From the Trenches World Report

Washington Post – by Craig Whitlock

The steel-gray U.S. Air Force Predator drone plunged from the sky, shattering on mountainous terrain near the Iraq-Turkey border. For Kurdish guerrillas hiding nearby, it was an unexpected gift from the propaganda gods.

Fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, filmed the charred wreckage on Sept. 18 and posted a video on YouTube. A narrator bragged unconvincingly that the group had shot down the drone. But for anyone who might doubt that the flying robot was really American, the video zoomed in on mangled parts stamped in English and bearing the label of the manufacturer, San Diego-based General Atomics.   Continue reading “U.S. military drone surveillance is expanding to hot spots beyond declared combat zones”

Lataan – by Damian Lataan

According to a report in yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald, Israeli Housing Minister, Yuri Ariel of the extreme right-wing Jewish Home Party, was quoted as saying with regards to the possibility of a settlement freeze during bilateral talks with Palestinians, ‘that he did not want to consider even a limited freeze’ adding: “It’s inappropriate for the Jewish people, for the land of Israel and for a sovereign state. We are in favour of building as much as possible.”   Continue reading “Do Israeli Zionists Think The West Bank Is Already A Part Of ‘Sovereign Israel’?”

Examiner – by David Codrea

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released a 60-day notice on Wednesday requesting comments on a proposed change to its Application to Make and Register a Firearm, Form Number: ATF F 1 (5320.1). The notice is published in the Federal Register for Monday, July 22, available online now.

“The form is used by persons applying to make and register a firearm that falls within the purview of the National Firearms Act,” the notice explains. “The information supplied by the applicant on the form helps to establish the applicant’s eligibility.   Continue reading “ATF requests public comments on firearm application form”

IntelliHub – by Janet C. Phelan

As quoted in the Moscow Times, July 20, 2013, Russia’s chief sanitary inspector,Gennady Onishchenko, has accused the U.S. of producing biological weapons in a Georgia at a U.S. Navy facility that is run in concert with the Georgian government.

The facility, the Center Public Health Reference Laboratory (CPHR), is situated on a former Soviet military base and is located on the outskirts of Tbilisi. Here, the U.S. government is conducting activities in violation of the 1975 Biological Weapons Convention, Onischenko told Interfax on Saturday.  Continue reading “Russian Official Accuses U.S. of Biological Weapons Violations”

WND – by F. Michael Maloof

The recent seizure of a North Korean freighter carrying Cuban, nuclear-capable SA-2 missile components for refurbishment has resurrected the spectre of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when another communist nation developed nuclear dealings with America’s island neighbor.

Richard Fisher, a military affairs specialist, explained the significance of the shipment, which was captured in the Panama Canal: “North Korea, a country soon to be in a position to export nuclear warhead armed ballistic missiles, now has a missile relationship with Cuba.”   Continue reading “U.S. Faces Brand-New Cuban Missile Crisis”

Live With Dogs

With the number of frequent shootings by police against non-aggressive family dogs, it’s about time we see something being done within the police community. Online magazine Law Enforcement Today has recently published an article warning officers not to shoot loved family dogs.

James P. Gaffney, author of the article, is an LET risk management/police administration contributor to the publication, and served with a metro-New York police department for more than 25 years as a patrol officer, sergeant, lieutenant and executive officer. He brings to light the popular opinion that dogs are not just pets, but “valued family members,” and that the preferred term is now “canine companion.”   Continue reading “Law Enforcement Today Article Advises Police Not To Kill Family Dogs”

Natural News – by Mike Adams

Last week, Detroit declared bankruptcy, becoming the largest city in U.S. history to take such drastic action in the face of financial insolvency. A declaration of bankruptcy isn’t what most people think it is, though: it’s not just a statement of “we’re broke!” It’s actually a way for the city to clear its slate of all financial obligations and not pay the retirees it owes.

What are the largest financial obligations the city facing? Pensions. $3.5 billion worth of pensions, to be exact.   Continue reading “Warning to all police, firefighters, schoolteachers: Most government pensions to be confiscated within a decade”

NBC News – by Gil Aegerter

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck central New Zealand near the capital on Sunday, prompting flights in and out of the nearby airport to be suspended, according to local reports.

Nevertheless, initial reports indicated damage was light. The Pacific tsunami warning center did not issue a tsunami warning.

One News reported on its website that all flights in and out of Wellington Airport were suspended indefinitely amid fears of damage to equipment.   Continue reading “6.5 earthquake strikes near Wellington, New Zealand”

Rare – by James S. Robbins

Would you trust thousands of low-level Federal bureaucrats and contractors with one-touch access to your private financial and medical information? Under Obamacare you won’t have any choice.

As the Obamacare train-wreck begins to gather steam, there is increasing concern in Congress over something called the Federal Data Services Hub. The Data Hub is a comprehensive database of personal information being established by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement the federally facilitated health insurance exchanges. Continue reading “Move over NSA, here comes the Obamacare Big Brother database”

Press TV

Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Araqchi says Tehran is against the resumption of talks between Israel and Palestinians as Tel Aviv is incapable of dialogue.

The Israeli regime’s structure is based on occupation and therefore it is incapable of negotiating and reaching an agreement with Palestinians, Araqchi said on Sunday.    Continue reading “Israel incapable of negotiation with Palestinians: Araqchi”

Mail.com

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Government troops fired mortar rounds that slammed into a main market in a town in northern Syria on Sunday, killing at least 20 civilians, activist groups said.

The mortar shells struck the town of Ariha, which is held mostly by opposition fighters, a few hours ahead of iftar, the meal that breaks the dawn-to-dusk fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.   Continue reading “Mortar shells hit market in Syria, killing 20”

Free Beacon – by CJ Ciaramella

Confidential tax records of several political candidates and campaign donors were improperly accessed by government officials, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute any of the officials involved, even in one “willful” violation of the law, an IRS watchdog reported.

In a July 3 letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), the Treasury inspector general for tax administration (TIGTA) J. Russell George acknowledged that government officials had illegally accessed tax records of candidates and donors in four instances since 2006.   Continue reading “DOJ Declines to Prosecute Officials Involved in Tax Record Scandal”