President Barack Obama apologetically shook the hand of a U.S. Marine in Washington after having failed to return the service member's salute.
Obama was boarding Marine One Friday for a trip to Annapolis, Md., when he failed to return a salute given to him by the Marine on duty at the steps to the helicopter, The Hill reported Friday.
The president soon realized his error and exited the helicopter to shake the Marine's hand and engage in a brief conversation, a White House pool report said. They've come a long way.
#2
IIRC, civies don't salute. It's a recognition among those in uniform and those who served. The Prez maybe the C-in-C, but still a civie (excepted if he served).
#3
Returning the salute started with Reagan. Its optional, and in the case of Reagan, a show of respect for Military Custom and Courttesy.
Obama just needs be consistent one way or another. He can legitimately not return the salutes because he is a civilian as did Eisenhower, or return the salutes as did Reagan.
#6
Soon after he married Jane Wyman in 1942, Reservist Reagan received the expected call to active duty. Due to his nearsightedness, he was classified for limited service, which meant he couldn’t go overseas. He served at the San Francisco port of embarkation at Fort Mason, Calif., as a liaison officer until transferring from the cavalry to the AAF on May 15, 1942.
Reagan was promoted to first lieutenant, Jan. 14, 1943, and to captain on July 22 of that year. In addition to filmmaking while in uniform, he served in New York City in 1944 to participate in a war bond drive. He returned to Culver City. His film unit eventually helped to make 300 training and propaganda films and was responsible for 3,000,000 feet of combat footage. Reagan called the film office “an important contribution to the war effort.” Other AAF films included Desperate Journey as well as Irving Berlin’s, This Is the Army.
Reagan was recommended for promotion to major on Feb. 2, 1945, but never pinned on gold oak leaves. He returned to Fort MacArthur, Calif., where he was separated from active duty on Dec. 9, 1945. - cite
served (how many in Hollyweird can say that this day? Other than those literally dying off)
#8
Proc2k, yes Reagan did have military service. Then again, so did Eisenhower, and Eisenhower never returned the salutes because he consider edit out of place, since he was a civilian in that position, by his own judgement. Same goes for Kennedy, Nixon, Ford and Carter - all active duty military prior to taking office.
The whole issue of returning salutes is kinda shallow. Either do it properly, or not at all. And if not at all, cite Eisenhower and Kennedy. I'd rather Obama and any other president to simply opt out rather than doing it by rote for public image. I'd not hold it against him (there are so many other good reasons to go after him, this isn't one of them)
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/19/2014 19:20 Comments ||
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#10
Reagan and both Bushes served in the Military so the salute is appropriate. But then Reagan actually had some class/style. The salute thing post-dates Carter so no hate on him even if he was a Naval Officer. For Clinton and Obama it is/was a mere courtesy. But yes the CIC should show respect and acknowledge our Service Members- looks good to the rest of the world, like somebody is actually in charge of this mess.
[Ynet] A strong, magnitude 6.1 earthquake jolted a sparsely populated mountainous province near Iran's border with Iraq on Monday, Iranian state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
reported.
There were no reports of fatalities but a local official said there were injuries and that the temblor had caused damage.
The TV said the quake hit the town of Murmuri, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran, at 7:02 local time (0232 GMT).
[MAGHAREBIA] A new idea to improve voter participation is sparking debate across Morocco.
As the kingdom prepares for the 2015 communal poll, the government and political parties are talking about possible changes to the law.
Some Moroccan parties support the idea of requiring citizens to vote. In 2011, just 45.4% of registered voters actually appeared at polling centres to cast a ballot.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/19/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
And if you don't want to vote, don't worry, we'll do it for you. Worked well for Stalin for years, among many others.
("As a matter of fact, why don't we have the voting forms pre printed with the correct check mark? It would save buying pens...")
Posted by: ed in texas ||
08/19/2014 7:57 Comments ||
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#2
I think non-voting should be seen as a vote for none of the above. If NOTA wins, then the previous participants are banned from the next vote.
More than 14,000 dead and wounded have been recorded by the Ukrainian military as of August 15th in its war against Russian nationalists in Donetsk and Lugansk, according to Russian media sources.
A top official with the pro Russian Ukrainian political organization Slavic Guard, Vladimir Rogo, said that documents in his possession say that the total losses for the Ukrainian military in its quest to eliminate pro Russian nationalists from breaking away from Ukraina, have cost a total of 23,498 people, including 14,378 killed and wounded, 158 prisoners of war and more than 9,000 deserters.
Rogov claimed that between August 13th and 14th, last Wednesday and Thursday, the Ukrainian military lost more than 1,000 dead and 100 military vehicles destroyed.
The Ukrainian government claims to have control of Lugansk, and if true, then Donetsk is effectively and fully invested. Last week Ukrainian president Piotr Poroshenko vowed to storm Donetsk by August 26th, known as independence day in Ukraina.
According to the graphic supplied on its website, pro Russian militias are furiously counterattacking the Ukraininan armor unit at the airport.
In Lugansk, meanwhile, Russian nationalist militia claimed to have shot down another Ukrainian aircraft, a MiG-29, according to the pro Russian online edition of Voice of Sevastopol.
Another MiG-29 was shot down in Lugansk Saturday with the pilot safely ejecting, but the news reports say this latest downing resulted in the pilot being captured.
In Krasnodon, further east of Lugansk pro Russian militia say a ground interdiction aircraft was brought down by ground fire, and that the aircraft may have been an SU-25. Local militia also say they have intercepted radio communication leading them to believe the pilot was not Ukrainian.
According to the pro Russian Voice of Sevastopol, the pilot attempted a sharp dive for a bombing run and flew too low to avoid ground gunfire. Not even Ukrainian pilots are willing to fly that low to deliver ordnance.
Pro Russian militia in Ukraina have no anti aircraft means, except for manpacked antiaircraft missile launchers, so they must resort to rifle and heavy rifle fire against aircraft. The MiG-29 is a multirole airframe used in both ground interdiction and air superiority roles, while the SU-25 is strictly ground interdiction. The SU-25 under the best of circumstances is said to be very difficult to bring down.
In Lugansk itself, with the Ukrainian military unit that stormed the airport three days ago was another police unit, colloquially called "punisher units", which had been calling for assistance from the Ukrainian military, claiming their positions are being hit by militia artillery rocket fire from BM-21 MRL units. Ukrainian military units occupying villages near Lugansk are also saying they are under heavy fire in the villages of Novoannovka, Starobeshevo and Peski.
Ukrainian military units are also suffering mortar and artillery fire in Vesela Gora, north of Lugansk and Krasnogorovka, east of Lugansk.
In and around Donetsk are reports of Ukrainian rocket and howitzer fire in towns and settlements east of Donetsk. A reported 10 civilians have been killed between Saturday and Sunday in Donetsk. In Mospino, a suburb of Donetsk, 21 private residences were hit as well.
Heavy fighting between pro Russian nationalist militia and Ukrainian forces have been reported in several towns and settlements east of Donetsk.
In Yasinovataya, which is less than five kilometers from Donetsk, a Ukrainian police unit, failing to defeat a militia unit at a checkpoint, bypassed the area. A counterattack is expected soon in the area.
Further east, Ukrainian units were hit near Torez in the area of the village Ternovoye of Shakhtyorskiy.
According to "partisan units" near Kharkov, well to the north, a total of six Polish mercenaries were killed and a military utility vehicle and one "DANA" self propelled artillery vehicle was destroyed.
Both sides in the war in southeastern Ukraina make lavish use of mercenaries from other countries.
#4
So what? He had a gun, and he just out and out executed that poor innocent little black boy. /sarcasm
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
08/19/2014 15:56 Comments ||
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#5
Punched in the left cheek? That would be the right hand knuckles of puncher - any coroner mention of bloody or busted knuckles? Should at least be some bruising?
As said, a 250+lb 18 year old male doesn't need a weapon to cause damage.
#10
Yep, stock photo at Gateway Pundit. It's not the officer's CT scan.
A 'blowout' fracture (floor of the orbit) can be quite serious, sometimes causes blindness. Not a good thing. Never had one but am told that it is quite, quite painful.
Yep also, left facial injury should have been done by Mr. Brown's right hand. Wonder what the autopsy report says?
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/19/2014 19:32 Comments ||
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#11
Wife had a more minor Orbital blowout fracture to the eye socket when a patient hit her.
Very painful with long term effects.
Seriously, if you get hit that way and that bad, it's time out on jurisprudence, you are operating at a base animal level of fear, fight, or flight. Officer Darren appears not to have taken the fear or flight paths. That suggests Mike Brown wasn't good at calculating responses.
[The Nation (Pak)] Turkey's outgoing President Abdullah Gul is not being considered as a possible successor to Recep Tayyip Erdogan ... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him... as prime minister, a senior ruling party official said Sunday.
Erdogan is set to be sworn in as president on August 28 after his first-round election victory, and some observers had seen his longtime ally Gul as a possible replacement as prime minister.
But amid speculation of a growing rift between Gul and Erdogan, the deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Mehmet Ali Sahin, said the outgoing president had no chance of becoming premier.
"After his term expires Abdullah Bey will not be able to become prime minister... because he is not a member of parliament," Sahin said, using a traditional Turkish form of address.
Reports on Saturday said the AKP strongly favoured Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, an Erdogan loyalist, becoming the new prime minister.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/19/2014 00:00 ||
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The Pentagon has stuck with the F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter program despite dozens of technical problems and delays, strategic concerns, and massive cost overruns that have nearly doubled the initial cost estimate, raising the cost of building the planes to around $400 billion with a lifetime cost of up to $1.5 trillion.
One reason why the project has become such a boondoggle is that many states and countries are significantly invested in the plane, relying on its production for income and jobs.
Every U.S. state but Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Wyoming has economic ties to the F-35, with 18 states counting on the project for $100 million or more in economic activity, according to primary contractor Lockheed Martin. All told, the project is supposedly responsible for 32,500 jobs in the U.S. Globally, another nine countries have major ties to the F-35.
One way or another, America's multirole fifth generation fighter is coming -- though it was most recently delayed to September 2017. I sometimes wonder how WWII would have turned out had today's pols been making the decision.
#1
One day DoD will only be able to afford one super aircraft with all the bells and whistles. The Air Force and Navy will fly it on alternating days. The Marine Corps will get it on February 29th.
#2
A post-Cold War, post-911 "light fighter" that makes all the controversial costs-n-issues, etc. of the original Cold War F-16, F-14, F-15, + F-18 look petty or miniscule by comparison.
#3
The F-35 is a fine plane. It is new and has problems to sort out. It will do a good job for America and our allies. Because it is good, it is not cheap to build, fly, or maintain.
Some design decisions, single engine and sorta-super-cruise have left it with some limitations in range and performance.
I would personally have chosen updates to the proven two engine F-15 and F-18 designs. But the costs would have been only about half as much, and their performance would not be as good as the mature F-35 aircraft will be.
Finally, there is a good strategic reason to stretch these programs out over many years. In WWII (and WWI) we built up huge pools of labor and capital investments to make war equipment for just a few years and then let it all go. The current approach maintains a small but consistent industrial base. This is more economically efficient and thus cheaper overall. So if we are not about to loose a war due to lack of aircraft, which is indeed the case now, this is the right investment strategy building a fine aircraft.
MSNBCs Chris Hayes and Craig Melvin had to dodge rocks thrown at them by protesters during their live coverage of the events in Ferguson, MO. The protesters also voiced their dissatisfaction with the media coverage of the protest, with one declaring it a Civil Rights Movement. Both Hayes and Melvin appeared to be uninjured. I think I may have found a good use for some Paleostinian advanced rock-throwing trainers here.
[AnNahar] U.S. National Guard troops deployed in a suburban Missouri town on Monday as authorities struggled to contain week-old protests triggered when a police officer shot dead an unarmed black teenager.
State Governor Jay Nixon lifted an overnight curfew as the soldiers arrived, but tempers were running high amid ongoing controversy over the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
A forensic pathologist retained by the victim's family revealed that the student had been shot six times -- twice in the head. Local officials have not released the results of their own autopsy.
In a statement released as Guard soldiers arrived in Ferguson, the majority African-American St Louis suburb at the heart of the unrest, Nixon said the soldiers would come under police command.
"We will not use a curfew tonight," he added, after a two-day-old order for residents to stay at home after midnight failed to prevent clashes between protesters and heavily armed police.
Nixon condemned "the firing upon law enforcement officers, the shooting of a civilian, the throwing of Molotov cocktails, looting and a coordinated attempt to overrun the unified command center."
Brown was shot dead in broad daylight on a residential street on Saturday, August 8 by Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white police officer.
Store surveillance footage released by local police appears to show Brown shoving an employee after snatching a box of cigars around half-an-hour before he was shot.
But it is not yet clear what caused his deadly encounter with Wilson -- police sources say there was a scuffle -- and some witnesses have claimed he was not resisting when he was shot.
On Monday, lawyers working for Brown's family introduced reporters to a respected former New York pathologist who has examined the body and found six gunshot wounds.
"Six bullets struck, and two may have re-entered," Michael Baden said, indicating on a diagram how the bullets hit the top of Brown's cranium, one of his eyes and his right arm and hand.
"All of the gunshot wounds could have been survivable, except the one at the top of the head," he said.
Baden said he found no evidence of an alleged struggle between Brown and the officer, who is said to have been hurt in the incident, but added that he had not examined Wilson.
The absence of gunpowder on Brown's body indicated that the muzzle of the gun was probably at least a foot or two -- or as much as 30 feet -- away, Baden added.
The former New York City chief medical examiner stressed his findings were preliminary. St Louis prosecutors have not released the results of their official preliminary autopsy.
The police response to the protests -- officers armed with rifles, tear gas and rubber bullets descended on Ferguson in military surplus armored cars -- caused widespread concern.
U.S. President Barack Obama met Attorney General Eric Holder at the White House on Monday to discuss their response to the crisis. A federal civil rights investigation has already been launched.
Overnight, before the order to deploy the Guard, rioters looted stores and threw gasoline bombs according to Captain Ron Johnson, the state highway patrol officer charged with restoring order.
"There were shootings, looting, vandalism and other acts of violence that clearly appear not to have been spontaneous but premeditated criminal acts," he said.
Some of the demonstrators carried signs protesting police brutality. Many marched peacefully with their hands up in the air, but others taunted police and threw back tear gas canisters.
"We were walking up peacefully towards the command center to kneel in protest in front of the police, to say 'our hands are up'," said Lisha Williams.
#1
The entire issue from the perspective of the rioters is that the police should be able to handle an unarmed citizen with all the tools available to them such as stun guns, pepper spray, or in the worse case scenario shooting to maim but not to kill. If there is a struggle for the gun, that is a different story. There needs to be a daily briefing of the details as more and more details emerge. Information is very slow to come out in my opinion`.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
08/19/2014 7:46 Comments ||
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#4
OK, not "shoot to maim".
In reality, "shoot to cause a lawyer to be hired".
Posted by: ed in texas ||
08/19/2014 8:03 Comments ||
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#5
Jimmy, Mr. Wilson is a retired police officer. Geez Mr. Wilson, tell us again how you capped that worthless, ragging, POS robbery suspect in Ferguson.
#6
Technically, they are 'State' troops under the authority of the governor. What the world (and AnNahar) doesn't understand is that it still has the vestiges of the United States of America. If they're not on the federal payroll, they are not 'U.S.' troops. The President has the authority to 'federalize' them (see-Eisenhower, Little Rock), at which time they become 'U.S.' troops.
#9
P2K, the National Guard is not a state unit. It's a federal unit. It's bought and paid for by the Congress. Congress authorizes the governors to use the NG for state purposes unless they've been federalized for some reason.
But the NG is a federal unit.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/19/2014 9:47 Comments ||
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#10
I watched this farce on CNN last night for two hours. If Don Lemon and Jake Tapper bent over backwards any further to make excuse after excuse for the 'protestors', their heads would be in China.
Also, Malik Shabazz (fairly well known in Boston as a rabble rouser) referred to the police weapons as 'artillery'. Don Lemon did not challenge that one at all.
#11
Sorry, but it is a state unit. Congress's authority is (Article I, Section 8)
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
When they're employed on state money, they're under state authority. Each state has their own NG Adjutant General which acts as the equivalent to the federal Chief of Staff. Here's the AZ legislative definition -
26-102. Powers and duties of the adjutant general
A. The adjutant general shall serve as head of the department. The governor as commander in chief shall administer and control the national guard, and the adjutant general is responsible to the governor for execution of all orders relating to the militia, organization, activation, reactivation, inactivation and allocation of units, recruiting of personnel, public relations and discipline and training of the national guard and those members of the militia inducted into the service of this state as provided in this chapter. The adjutant general shall act as military chief of staff to the governor and chief of all branches of the militia. - cite
#12
General Officers of the Regular Army are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States. State Adjutant Generals are appointed by the Governor.
#14
BTW, Google their websites to see how they refer to themselves. It's basically with the state name followed by National Guard, not preceded by "U.S.".
#15
Steve, unless they have been federalized under a Title 10, the national Guard is most definitely a not federal unit.
The alternate is SAD, State Active Duty, as the militia of the State at the command of the Governor, restricted to the boundaries of that state. They can arrest and assume law enforcement status in this role.
Title 32 leaves them under State command but federally regulated. Basically it allows for full time Guard positions to exist. These are still nominally state positions, but federally regulated and subject to Posse Comitatus (no arrest power), unless also on SAD (state active duty) by order of the governor of the state. This dual status was what worked in Katrina for out of state Guard units.
#16
And FYI, the Guard is paid for by the state, not the Feds, unless on active duty for the Feds. Congress funds it for capability in federal service, which the states can use.
A current example is Texas use of the NG at the border as called up by Gov Perry. Texas will end up paying operational costs if they can't get the actions qualified for federal funding (expect a lawsuit, Texas vs US)
#17
And it's verified that the MO national guard is Active under State authority. So Title 10, Title 32, and Title 18 (posse comitatus) do not apply. they are state, answerable only to the Governor, and can act in law enforcement capacity. They are also paid for out of the state of Missouri funds, for which they can apply for federal aid.
#21
The entire issue from the perspective of the rioters is that the police should be able to handle an unarmed citizen with all the tools available to them such as stun guns, pepper spray, or in the worse case scenario shooting to maim but not to kill.
Sounds like the Rodney King arrest. Same results.
#22
Egypt urges U.S. restraint over Missouri unrest
Reuters) - Egypt on Tuesday urged U.S. authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with racially charged demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri - echoing language Washington used to caution Egypt as it cracked down on Islamist protesters last year.
U.S. foes Iran and Syria also lambasted the United States, but while they are frequent critics of Washington, it is unusual for Egypt to criticize such a major donor. It was not immediately clear why Egypt would issue such a statement.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry's statement on the unrest in Ferguson read similarly to one issued by U.S. President Barack Obama's administration in July 2013, when the White House "urged security forces to exercise maximum restraint and caution" in dealing with demonstrations by Mursi supporters.
The ministry added it was "closely following the escalation of protests" in Ferguson, Missouri.
#24
Egypt urges U.S. restraint over Missouri unrest
Who knew the Egyptians had such a sense of humor?
As for Malik Shabazz referred to the police weapons as 'artillery' , a little artillery would dampen the protester's enthusiasm rather quickly. Or maybe a drone armed with cluster bombs.
#26
Also Skidmark, that lik was to NG small biz (fences, base ops, etc) contracts to MISSISSIPPI you dumbass. You should just shut the f up when you want yo question the integrity of something you know nothing about.
#27
You shoot to stop the threat. You do not shoot to maim or kill.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
08/19/2014 17:06 Comments ||
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#28
DoD (aka the Fed) funds the state NGs because it wants the trained personnel and equipment ready for deployment/utilization. If DoD didn't fund the NG the time to equip and train up would be in the months (too late) rather than weeks upon federalization. In return (as per the Article 1, Section 8) DoD establishes standards of training and standardized equipping (TO&E), which really ramped up after the First Gulf War/Desert Storm. Before that event, NG officers derived their appointment from the governors with varying degrees of capability. After that event, law was implemented that set standards for federal recognition of those appointments upon mobilization, though the governors still appoint. And, yes, there is a taint of 'good old boy' politics in some of that (not to be confused with the 'fighter mafia' or 'ring tappers' among the regulars).
Indeed, the Guard is a strange creature that has evolved over two hundred years.
Posted by: Barbara ||
08/19/2014 19:24 Comments ||
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#30
To OldSpook and others who commented earlier on my statement that the NG is federal, not state: my basis for what I said is the 1933 National Guard Mobilization Act, which made clear that the NG is a federal entity (receiving federal funding) and separate from any state militia that might exist.
As I understand it, most NG personnel have dual appointments, both federal and state. The feds pay almost all of the salaries, equipment, training, etc., and can call a NG unit to active duty at any time. The state militia side of this is that a governor can call them to duty for emergencies through the state adjutants general.
So it looks like they are BOTH federal AND state at the same time. Learned something.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/19/2014 19:42 Comments ||
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#2
One of the bullets entered his head and came out through his eye; another — likely the fatal wound, Baden said — struck Brown on the top of his head and caused irreparable damage to his brain.
I believe this would the "racetrack" mentioned yesterday. Good call.
#3
Racetrack? Does that term imply the bullet, after entering the skull was deflected or followed the inside curvature of the cranium? And then exited the face or neck?
#5
WHAT! The cop has a viewpoint? WRONG! The narrative has been prepared for Lord Holder's arrival. Double plus ungood. All relevant facts have already been applied.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
08/19/2014 7:53 Comments ||
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#6
If you can't trust your own government, then who can you trust?
But then , HE is the Messiah.
You listening to the Liberal media. They want a Lynching. They have published a map to the Policeman's house.
Plus, on the bright side, think of all that "free stuff" to be had by the enterprising. Televisions, liquor, running shoes....
Posted by: Big Thromoth3646 ||
08/19/2014 8:03 Comments ||
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#7
If his arms were raised upright in a 'surrender' display, the bullets would have entered the back of the arm (triceps) not the forward of the arm (biceps). Raise your own arm and see what would have been presented to the shooter standing in front of you.
#8
Ed in Texas has it exactly right. People's minds are made up. Don't confuse them with irrelevant facts.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
08/19/2014 11:24 Comments ||
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#9
I saw where some pro players were getting their wwf on with the gesture.
You know what. This dood had the size to be at least a college level player. All he had to do was get halfway good in high school and he would have been picked up somewhere. Looks like he was given a chance to get out and pissed it away. Wanted to go into business? If he had any respect for businesses he would not have strong armed his way through a shoplifting.
Well liked, maybe, but I have known plenty of f's who were fun to be around until stuff starts missing.
[Breitbart] To the horror of many in Congress, President Obama has reportedly ordered lifted the 31-year ban preventing Libyan nationals from attending flight schools and studying nuclar science in the U.S. of A. A horrible Congress is horrified.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's recent directive reports, "The United States Government and the Government of Libya have normalized their relationship, and most of the restrictions and sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations toward Libya have been lifted." "Normalized relationship"...? Chaos is normal? Ok, so it is.
"Therefore," the document continues, "DHS, after consultation with the Department of State and the Department of Defense, is considering rescinding the restrictions that deny nonimmigrant status and benefits to a specific group of Libyan nationals." "Specific group"....Translation: Moderate Islamicysts.
A spokesman for DHS says the White House ordered the Libyan policy review "to see how they might be updated to better align with U.S. of A. interests in light of its revolution." Would that be their revolution, or ours ?
[Iran Press TV] Amnesia Amnesty International has taken the "unprecedented" step of sending a team to the US to observe the escalating unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, and criticizing "dictators for quelling dissent" through forceful measures.
The human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... organization dispatched a delegation to Ferguson on Thursday to observe police tactics and protester activity in the wake of the police shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, on August 9.
It marks the first time Amnesia Amnesty International, a London-based non-governmental organization that focuses on human rights, has deployed a team to the US.
Amnesty USA's executive director Steven W. Hawkins issued a scathing statement on Saturday after Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and put a curfew in place in Ferguson following angry protests over the death of 18-year-old Brown.
"We criticize dictators for quelling dissent and silencing protestors with tactics like curfews, we'll certainly speak out when it's happening in our own backyard," he said. "The people of Ferguson have the right to protest peacefully the lack of accountability for Michael Brown's shooting."
In an interview Sunday afternoon, Jasmine Heiss, a senior campaigner with Amnesty and part of the team in Ferguson, said because of limits police placed on Amnesty's access, "It was very difficult to see anything once the curfew went into effect last night."
On Thursday, Amnesty said a "prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation" into Brown's death must be launched without delay.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/19/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Ahhhh nice! Your work there is obviously done. Now hurry on back to Woolwich Jasmine. The bloody Sharia dictators are trying to take my cigs and beer away.
#2
Problem is, Jasmine, the children couldn't limit themselves to peaceful protest. So to protect lives, the adults have to tell them to stay indoors when they're most likely to attempt more violence.
Curious how little concern "human rights" groups have for innocent people in western countries...
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
08/19/2014 7:43 Comments ||
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#5
F U. Apparently they think looters and rioters have right to destroy the community. Wrong. Especially since many of the worst rioters arrested have been from out of state - agitators, thugs, gang bangers.
#6
I used to believe in Amnesty until I got a hold of one of their yearly reports and half of the book blabbed about injustice in the US and only a tiny portion mentioned the Soviet Union or any of the known third world dictatorships.
#7
Oh now I know there is money to be made on a full riot.
Few days ago, buddy and I were looking at pics and noticed a skinny white dude trying to throw a Molotov. Sure didn't look like or dress as the locals.
[Iran Press TV] Last week's murder of an unarmed black teenager in Missouri by a white policeman is another clear sign that the United States is a "human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... -failed state" with a "strong degree of institutionalized racism," a researcher and historian in Washington says.
"The police execution of Michael Brown and the autopsy report that came out that he had been shot to the head twice is a clear manifestation of what African-Americans and others already know, that there's a strong degree of institutionalized racism along with militarization of police," said Dr. Randy Short in a phone interview on Monday.
Dr. Short said blacks in the US live under similar conditions as Paleostinians do under Israeli occupation and oppression. "The African-American community is very similar to the communities of Gazoo and Hebron and others in the occupied territories. We're an internally colonized group."
The shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown has led to a week of protests in Ferguson, Missouri which have sometimes turned violent.
On Monday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon ordered the National Guard into Ferguson hours after police said escalating violence led to shootings, arrests and "pre-planned" acts of aggression by protesters.
Police in body armor, helmets and gas masks moved in with armored vehicles and hurled tear gas and smoke bombs on protesters late Sunday.
"The police are not coppers but people who terrorize, brutalize, beat us," Dr. Short said. "They're involved in drug dealing, prostitution, all sorts of things."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/19/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
"The African-American community is very similar to the communities of Gazoo and Hebron and others in the occupied territories. We're an internally colonized group."
#4
We're so racist we demand they obey the same laws we do!
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
08/19/2014 7:44 Comments ||
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#5
But Rob, we've permitted the Champ to exercise 'Selective Enforcement' of the law. It would only follow that the proper exercise of Affirmative Action would permit the same flexibility be granted everyone in the entitlement class.
#9
Dr. W (?) Randy Short belongs to this class - short sighted, short on facts, short tempered, and short thought process. Frankly he is a living cliché - a Jesse Jackson want-to-be.
#10
It is just sad. There are certain things that guarantee failure and it has become racist to point it out, thus increasing the failure rates in some communities. That is institutionalized stupidity not racism.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
President Barack Obama apologetically shook the hand of a U.S. Marine in Washington after having failed to return the service member's salute.
By Chris Covert
The Pentagon has stuck with the F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter program despite dozens of technical problems and delays, strategic concerns, and massive cost overruns that have nearly doubled the initial cost estimate, raising the cost of building the planes to around $400 billion with a lifetime cost of up to $1.5 trillion.
MSNBCs Chris Hayes and Craig Melvin had to dodge rocks thrown at them by protesters during their live coverage of the events in Ferguson, MO. The protesters also voiced their dissatisfaction with the media coverage of the protest, with one declaring it a Civil Rights Movement. Both Hayes and Melvin appeared to be uninjured.
[Iran Press TV] Last week's murder of an unarmed black teenager in Missouri by a white policeman is another clear sign that the United States is a "
