Tuesday, October 31, 2017
During the Rachel Maddow Show, it was stated Daesh does not claim attacks if the attacker is alive and in police custody. It was noted it was probably to give the attacker a chance to have a good defense. Possibly, but, there is a greater possibility the attacker's status has not changed to Allah. So, it is pragmatic as a legal defense to the attacker, but, also there was no martyrdom for him either.
The primary weapon was a vehicle.
So sorry to hear about the tragedy in New York City. Sincerest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims.
October 31, 2017
By Tom Winter, Corky Siemaszko and Phil Helsel
Eight people were killed and a dozen more were injured (click here) Tuesday when a motorist in a rented pickup truck deliberately drove down a bike path in lower Manhattan and mowed down several people before crashing into a school bus. Officials said it was a terrorist attack.
The gunman hopped out of the truck and shouted "Allahu Akbar" before firing a BB or pellet gun, four senior law enforcement sources told NBC News.
A police officer on patrol in the area returned fire, hitting the suspect in the abdomen and ending the Halloween horror less than a mile from the World Trade Center....
The guns used are rather bizarre, aren't they? Did the guns cause injury or death? It doesn't diminish the deaths and injuries, but, I find this odd. I can't but wonder if he has mental health issues and could not purchase different guns.
"Home Depot?" He stole the truck. Does he have a driver's license?
He drove a distance, the Orlando killer in the Pulse nightclub had driven a distance, too? Not as far as this guy. New York City is a high profile city. Anyone in the world knows New York City with a large population.
How long has he been in the country? Family? Uzbecks that are Muslim are extremists, to begin with, at least that is how they are characterized. How connected is he with his homeland?
7 January 2017
By Mansur Mirovalev
Thousands of Muslims in Uzbekistan (click here) have been imprisoned for alleged "religious extremism" as part of a government crackdown on peaceful Muslims who practise their faith outside government-approved mosques, according to a rights group.
At least 12,800 people - including human rights defenders, independent journalists, and activists - have been jailed since 2002, the Initiative Group of Independent Human Rights Defenders said in an annual report released on Thursday.
At least 300 Muslims have been arrested and convicted in 2015 alone, it said....
I think the United Nations and advocating for the folks back home would have worked better.
Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, a 29-year-old man
Actually, he might have known what he was doing, but, his timing was off. If he was there now, there would have been far more casualties. He was a NYC truck driver. He knew the streets. He has only been in the country eight years. I think he did expect to be shot to death. He couldn't get guns in NYC.
He wanted to kill kids. Halloween parade is somewhere he would find children. The killer came to the USA in 2010 when things in Uzbekistan was not great for Muslims. The annual report below is a USA government publication.
He would have been seven to eight years younger. That would make him 21 to 22 years old. He may have relatives in the homeland.
So, he is a charismatic member of Daesh. Daesh is a cult. The basis of his religion is wrong. He would never receive the promised rewards after his death.
I think the taxi and truck drivers of New York City should report weakness in the infrastructure. The city government can't survey everything. Even though prevention, in this case, seems obvious now, it wasn't before. I think there should be an "Infrastructure to Prevent Harm to Citizens from Radicals" website or meetings or some kind of method to be taken seriously with citizen insight.
Local insight should be valued with plans to improve perceived danger. We walk through life thinking about these things, but, frequently dismiss them as silly paranoid thinking. But, I think it is mentally healthy to be cautious in the world we live in. I also think reporting concerns is healthy and empowering. Today could have been prevented, it wasn't.
The First Lady is in New York City? I am sure she has a good reason to be at her NYC home. I thought with all the bad news from the FBI, she might be in DC.
October 31, 2017
By Tom Winter, Corky Siemaszko and Phil Helsel
Eight people were killed and a dozen more were injured (click here) Tuesday when a motorist in a rented pickup truck deliberately drove down a bike path in lower Manhattan and mowed down several people before crashing into a school bus. Officials said it was a terrorist attack.
The gunman hopped out of the truck and shouted "Allahu Akbar" before firing a BB or pellet gun, four senior law enforcement sources told NBC News.
A police officer on patrol in the area returned fire, hitting the suspect in the abdomen and ending the Halloween horror less than a mile from the World Trade Center....
The guns used are rather bizarre, aren't they? Did the guns cause injury or death? It doesn't diminish the deaths and injuries, but, I find this odd. I can't but wonder if he has mental health issues and could not purchase different guns.
"Home Depot?" He stole the truck. Does he have a driver's license?
He drove a distance, the Orlando killer in the Pulse nightclub had driven a distance, too? Not as far as this guy. New York City is a high profile city. Anyone in the world knows New York City with a large population.
How long has he been in the country? Family? Uzbecks that are Muslim are extremists, to begin with, at least that is how they are characterized. How connected is he with his homeland?
7 January 2017
By Mansur Mirovalev
Thousands of Muslims in Uzbekistan (click here) have been imprisoned for alleged "religious extremism" as part of a government crackdown on peaceful Muslims who practise their faith outside government-approved mosques, according to a rights group.
At least 12,800 people - including human rights defenders, independent journalists, and activists - have been jailed since 2002, the Initiative Group of Independent Human Rights Defenders said in an annual report released on Thursday.
At least 300 Muslims have been arrested and convicted in 2015 alone, it said....
I think the United Nations and advocating for the folks back home would have worked better.
Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, a 29-year-old man
Actually, he might have known what he was doing, but, his timing was off. If he was there now, there would have been far more casualties. He was a NYC truck driver. He knew the streets. He has only been in the country eight years. I think he did expect to be shot to death. He couldn't get guns in NYC.
He wanted to kill kids. Halloween parade is somewhere he would find children. The killer came to the USA in 2010 when things in Uzbekistan was not great for Muslims. The annual report below is a USA government publication.
He would have been seven to eight years younger. That would make him 21 to 22 years old. He may have relatives in the homeland.
So, he is a charismatic member of Daesh. Daesh is a cult. The basis of his religion is wrong. He would never receive the promised rewards after his death.
I think the taxi and truck drivers of New York City should report weakness in the infrastructure. The city government can't survey everything. Even though prevention, in this case, seems obvious now, it wasn't before. I think there should be an "Infrastructure to Prevent Harm to Citizens from Radicals" website or meetings or some kind of method to be taken seriously with citizen insight.
Local insight should be valued with plans to improve perceived danger. We walk through life thinking about these things, but, frequently dismiss them as silly paranoid thinking. But, I think it is mentally healthy to be cautious in the world we live in. I also think reporting concerns is healthy and empowering. Today could have been prevented, it wasn't.
International Religious Freedom (2010): Annual Report to Congress (click here)
The First Lady is in New York City? I am sure she has a good reason to be at her NYC home. I thought with all the bad news from the FBI, she might be in DC.
"Booooooo," every American is paying for the politics of the climate crisis.
It is called denial and inaction! ie: Pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The "Phased In Tax Cut" should be explored by families to incorporate.
Basically, if the US Congress is going to assail the Middle Class, including the Upper Middle Class, Americans should feel free to move into areas in the new tax plan where taxes are being lowered, including incorporation and trusts as a family.
- Taxpayers (click here) who itemize deductions on their federal income tax are permitted to deduct certain taxes paid to state and local governments from their gross income for federal income tax liability purposes.
- State and local tax deductibility would be repealed under the House Republican Blueprint, and capped—along with other itemized deductions—under the campaign plan put forward by President Donald Trump.
- The state and local tax deduction disproportionately benefits high-income taxpayers, with more than 88 percent of the benefit flowing to those with incomes in excess of $100,000. (That is a two income household earning professional salaries, ie: doctors, lawyers, accountants, independent business persons and nurses. Yes, nurses. These are the college graduates with student loans.)
- The deduction favors high-income, high-tax states like California and New York, which together receive nearly one-third of the deduction’s total value nationwide. Six states—California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, and Pennsylvania—claim more than half of the value of the deduction.
A change in tax structure should not target ONLY six states. If the Republicans feel comfortable targeting six states, then they should be comfortable targeting the filthy rich and mandate a minimum payment each year. A person earning millions of dollar US is able to pay federal tax without it effecting their lifestyle. There are Republicans longing for a flat tax. Issue a flat tax for the filthy rich.
- The state and local tax deduction in New York and California represents 9.1 and 7.9 percent of adjusted gross income respectively, compared to a median of 4.5 percent.
- The deduction reduces the cost of state and local government expenditures, particularly in high-income areas, with lower-income states and regions subsidizing higher-income, higher-tax jurisdictions.
On Halloween, conservationists turn to the protections of bats.
There’s no doubt that the culprits are the books, movies, and Halloween decor that make bats out to be villains of the night. The rampant use of bats to evoke fear that has perpetuated through generations in popular culture becoming engrained in our consciousness that bats are scary and vile. Yet all these charges are completely unjust and could not be further from the truth. Bats are vital to ecosystems around the world, enriching our earth through their invaluable roles as pollinators and pest-containment operatives....
The truth is bats are diminishing in number due to habitat loss and a fungus found in cold wintertime caves called "White Nose Syndrome." (click here)
Bats are important to ecosystems. They reduce the number of insects in the air. They are not pets.
Monday, October 30, 2017
This is abuse of power by Congress. It is political retribution.
The dossier is nothing more than research of a person making a claim to be President of the USA. It is legal. What is to investigate?
October 28, 2017
By Katelyn Polantz
Fusion GPS, (click here) the research firm behind the dossier containing allegations about President Donald Trump and Russia, its bank and the House intelligence committee have reached an agreement over the panel's subpoena of Fusion's financial records.
October 28, 2017
By Katelyn Polantz
Fusion GPS, (click here) the research firm behind the dossier containing allegations about President Donald Trump and Russia, its bank and the House intelligence committee have reached an agreement over the panel's subpoena of Fusion's financial records.
The agreement comes amid revelations that Perkins Coie -- the law firm representing Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee -- and the conservative Washington Free Beacon separately paid the firm to conduct research on Trump.
In a statement Saturday, the House intelligence committee said the agreement "will secure the committee's access to the records necessary for its investigation," while a lawyer for Fusion GPS said "it helped the company honor its legal obligations and protect its First Amendment rights."
Fusion GPS asked the US District Court for the District of Columbia earlier this month to stop its bank from turning over financial records subpoenaed by the House intelligence committee as part of its investigation into Russia's attempts to influence last year's election, including allegations in the dossier of collusion by Trump's presidential campaign....
Fusion GPS didn't break the law. There needs to be a crime in order to bring an investigation. The Congress has the dossier now and there is a great deal to the truth in the dossier. Since when does a Congress carry out political retribution with it's power?
What I find interesting is the fact Russia broke into the DNC emails and published them on "Wikileaks." Why didn't they publish the dossier when they probably had a copy of it.
Fusion GPS didn't break the law. There needs to be a crime in order to bring an investigation. The Congress has the dossier now and there is a great deal to the truth in the dossier. Since when does a Congress carry out political retribution with it's power?
What I find interesting is the fact Russia broke into the DNC emails and published them on "Wikileaks." Why didn't they publish the dossier when they probably had a copy of it.
October 30, 2017
By Keith Schneider
...What is Uranium One? (click here)
By Keith Schneider
...What is Uranium One? (click here)
The 12-year-old company, based in Toronto, is a subsidiary of Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear technology corporation. Uranium One owns uranium reserves and operates a mine in Willow Creek, Wyo.
When I think Wyoming, I think Cheney.
When I think Wyoming, I think Cheney.
What’s the issue?
In 2010, while Hillary Clinton was secretary of State, Rosatom acquired a majority share of Uranium One. Because Uranium One controls 20% of U.S. uranium production capacity, the transaction required federal approval. During the 2016 election campaign, Trump asserted that Clinton “gave 20% of our uranium — gave Russia for a big payment.”
Trump charged that Clinton approved the sale in exchange for $145 million in donations from Uranium One investors to the Clinton Foundation. He argued that Clinton colluded with the Russians and put U.S. national security at risk....
...More than 90% of the roughly 55 million pounds of uranium used in U.S. nuclear reactors each year is imported, principally from Canada and Kazakhstan, according to the Department of Energy. The American uranium market, like the market for coal, appears to be fading. Since 2012, operators have announced retirements for six nuclear plants, or 10% of the 61 nuclear plants operating across the nation. Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse, one of the world’s largest nuclear reactor designers and builders, filed for bankruptcy protection last spring. While reactors consume the largest share of uranium used in the United States, a portion of the radioactive metal was used in producing atomic warheads, which are being removed from the nuclear stockpile....
"Rosatom" (click here)
...More than 90% of the roughly 55 million pounds of uranium used in U.S. nuclear reactors each year is imported, principally from Canada and Kazakhstan, according to the Department of Energy. The American uranium market, like the market for coal, appears to be fading. Since 2012, operators have announced retirements for six nuclear plants, or 10% of the 61 nuclear plants operating across the nation. Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse, one of the world’s largest nuclear reactor designers and builders, filed for bankruptcy protection last spring. While reactors consume the largest share of uranium used in the United States, a portion of the radioactive metal was used in producing atomic warheads, which are being removed from the nuclear stockpile....
"Rosatom" (click here)
The only defense FOX News has for Trump are lies.
The only crime Hillary and Bill Clinton are guilty of is caring and being willing to take on the challenge to change the quality of life of people around the world through "The Clinton Foundation." Listening to Newt Gingrich it sounds as though the foundation should be brought up on racketeering. And get this, according to Gingrich, Mueller is dealing from the bottom of the deck and favoring the Clintons. Mueller is on the take, you see.
After all Manafort and Gates, came forward willingly and wishing to clear their names, right Hannity? Even after being mistreated by the FBI in a raid on Manafort's house.
Oh, my, my; the Steele Dossier. Of course, the truth has to be investigated by Mueller. Shawn Hannity lies all the time. That is the basis of those that watch the show. I could not believe the lies on Friday. Now it makes sense.
Gingrich is sewing cover for Trump because they don't have a better truth, so they have to manufacture one.
The best part is that Popadopoulos' arm was twisted by Mueller over a mistaken date. That was the only problem Popadopoulos had, you know. He told Mueller the wrong date. That is all. I take it Hannity has a viewership that can't read news media. Can Hannity read it or he simply agrees with everything his staff tells him to say?
I never knew Callista was a Catholic.
Oh, yeah, the propaganda from Sarah what's her name. One lies and the other swears to it. I heard Sarah the mouth piece for Trump, say that. She is spinning the truth. That isn't new for Trump, but, considering Sarah was once a journalist provides a certain clout to the idea she is incapable of lying.
And the make-up Sarah the outspoken is now wearing. What happened to that fresh faced Christian righty?
October 5, 2017
by Jon Schwarz
The U.S. Senate voted Thursday 75-20 (click here) to advance the nomination of Callista Gingrich to be the United States ambassador to the Holy See, the independent sovereign entity in Rome encompassing the Vatican. Five senators could not bring themselves to cast a vote.
Callista Gingrich is the third wife of Newt Gingrich, the Republican speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999. Newt Gingrich vociferously attacked then-President Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinsky, even as he was simultaneously cheating on his second wife Marianne with then-Callista Bisek, a former Republican congressional aide. Gingrich led the impeachment effort against Clinton.
The Senate vote in favor of Gingrich came roughly at the same time that Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., announced his resignation. After it was revealed this week that Murphy pressured a woman to have an abortion, he voted to support a ban on abortion after 20 weeks.
In addition to her marriage to Newt Gingrich, Callista Gingrich has numerous qualifications for her new position, such as her Catholicism and the fact that she’s Catholic. Callista Gingrich has experience lobbying the church, as she and her husband appear to have persuaded the institution to annul Newt Gingrich’s prior marriages. Newt Gingrich argued to the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta that his second marriage should be annulled because his wife had been previously married. He had divorced his first wife Jackie while she was being treated for cancer....
After all Manafort and Gates, came forward willingly and wishing to clear their names, right Hannity? Even after being mistreated by the FBI in a raid on Manafort's house.
Oh, my, my; the Steele Dossier. Of course, the truth has to be investigated by Mueller. Shawn Hannity lies all the time. That is the basis of those that watch the show. I could not believe the lies on Friday. Now it makes sense.
Gingrich is sewing cover for Trump because they don't have a better truth, so they have to manufacture one.
The best part is that Popadopoulos' arm was twisted by Mueller over a mistaken date. That was the only problem Popadopoulos had, you know. He told Mueller the wrong date. That is all. I take it Hannity has a viewership that can't read news media. Can Hannity read it or he simply agrees with everything his staff tells him to say?
I never knew Callista was a Catholic.
Oh, yeah, the propaganda from Sarah what's her name. One lies and the other swears to it. I heard Sarah the mouth piece for Trump, say that. She is spinning the truth. That isn't new for Trump, but, considering Sarah was once a journalist provides a certain clout to the idea she is incapable of lying.
And the make-up Sarah the outspoken is now wearing. What happened to that fresh faced Christian righty?
October 5, 2017
by Jon Schwarz
The U.S. Senate voted Thursday 75-20 (click here) to advance the nomination of Callista Gingrich to be the United States ambassador to the Holy See, the independent sovereign entity in Rome encompassing the Vatican. Five senators could not bring themselves to cast a vote.
Callista Gingrich is the third wife of Newt Gingrich, the Republican speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999. Newt Gingrich vociferously attacked then-President Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinsky, even as he was simultaneously cheating on his second wife Marianne with then-Callista Bisek, a former Republican congressional aide. Gingrich led the impeachment effort against Clinton.
The Senate vote in favor of Gingrich came roughly at the same time that Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., announced his resignation. After it was revealed this week that Murphy pressured a woman to have an abortion, he voted to support a ban on abortion after 20 weeks.
In addition to her marriage to Newt Gingrich, Callista Gingrich has numerous qualifications for her new position, such as her Catholicism and the fact that she’s Catholic. Callista Gingrich has experience lobbying the church, as she and her husband appear to have persuaded the institution to annul Newt Gingrich’s prior marriages. Newt Gingrich argued to the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta that his second marriage should be annulled because his wife had been previously married. He had divorced his first wife Jackie while she was being treated for cancer....
Tony Podesta didn't evade taxes to the tune of $24 million US. He is guilty of having Paul Manafort as a client.
Tony Podesta and his then-wife Heather in August 2011. Podesta quit his post atop the capital’s eighth-wealthiest lobbying firm after the first indictments in the special counsel’s investigation.
October 30, 2017
By Marc Fisher and Carol D. Leonning
Last week, (click here) Tony Podesta, an eminence in the annals of Washington lobbying, threw one of his signature events, a big birthday bash at his stately stone manse in Kalorama. His guests thought he was on top of his world, one of the men who makes the city go.
On Monday, hours after the first indictments in the investigation into ties between President Trump’s campaign and the Russian government, Podesta abruptly quit his post atop the Podesta Group, the capital’s eighth-wealthiest lobbying firm....
It gets interesting when looking to lobbyists in relationships with the Trump administration.
June 21, 2017
By Fredreka Schouten
Washington — More than 100 former federal lobbyists (click here) have found jobs in the Trump administration, despite President Trump’s campaign pledge to restrict the power of special interests in Washington, according to a tally provided to USA TODAY by a Democratic group.
And roughly two-thirds of them — 69 — work in the agencies they have lobbied at some point in their careers, according to research by American Bridge 21st Century. They include about three dozen recent lobbyists who have not received waivers from Trump’s ethics rule that bar industry insiders and former lobbyists from working on specific matters that benefited their former employers or clients for two years after their appointments....
That is not all. He knew they were lobbyists because he had to write waivers. 17 waivers for his office staff.
June 1, 2017
By Matthew Yglesia
...After extensive back and forth (click here) with congressional Democrats and the Office of Government Ethics, Trump has finally provided documentation, and it shows that the ethics rules are plainly meaningless. He’s granted five times as many waivers in his first four months in office as Obama did, which cover key figures in the administration like Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, chief strategist Steve Bannon, and counselor Kellyanne Conway. All told, 17 waivers were granted to members of the White House staff, and we still have no idea how many waivers have been granted for other executive branch agencies or whether anyone is even keeping track....
All of Tony's friends were making changes to their personal power to facilitate greater wealth and he was on the outside of the Trump administration. I imagine having Manafort as a client was some solace. I hope Tony will be okay. I'd worry more if it were Trump looking into their involvement, which is probably very legal, I'd worry. But, considering this is Director Mueller it will be done thoroughly and legitimately.
The people that voted for Trump expected a very different administration.
"Talking Points" that is what the Defense Department practices. "Talking Points"
Secretary James Mattis is dead wrong about the development of ISIS. And the ONLY reason ISIS is in the vocabulary to the US Defense Department is because the language was manipulated to state ISIS came out of al Qaeda in Iraq.
Baghdadi was once a prisoner of the USA in an Iraqi prison. He was let go. Don't tell me Bagdadi developed ISIS in Iraq. That is not the truth. Baghdadi found strength and a following in Syria.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was the person that organized al Qaeda in Iraq. He is dead. Just like Osama bin Laden. He is dead. The USA forces killed both al Zarqawi and bin Laden. The language of the USA military to justify more warring is that Baghdadi was a member of that regime under al Zarqawi and therefore is covered by the 2001-2002 AUMF as the leader of ISIS.
The TRUTH is that Baghdadi was a member of al Qaeda in Iraq, but, the greater truth is that the USA military turned him loose from a POW status. Now, Americans are supposed to believe Baghdadi developed in Iraq. The only truth in that is the USA military never PREVENTED Baghdadi from developing a fighting force to take over the region, including oil dense northern Iraq with plenty of water resource.
Don't tell me Baghdadi (who is most likely dead) developed in Iraq. That is a lie and today ISIS defames al Qaeda. The truth is the USA is justifying their continued war complements of the American people through unregulated OCO funds. If those OCO funds did not exist the USA military would not be in 19 countries including drones. Have the military leadership in 19 countries have no brains? Their leaders have no brains?
The death of four US military berets was most likely an ambush. A well planned out ambush. The USA is overstaying it's welcome. When soldiers training national forces fall under attack there is a real sign the USA is not there in a meaningful way. If a country is not able to defend itself and it loses it's sovereignty it is NOT THE ROLE OF THE USA TO BEGIN A CIVIL WAR.
Not only NOT START A CIVIL WAR, BUT, CARRY IT OUT! Talk about creating your own purpose.
Al Qaeda in Iraq was destroyed long before ISIS showed up. ISIS developed in Syria due to a void of a sovereign government. Baghdadi promised his followers they would live in heaven on Earth in a caliphate. That is a charismatic movement any sovereign government needs to be concerned with, especially in the USA.
I strongly believe the current US troops in 19 countries is over extending the authority of the AUMF and the actions are illegal. I believe the only reason Afghanistan is still at play at the Pentagon is to keep alive a broken 2001-2002 AUMF. We aren't in Afghanistan. We are increasing the danger to the people of Afghanistan by being there. The USA is not saving the lives of government forces. I have to question if the attacks on the Afghan forces would occur at all if the USA was gone.
The USA is not supposed to be at war in Afghanistan. At all.
Following the completion (click here) of the mission of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at the end of 2014, a new, follow-on, NATO-led mission called Resolute Support was launched on 1 January 2015 to provide further training, advice and assistance for the Afghan security forces and institutions. At the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Allied leaders decided to extend the presence of RSM beyond 2016.
There is something like 11,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan today THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE are allowed to know about. Now, there are National Guard troops being sent to Afghanistan. At least that is what they and their families are told.
The Resolute Support Mission is not an act of war. It is a NATO agreement to support continued and necessary changes in Afghanistan. There isn't suppose to be a war and it is my estimation if the USA was out of Afghanistan there would not be attacks on anyone, yet alone the Afghan troops. If Americans are in a country, there will be a migration of militants into the region to kill Americans and go to heaven.
There is no reason to escalate the number of soldiers under the Resolute Support Mission.
The USA is no longer at war!
Osama bin Laden is dead!
He died on Pakistani soil where he had been living since he was driven there by the USA invasion in 2001. We have no friends in the region.
Baghdadi was once a prisoner of the USA in an Iraqi prison. He was let go. Don't tell me Bagdadi developed ISIS in Iraq. That is not the truth. Baghdadi found strength and a following in Syria.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was the person that organized al Qaeda in Iraq. He is dead. Just like Osama bin Laden. He is dead. The USA forces killed both al Zarqawi and bin Laden. The language of the USA military to justify more warring is that Baghdadi was a member of that regime under al Zarqawi and therefore is covered by the 2001-2002 AUMF as the leader of ISIS.
The TRUTH is that Baghdadi was a member of al Qaeda in Iraq, but, the greater truth is that the USA military turned him loose from a POW status. Now, Americans are supposed to believe Baghdadi developed in Iraq. The only truth in that is the USA military never PREVENTED Baghdadi from developing a fighting force to take over the region, including oil dense northern Iraq with plenty of water resource.
Don't tell me Baghdadi (who is most likely dead) developed in Iraq. That is a lie and today ISIS defames al Qaeda. The truth is the USA is justifying their continued war complements of the American people through unregulated OCO funds. If those OCO funds did not exist the USA military would not be in 19 countries including drones. Have the military leadership in 19 countries have no brains? Their leaders have no brains?
The death of four US military berets was most likely an ambush. A well planned out ambush. The USA is overstaying it's welcome. When soldiers training national forces fall under attack there is a real sign the USA is not there in a meaningful way. If a country is not able to defend itself and it loses it's sovereignty it is NOT THE ROLE OF THE USA TO BEGIN A CIVIL WAR.
Not only NOT START A CIVIL WAR, BUT, CARRY IT OUT! Talk about creating your own purpose.
Al Qaeda in Iraq was destroyed long before ISIS showed up. ISIS developed in Syria due to a void of a sovereign government. Baghdadi promised his followers they would live in heaven on Earth in a caliphate. That is a charismatic movement any sovereign government needs to be concerned with, especially in the USA.
I strongly believe the current US troops in 19 countries is over extending the authority of the AUMF and the actions are illegal. I believe the only reason Afghanistan is still at play at the Pentagon is to keep alive a broken 2001-2002 AUMF. We aren't in Afghanistan. We are increasing the danger to the people of Afghanistan by being there. The USA is not saving the lives of government forces. I have to question if the attacks on the Afghan forces would occur at all if the USA was gone.
The USA is not supposed to be at war in Afghanistan. At all.
Following the completion (click here) of the mission of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at the end of 2014, a new, follow-on, NATO-led mission called Resolute Support was launched on 1 January 2015 to provide further training, advice and assistance for the Afghan security forces and institutions. At the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Allied leaders decided to extend the presence of RSM beyond 2016.
Key functions include:
- Supporting planning, programming and budgeting;
- Assuring transparency, accountability and oversight;
- Supporting the adherence to the principles of rule of law and good governance;
- Supporting the establishment and sustainment of such processes as force generation, recruiting, training, managing and development of personnel.
There is something like 11,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan today THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE are allowed to know about. Now, there are National Guard troops being sent to Afghanistan. At least that is what they and their families are told.
The Resolute Support Mission is not an act of war. It is a NATO agreement to support continued and necessary changes in Afghanistan. There isn't suppose to be a war and it is my estimation if the USA was out of Afghanistan there would not be attacks on anyone, yet alone the Afghan troops. If Americans are in a country, there will be a migration of militants into the region to kill Americans and go to heaven.
There is no reason to escalate the number of soldiers under the Resolute Support Mission.
The USA is no longer at war!
Osama bin Laden is dead!
He died on Pakistani soil where he had been living since he was driven there by the USA invasion in 2001. We have no friends in the region.
The 2001-2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force is broken.
This needs to be a subject for the 2018 elections. With a President that bullies his way around the world while questioning the need for NATO and other allies, this and any AUMF needs to be withdrawn without replacement. We have witnessed the deaths of four USA military men that were on a training mission. Enough. The USA military needs to bring their OCO contingencies home and the USA taken off it's war footing and returned to a defense posture.
There are Senators that do not even provide for the fact, President Trump uses poor judgment in the use of our military, including inflammatory language that escalates tensions where our military is deployed. There is absolutely no reason to validate another AUMF that has lead to a President currently who believes he can do as he pleases.
December 10, 2014
By Joshua Keating
It’s now been more than a year and a half (click here) since President Obama told an audience at the National Defense University that “this war, like all wars, must end. That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands.” The “war” he was referring to was the amorphous set of military engagements around the world launched by his predecessor George W. Bush following the 9/11 attacks. That war has now been raging for 13 years. And despite Obama’s declaration in 2013, it shows no sign of ending anytime soon....
This is an article from 2014 and we are still in 'that space' as a country. The Afghanistan War and scattered OCO deployments has to end. This is ridiculous.
Senator Flake has pointed out there are very few Congressional members that have voted on the 2001 and 2002 AUMF. The Congress today have no vested interest in any authorization of the use of our military. The Congress today slides by without being confronted by their constituents regarding their vote for war and war deaths while adding enormous debt to the USA's national budget and deficit. We need that spending at home.
There are Senators that do not even provide for the fact, President Trump uses poor judgment in the use of our military, including inflammatory language that escalates tensions where our military is deployed. There is absolutely no reason to validate another AUMF that has lead to a President currently who believes he can do as he pleases.
December 10, 2014
By Joshua Keating
It’s now been more than a year and a half (click here) since President Obama told an audience at the National Defense University that “this war, like all wars, must end. That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands.” The “war” he was referring to was the amorphous set of military engagements around the world launched by his predecessor George W. Bush following the 9/11 attacks. That war has now been raging for 13 years. And despite Obama’s declaration in 2013, it shows no sign of ending anytime soon....
This is an article from 2014 and we are still in 'that space' as a country. The Afghanistan War and scattered OCO deployments has to end. This is ridiculous.
Senator Flake has pointed out there are very few Congressional members that have voted on the 2001 and 2002 AUMF. The Congress today have no vested interest in any authorization of the use of our military. The Congress today slides by without being confronted by their constituents regarding their vote for war and war deaths while adding enormous debt to the USA's national budget and deficit. We need that spending at home.
The Republicans are having a bad day. They are grandstanding regarding court nominees.
It seems as though a particular nominee, whom is a Catholic, is expected to fail nomination because of her practice of religion. It is being stated the Democrats are not finished with religious bigotry and have turned the clock back decades; perhaps even half a century.
The judicial nominee is a woman by the name of Amy Barrett. No relations to me. I am not completely familiar with her practice of the law either as a lawyer or as a law professor at Notre Dame. The problem with Ms. Barrett is that she has never served in a capacity as a judge. There is no record to understand where she stands on sensitive issues such as abortion or LGBT rights. She leaves a question to some as to what she will do with abortion cases or LGBT marriage cases presented to her.
Now, it is noteworthy that the Robert's Court did rule against Texas on their abortion clinic ban and any LGBT has the right to marry. This is not about the current court. While I have not decided whether Ms. Barrett would be a good judge or not; the point I am making is not about her. The point I am making is about US Senators Cornyn, Lee or Cruz and the others in the room and at the podium.
Today, the Republican Senators stated Ms.Barrett is being discriminated against because of religion as a Catholic. In the short segment below from C-Span, US Senator Frankin is worried about her position on hate as related to the LGBT community.
I find it odd that the Republican US Senators are worried about religious identity and the practice of faith as a Catholic while dismissing the Pope. You see, I don't believe Senator Frankin is wrong. I find his question about protecting the LGBT community from hate an important consideration. What I find astounding about today's presentation to the media regarding Ms. Barrett is that all of a sudden the Catholic faith and it's practice is more important than ever to Republican Senators, but, when Pope Francis spoke to the need for concern and ACTION to end the climate crisis, the Republican Senators had their earplugs in.
To the right is US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. She is Catholic. She is very successful in separating her job from her faith. She is an advocate for women in the US House, but, more importantly, she has been in the US House since 1987. She is a spouse, mother and grandmother. She has served as a vital part of the US House in a variety of positions, including, US House Speaker. I realize she is not a Senator, but, as a child of an Italian immigrant, she loudly proves the Democrats have no religious bigotry or otherwise.
Senator Cornyn pointed to the fact there is only a 51 vote majority needed to confirm Ms. Barrett and he believes she will take the bench. What I also found interesting is when Senator Cornyn was asked about another Catholic, Paul Manafort, the Senator refused the question.
The Senate Republicans need to do their job no different than the Democrats need to do their job. If the Republicans are going out of their way to find extremist candidates for the judiciary that will assault the rights of women and the LGBT community, then everyone should understand the Republican Senators are not doing a very good job.
The Republican Senators are so not doing their job, because they are afraid to answer questions about the findings of Former Director Mueller. The Republican Senators rather insult peers of another party and offend other Americans than provide support for the Former FBI Director in protecting the country. Shame on them.
The judicial nominee is a woman by the name of Amy Barrett. No relations to me. I am not completely familiar with her practice of the law either as a lawyer or as a law professor at Notre Dame. The problem with Ms. Barrett is that she has never served in a capacity as a judge. There is no record to understand where she stands on sensitive issues such as abortion or LGBT rights. She leaves a question to some as to what she will do with abortion cases or LGBT marriage cases presented to her.
Now, it is noteworthy that the Robert's Court did rule against Texas on their abortion clinic ban and any LGBT has the right to marry. This is not about the current court. While I have not decided whether Ms. Barrett would be a good judge or not; the point I am making is not about her. The point I am making is about US Senators Cornyn, Lee or Cruz and the others in the room and at the podium.
Today, the Republican Senators stated Ms.Barrett is being discriminated against because of religion as a Catholic. In the short segment below from C-Span, US Senator Frankin is worried about her position on hate as related to the LGBT community.
I find it odd that the Republican US Senators are worried about religious identity and the practice of faith as a Catholic while dismissing the Pope. You see, I don't believe Senator Frankin is wrong. I find his question about protecting the LGBT community from hate an important consideration. What I find astounding about today's presentation to the media regarding Ms. Barrett is that all of a sudden the Catholic faith and it's practice is more important than ever to Republican Senators, but, when Pope Francis spoke to the need for concern and ACTION to end the climate crisis, the Republican Senators had their earplugs in.
To the right is US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. She is Catholic. She is very successful in separating her job from her faith. She is an advocate for women in the US House, but, more importantly, she has been in the US House since 1987. She is a spouse, mother and grandmother. She has served as a vital part of the US House in a variety of positions, including, US House Speaker. I realize she is not a Senator, but, as a child of an Italian immigrant, she loudly proves the Democrats have no religious bigotry or otherwise. Senator Cornyn pointed to the fact there is only a 51 vote majority needed to confirm Ms. Barrett and he believes she will take the bench. What I also found interesting is when Senator Cornyn was asked about another Catholic, Paul Manafort, the Senator refused the question.
The Senate Republicans need to do their job no different than the Democrats need to do their job. If the Republicans are going out of their way to find extremist candidates for the judiciary that will assault the rights of women and the LGBT community, then everyone should understand the Republican Senators are not doing a very good job.
The Republican Senators are so not doing their job, because they are afraid to answer questions about the findings of Former Director Mueller. The Republican Senators rather insult peers of another party and offend other Americans than provide support for the Former FBI Director in protecting the country. Shame on them.
Tax reform?
Besides the Brownback tax reform as a model, there are high ranking Republicans that participate in elections that launder money to avoid at the very least taxes.
Enough about tax reform, when are the Republicans finally going to pay taxes to support the USA!
It is unfortunate Ms. Huckabee Sanders believes she is best to joke with reporters than address the issue everyone in the country is astounded by, the arrest of the Trump Campaign chairperson and his deputy.
Oh, forget this. Sanders is a 'front' for the denial of the reality.
The Hillary Clinton campaign paid a basically detective to find any problems with Donald Trump as a president. That is very different than an entire government of communists providing their best effort to undermine the USA elections.
There is no comparison. The only thing I can agree with that spewed out of Sanders' mouth is that it is a very different thing, but, for very different reasons.
Perhaps, Huckabee-Sanders hasn't noticed the campaign manager from the Clinton Campaign and his deputy wasn't arrested. Trying to distract from the facts and pointing fingers at Hillary Clinton discredits the FBI and Director Mueller. No one is going to stand for that.
At this juncture, why didn't Wikileaks publish the facts that brought Paul Manafort and others when they were in direct violation of USA law?
Enough about tax reform, when are the Republicans finally going to pay taxes to support the USA!
It is unfortunate Ms. Huckabee Sanders believes she is best to joke with reporters than address the issue everyone in the country is astounded by, the arrest of the Trump Campaign chairperson and his deputy.
Oh, forget this. Sanders is a 'front' for the denial of the reality.
The Hillary Clinton campaign paid a basically detective to find any problems with Donald Trump as a president. That is very different than an entire government of communists providing their best effort to undermine the USA elections.
There is no comparison. The only thing I can agree with that spewed out of Sanders' mouth is that it is a very different thing, but, for very different reasons.
Perhaps, Huckabee-Sanders hasn't noticed the campaign manager from the Clinton Campaign and his deputy wasn't arrested. Trying to distract from the facts and pointing fingers at Hillary Clinton discredits the FBI and Director Mueller. No one is going to stand for that.
At this juncture, why didn't Wikileaks publish the facts that brought Paul Manafort and others when they were in direct violation of USA law?
The criminal case has scope. Former Director Mueller may has broken a very important case in defense of the USA.
March 23, 2017
By Elizabeth Landers and Jeremy Diamond
Washington - Rick Gates, (click here) the longtime deputy to President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, was forced to leave his position with a nonprofit supporting Trump this week due to his longstanding relationship with Manafort, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
By Elizabeth Landers and Jeremy Diamond
Washington - Rick Gates, (click here) the longtime deputy to President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, was forced to leave his position with a nonprofit supporting Trump this week due to his longstanding relationship with Manafort, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
Gates' exit from America First Policies came after the Associated Press reported this week that Manafort had sought to further Russian government interests in his work for a Russian businessman. Gates did not return CNN's requests for comment.
One administration source familiar with the matter called the departure "amicable." A second source told CNN that Gates was asked to leave after his name popped back into the news this week due to his connections to Manafort.
Gates previously served as Manafort's deputy when he was campaign chairman, and has long worked with him in the private sector, including in consulting work for foreign interests....
Did Manafort and Gates act as a consultants to those who designed the Russian ads?
October 30, 2017
By Matt Apuzzo
Washington — Paul Manafort and his former business associate Rick Gates (click here) were told to surrender to federal authorities Monday morning, the first charges in a special counsel investigation, according to a person involved in the case.
The charges against Mr. Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, and Mr. Gates, a business associate of Mr. Manafort, were not immediately clear but represent a significant escalation in a special counsel investigation that has cast a shadow over the president’s first year in office....
This is the game Paul Manafort carried forward that made him a lot of money. It is one thing to be a consultant to parties within Ukraine and it is quite something else to provide services to Russia to undermine an American election.
What really concerns me was the direction Paul Manafort's consulting business took with the Post Soviet States and Russia. Considering he was the consultant to Yanukovych, Manafort's consulting was aligning these countries to reassemble the Soviet Union.
To carry that idea forward, if the Post Soviet States reassembled under Putin what then would be the next domino to fall? The USA?
This is huge. This is troubling. This involves Europe and NATO. The importance of the Mueller investigation and now the criminal case is vital to understand and go forward. The USA needs this trial and it's outcomes to realize the extent enemies of the USA seek to control the underlying principles of democracy.
Vladimir Putin recently pointed to the events in Spain with Catalonia stating it was a primary example of the failure of democracy. In other words, democracy doesn't establish permanent and stable countries. One has to realize Russia and the former Soviet Union value stable states as a method to control citizens and ensure their standard of internal peace.
This outcome to the Mueller investigation is troubling and I am sure the depth of the charges extend beyond this simple assessment. I had confidence in Former Director Mueller. He is dedicated to the USA. If there was an underlying danger to the country's sovereignty, he would find it and it appears he has.
The men charged have every right to a fair trial and I expect transparency in that trial. This is a case about the country, every citizen has a right to know and witness their country's sovereignty in danger.
By Matt Apuzzo
Washington — Paul Manafort and his former business associate Rick Gates (click here) were told to surrender to federal authorities Monday morning, the first charges in a special counsel investigation, according to a person involved in the case.
The charges against Mr. Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, and Mr. Gates, a business associate of Mr. Manafort, were not immediately clear but represent a significant escalation in a special counsel investigation that has cast a shadow over the president’s first year in office....
This is the game Paul Manafort carried forward that made him a lot of money. It is one thing to be a consultant to parties within Ukraine and it is quite something else to provide services to Russia to undermine an American election.
What really concerns me was the direction Paul Manafort's consulting business took with the Post Soviet States and Russia. Considering he was the consultant to Yanukovych, Manafort's consulting was aligning these countries to reassemble the Soviet Union.
To carry that idea forward, if the Post Soviet States reassembled under Putin what then would be the next domino to fall? The USA?
This is huge. This is troubling. This involves Europe and NATO. The importance of the Mueller investigation and now the criminal case is vital to understand and go forward. The USA needs this trial and it's outcomes to realize the extent enemies of the USA seek to control the underlying principles of democracy.
Vladimir Putin recently pointed to the events in Spain with Catalonia stating it was a primary example of the failure of democracy. In other words, democracy doesn't establish permanent and stable countries. One has to realize Russia and the former Soviet Union value stable states as a method to control citizens and ensure their standard of internal peace.
This outcome to the Mueller investigation is troubling and I am sure the depth of the charges extend beyond this simple assessment. I had confidence in Former Director Mueller. He is dedicated to the USA. If there was an underlying danger to the country's sovereignty, he would find it and it appears he has.
The men charged have every right to a fair trial and I expect transparency in that trial. This is a case about the country, every citizen has a right to know and witness their country's sovereignty in danger.
The Rooster
"Okeydoke"
I hope I am wrong, but, I fully expect Trump to sign pardons as soon as arrests are made.
In my opinion, if that happens, it is a coupe. Trump is ignoring the fact the USA has laws and completely acts on his own political ambitions. Arpaio was complete evidence of that. If Trump pardons everyone charged by Mueller, the media needs to carry the prosecution forward with a public jury.
America will find out if they have a President or a dictator.
"Good Night, Moon"
The waxing gibbous
9.4 days old
71.2 percent full
October 25, 2017
By Mike Wall
A webcam aboard a European Mars orbiter (click here) has snapped some striking images of big clouds scudding through the Red Planet's atmosphere.
The photos, taken by the Visual Monitoring Camera (VMC) aboard the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft, constitute a global survey of odd, high-altitude Martian clouds, researchers said.That survey provides a new perspective on the planet's atmosphere, the scientists added: Whereas most other Martian orbiters' cameras zoom in for close-up looks at the surface, the lower-resolution VMC gives a wide-angle view of much of the planet's "limb," or edge....
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Never surrender the idea of "zero emission country."
Waste management for greenhouse gases is essential. I do not believe incineration is an answer for any waste disposal problem. It is that sort of lumping together of solid waste that causes air pollution. I think incineration may have a place in the solid waste stream, but, only a role, not a complete picture.
The more and more I realize the level of methane there is in land fills, the more I believe the land fills have to be rethought. Methane is a far worse greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Methane leaks anywhere they occur should never be tolerated.
Most of the years when fighting the climate crisis counting carbon dioxide was the focus. It was right to do so, because it moved the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards to a point whereby hybrids are getting 50 plus miles per gallon. It is a vast improvement in where we were not long ago. But, the electric car is still the future.
Kindly remember for every step forward society takes to end the climate crisis, much of the greenhouse gas emissions is due to consumerism and is a drag on a greener economy. There are more consumers born than dying and Americans simply need to remember there is a future to plan for and it might very much mean we need to anticipate what a citizen's "carbon footprint" is in 20 years to ensure the emissions are less per person and not more.
The issues of waste management need to be assessed and measured and improved. There is no status quo currently that resolves the picture of the climate crisis for me. The crisis is real and palpable and it needs to be a national priority among the people, especially, since the government can't and won't deal with reality. I remind, Earth experienced a major species die off last year with corals. With the die off of the corals there was a drop in atmospheric oxygen. This is not a frivolous tree hugging issue. It is real and it is dangerous.
I hope everyone is thinking about how, as a single person, each and everyone of us can improve on ending the climate crisis. Our children are counting on it.
No back sliding. There is no easy fix. We can do this.
The more and more I realize the level of methane there is in land fills, the more I believe the land fills have to be rethought. Methane is a far worse greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Methane leaks anywhere they occur should never be tolerated.
Most of the years when fighting the climate crisis counting carbon dioxide was the focus. It was right to do so, because it moved the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards to a point whereby hybrids are getting 50 plus miles per gallon. It is a vast improvement in where we were not long ago. But, the electric car is still the future.
Kindly remember for every step forward society takes to end the climate crisis, much of the greenhouse gas emissions is due to consumerism and is a drag on a greener economy. There are more consumers born than dying and Americans simply need to remember there is a future to plan for and it might very much mean we need to anticipate what a citizen's "carbon footprint" is in 20 years to ensure the emissions are less per person and not more.
The issues of waste management need to be assessed and measured and improved. There is no status quo currently that resolves the picture of the climate crisis for me. The crisis is real and palpable and it needs to be a national priority among the people, especially, since the government can't and won't deal with reality. I remind, Earth experienced a major species die off last year with corals. With the die off of the corals there was a drop in atmospheric oxygen. This is not a frivolous tree hugging issue. It is real and it is dangerous.
I hope everyone is thinking about how, as a single person, each and everyone of us can improve on ending the climate crisis. Our children are counting on it.
No back sliding. There is no easy fix. We can do this.
This study was not limited to just medical waste. It was printed in 2006,
14th North American Waste to Energy Conference
May 1-3, 2006, Tampa, Florida USA
NAWTEC14-3187
Comparison of Air Emissions from Waste-to-Energy Facilities to Fossil Fuel Power Plants (click here)
By Jeremy K. O'Brien, P.E. SWANA 1100 Wayne Avenue - Suite 700 Silver Spring, MD 20910
(704) 906-7269
jobrien@swana.org
The SWANA Applied Research Foundation's FY2005 Waste-to-Energy Group identified the need for a public information document that compares the air emissions from waste-to-energy facilities to those of conventional fossil fuel power plants. This paper is based on a research report that was prepared by SW ANA in the course of developing the public information document....
CONCLUSIONS Based on a review of recent literature as well as data from ongoing projects, the following conclusions are offered with respect to the comparison of air emissions from WTE facilities compared to fossilfuel power plants.
• Air emissions from WTE facilities have been dramatically reduced over the last ten years, due to the requirements for "Maximum Achievable Control Technology" contained in a 1995 EPA rule issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act.
• With respect to criteria air pollutants, WTE facilities emit significantly less carbon dioxide than any of the fossilfuel power plants. They emit significantly less sulfur dioxide than coal-fired or oilfired power plants but more than power plants using natural gas. Finally, they are comparable to coal- and oil-fired power plants with respect to nitrogen oxide emissions, but somewhat higher than natural gas-fired power plants. Based on this data, the EPA has concluded that WTE power plants produce electricity with less environmental impact than almost any other source of electricity."
• When compared to the total amount of mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants, WTE facilities represent a minor source of anthropogenic mercury emissions to the environment.
• Dioxin emissions from WTE facilities have been reduced by over 99 percent since 1990. WTE facilities are now considered minor sources of dioxins.
May 1-3, 2006, Tampa, Florida USA
NAWTEC14-3187
Comparison of Air Emissions from Waste-to-Energy Facilities to Fossil Fuel Power Plants (click here)
By Jeremy K. O'Brien, P.E. SWANA 1100 Wayne Avenue - Suite 700 Silver Spring, MD 20910
(704) 906-7269
jobrien@swana.org
The SWANA Applied Research Foundation's FY2005 Waste-to-Energy Group identified the need for a public information document that compares the air emissions from waste-to-energy facilities to those of conventional fossil fuel power plants. This paper is based on a research report that was prepared by SW ANA in the course of developing the public information document....
CONCLUSIONS Based on a review of recent literature as well as data from ongoing projects, the following conclusions are offered with respect to the comparison of air emissions from WTE facilities compared to fossilfuel power plants.
• Air emissions from WTE facilities have been dramatically reduced over the last ten years, due to the requirements for "Maximum Achievable Control Technology" contained in a 1995 EPA rule issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act.
• With respect to criteria air pollutants, WTE facilities emit significantly less carbon dioxide than any of the fossilfuel power plants. They emit significantly less sulfur dioxide than coal-fired or oilfired power plants but more than power plants using natural gas. Finally, they are comparable to coal- and oil-fired power plants with respect to nitrogen oxide emissions, but somewhat higher than natural gas-fired power plants. Based on this data, the EPA has concluded that WTE power plants produce electricity with less environmental impact than almost any other source of electricity."
• When compared to the total amount of mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants, WTE facilities represent a minor source of anthropogenic mercury emissions to the environment.
• Dioxin emissions from WTE facilities have been reduced by over 99 percent since 1990. WTE facilities are now considered minor sources of dioxins.
By Carson Frame
For years, (click here) veterans say they’ve been getting sick. They believe the culprit is open burn pits used in Iraq and Afghanistan. A class-action lawsuit against Houston-based military contractor Kellogg Brown and Root was thrown out this summer, and many of those affected don’t know where to turn.
Army Reserve Captain LeRoy Torres will never forget the 10-acre plot of land, full of burning garbage, located about a mile from his sleeping quarters at Balad Air Base in Iraq. The year was 2008.
All the military’s waste was thrown into the pit, doused with a jet fuel known as JP-8, and set on fire.
“You’d see tires, plastics, batteries. Large bottles and containers of fluid, no telling what it was,” Torres said. “Solvents. Medical waste. You’d see those red medical bags from the hospital just being tossed in the fire.”
Staff Sergeant Jeremy Daniels arrived at Balad in 2005. He remembers seeing items destined for the flames.
“It doesn’t matter if it comes out your room, if it comes off your body, if it comes out your body. Go down there and light it ablaze.”
At the height of its activity, the Balad pit burned about 200 tons of trash each day.
The smoke it gave off was overwhelming, especially when the wind blew a certain way. It stuck to people’s clothes, filled their lungs, and got in their eyes.
“It was a cloud. You wore it,” he said. “If you walked around on that post, you smelled like it. It is the most horrid sulfuric smell you have ever frickin' smelled.”
LeRoy Torres agrees. “There were times—I remember one time clearly—I couldn’t even see the road 6 feet in front of me,” he said.
Soon after they arrived at Balad, both Torres and Daniels got sick. Torres started coughing up a black mucus that military doctors called ‘Iraqi Crud.’ It was the result, they said, of his body getting used to the environment in-country.
Daniels developed a weeping rash on his lower extremities that didn’t resolve for months. The skin sloughed off and bled. Doctors suggested that he was allergic to his laundry soap. Then he developed fourth nerve palsy, a neurological disorder that affects vision.
“While I’m walking to work, my left eye goes up and to the right while I'm still trying to look forward. I end up with the worst drunken double vision I've ever seen.”
After they returned home, the issues got worse. Torres’ respiratory problems were given a name: constrictive bronchiolitis, an untreatable and often fatal lung injury. Daniels' neurological problems were labeled ‘relapsing multiple sclerosis’ with an ‘extremely aggressive onset.' He now uses a wheelchair.
Both men were medically retired from their jobs. They both blame the burn pits for their health problems....
I realize a gas mask has a particular application, but, if the US military can come up with a gas mask that is good for three to four hours, they can come up with a gas mask for soldiers to wear while disposing of trash. The US military needs to find a responsible way of handling their trash other than burning.War on the fly is one thing, an encampment is quite another.
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