead of "a really strong person."

CBS News reported on Tuesday that a man who jumped the White House fence made it all the way into the East Room after overpowering a female Secret Service agent.

Speaking to Fox News and on her radio show on Tuesday, Ingraham asserted that officials had hired a female Secret Service director and female agents because of "political correctness."

"They brought in a woman, first female director - remember the Obama administration loves firsts," Ingraham said on her radio show, according to a transcript provided by Media Matters. "You get the sense at some point that it's the first that's more important than the common sense."

"What works - let's do what works best, ok?" she continued. "Is it to have a woman there or is it just to have a really strong person there? A big, hulking person. Female, male, I don't care."

"They want to be historic. They want it to be an historic appointment, instead of thinking, 'gee, maybe we just need the best people.'"


Comment: There's no indication that the recent breach was caused by having "the wrong people." She implies that a "strong person" would have prevented the breach, but that's just speculation on Ingraham's part. This is less about her being upset about the breach and more about capitalizing on the situation to castigate the Obama administration. It's strictly about political maneuvering.

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War Whore

U.S. pet UK launches first air attacks against ISIS in Iraq


RT
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 22:53 UTC
Image
© Reuters/Darren Staples
A British Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4
Tornado bombers from Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) have carried out their first attacks against the Islamic State in Iraq, according to the Ministry of Defense (MoD).

"This action is part of the international coalition's operations to support the democratic Iraqi government," the MoD said in a statement.

"In the course of an armed reconnaissance mission from RAF Akrotiri, two Tornados were tasked to assist Kurdish troops in north-west Iraq who were under attack from Isil (Isis) terrorists," the statement continued.

Two Tornado GR4 aircraft were used, which are now based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The Tornado is an all-weather day and night fighter bomber, which has been in use by the RAF since the 1980s and is now becoming a little long in the tooth.

According to the statement, the patrol identified a heavy weapon position belonging to the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), which was attacking Kurdish forces in the area.

The planes used a Paveway IV guided bomb and a Brimstone anti-armor missile to take out the position, as well as an armed pick-up truck.

Until now, RAF Tornados have been limited to flying reconnaissance missions over Iraq, and only began armed patrols after the UK parliament agreed to authorize military action against ISIS on Friday.

UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has said that RAF planes could be engaged in bombing ISIS for years to come.

Although there is widespread skepticism of the effectiveness of airstrikes, Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted that they are crucial in the future destruction of the hardline Islamist group, adding that the most important tools in the fight against the Islamic State are better armed Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and better trained Iraqi troops.
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Quenelle

Enough is enough: Russian politicians boycott visit to U.S. and will cut links to all 'hostile' EU states


RT
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 20:19 UTC
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© RIA Novosti/Vladimir Fedorenko
Federation Council meeting
Russia's Federation Council will boycott a scheduled business roundtable with US Senators next month, and has voiced intentions to stop co-operation with all sanction-supporting EU parliaments.

The decision by members of the upper house to stay away from the October 14-15 summit in New York was voiced by the Council's International Affairs Committee to Izvestia newspaper. The forum was to give leading politicians and businessmen the chance to discuss "market conditions, complicated geopolitical relationships, and regulatory developments in Russia."

"Inter-parliamentary relations with the US have never been great. And today attempts to respond to any opportunity to suddenly say hello to Americans appear to be inappropriate after our former colleague - a senator, who today leads the US - described the Ebola virus as the world's threat No. 1, and Russia as threat No. 2," said the deputy chairman of the committee, Andrey Klimov, referring to a recent speech by Barack Obama.

Klimov said that Russian parliamentarians would not be barred from holding individual meetings with US officials.

The move appears to be part of a wider drive to restrict official contacts with Western parliaments, which Vladimir Dzhabarov, the deputy head of the International Affairs Committee, said had been "fruitless" in recent times.
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Water

Federal judge rules Detroit residents have "no fundamental right" to water

Jerry White
World Socialist Website
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 21:26 UTC
Detroit Protesters
© Global Research
In a ruling Monday, US bankruptcy judge Steven Rhodes threw out a motion to stop mass water shutoffs in Detroit, declaring that city residents had no "fundamental right" to water service. The ruling sanctioned the city's brutal policy, which has terminated service to nearly 50,000 low-income households since January 2013 and continues at the pace of 400 households a day.

Rhodes dismissed a lawsuit filed by victims of the water shutoffs, which argued that the city's policy was doing irreparable harm to residents and threatened to create a public health disaster. The residents argued that the city's policy violated the 14th Amendment's prohibition against a state "depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law" and the principle of "equal protection" under the law, since service to major corporations, which failed to pay, had not been discontinued.

On this basis, the plaintiffs sought a six-month moratorium on shutoffs and the restoration of service to households without water. This time was needed, the coalition of liberal and Democratic Party-affiliated groups behind the lawsuit argued, to craft a plan with the city to reduce rates for low-income families.

In throwing out the due process claim, the judge said the plaintiffs could not "plausibly allege that they have a liberty or property interest in receiving water service, let alone water service based on ability to pay." Nothing in city or state law, he said, "establishes property or liberty interests," he declared, specifically leaving out any mention of the right to "life" contained in the US Constitution.
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Bad Guys

NATO airstrike in Khost, Afghanistan, leaves 4 civilians dead

Javed Hamim Kahar & Muhammad Haroon
Pahjwok Afghan News
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 20:45 UTC
Image
© Unknown
NATO's weapon of mass destruction
A district development council head was killed in a militant attack in southeastern Paktia province while four people -- believed to be civilians -- lost their lives in a NATO drone strike in southern Khost on Tuesday.

Paktia police chief, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Zaman told Pajhwok Afghan News the development council head for Syed Karam district Mirza Mohammad was shot dead by militants in the morning.

He said the militants were in a car and managed to flee after the attack. An Investigation into the incident is underway. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the assassination.

According to another report, four people believed to be civilians were killed in a drone strike in Ali Sher district of Khost province, the governor's spokesman said. Mubarez Mohammad added the four people were traveling in a car when they came under attack.

Comment: Meanwhile, Afghan, US, and NATO sign long-awaited pact to ensure war continues past 2014. The continuation of this illegal occupation will undoubtedly cost the lives of many more innocent Afghan civilians and U.S. troops. The psychopaths in power don't care about anyone else but themselves. When will the madness end?

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Safe

Over the past year, U.S. banks closed 1,600 branches to cut costs, redirect assets


Azcentral.com
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 21:07 UTC
U.S. banks cut their branches by 1.7 percent over the past year amid shifting customer choices. Arizona's branch total has been stable, reflecting population gains and the lack of major mergers here.
Image
© Getty Images
Banks closed more than 1,600 branches across the nation over the past year, as companies directed more attention to dealing with customers through digital channels.

The 1.7-percent reduction in the number of branches between mid-2013 and mid-2014 was reported by researcher SNL Financial and based on reports filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. SNL said the consolidation was fueled by banks' desire to cut costs and divert more resources to digital services. In some states, mergers and acquisitions resulted in the shuttering of some duplicative branches.

It was the largest annual branch reduction since the FDIC began reporting electronic records in 1994, according to SNL Financial's report. It brings the nation's branch count back down to 1996 levels. But it didn't dim the ability of banks to attract deposits. Overall deposits hit $10.1 trillion at midyear, up from $7.6 trillion when the number of branches peaked in 2009.

Among the big three banks operating in Arizona, Chase cut 15 branches nationally while Wells Fargo added 17, according to SNL Financial. Both moves represented changes of less than 0.5 percent in the branch totals of those two institutions. But Bank of America shaved 305 offices or 5.6 percent of its nationwide total.
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MIB

Pentagon sends counterinsurgency advisors to train fascists in Ukraine


RT
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 20:46 UTC
Image
© Reuters / Roman Baluk
A U.S. serviceman (front), accompanied by Ukrainian soldiers, takes part in military exercises outside the town of Yavoriv near Lviv, September 19, 2014
The Pentagon has supplied at least eight counterinsurgency and military-planning experts to Kiev to help Western-backed Ukrainian forces engaged in tense conflict with Russian-speaking populations in the east.

The US military staff will be split into two units. One team will help Ukraine with planning tactics, techniques, and other procedures, while gathering information on needs of Kiev security forces, Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez told the The Washington Times. The other team will assess how the US could offer medical assistance to Ukrainian forces.

The staff arrived in Kiev on Thursday and Friday, the Times reported, and are in the process of evaluating the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

"With support from Ukraine and the State Department, the security assessment team will also explore the potential of expanding our current Office of Defense Cooperation in Kiev, to enhance Ukraine's military capabilities and interoperability," Lainez said.

The operatives arrived in Kiev as US and allies completed several days of military training exercises in western Ukraine. A total of 1,300 troops from 15 nations, either active NATO members or candidate-countries, participated in the drills this month known as 'Rapid Trident,' which ended on Friday.

Comment: Aside from the US already investing $5 billion to destabilize Ukraine, the US is not only sending their terrorists to train Nazis, but a bill, the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, is on the table to directly supply weapons to the fascists in Ukraine. It's clear the US is not supportive of any peace or cease fire.

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USA

Outrageous! U.S. Judge holds Argentina in 'contempt of court' over non-payment to 'vulture capitalists'


BBC
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 20:57 UTC
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A sign in Buenos Aires reads "Argentina or Vulture Funds'

Comment: Argentinian government bonds were bought at criminally low prices by US banks and other shady financial outfits under US-backed Argentinian dictatorships and client regimes in the 1990's. Government bonds were sold to these outfits for 30 cents on the dollar, with the promise of being paid back 100cents at a later date. Two of these 'vulture capitalists' are refusing to accept anything less than 100cents, and the corrupt US judicial system is backing them to the hilt and demanding that these two be paid before any of the other investors who are willing to accept a much more reasonable return.


Argentina has deposited $161m (£99m) in bond interest payments with the state-controlled Nacion Fideicomisos bank, in an effort to skirt US court rulings.

The country had previously kept its funds with US-controlled Bank of New York Mellon.

The move comes a day after a US judge ruled Argentina was in "contempt of court".

That ruling stated Argentina must repay two US hedge funds before repaying other bond holders.

"By making this deposit, Argentina confirms once again its unshakeable commitment to meet its obligations to bondholders," said Argentina's finance ministry in a statement.

Argentina is attempting to pay its bondholders in a second tranche of debt known as the Par series so as to avoid defaulting once more.
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Vader

Afghan, US, and NATO sign long-awaited pact to ensure war continues past 2014


RT
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 19:54 UTC
Image
© Reuters/Omar Sobhani
U.S. troops keep watch at the site of a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul August 10, 2014.
The new President of Afghanistan Ghani Ahmadzai has paved the way for US troops to stay in the country. He has signed a security deal with the US, which will see just under 10,000 American soldiers present, to help train and assist Afghan forces.

National security adviser Hanif Atmar and U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham signed the bilateral security agreement in a televised ceremony at the presidential palace, a day after Ghani was inaugurated as the new Afghan president.

"As an independent country, based on our national interests, we signed this agreement for stability, goodwill, and prosperity of the our people, stability of the region and the world," Ghani said in a speech after the signing, according to Reuters.

Aside from the 10,000 US soldiers, another 2,000 NATO troops will also boost numbers. They will stay on after the US and its allies formally end their combat mission at the end of 2012.

Comment: The US and NATO successfully managed to continue their war in Afghanistan. The slaughter will continue unabated.

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Eye 1

Poroshenko praises Nazi soldiers, awards them with medals for bravery

Damir Marinovic
Russia Insider
Mon, 29 Sep 2014 23:41 UTC
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The news about neo-Nazi Azov Battalion keeps pouring in. In this video Ukrainian president Poroshenko decorates its members for valor.

In the first part of the video one can see Ukrainian soldiers wearing helmets with Nazi swastika and SS insignia, next to wearing Nazi Wolfsangel (wolf trap) symbol on their army coats.

Second part of the video shows Poroshenko praising neo-Nazis as Ukrainian heroes and awarding them with medals for their bravery.

We just wonder for what kind of Azov heroic deeds Poroshenko is proud of?

Is it related to neo-Nazis openly describing torture techniques, organising "human safaris", participation of foreign mercenaries or shocking revelations about tortured and killed anti-Kiev POWs?

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