Sunday, January 10, 2016

Weekend Newsbites: Sat. & Sun., Jan. 9 & 10, 2016


(*PURSED LIPS*)

 
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4 comments:

William R. Barker said...

* TWO-PARTER... (Part 1 of 2)

http://www.wsj.com/articles/officials-skeptical-lost-missile-case-will-lead-to-charges-1452274752

Top U.S. Republicans sharply criticized the Obama administration Friday for allowing a missing Hellfire missile to be shipped to Cuba, and then not notifying lawmakers about it.

* SERIOUS QUESTION: SHOULDN'T TOP DEMOCRATS BE JUST AS CRITICAL? (AND WHAT DOES IT SAY THAT APPARENTLY... THEY'RE NOT?)

Republicans spoke out in response to a Wall Street Journal article Thursday that revealed a training missile that was sent to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2014 ended up being shipped to Cuba, where officials seized it. So far, Cuba has refused to return the missile.

* Er... THE SAME CUBA OBAMA JUST COZZIED UP TO...? (RHETORICAL QUESTION; THE ANSWER IS "YES!")

The revelation came as the Obama administration strove to normalize relations with Cuba, a move opposed by most Republicans, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a candidate for president.

“Preventing the proliferation of sensitive U.S. technology is one of the most important duties carried out by the State Department,’’ Mr. Rubio wrote in a letter to department officials. “The fact that members of Congress are reading about Cuba’s possession of a U.S. missile in the newspaper rather than from you or other State Department officials is astounding and inexcusable.’’

* WHAT'S TRULY "INEXCUSABLE" IS THE FACT THAT THE DEMOCRATS AREN'T STANDING WITH THE REPUBLICANS ON THIS...

(*SIGH*)

He called it “disgraceful’’ that the administration has “apparently tried to withhold this information from the congressional debate and public discussion over U.S.-Cuba policy.’’

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday that the administration takes the issue very seriously. “The Department of Defense and the State Department are, again, I think for obvious reasons, quite interested in getting to the bottom of exactly what happened.’’

A State Department spokesman has said the agency is restricted under federal law and regulations from commenting on defense trade licensing and compliance issues.

* OH... BULLSHIT! NOT TO CONGRESS! (SERIOUSLY... FOLKS...)

Also on Friday, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush tweeted: “Whether it’s Iran holding U.S. citizens hostage or Cuba holding a U.S. missile hostage, Obama always caves. I won’t.’’

* WHY ISN'T BUSH CALLING FOR OBAMA'S IMPEACHMENT THEN?

(*SHRUG*)

* I MEAN... IF HE'S SO OUTRAGED...

(*SMIRK*)

* TO BE CONTINUED...

January 10, 2016 at 9:24 AM
William R. Barker said...

* CONCLUDING... (Part 2 of 2)

Four other lawmakers critical of the Obama position toward Cuba also criticized the handling of the missile case. In a joint statement, Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R., Fla.), Mario Diaz Balart (R., Fla.), Carlos Curbelo (R., Fla.) and Albio Sires (D., N.J.) said “it is unconscionable that the Obama administration knew the Castros were in possession of this sensitive U.S. military technology since June 2014 and still moved forward with its policy to open up travel, trade, investment and diplomatic relations with the regime.’’

* RE-READ THAT LAST BIT A FEW TIMES, FOLKS...

(*SPITTING ON THE GROUND*)

At the Pentagon, the head of U.S. Southern Command, Gen. John Kelly, was asked if he knew where the Hellfire was. “No idea,’’ he said.

* FIRE HIS ASS!

In a letter to the heads of the Pentagon and the State Department, Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.), chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, pressed for an explanation “why the U.S. military would forgo complete control, care, and custody of such cargo when transporting it abroad.’’ Mr. Johnson also asked the administration for details of any other lost shipments of sensitive technology over the past five years.

While the missing missile has sparked an international investigation to see if any crimes were committed in redirecting it to Cuba, U.S. officials are increasingly skeptical about their chances of ever filing criminal charges in the case. The sensitive technology passed through so many hands in so many places that it may be hard to blame any person or company, according to people familiar with the case.

* HOW... CONVENIENT...

(*SMIRK*)

Agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Export Enforcement Coordination Center have been chasing the paper trail of the wayward missile and trying to determine if the missile’s redirection was the result of crimes or espionage. The world of international air cargo isn’t immune to corruption, and crimes such as drug smuggling are a perennial challenge for transportation-security officials.

Misdirecting a missile is a far bigger concern to national-security officials, however. Investigators are trying to determine whether airport cargo workers may have been involved in sending the missile off course.

But the people close to the case cautioned that given the many stages of the missile’s journey and the number of people who handed the missile, bringing charges would be difficult even if they identify a key suspect. By one U.S. government estimate, more than a dozen people saw or should have seen the labeling on the crate telling them it was precious cargo that needed to be sent right back to the U.S.

“The fact that it’s spread across a lot of people means it’s easier for all of them to point the finger at someone else, and no one ends up responsible,’’ said Peter Singer, a senior fellow at the non-partisan New America Foundation. “The enduring lesson is the more people involved, the less likely anyone takes a fall. It’s a strange phenomenon that plays out when you talk about corporations or government.’’

While there is skepticism within the government that any charges will be filed, it could be years before a final decision is made on whether to charge anyone. Since much of the evidence is in Europe, the U.S. has to go through a time-consuming diplomatic process to request interviews with individuals, or to get corporations or governments to provide critical documents.

January 10, 2016 at 9:25 AM
William R. Barker said...

http://www.ktvu.com/news/71764457-story

A self-proclaimed ISIS militant accused of wounding a Philadelphia Police officer in a shootout, was arraigned Saturday.

Prosecutors charged Edward Archer, 30, of attempted murder, along with several related charges, including aggravated assault, assault of a law enforcement officer, recklessly endangering another person, possession of an instrument of crime with intent, and other weapons charges.

Police say Archer, told investigators that he shot the officer in the name of Islam and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The FBI says Archer made several trips to the Middle East in 2011 and 2012.

* AND... WHERE'D THE MONEY FROM THE TRIPS COME FROM?

He is accused of ambushing Officer Jesse Hartnett as he sat in his marked cruiser at an intersection. Officer Hartnett was shot three times in the arm, before getting out of his car, chasing after Archer, and shooting him. Other responding officers then arrested Archer.

Investigators say they are looking into how Archer got a hold of the gun, which was stolen from a police officer's home in October 2013.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the suspect fired at least 11 shots from the stolen 9mm handgun at close range. Commissione Ross says the gunman continued firing, as he walked toward Officer Hartnett, and ducked his head into the police cruiser.

Officer Hartnett underwent emergency surgery on his arm, and will need more operations.

Investigators believe Archer traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2011 and to Egypt in 2012, FBI special agent Eric Ruona said, and the purpose of that travel was being investigated by the FBI. But police said there was no indication anyone else was involved in the officer's ambush...

* UH-HUH...

January 10, 2016 at 10:47 AM
William R. Barker said...

http://dailycaller.com/2016/01/09/va-allows-phoenix-va-execs-under-investigation-for-almost-two-years-to-return-to-work/

Phoenix Veterans Administration executive Lance Robinson recently said he wants to be fired or put back to work... and it looks like he’ll get his wish.

After remaining on administrative leave for almost two years because of close proximity to the manipulated wait-list scandal, the Department of Veterans Affairs decided to keep Robinson on the job, a VA spokeswoman told reporters Friday.

* UNFRIGGIN'BELIEVABLE...

Robinson will start working at the agency again this coming week as a strategic planner at VISN 18, which is the VA’s southwest regional office. This office is responsible for the Phoenix VA.

Robinson isn’t the only Phoenix executive to return to work after initially receiving a suspension in May 2014. Brad Curry, who formerly served as chief of Health Administration Services, will re-start as a health systems specialist. The two were reportedly involved in the Phoenix scandal, in which employees manipulated appointment wait times to make it appear as though patients were seeing doctors. This was not the case, and veterans died while waiting for care.

That the two have languished on administrative leave for 19 months has become a major point of contention in Congress, with VA officials receiving the brunt of criticism. When Undersecretary David Shulkin appeared before Congress, he was lambasted for not having good answers as to why the two were still on administrative leave. Shulkin’s justification was that the VA was blocked from completing internal investigations because the U.S. Attorney’s Office got involved, but following Shulkin’s testimony, Robinson’s lawyer, Julia Perkins, quickly moved to correct the record. Perkins said that federal prosecutors declined to move forward with a case countless months ago, which in effect takes away the department’s excuse. She added that the real reason for Robinson languishing on administrative leave is because the department can’t find any kind of justification to fire him.

Reinstatement, however, has not been well-received by one of the country’s most prominent veterans’ advocacy groups.

“Once again, the VA has shown that it does not take accountability, or Congress, seriously,” Dan Caldwell, legislative director at Concerned Veterans for America, said in a statement. “By allowing Robinson and Curry to return to work despite their intimate involvement in the wait list scandal that likely cost dozens of veterans their lives — and Robinson’s documented retaliation against whistleblowers — VA leaders are letting the American people know that their priority is protecting corrupt government bureaucrats instead of seeking to better serve our veterans.”

January 10, 2016 at 11:38 AM

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