I hope we have a way to airlift any soldier to Turkey and medical attention.

Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (click here) said on Saturday it has evidence Islamic State used chlorine gas as a chemical weapon against Kurdish peshmerga forces....

Do the Peshmerga have trained medics to rescue those wounded and/or exposed to chlorine? There is a difference between an alliance that goes to every extent to protect and treat soldiers and one that dumps them off to survive on their own. One is moral and one is not.

...Chlorine is a choking agent whose use as a chemical weapon dates back to World War One. It is banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.

It was not possible to independently verify the Kurdish allegation.
The statement said the analysis was carried out in a European Union-certified laboratory after the soil and samples were sent by the Kurdish Regional Government to a "partner nation" in the US-led coalition that is fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. A source in the Kurdish Security Council declined to identify the laboratory.
"The fact ISIS relies on such tactics demonstrates it has lost the initiative and is resorting to desperate measures," the Kurdish government said in the statement, using an alternate acronym for the Sunni militant group....

I agree. I believe while there remains a presence of ISIS in Iraq and Syria they are forces scattered and challenged to survive. If Daesh surrenders does the alliance have POW facilities? It is best for Daesh to surrender and allow the women and children find safe haven.

Not to give over to the idea there is no need for further action, but, this is a sign the conflict is waning. I am sure any soldier on the ground or any jet pilot would state otherwise.

Are the Peshmerga absolutely sure those responsible for the chlorine exposure was Daesh?

Nothing surprises me about the USA's CIA.

Why was there a secret bank account in the first place?

March 14, 2015
...But later Kabul (click here) was forced to pay al-Qaeda $5 million in ransom to secure the release of one of its diplomats abducted by the terrorist group in neighboring Pakistan.

One fifth of the money was the funds given to the Afghan government by the CIA.

The report said Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, had at first been concerned about the cash, fearing that the CIA might have tainted it with poison, radiation or a tracking device.

He reportedly suggested that the money should be converted to another currency.

The newspaper said al-Qaeda used the cash to buy weapons and provide payments to families of al-Qaeda militants held in Afghanistan.

“God blessed us with a good amount of money this month,” Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, the al-Qaeda general manager, wrote to bin Laden in June 2010....

I simply love it. Bin Laden gave the CIA more credit than they deserve. Maybe there was some fairy dust to tell the CIA where bin Laden was living. Please tell me the CIA has special fairy dust. That would be a good thing.

I betcha this wasn't in Panetta's book, huh? 

We still don't know where the cash flown into Iraq went either or why the Bush White House gave Halliburton exclusive non-bid contracts or asked for refunds for work it did that electrocuted our soldiers. I have yet to this day to understand if Halliburton is the enemy or simply a friendly with complete disregard for human life of any kind. 

This news is just more of the same.  

Then the Neocon war mongers in the House and Senate want to know why we aren't back in Iraq and why we are leaving Afghanistan. I would think it should be really, really obvious by now!

Intact glass on high rise hotels.

I am used to seeing Florida hotels with glass damage. It may be there is far less projectile debris that breaks windows in these small islands.

Americans always report losses of trampolines and lawn chairs, etc., after these strong storms have hit. With the minimal consumerism by the island people there is far less debris to picked up and hit those tall buildings.  The glass windows are probably impact safe up to a certain wind speed, but, succumb to breakage when hit by flying debris.

Twenty-six foot storm surge.

I don't know exactly the film I am seeing on media, but, there are high rise hotels standing. I didn't note even window damage.

The United Nations is responding to the people of the South Pacific. Perhaps they might also survey what structures are standing on these islands. If high rise hotels are standing, even with glass damage, they can be built not only for tourism dollars but as shelters during storms as well. 

225,000 people are not going to be well served by one high rise hotel building, so the international community might want to entertain building the more to insure safety from these storms. Such storms will happen again. Whatever works to protect their lives and carry rations for disasters should be regarded as important. 

Here, Cyclone Pam begins to weaken in Port Vila on Saturday, March 14, 2015. The extremely powerful storm blew through the Pacific's Vanuatu archipelago late Friday, causing widespread destruction. (UNICEF Pacific/Associated Press)

March 14, 2015
By The AP

Residents (click here) in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu hunkered in emergency shelters for a second straight night Saturday after venturing out to find their homes damaged or blown away by the powerful storm, aid workers said.

Packing winds of 270 kilometres per hour, Cyclone Pam tore through the tiny South Pacific archipelago early Saturday, leaving a trail of destruction and unconfirmed reports of dozens of deaths....

In Africa it has been bed nets that were the salvation of the people from a different type of disaster. Along the Indian Ocean it was Tsunami Alarms. In Vanuatu and other Pacific Islands it is buildings that will serve to save them. Should we do less for them than we have for others? 

The residents of these islands can be taught to help in any shelter construction so they have the knowledge to maintain them, too.
 
In this photo provided by non-governmental organization 350.org, debris is scattered over a building in Port Vila, Vanuatu, Saturday, March 14, 2015, in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam. Winds from the extremely powerful cyclone that blew through the Pacific's Vanuatu archipelago are beginning to subside, revealing widespread destruction. (AP Photo/350.org, Isso Nihemi )

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/article13974410.html#storylink=cpy

March 14, 2015
By Nick Perry
...The president of Vanuatu, (click here) Baldwin Lonsdale, who was attending the conference, told participants: "I do not really know what impact the cyclone has had on Vanuatu."
"I am speaking to you today with a heart that is so heavy," he said. "I stand to appeal on behalf of the government and the people to give a helping hand in this disaster."...

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/article13974410.html#storylink=cpy

I doubt searching through Ferguson will result in an arrest.

March 13, 2015
By Manny Fernandez

....Chief Jon M. Belmar (click here) of the St. Louis County Police Department said Friday that no one was in custody, and that it was unlikely that the tips that had led the police to search a house near the police station on Thursday and question the people inside would “lead us anywhere regarding this investigation.” All of those detained were released....

One would have to assume the 'tree sitter' resides in Ferguson. I don't think that is the case and to continue to insist the gunman was a resident is to continue the tensions that exists today.

My opinion is the gunman was there waiting for gun fire or aggressive moves from police. If one is worried about the safety of citizens in the community it would be a dedication of an individual to carry out death(s) and/or wounds in order to protect the community. That absolutely does not dictate any one of the demonstrators had knowledge of the gunman.

The idea this violence was carried out by someone linked to the demonstration is a racist statement. One is assuming the gunman was Black. 

There were no witnesses, so the best outcome to the search for this lawbreaker is to draw up a composite and distribute it through the region. Be careful now, as the composite has to be constructed as racial neutral. The only witnesses saw explosion of gun powder at the muzzle. That is the only real knowledge to date that is being made public. 

See if a gunman wanted to actually level the playing field to protect the lives of the demonstrators it would be more than easy to mask any involvement with the sounds of tear gas canisters and/or guns going off. The question would then be, "Were these officers killed and/or wounded by their colleagues?" It would take time to study the ballistics and realize there was an outside gunman.

So, I believe the gunman had a degree of an itchy finger and has poor gun skills or the handgun only a limited range to it's ammunition traveling straight and true. It is my recommendation a composite be drawn and make public and distributed to the region. Someone may have intimate knowledge of the gunman's activity and might come forward. But, more than likely this mystery will never be solved.

FOX News is detrimental.

I woke up in the wee hours of the morning and turned the television on and found Fox News. Megan Kelly was hosting her program. She is detrimental to the healing of the USA from the reality of the deaths of unarmed Black men.

There was not one Black American on that program for what was nearly the entire hour it was broadcast. Yet, while the minority population of the USA was completely absent Ms. Kelly did nothing but pass judgement on the populous of Ferguson and the Obama administration.

Within the program there was no clear understanding that African Americans had a difficult time in Ferguson. No one, not even the Caucasian prosecutor who skirted a trial of the officer killing Michael Brown, Jr., stated there was wrongful prosecution and jailing of citizens of the town. 

At no point in time did the program even come close to the understanding of life that exists with the minority population in the USA. What Ms. Kelly did do is mix her prejudice with praise of the programming of Fox News and their 30% in ratings. Somehow the ratings are suppose reflect the truth and honest discussion regarding the problems of minorities in the USA. Never once was recognized the heinous death of Michael Brown, Jr. along side of the stark reality of the findings of the DOJ report of the profound oppression in that community. 

The only reason FOX News receives 30% is because their commentators are milk white and cracker composed. There is no empathy for our minorities and in that compassion is completely absent. FOX News continually prosecutes the USA minorities 24/7 and to that reality is comfort for their biased audience. Do the viewers have any chance to be anything else besides prejudice.

I applaud MSNBC for the organizations development and airing of the real problems within the truth of the USA. MSNBC uplifts the USA minorities and the long aggrieved LGBT population. The organization is unmatched in television. Realizing MSNBC is the topic of frequent jokes at FOX News lies the truth in that the populations the organization seeks to SERVE is doing better with paths this yet recognized as injustice in the USA. When I reflect on the "Cracker Agenda" of FOX News and the continued struggle of our minorities and biased populations, it is completely understandable why it is difficult to move these people past the hate and oppression that still exists.

Oh, by the way, Ms. Kelly's sincere aging process is well hidden with heavy layers of make up and probably an occasional treatment of Botox. It is easy to state Ms. Kelly would benefit from a few 'cornrows.'

Oh, one other thing, just because the Caucasian county prosecutor was spot on in his role in the county doesn't mean he should not be questioned as to his methodology in handling police prosecution and the continued problems in Ferguson. No one is stating "Recognizing the use of the Grand Jury process, isn't there a skirting of direct prosecution that might actually have different outcomes by a jury?"