Kerry 'Quietly' Approved $1.3 Billion in 'Military Aid' to Egyptian Government

Reuters is reporting that Secretary of State John Kerry "quietly acted last month to give Egypt $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid." by AWR Hawkins 7 Jun 2013

Benghazi II? Beirut Embassy 'Fails to Meet Security Protocols'

Three decades after 63 people were killed in a bombing there, the U.S. embassy in Beirut is not classified as "high threat," even though Lebanon as a whole is listed as "critical," Hezbollah has a strong presence near it, and the embassy itself "fails to meet security protocols." Eight months after Benghazi, with the administration insisting it has learned its lesson going forward, nothing seems to have changed. by AWR Hawkins 7 Jun 2013

165 Imprisoned as Slaves by Cartel Rescued One Mile from US Border

Mexican troops have rescued 165 people who were purchased and kept as slaves by a Mexican drug cartel. The adults, children, and pregnant women had been kept in Mexico less than one mile from the U.S. border. by Brandon Darby 7 Jun 2013

Church Schools in Gaza Face Closure with Hamas Order for Gender Segregation

Five church schools in Gaza are facing closure by the Hamas government if it follows through with an order forbidding co-educational institutions. by Dr. Susan Berry 7 Jun 2013

GOP Rep: Atheist Chaplains Would Describe Slain Soldiers as 'Worm Food'

As atheists push for chaplain positions within the military, Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) and others within the House of Representatives ask why the family of a solider KIA would want to be told their son or daughter is now "worm food"? by AWR Hawkins 7 Jun 2013

Amendments Protecting Soldiers' Religious Rights Approved by Committee

Congress is taking action on religious liberty in the military, a story that was originally reported by Breitbart News. New legal language passed a key committee this week and next goes to the full House and then the Senate; it could become federal law later this year. by Ken Klukowski 7 Jun 2013

Report: U.S. Conducts Test to Destroy Underground Iranian Nuke Facilities

Reports indicate the Pentagon recently conducted tests in which advanced bunker buster bombs were used to destroy a replica of an Iranian underground nuclear facility. by AWR Hawkins 7 Jun 2013

Why Collect So Much Information if Obama Refuses to Use It Against Terror?

Yesterday America learned that the U.S. government is gathering information on our phone calls and can follow our every keystroke. We are reassured that the information is to stop terrorists. And yet the government fails to stop terrorists when it has information about them, because President Barack Obama refuses to understand that our enemy is radical Islam and the agencies he directs follow his disastrous lead. by Joel B. Pollak 7 Jun 2013

Turkey PM Urges End to Protests

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate end to mass protests against his rule Friday but urged supporters to "go home" after they staged a major show of strength welcoming him home from an overseas trip. from AFP 7 Jun 2013

UK's Prince Philip Faces Exploratory Surgery

Britain's Prince Philip is facing exploratory abdominal surgery after being admitted to a London hospital. from AP 7 Jun 2013

World Stocks Fall Ahead of US Jobs Report

World stock markets fell Friday as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of a key U.S. jobs report later in the day. from AP 7 Jun 2013

World View: Austria Quits U.N. Peacekeeping Force on Syria-Israel Border

The entire United Nations peacekeeping effort in the Golan Heights on the border between Syria and Israel is in jeopardy after Austria's announcement that it's withdrawing its 380 troops from 1,000 member force, because the peacekeepers' lives are in danger. by John J. Xenakis 7 Jun 2013

Taliban Magazine Claims Obama Weak Like Gorbachev, U.S. Defeated Like The U.S.S.R.

An article in the Taliban magazine Azan compares Barack Obama at this point with Michel Gorbachev in 1989--saying both lost in Afghanistan and both lost their own countries. by AWR Hawkins 6 Jun 2013

Guatemalan Arrested with $1.16 Million in Drug Money in Arkansas

A Guatemalan national has been sentenced to more than thirteen years in prison for his role in a Guatemalan narcotics ring operating on U.S. soil. by Brandon Darby 6 Jun 2013

Russian President Putin, Wife Divorce

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila said Thursday they are divorcing after nearly 30 years of marriage, making the announcement on state television after attending a ballet performance at the Kremlin. from AP 6 Jun 2013

Chess Master Kasparov Flees Russia

The exodus from Vladimir Putin’s jackbooted Russia is on. On Thursday, Russian chess grandmaster and Putin political opponent Garry Kasparov announced that he had left the country thanks to its political repression. “I kept traveling back and forth until late February, where it became clear that I might be part of this ongoing investigation of the activities of the political protesters,” Kasparov told a press conference in Geneva. “Right now I have serious doubts that if I return to Moscow I may be able to travel back. So for the time being I refrain from returning to Russia.” by Breitbart News 6 Jun 2013

British Government Pays Reparations To Mau Maus: Was Obama's Grandfather Among The Tortured?

After a long legal battle, the British goverment has apologized and agreed to pay £19.9 million (about $30 million) to thousands of Kenyans who were totured between 1951 and 1962 in the Mau Mau uprising. by Lee Stranahan 6 Jun 2013

Report: CIA Not Sure Who Drones Were Targeting for 14 Months

A report issued by NBC News' Open Channel says the CIA did not always know who is was targeting with drone strikes over a 14 month period. by AWR Hawkins 6 Jun 2013

High School Forcing Marine to Cover Uniform for Graduation

ConVal High School in Peterborough, NH is forcing a member of the USMC who is just wrapping up boot camp to cover his Marine Blues when he attends his own graduation. by AWR Hawkins 6 Jun 2013

Army Reprimands Soldier for Serving Chick-Fil-A at Private Party

A soldier who served Chick-fil-A sandwiches at a party he threw to honor the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and his promotion to Master Sergeant has received a letter of reprimand. by AWR Hawkins 6 Jun 2013

Tunisia Bomb Attack Kills Two Soldiers

A roadside bomb targeting a Tunisian army vehicle killed two soldiers and wounded two others on Thursday in Mount Chaambi, near the border with Algeria, the military said. from AFP 6 Jun 2013

IMF Admits 'Notable Failures' in 2010 Greece Rescue

The International Monetary Fund has admitted to significant failures in the first Greek rescue that forced a second, larger bailout and left the country in a deep recession. from AFP 6 Jun 2013

Saudi Urges Lebanese to End to Syria-Linked Fighting

Saudi Arabia on Thursday urged Lebanon's people to act "wisely" and end their fighting in the city of Tripoli, wracked by a wave of bloody violence linked to the conflict in neighbouring Syria. from AFP 6 Jun 2013

SKorea Offers to Meet North for Talks Next Week

South Korean officials have offered to meet their North Korean counterparts next week in Seoul to talk about restoring a jointly run factory park and other projects. from AP 6 Jun 2013

Yemen Troops 'Kill 2 Local Qaeda Leaders'

Yemeni forces killed two local Al-Qaeda leaders who were planning attacks on vital installations and arrested a third, state news agency Saba reported Thursday. from AFP 6 Jun 2013

Iran Project Calls for Obama Admin to Use Diplomacy with Iran

A group of former U.S. officials taking part in the"Iran Project" are calling on the Obama administration to focus on a more diplomatic approach to Iran. by AWR Hawkins 6 Jun 2013

World View: Syria and Hezbollah Gloat over Victory in Town of Qusair

Syria's army scored a decisive victory on Wednesday in the strategic town of Qusair which controls major transportation routes in southwest Syria. by John J. Xenakis 6 Jun 2013

Cleric: Woolwich Attacker a 'Nice Man', Victim Will 'Burn in Hellfire'

Cleric Anjem Choudary claims accused Woolwich attacker Michael Adebolajo was "a very nice man" and the vicitm--British soldier Lee Rigby--will "burn in hellfire." by AWR Hawkins 5 Jun 2013

Samantha Power Pushed For Apology Tour; 'Mea Culpa' for U.S. 'Crimes'

Philip Klein of the Washington Examiner observes that although the administration mocked Mitt Romney less than a year ago for suggesting that President Barack Obama undertook an "apology tour" to the Middle East in 2009, Obama's nominee to replace Susan Rice as UN Ambassador, Samantha Power, advocated just that. by AWR Hawkins 5 Jun 2013

Palestinian Negotiator: 'Radicalism and Violence' Will Follow if Peace Talks Fail

Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat says that if U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts at restarting the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority fails, "the West Bank could fall to radicalism and violence." by AWR Hawkins 5 Jun 2013

Yes, Samantha Power's Personal Beliefs Matter

President Barack Obama's supporters are defending his controversial appointment of Samantha Power as UN Ambassador with the same argument they once used to support Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel: she may have mocked the idea of Iran as a threat, called for the invasion of Israel, and so on, but once she is in office she will follow the more acceptable line laid down by the president--who may share her views, but privately. by Joel B. Pollak 5 Jun 2013

Rep. Elijah Cummings: Benghazi Attack Probe Complete

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) declared Tuesday that a federal probe into 2012's Benghazi terrorist attack is complete, regardless of what contrary views the GOP might hold. by AWR Hawkins 5 Jun 2013

Wondering About the Future of Europe

Ten years ago, United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld caused an international sensation when he branded Germany and France, who had just pledged to form a united front against U.S. plans to invade Iraq, as "Old Europe." by Avi Davis 5 Jun 2013

Top 10 Questions for Samantha Power Confirmation Hearing

The United Nations may not accomplish much, but it is the most important public forum in which the U.S. defends its values and interests to the world. Samantha Power, who is President Barack Obama's choice to replace outgoing UN Ambassador Susan Rice, is a particularly radical pick and should face tough questions and scrutiny when she appears before the Senate Foreign Relations committee for confirmation, including these. by Joel B. Pollak 5 Jun 2013

Source: DOD Delayed IG Report on Bin Laden Raid Leaks Until After Election

Not only did former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta leak the name of the Navy SEAL group responsible for the killing of Osama Bin Laden in 2011, but the release of the Pentagon Inspector General’s (IG) report revealing the incident, which was ready in July 2012, was delayed until now. by William Bigelow 5 Jun 2013

Boston Bombing Suspect Claims People Sending Him Money

According to Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, he’s been receiving cash, and somebody has set up a bank account for him. Tsarnaev told his mother in a phone call last week that he’d been given $1,000. His mother, Zubeidat, who famously stated that she wished to martyr herself alongside her elder son Tamerlan, said “I was just asking him if we can send something to him and he said, ‘Mama, do not worry, somebody opened account for me and I already have money.’” by Breitbart News 5 Jun 2013

Ft. Hood Shooter's Defense: I Was Protecting Taliban from US Soldiers

On Tuesday, Army psychiatrist and alleged terrorist Maj. Nidal Hasan told a military judge that he killed 13 Americans in “defense of others.” Who were those others? Hasan contends that American troops in Fort Hood were an imminent threat to Taliban fighters. The defense would require Hasan to show that the murders were necessary to protect others from harm or death, and Hasan’s attempt to use it will likely be thrown out. Incredibly, there are those who say that had Hasan argued that he wanted to defend Muslim women and children, he may have been allowed to use the defense. by Breitbart News 5 Jun 2013

Power to UN

Numerous news agencies report that the White House confirmed early Wednesday that longtime Obama adviser Samantha Power will be nominated as UN Ambassador, replacing Susan Rice, who will be National Security Advisor, replacing current NSA Advisor Tom Donilon. The move is certain to rankle pro-Israel groups. by Joel B. Pollak 5 Jun 2013

'Liar' Replaces 'Leaker': Donilon to Resign, Rice to Take Over as NSA Advisor

National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, who is widely suspected of being the source of critical leaks from the White House, is resigning and will be replaced by UN Ambassador Susan Rice, who played a key role in misleading the American public about the Benghazi terror attack in Sep. 2012. The NSA post does not require Senate confirmation; Rice withdrew her candidacy as Secretary of State due to the difficulty of confirmation. by Breitbart News 5 Jun 2013

AP Source: Donilon Resigns as Security Adviser, Rice to Replace

President Barack Obama's top national security adviser Tom Donilon is resigning and will be replaced by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, marking a significant shakeup to the White House foreign policy team. from AP 5 Jun 2013

Turkey Rocked by New Violence Despite Apology

Fresh clashes erupted in Turkey early Wednesday as protesters defied a government plea to end days of unrest, the biggest challenge yet to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decade-long rule. from AFP 5 Jun 2013

N. Korean Leader Wants Ski Resort by Year-End

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has issued a national appeal to speed up work on a "world class" ski resort, which is being built as rival South Korea prepares to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. from AFP 5 Jun 2013

US Soldier to Plead Guilty over Afghan Massacre

A US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers is expected to plead guilty in return for escaping the death penalty, when he appears before a military tribunal Wednesday. from AFP 5 Jun 2013

Kerry Begins First Latin America Trip

US Secretary of State John Kerry began his first trip to Latin America for talks with his regional counterparts expected to focus on drugs and security. from AFP 5 Jun 2013

Yemen Forces Launch Anti Al-Qaeda Offensive

Yemeni forces began on Wednesday an all-out offensive against Al-Qaeda groups that recently seized villages in the southeastern province of Hadramawt, officials and witnesses said. from AFP 5 Jun 2013

Pakistani Parliament Elects Nawaz Sharif as PM

Pakistan's parliament elected Nawaz Sharif as prime minister on Wednesday, marking a historic transfer of power in a country that has undergone three military coups. from AP 5 Jun 2013

Take a Risk for Peace: Move our Embassy to Jerusalem

Safely re-elected last November, President Obama waited barely a month (December 4, 2012) before suspending once again the provisions of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. That law required the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the permanent and undivided capital of Israel and to move the American Embassy there. by Ken Blackwell 5 Jun 2013

Sequester Doesn't Prevent Pentagon Staff From Growing

With the all the cuts and loses blamed on sequester, one area that seems untouched thus far is the Pentagon. And particularly, the continued expansion of Pentagon staff. by AWR Hawkins 5 Jun 2013

World View: France Says There's 'No Doubt' Syria Regime Used Sarin Gas

Empty rhetoric abounded again on Tuesday after France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius announced on television that the regime of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad used sarin gas against the opposition with "no doubt" by John J. Xenakis 5 Jun 2013

Accountability Review Board Head Pickering Deposed

Former Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who led up the embattled Accountability Review Board largely hand-picked by the State Department and tasked with getting to the bottom of American failures in Benghazi, gave a deposition behind closed doors on Tuesday. According to witnesses, he said that he considered his role on the ARB “a debt of honor in memory of Ambassador Stevens.” The deposition was given before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. by Breitbart News 4 Jun 2013

Transportation Secretary's Son Sentenced to 5 Years in Egypt

Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood’s son, Sam Lahood, has been convicted and sent to prison in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood regime led by Mohammed Morsi has ruled that Lahood may spend up to five years in prison for receiving foreign funds, supposedly to foment unrest in Egypt. The non-profit group of which Lahood was a part was allegedly working on democracy training, a no-no in repressive Egypt. by Breitbart News 4 Jun 2013

Egypt Convicts U.S. Transportation Secretary's Son

An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced 43 non-profit workers, including the son of the U.S. secretary of transportation and 15 other Americans, to prison in a case against foreign-funded pro-democracy groups. from AP 4 Jun 2013

Islamist Woolwich Murder Suspect Defiant in First Court Appearance

The Telegraph is reporting that Woolrich murder suspect Michael Abedolajo walked into court on June 3 with a smile, kissed the Koran at one point, and "appeared to blow a kiss to a relative in the public gallery." by AWR Hawkins 4 Jun 2013

Study: Quality Jobs Not Accompanying Job Growth in Most Nations

Countries that are seeing strong job growth are not seeing an increase in the number of quality jobs, while nations that are facing higher levels of unemployment are seeing an increase in quality jobs at the upper end of the income spectrum. by Tony Lee 4 Jun 2013

Israel Builds Sinai Border Fence; Illegal Crossings Drop 99.9%

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has touted the success of a new border fence that Israel built along its boundary with Egypt to stop illegal infiltrators. In a statement posted at his government website, Netanyahu reported that illegal crossings had declined 99.9%, from 2,000 per month to only two. by Joel B. Pollak 4 Jun 2013

Turkish PM Responds to U.S. Criticism over Protests: Look at Yourself

According to a report by the State Department press pool, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded on Monday to U.S. criticism of excessive force by Turkish law enforcement by saying the United States should "look at themselves." by Meredith Dake 4 Jun 2013

Lawyer: Manning Wanted to Enlighten US About War

The second day of the military trial for Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning is expected to focus on evidence prosecutors say was found on the soldier's computer in Iraq. from AP 4 Jun 2013

China Blocks Tiananmen Anniversary Remembrance

Chinese police blocked the gate of a cemetery housing victims of the Tiananmen crackdown on its 24th anniversary Tuesday, part of a sweeping annual effort to bar commemorations of the event. from AFP 4 Jun 2013

US Commanders to Be Grilled over Justice System

Top US commanders are likely to face tough questioning Tuesday from impatient senators who want an overhaul of the military justice system to stem an epidemic of sexual assaults in the ranks. from AFP 4 Jun 2013

Hong Kong Man Finds He Is a Woman After Doctor Visit

A 66-year-old who lived his whole life as a man was given a surprising diagnosis after visiting the doctor in Hong Kong with a swollen abdomen -- he was a woman. from AFP 4 Jun 2013

Obama Administration Reveals Inside Info on Israel's Missile Facility

The Obama Administration, ever friendly to Israel, promised to help Israel build a state-of-the-art facility in Tel Shahar which would contain the Arrow 3, a new ballistic missile. by William Bigelow 4 Jun 2013

Bill Clinton Paid $500,000 to Speak in Israel

The Jewish National Fund, a group most widely known for planting trees in Israel, is paying former President Bill Clinton $500,000 to give a 45-minute speech in Israel on June 17. by William Bigelow 4 Jun 2013

World View: Greece's Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn Party Popularity Grows

The next 3.3 billion euro installment in the bailout of Greece is due at the end of June if Greece is to avoid going bankrupt, and so representatives of the "troika" of organizations bailing out Greece -- the European Commission (EC), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) -- are returning to Greece to turn the screws and make sure that the government meets its previous promises and commitments. by John J. Xenakis 4 Jun 2013

What Islamic Supremacism Really Is

Our victory in this global conflict will only be assured when the majority of Americans (and all free people) truly understand the nature of the conflict. The common man is being willfully misled by the political and media elites about the religious imperative that is behind the Islamic war against the West. Most people have still never even heard of Islamic supremacism – or realize just how pervasive it is. by Pamela Geller 3 Jun 2013

Obama to Sign UN Gun Treaty During Summer Recess

In an attempt to avoid public scrutiny, President Obama plans to sign the controversial United Nations gun treaty in August, when Congress is in summer recess. According to White House press secretary Jay Carney, Obama will sign the treaty “before the end of August,” even though legally he could have done so next week. by Ben Shapiro 3 Jun 2013

China Redraws Map to Claim Major Trade Route in South China Sea

An alarming newly rendered map by China’s mapping authority reportedly includes 80% of the South China Sea—a major passageway for international trade—as within China’s sovereign borders. by Wynton Hall 3 Jun 2013

Death Toll Rises to 119 in China Poultry Plant Fire

In the morning hours of June 3, a fire raged through a poultry plant in northeastern China, "killing at least 119 people." The plant is located in Jilin province's Mishazi township. by AWR Hawkins 3 Jun 2013

Female Israeli Soldiers Punished for Racy Photos

The Israeli military said Sunday that it has disciplined a group of female soldiers who posed for photos in underwear and combat gear and posted the images on Facebook. from AP 3 Jun 2013

Hezbollah Becoming the Guerrilla Arm of Syrian Government Forces

On June 2, thousands of Hezbollah fighters were gathered around the Syrian city of Aleppo, preparing to attack. Syrian rebels have held Aleppo since the summer of 2012, but Hezbollah fighters, standing beside Syrian forces, seemed prepared to take it back. by AWR Hawkins 3 Jun 2013

S.African Union Leader 'Shot Dead at Lonmin Mine'

A union leader was shot dead at a Lonmin platinum mine in South Africa on Monday, the union said, amid heightened tensions after deadly strikes at the mine last year. from AFP 3 Jun 2013

Violence Flares on 4th Day of Turkish Protests

Violence has flared in Istanbul between a group of demonstrators and police on the fourth day of protests set off by a brutal police crackdown of a peaceful environmental protest. from AP 3 Jun 2013

US Soldier Faces Trial over WikiLeaks Disclosures

Three years after his arrest in Iraq for allegedly causing America's worst ever national security breach, US Army private Bradley Manning finally goes on trial Monday over his disclosures to WikiLeaks. from AFP 3 Jun 2013

Gay Pride in Sao Paulo Draws One Million

More than a million people took to Sao Paulo's streets for a massive Gay Pride parade, aiming to end discrimination and support same-sex marriage rights in Brazil. from AFP 3 Jun 2013

Afghan Suicide Blast 'Kills Nine Children'

A suicide bomb attack aimed at US and Afghan forces killed nine children outside a school in Afghanistan on Monday, officials said. from AFP 3 Jun 2013

Building of New US-Mexico Border Crossing Stalls

Nearly two years after a ceremonial groundbreaking, not a shovel of dirt has been moved south of the border. The Mexican government has not allocated any money for its share of the work, so the bridge building is stalled _ with no timetable for completion. from AP 3 Jun 2013

State Dept: No Active Al Qaeda, Hezbollah Terror Cells in Western Hemisphere

A new report on world international terrorism activities released by the State Department asserts that there were "no known operational cells" of Al Qaeda or Hezbollah in the Western Hemisphere during the year 2012. by Meredith Dake 3 Jun 2013

World View: China's Premier Visits India, Fails to Solve Any Problems

With China's new government in power, led by president Xi Jinping, the new prime minister Li Keqiang chose India as his first international visit, with the nominal objectives of reducing tensions in at least three areas: India/China border disputes, trade and commercial relations, and China-Pakistan relations. by John J. Xenakis 3 Jun 2013