The move comes after the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota performed poorly on an inspection, the Associated Press reports. The 91st Operations Group, which is the unit that oversees the nuclear missile launches, was deemed unprepared for its mission, and received the equivalent of a “D” grade on launch proficiency in March.The unit almost failed the inspection completely, and was accused of safety violations, showing disrespect to superiors, questioning orders, and intentionally violating a rule that could have compromised the launch codes that allow missiles to be fired.The group’s deputy commander said the group is suffering “rot” within the ranks, and quietly removed 17 officers to undergo 60 to 90 days of intensive training to refresh their knowledge of the job.Lt. Col. Jay Folds announced the action in an e-mail sent to the unit, in which he pledged to “crush any rules violators” and said that “we are, in fact, in a crisis right now.”“We are breaking you down, and we will build from the ground up,” Folds added.These officers were responsible for 24-hour watch over the nuclear force, standing ready to launch intercontinental ballistic missile at any moment if the president orders them to do so. The unit is made up of a total of 150 workers, 11 percent of which are now absent, leaving the nuclear launch site significantly understaffed.The order to strip 17 officers from their duties is unprecedented and the most extensive action the base has taken, Lt. Col. John Dorrian, an Air Force spokesman, told CNN. The base sidelines a small number of launch officers every year, but has never before released this many.Additionally, an 18thofficer is facing possible disciplinary action for purposefully breaking a missile safety rule that could have compromised the missile launch codes. It remains unclear what duties, if any, this officer will have if he is penalized.Bruce Blair, who served as an Air Force ICBM launch control officer and now works as a researcher at Princeton University, told AP that the problems at the Minot Air Force Base – including the poor inspection – are likely a result of the decreased importance of the nuclear mission since the Cold War.“The nuclear air force is suffering from a deep malaise caused by the declining relevance of their mission since the Cold War’s end over 20 years ago,” he said. “Minuteman launch crews have long been marginalized and demoralized by the fact that the Air Force’s culture and fast-track careers revolve around flying planes, not sitting in underground bunkers baby-sitting nuclear-armed missiles.”And this malaise appears to have affected the quality of work at the Minot base for years. In 2008, a Pentagon advisory group report found a “dramatic and unacceptable decline” in the Air Force’s commitment to the nuclear mission. That same year, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates fired a number of top civilian and military leaders for grave errors, including a bomber’s accidental flight across the US while armed with nuclear-tipped missiles.After marginally passing the March inspection, the Air Force publicly called it a “success”, but stripped the 17 officers from their duties behind closed doors, in an attempt to address its latest dangerous slip-ups. … Read More
European HR Court blasts former Ukrainian PM’s arrest as illegal
The ruling on Tymoshenko’s complaint was announced on April 30, dealing with the ex-official’s arrest in August 2011, when she was put in custody awaiting trial for major abuse of power. A judge at the time ruled Tymoshenko should be imprisoned for repeated violation of a court order and open disrespect for justice.The defense team filed a complaint to the European Court for Human Rights immediately afterwards.The freshly-announced decision reads that the court found that by the arrest the Ukrainian authorities violated several articles of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights, like Article 5 that guarantees liberty and personal security and Article 18 that sets the limit for the authorities on limitation of citizens’ rights.The ruling points out that Tymoshenko was deprived of the right to appeal her arrest and that she was put in custody for reasons other than the well-founded suspicion of violating the law.The court also rejected Tymoshenko’s claims that the authorities tortured her by depriving her of medical aid as she spent five months in pre-trial custody.Pro-Tymoshenko’s political party Batkivshchina (Fatherland) has already interpreted the ruling saying that the European Court of Human Rights recognized the arrest as politically-motivated. Tymoshenko’s attorney Sergey Vlasenko told the press that the ruling obliged the authorities to release Tymoshenko and restore her in her rights.Batkivshchina also said that they would demand international sanctions against Ukrainian prosecutors and judges who led Tymoshenko’s case.The Ukrainian plenipotentiary dealing with the European Court of Human Rights has said that the authorities needed to study the ruling and indicated that the government could possibly appeal the decision, Interfax reported.It should be noted that already after the sentence Tymoshenko complained to the HR Court that the authorities were violating her right for justice. The current ruling does not concern this appeal and it is expected that the court will look into it later. Tymoshenko is currently serving a seven-year sentence for abuse of power that took place when she was prime minister and allegedly signed a gas contract with Russia on unfavorable conditions, a move that supposedly cost the Ukrainian budget about US$190 million. The court also ordered that the former official compensated for the damages.In January 2013 prosecutors charged Tymoshenko with organizing the murder of a member of parliament. She dismissed the charges as lies. … Read More
Anonymous Launches Operation Israel
http://www.youtube.com/v/zcvVc3OARJ4?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Taken from: Anonymous Launches Operation Israel
‘Gitmo secrecy creates environment for abuse’
Lawyers for Guantanamo Bay inmates said that “all but a few men”in one of the prison’s camps are on hunger strike, in protest overalleged disrespect to the Koran and the confiscation of personalitems. The prisoners’ condition is said to be “rapidlydeteriorating and reaching a potentially critical level.”Rights activists in the US have claimed that prisoners’ personalitems were being taken, and exercise was being restricted. RT spokewith geopolitical analyst Ryan Dawson – who has written extensivelyon Guantanamo – to hear his opinion on these accusations.Ryan Dawson: They really have very little other recourseother than a hunger strike. It’s not the first hunger strike – theyhad it before in 2005, when it went to the point when 18 peoplewere hospitalized. What I find disgusting in this one though isthat the US is denying that this strike is as large as it is anddownplaying its scale. But they’ve had to admit that at least fivehave been force-fed food through tubes in their stomachs.So this is obviously real. But what happens is that we have animposition between the [Guantanamo] spokesman, whose name is RobertDurand, and the inmates’ lawyers. You can’t really believeeverything Robert Durand says because has been covering up all thetortures and murders from the Guantanamo Bay the entire time.This infamous case in 2006, when there were three so-calledsuicides, where there was Army Staff Sergeant Joseph Hickman andfour other witnesses who know that these men were murdered. Butagain, the spokesman for the Navy Robert Durand covered that up.So, when it comes to this dispute between the word of the spokesmanof Gitmo and the lawyers – I’m going to have to believe the lawyersand believe that this is a massive hunger-strike.RT: Guantanamo is no stranger to human rightsviolations. How much of a concern is this latest incident? Are welooking at a new low?RD: I think we are looking at the same low: It’s hard toget lower than Guantanamo Bay has been. A lot of these men aredetained without a trial, some without even charges. It doesn’tmean they are innocent, but it doesn’t mean they are guiltyeither.The problem is secrecy. When you have this level of secrecy,you’re just creating the environment for abuse, because they arebasically human beings with no rights. The first hunger strike wasover beatings from the IRF – this is the Inmate Response Force.This again when they are confiscating their items. This is thelittle freedom they have.So this is a really low point, but I don’t know if a new lowbecause it’s continuingly low.RT: Do you expect the military to act and solve this?What do you expect their reaction to be?RD: Well, the rational thing would be to resolve theconflict by, maybe, returning the confiscated items and treatingthe Koran with respect. I mean, that’s what we are told. It couldbe far worse than that. However, they usually don’t act in arational way. They are probably going to just force-feed thesepeople and deny the hunger strike for as long as possible. Ithappened before and they waited till 18 were hospitalized.RT: Barack Obama promised to closethe facility at the beginning of his first term. Why is it stillopen?RD: Because Barack Obama is a liar. Barack Obama promisedmany things. But he didn’t even attempt to close it, and there aremore prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay now than there were in therewhen he got into office. … Read More
Censored cupcakes: Toy soldiers removed from kid’s birthday cake in US school
School officials at Schall Elementary rushed to remove HunterFountain’s plastic soldiers, designed to spice up his birthdaycupcakes, for fear they were asking for a fight.The boy’s parents were reportedly chastized for the cakes’‘military’ nature; the school principal called Hunter’s mother athome. Principal Susan Wright later issued a public statement sayingthat in the climate of recent events in schools “we walk adelicate balance in teaching non-violence in our buildings andtrying to ensure a safe, peaceful atmosphere.”“On one hand, there are those who advocate arming teachers,having armed security guards and creating a fortress of defense inour schools. On the other hand, there are those who feel that gunscreate fear in schools and we need to put solid security measuresin place plus practice routines to be prepared in case anemergency should ever occur. Living in a democratic society entailsrespect for opposing opinions,” Wright wrote.She added that “by not permitting toy soldiers on cupcakes atschool, no disrespect for our military or for the brave men andwomen who defend our right to have differences wasintended.”“It disgusted me,” Casey Fountain, Hunter’s father, told FoxNews. “It’s vile they lump true American heroes withpsychopathic killers. We’re just taking political correctness toofar.”A number of incidents have occurred since the notorious Newtownmassacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December, when 26people were dead, 20 of whom children.In February, a seven-year-old Colorado boy was suspended forpretending to throw an imaginary grenade. According to Alex Evans,he was just trying to save the world from evil on the schoolplayground.In January, a five-year-old girl was suspended from a Pennsylvaniakindergarten after telling another girl that she was going to shoother. The weapon she was going to use was a pink toy gun that blowssoapy bubbles.Earlier this year, a six-year-old elementary school kid gotsuspended for forming a gun with his hands, pointing it at astudent and saying ‘pow’. Staff at Roscoe Nix Elementary School inSilver Spring called the action a ‘seriousincident’. … Read More
Censored cupcakes: US school removed toy soldiers from kid’s birthday cake over violence fears
School officials at Schall Elementary rushed to remove HunterFountain’s plastic soldiers, designed to spice up his birthdaycupcakes, for fear they were asking for a fight.The boy’s parents were reportedly chastized for the cakes’‘military’ nature; the school principal called Hunter’s mother athome. Principal Susan Wright later issued a public statement sayingthat in the climate of recent events in schools “we walk adelicate balance in teaching non-violence in our buildings andtrying to ensure a safe, peaceful atmosphere.”“On one hand, there are those who advocate arming teachers,having armed security guards and creating a fortress of defense inour schools. On the other hand, there are those who feel that gunscreate fear in schools and we need to put solid security measuresin place plus practice routines to be prepared in case anemergency should ever occur. Living in a democratic society entailsrespect for opposing opinions,” Wright wrote.She added that “by not permitting toy soldiers on cupcakes atschool, no disrespect for our military or for the brave men andwomen who defend our right to have differences wasintended.”“It disgusted me,” Casey Fountain, Hunter’s father, told FoxNews. “It’s vile they lump true American heroes withpsychopathic killers. We’re just taking political correctness toofar.”A number of incidents have occurred since the notorious Newtownmassacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December, when 26people were dead, 20 of whom children.In February, a seven-year-old Colorado boy was suspended forpretending to throw an imaginary grenade. According to Alex Evans,he was just trying to save the world from evil on the schoolplayground.In January, a five-year-old girl was suspended from a Pennsylvaniakindergarten after telling another girl that she was going to shoother. The weapon she was going to use was a pink toy gun that blowssoapy bubbles.Earlier this year, a six-year-old elementary school kid gotsuspended for forming a gun with his hands, pointing it at astudent and saying ‘pow’. Staff at Roscoe Nix Elementary School inSilver Spring called the action a ‘seriousincident’. … Read More
20 UN peacekeepers taken hostage by Syrian rebels in Golan Heights
A young fighter saying he was from the “Martyrs of Yarmouk” saidthe peacekeepers would not be set free until Syrian governmentforces withdrew from the village of Jamlah, a mile east of theceasefire link with the Israeli-occupied Golan, Reutersreports.”If no withdrawal is made within 24 hours we will treat them asprisoners,” he said, claiming the UN forces had collaboratedwith Syrian government troops to drive the fighters out of thevillage.After a video appeared on YouTube showing several armed-rebelfighters standing in front of two white armored vehicles bearingthe UN inscription with at least five peacekeepers inside, the UNconfirmed the incident.UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters that”approximately 30 armed fighters stopped and detained about 20peacekeepers within the area of limitation.”"The UN observers were on a regular supply mission and werestopped near Observation Post 58, which had sustained damage andwas evacuated this past weekend following heavy combat in closeproximity, at Al Jamlah,” the United Nations said in astatement issued in New York.The UN Security Council demanded the peacekeepers immediaterelease. Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said the seizure of theUN observers showed “gross disrespect for the UnitedNations.”“Right now there are negotiations between UN representativesand the captors and we hope that the [UN] personnel will bereleased immediately as the UNSC demands,” Churkinsaid.Mentioning an attack on Monday which killed 48 Syrian servicemenand nine Iraqi law enforcers, Churkin said the Golan incidentshowed “some people are trying very hard in order to extend thegeography of the Syrian conflict.”Human Rights watch said it was investigating the same rebelbrigade for its role in a videotaped execution of detained Syriansoldiers posted on the Internet on Tuesday.The capture of the UN observers points to how the situation onthe ground in Syria is getting out of control and all sides areunable to control armed groups on the ground, Karl Sharpo, a MiddleEast blogger, told RT. He further warned that that there is no wayof knowing whose hands outside aid will end up.“The lines on the ground are very fluid, distinctions don’t reallyapply and you can’t make sure the weapons end up in the intendedsites. Again if you look at the fact at what this incidentillustrates is the lack of control that any military authority onthe ground for the opposition or an outside political authority,doesn’t exercise the control it says it does,” Sharpo said.The incident follows a statement on Wednesday by the Arab Leagueoffering military supportto the Syrian rebels. Previously the League had only offered tosupport the Syrian opposition via humanitarian and diplomaticassistance.Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elarby told a pressconference the Syrian Opposition Coalition had been formallyinvited to send a representative to attend a league meeting to beheld in Doha in April.The UK Foreign Secretary William Hague also announced onWednesday that Britain will increase non-lethal aid toanti-government forces in Syria. The $19.5 million dollar packagewill include armored vehicles, body armor, search and rescue,disease prevention and communication equipment.The Russian Foreign Ministry announced last week that anydecision to send aid to rebel fighters would intensify the two yearSyrian civil war by encouraging “extremists to seize power byforce.”Shortly after Israel warned the UN Security Council it could notbe expected to “stand idle” as the Syrian civil war expands beyondits borders, while Churkin said that armed groups operating out ofthe Golan were undermining regional security.“It’s of course something very dangerous they are doing bystaging armed activity from that area. It’s something which canundermine security between Syria and Israel. So whoever issupporting that kind of activity or approving it tacitly is playinga very dangerous game,” Churkin warned back on Monday.Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967war. The country agreed to return the land to Syria in return for apeace agreement that was rejected by the Arab world.During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Syrian forces crossed theceasefire line into the Golan Heights in an attempt to retake theterritory. Syria’s troops were repelled by Israeli forces.Israel annexed the Golan in 1981, though they returned about 5percent of the territory to Syria. The land was merged into ademilitarized zone that is currently patrolled by UN peacekeepingforces. … Read More
