Friday, April 29, 2016

Green Beret Who Tackled Afghan Child Rapist Won’t Have to Leave Army

The U.S. Army has reversed a decision to expel a decorated Green Beret for beating up an Afghan military officer who repeatedly raped a boy he kept chained to his bed. Read

Iran State TV Airs Video Encouraging Children to Fight in Syria: ‘I Am Wearing My Martyrdom Shroud’

In its efforts to prop up its ally in Damascus, the Iranian regime has deployed its own military advisers, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) units and Shi’a fighters from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan – and now it appears to be recruiting its own children. Read

Thursday, April 28, 2016

State Dept.--Ignoring Law--Won't Defund U.N. Climate Agency for Admitting 'State of Palestine'

The State Department says it’s not obliged to cut off funding for the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in response to its admission of the “State of Palestine,” since the UNFCCC is “a treaty,” not an international organization. Read

Despite Syria Chaos, No Shift in U.N., U.S. Policy on Golan Heights

The U. N. Security Council, U. S. government and others are giving no ground on a decades-old dispute over Israeli control of the Golan Heights, despite the civil war in Syria, the country’s fragmentation and influx of Sunni and Shi’ite terrorists into the area. Read

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Kerry on Terrorism’s Appeal: ‘Regular Meals, Companionship’ – Not Necessarily Religion

Religion does not necessarily play a role in radicalization of Muslims, Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday night, citing political repression and denial of rights as relevant factors, along with the lure of “regular meals [and] companionship.” Read

Former Islamist: Ideology and Theology, Not Grievances or Poverty, Produce Radicalization

Muslims are radicalized not because of Islamophobia, poverty or foreign policy grievances, but because of an ideology and theology that must be uprooted if the growing problem is to be addressed, a former radical Islamist said at the European Parliament on Tuesday. Read

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Iran Threatens to Take US to Int’l Tribunal Over Supreme Court Terror Payout Ruling

Iran says it will take the United States to the International Court of Justice if almost $2 billion in frozen Iranian funds are used to pay out the families of victims of Iranian-sponsored terror attacks, following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Read

State Dep’t Spokesman: Phrase ‘Boots on the Ground’ Has Reporters ‘Wrapped Around the Axle’

The administration’s decision to deploy another 250 troops to Syria – where 50 special forces operators have been stationed since late last year – does not constitute “boots on the ground” in the accepted colloquial sense of a conventional ground combat mission, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday. Read

Obama in 2013: ‘I Will Not Put American Boots on the Ground in Syria’

Three years ago, President Obama said he did not “foresee a scenario in which boots on the ground in Syria, American boots on the ground in Syria would not only be good for America, but also would be good for Syria.” Read

Monday, April 25, 2016

Obama Sending 250 More US Troops to Syria; In Iraq, Footprint Has Been Growing for Two Years

President Obama, speaking in Germany on Monday, announced that he plans to send another 250 troops to Syria, the latest in a series of incremental deployments of forces over the past two years to help in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL). Read

220 Syrian Refugees Admitted Over Past 2 Weeks Include 1 Christian

The number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States continues to grow--including 220 admitted over the past two weeks--but the proportion of Christians among those refugees remains well below one percent. Read

Friday, April 22, 2016

28 Pages Remain Classified, But Another Declassified Document Examines Alleged Saudi-9/11 Links

A newly-emerged, declassified document written by a pair of investigators involved in two official inquiries into 9/11 sheds new light on some of the questions relating to alleged high-level Saudi involvement in the terror plot. Read

Obama Urges Britain to Stay in EU; Critics Call His Stance ‘Patronizing,’ ‘Hypocritical’

President Obama has kicked off his visit to Britain with a public appeal for the country to remain in the European Union, an intervention that is drawing strong criticism from prominent supporters of the campaign to leave the E.U. Read

Thursday, April 21, 2016

First Lady Absent in Riyadh, But Will Enjoy a Royal Welcome in London

President Obama stayed overnight in Riyadh Wednesday but without First Lady Michelle Obama, who made waves on a previous visit to the Wahhabist-ruled kingdom when she did not cover her hair – and was ignored by some of the host dignitaries in a receiving line. Read

Ayatollah Lashes Saudis: ‘Corrupt, Sycophantic, Hollow Regime … To Hell With It’

In some of his harshest rhetoric yet aimed at Saudi Arabia, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday described the Sunni kingdom as a “corrupt, sycophantic, hollow regime,” and declared, “to hell with it.” Read

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Senators Target U.S. Funding for Kerry’s Prized UN Climate Change Programs

Taking aim at one of Secretary of State John Kerry’s most cherished causes, a group of Republican senators is warning him that the administration will violate U.S. law if it does not cut off funding to the U.N.’s climate change agency and affiliated entities in response to its recent admission of the “State of Palestine.” Read

State Dept. Spokesman: Debating Alleged Saudi Links to 9/11 Is ‘A Fool’s Errand’

Amid stepped-up efforts to get the administration to declassify documents that could highlight links between prominent Saudis and 9/11, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday debating the question of who was responsible for the 2001 terror attacks was “a fool’s errand.” Read

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Kerry: Iran Has Only Received $3 Billion, Not $100B, As a Result of Nuclear Deal

Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday night that Iran has reaped just $3 billion so far as a result of the nuclear deal, despite critics’ claims that it would get more than $100 billion in frozen assets. Read

Israeli-Palestinian Clash at the UN Over Terror and Incitement: ‘Shame on You!’

Tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority spilled over into the U.N. Security Council on Monday, in a rare slanging match at the world body’s top table over incitement and terrorism. Read

Monday, April 18, 2016

State Dept. Gives Pakistan Pass on Religious Freedom Violations--for 14th Straight Year

For a record 14th year in a row, the State Department has overruled the advice of an independent statutory watchdog and decided not to blacklist Pakistan for religious freedom abuses. Read

UN Rights Chief Takes Aim at US Presidential Campaign: ‘The Ugly Phantom of Racial and Religious Division’

The tenor of elements of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign has drawn sharp criticism from the top United Nations human rights official, who cited “bigotry” and the “demonizing” of minorities and targeted Donald Trump – without naming him – for comments supportive of waterboarding terror suspects. Read

Islamic Bloc Criticizes Iranian Terrorism, But Reaffirms Stance That Fight Against ‘Foreign Occupation’ Isn't Terrorism

A summit of Islamic countries made headlines for its criticism of Iran for supporting terror, but little attention was paid to the gathering’s indirect reaffirmation of a controversial stance that the fight against “foreign occupation” does not constitute terrorism. Read

Friday, April 15, 2016

Treasury Official: New Iran Sanctions Legislation Would Risk Int’l Unity

Any attempt by Congress to impose new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program would jeopardize international unity, a senior U.S. Treasury Department official said Wednesday. Read

Declassified Cable: Pakistani Intelligence Agency Funded Deadly Attack on CIA Personnel. US Gov’t Won’t Comment

It was the deadliest attack sustained by the CIA in 26 years, and according to a just-declassified U.S. intelligence cable, Pakistan’s military intelligence agency paid a notorious Islamist terror group $200,000 to carry it out. Read

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Saudi-Iran Clash Possible at Islamic ‘Unity’ Summit

Tensions between a Saudi-led Sunni bloc and Shi’ite Iran could spill over during an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit beginning in Istanbul on Thursday, despite organizers’ attempts to focus on more traditional unifying subjects, topped by the Palestinian issue. Read

ISIS Urges Supporters to Kill Muslim ‘Infidels’ in West, Including Congressman and Top Clinton Aide

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) is urging its followers to kill identified Muslim figures in the West, saying they are “obligatory” targets unless they “openly repent from kufr [disbelief] before they are apprehended.” Read

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Alleged Saudi-9/11 Links: Administration Decision on Declassifying Sensitive Pages Nears

Just days before President Obama is due to visit Saudi Arabia, a retired senator who is pushing for the administration to declassify documents that could highlight links between prominent Saudis and the 9/11 terror attacks said Tuesday a White House official informs him its review could be completed soon. Read

Rep. Collins: Speeding Up Syrian Refugee Applications Is ‘A Threat to Our National Security’

The Obama administration’s fast-tracking of Syrian refugee applications is “a threat to our national security,” Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) said on Tuesday. Read

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

‘Everyone Should Visit Hiroshima,’ Says Kerry; Calls Trump’s Nuclear Policy ‘Absurd’

After becoming the most senior U.S. administration figure yet to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Monday “everyone” should visit the site, and that he hopes that one day that will include the president of the United States. Read

Ayatollah: European Nationality of Terrorists in Recent Attacks Shows West Isn’t Serious About Fighting Terrorism

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the fact that perpetrators of recent terrorist attacks in Europe were European nationals proves that the West, especially the United States, is not serious about fighting against terrorism, according to a report on his official website. Read

Monday, April 11, 2016

Kerry Visits Hiroshima Memorial. Obama Next?

Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday became the most senior American official yet to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, a shrine to the first ever-use of an atomic bomb in war. President Obama has expressed interest in visiting Hiroshima before the end of his presidency. Read

Syrian Refugees Admitted to US Since Paris Attack: 1,070 Muslims; 4 Christians

As the administration pushes ahead with a “surge” of Syrian refugee processing aimed at reaching its target of 10,000 this fiscal year, the proportion of Christians among those admitted remains smaller than one percent of the total. Read

Iran’s FM to Kerry: We Won’t Negotiate Over Our Missiles

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif hit back Sunday at his erstwhile nuclear negotiation partner Secretary of State John Kerry for suggesting that Iran may consider negotiating an end to its ballistic missile program. Read

Friday, April 08, 2016

State Dept. to Putin: US Was Not ‘In Any Way Involved’ in Panama Papers Leak

The State Department on Thursday rejected allegations – by Russian President Vladimir Putin or anyone else – that the U.S. government had a hand in the leak of the so-called Panama Papers, millions of documents revealing the offshore holdings of politicians, businesspeople, and celebrities. Read

Kerry, in Bahrain, Mentions Possibility of ‘New Arrangement’ With Iran

Secretary of State John Kerry appealed to Iran on Thursday to work constructively to help end the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, holding out the prospect of some form of new regional security “arrangement” should Tehran choose to cooperate. Read

Thursday, April 07, 2016

Hezbollah Complains After Major Mideast Satellite Provider Drops Its TV Station

In a blow to Iranian-backed terrorism, Egypt’s satellite operator has stopped beaming Hezbollah’s television station into millions of households across the region. Hezbollah complained that the decision serves the goals of its bitter foe, Israel. Read

Under New U.S. Syrian Refugee Surge, Processing Time Reportedly Slashed to 3 Months

As the Obama administration institutes a “surge” aimed at meeting its goal – currently way off-target – of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year, the Associated Press has cited an official at the U.S. Embassy in Amman as saying that the time taken to process each admission is being cut to three months. Read

Wednesday, April 06, 2016

Senior State Official: Iran’s Missile Launches ‘Violated the Intent of’ UNSC Resolution

A senior State Department official told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday that in his view Iran’s recent ballistic missile launches “violated the intent of” a resolution passed by the U.N. Security Council last July. Read

State Dep't Official Warns Congress, Don't Give Iran 'Any Excuse to Walk Away From' Nuclear Deal

A senior State Department official testifying on Capitol Hill Tuesday cautioned against congressional measures in response to Iran’s ballistic missile launches that would impact on the nuclear deal or give the regime “any excuse to walk away from table.” Read

Tuesday, April 05, 2016

Air France: Female Crew Not Wanting to Comply With Islamic Dress Code Can Decline to Fly to Iran

Air France management agreed Monday that any female crew member not wanting to comply with Islamic dress code once the airline resumes long-suspended services to Iran this month may opt out of working on the route. Read

GOP Lawmakers: Why the ‘Delayed and Weak’ Response to Iran’s Missile Launches?

The watering down of language in a U.N. Security Council resolution last July relating to Iran’s missile activity is raising awkward questions for the Obama administration as lawmakers seek answers about what they view as its “delayed and weak” response to a series of ballistic missile launches. Read

Monday, April 04, 2016

Clinton Confidante’s Son in Recording: Palestinians Recover Their ‘Dignity’ in Violence Against Israelis

One of America’s best-known rabbis, Shmuley Boteach, has called on Hillary Clinton to “repudiate” comments reportedly by anti-Israel writer Max Blumenthal – the son of her close confidante Sidney Blumenthal – referring to the armed wing of the Hamas terrorist group in complementary terms. Read

Air France to Stewardesses on Iran Route: ‘Outside the Bedroom, Women Must Wear a Scarf and a Wide and Long Garment to Conceal Their Shapes’

The French women’s rights minister, already under fire for provocative comments relating to Islamic dress for women, is now caught between Air France management and unions in a row over a requirement that air hostesses wear headscarves when the airline renews flights to Iran this month. Read

Friday, April 01, 2016

WH: Iran is Complying With Nuclear Deal; Ballistic Missiles Are a ‘Separate’ Issue

The White House reiterated Thursday that Iran is complying with the terms of the nuclear deal, stressing that its ballistic missile launches are a “separate” issue. Read