[Rooters] WELLINGTON, March 5 - New Zealand has been spying electronically on its Pacific Island neighbors and Indonesia and sharing the intelligence with its international allies, according to documents released on Thursday.
The documents, released by former U.S. National Security Authority contractor Edward Snowden and dating back to 2009, said New Zealand's electronic spy agency had intercepted emails, mobile and fixed line phone calls, social media messages and other communications in small Pacific states including Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and French Polynesia.
The material gathered by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) was shared with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), which along with agencies make up the "Five Eyes" surveillance network. "Five Eyes surveillance network" is a misnomer.
I thought one of the key marks of a nation state was that it spied on its neighbours.
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/05/2015 14:14 Comments ||
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#6
When it came out the US was spying on Europeans who are close allies, why should anybody be surprised of not-really allies are spied upon by nations such as New Zealand.
[Daily Caller] The Associated Press is considering taking legal action against the State Department for failing to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests by the wire service concerning Hillary Clinton's emails during her time as secretary of state. She may not be able to laugh this one away.
"We have not received any documents yet, despite the promised deadlines, and we are considering taking legal action," Erin Madigan White, a spokesperson for The AP told Politico Wednesday.
[Ynet] Maryland police have incarcerated Book 'im, Mahmoud! a man suspected of firing at the National Security Agency headquarters, and who is also suspected in four other shooting incidents, authorities said on Wednesday.
The suspect, Hong Young, 35,
A Korean name? That's unexpected.
of Beltsville, Maryland, was arrested late on Tuesday, Anne Arundel County police said in a statement. Young is suspected of opening fire on the NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland, on Tuesday, striking a building, the statement said. Federal officials have said the gunshots came from a nearby highway. No injuries were reported. Young is also a suspect in four shots-fired incidents in Washington's Maryland suburbs since Feb. 24, when a man was grazed by a bullet while driving.
[DAWN] A South African domestic worker in Phoenix, Durban was allegedly raped last week by two men who are said to be Pak nationals, police said Wednesday.
An official of the South African Police Services (Saps), who requested anonymity, confirmed the Feb 26 incident in a telephonic conversation with Dawn and said that one of the perpetrators, identified as Ali Raza, 24, was locked away Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! . The second man managed to escape.
Continued on Page 49
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03/05/2015 00:00 ||
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Russian Su-30s and Su-24s aircraft from Russia's Black Sea Fleet based in Crimea have been conducting attack runs on NATO warships operating in the Black Sea, Sputnik News reported.
According to the Russian media outlet, the jets, launched from Novofedorvka, an airbase captured on Mar. 22, 2014, in western Crimea peninsula 70 kilometres north of Sevastopol, have been monitoring the movements of two ships, the American USS Vicksburg (a Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser), and Turkey's frigate The Turgut Reis.
On Mar. 3, a formation made of three Su-30s and four Su-24s overflew the NATO ships "to practice penetrating anti-air systems," as affirmed by a source at the Sevastopol naval base who spoke to the Russian state agency.
Interestingly, the Russians believe these missions are used for training purposes by both sides: "These ships' crews are doubtlessly conducting exercises in repelling air attacks from our planes, which gives our pilots the opportunity to gain experience in maneuvering and conducting aerial reconnaissance both in the range of anti-air systems and outside their range."
Close encounters between Russian planes and NATO ships around the globe happen quite frequently (do you of Tu-95 Bear flew quite close to USS Nimitz in the Pacific?); they have just become a bit more frequent in the Black Sea since last year's Russian annexation of Crimea: following the invasion of the peninsula, Moscow has moved combat planes to the local airbases and some of them pay visit to the NATO frigates in the vicinity every now and then.
In April 2014, a Su-24 Fencer flew multiple passes at 500 feet above sea level, within 1,000 yards of the USS Donald Cook, the U.S. Navy destroyer operating in the Black Sea at that time: a behaviour that the ship commander considered "provocative and inconsistent with international agreements."
Anyway, according to a source at the Russia's Chief Naval Staff quoted by TASS, the two NATO warships will be joined in the next few hours by the Italian frigate Aliseo and Canada's frigate The Fregerickton which are passing through the Black Sea straits.
#1
The Islamist-Jihadist threat To Russia + Russia's "near-abroad" is Putin's biggest or most immediate concern, IMO to be followed by Greek Orthodoxy's rivalry wid Russian Orthodoxy.
* THE MOSCOW TIMES > PUTIN SOUNDS THE ALARM OVER BUDDING "COLOUR REVOLUTIONS" IN RUSSIA.
[Dhaka Tribune] Russian President Vladimir Putin ...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead... said yesterday that the murder of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov was a shameful tragedy that carried a political subtext.
Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, was rubbed out as he walked with his girlfriend on Friday night near Red Square. He was the most prominent opposition figure to be killed in Russia during Putin's 15-year rule.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement, saying that the killing was a "provocation" designed to discredit Putin and strengthen his opponents, but Nemtsov's friends say the Kremlin is to blame for fomenting an atmosphere of hatred towards its opponents.
"The most serious attention should be paid to high-profile crimes, including the ones with a political subtext. Russia should be devoid at last of the kind of shame and tragedies that we have recently endured and seen," he said in a speech during a meeting with officials from the interior ministry.
"I mean the murder, the audacious murder of Boris Nemtsov right in the centre of the capital," he said.
Law enforcement officials have said one lead they were exploring was that the killing was linked to Nemtsov's personal life or business dealings. Putin's comments indicated that version is now being discarded.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/05/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Homer Simpson slaps his forehead and yells "Duh".
Posted by: ed in texas ||
03/05/2015 18:31 Comments ||
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#2
The Leftists are basically the same worldwide. Blame America for everything. Note well, it was the intervention of a half a million Chinese in November 1950 that resulted in today's divided Korea.
#3
Remember, SK was formed as a Russian buffer zone to keep them from Japan. The 38th was created as a Soviet control. The Chinese didn't intervene as Soviet allies until after the US/UN cut off/pushed back the NK surge to the south.
#4
The US/ROK/UN forces pushed them back to basically the Chinese/Russian borders which in effect unified the place. Then those pesky Chinese showed up.
[WAPO] An unusual request has gone out to wealthy donors writing large checks to support former Florida governor Jeb Bush: Please don't give more than $1 million right away.
The requested limit, confirmed by multiple people familiar with the amount, may mark the first time that a presidential hopeful has sought to hold off supporters from contributing too much money.
The move reflects concerns among Bush advisers that accepting massive sums from a handful of uber-rich supporters could fuel a perception that the former governor is in their debt. The effort is also driven by a desire to build as broad a pool of donors as possible among wealthier contributors.
Just as a reminder, $ 1 million is the minimum donation amount for Clinton campaign's foreign investors. I believe $ 1 million is the minimum investment amount required for the Clinton campaign's foreign investors.
#1
Predicted scenario:
Dems run Hil, Repubs run Jeb.
Election night, much much bitching and moaning by Repub higher ups about 'the voters stayed home, what's wrong with these people', etc.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
03/05/2015 7:57 Comments ||
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#2
Political Campaigns - all about money - Jeb and Hills playbook
#3
..or this a one great shakedown of people gullible enough to throw lots of money away. It's also a nice list of people who believe they're the new aristocracy cause they certainly don't believe in allowing the unwashed masses determine who they want. You still believe you have a republic. Quaint.
A top police representative on Tuesday said that there is no history of criminals using a round popular among AR-15 rifle shooters against officers, undermining the Obama administration's argument for banning the 5.56 M855 "lightgreen tip."
"Any ammunition is of concern to police in the wrong hands, but this specific round has historically not posed a law enforcement problem," said James Pasco, executive director of the Washington office of the Fraternal Order of Police, the world's largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, with more than 325,000 members.
He told Secrets that the round used mostly for target practice "is not typically used against law enforcement." Typical 'nose under the tent.' Get by with 5.56 and move on to 9mm, .45, etc.
While he said that he is "not finding fault" with the surprise move last month by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to classify the round as "armor piercing" and then ban it, Pasco added, "While this round will penetrate soft body armor, it has not historically posed a threat to law enforcement."
#2
There are pistols based in AR designs and shoot 5.56N. They weigh 6 lbs and are over 2 feet long, so it's not like someone is going to be itching to try and conceal that.
#6
Backdoor approach of radical left-wing zealots to further their agenda for gun control. The ill-fated Fast and Furious was another such back-door approach to gin up a fervor for gun control by this government. We know how well that worked. It resulted in the deaths of many in Mexico and BP Brian Terry in the U.S. What we need is radical left-wing zealot control because as it stands now, they are out of control.
#7
"While this round will penetrate soft body armor, it has not historically posed a threat to law enforcement."
A while back, I spoke with a Tactical response commander for the local PD about their newly acquired and very expensive body armor. He said the first thing he stresses to his unit is the soft gear is not "armor" – it’s made with layers of material similar to Kevlar. His primary concern is that he doesn’t want the crew not geared with plates to have a perception of invincibility. More directly; Soft gear garments are bullet resistant – not bullet proof. He said even the latest technology soft armor doesn’t guarantee protection from one the most likely firearms they may confront - a 12 gauge shotgun firing a slug at semi-close range. Interestingly, his greatest anxiety didn’t come from a gun at all. He said with a chuckle, a vest may increase your odds of surviving a firefight but it’s absolutely worthless against a crack head with an icepick.
One wonders if BATF will move to outlaw icepicks?
#8
Does anyone know of a PISTOL chambered for 5.56 rifle?
Under ATF rules, a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches long without a shoulder stock is considered a pistol. So, yes, there are 5.56mm pistols out there.
#9
Almost any high velocity rifle round will defeat soft and steel body armor. You need to go to ceramic plates to have protection against rifle rounds.
[DAWN] A Pakistain Air Force (PAF) trainer Mirage aircraft crashed a few kilometers away from D.I. Khan Wednesday afternoon, killing both the pilot and the co-pilot.
The aircraft, which was on a training flight, may have crashed due to lightening and rain in the area, according to police officials. The exact location of the crash has been determined as Miran, which is around 80 kilometers from D.I. Khan.
Army and PAF rescue teams have surrounded the crash site and are searching for bodies of the pilots.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/05/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] OKARA: Nine people allegedly beat up on Tuesday the medical superintendent of the additional district headquarters hospital (south) and also held him hostage in his office.
Police said Dr Iftikhar Ahmad Khan was beaten by Farooq, Khalid, alias Goga, and Punnu along with their six other accomplices.
The incident sparked a protest among doctors and paramedics of the hospital who left work in protest at the incident.
Pakistain Medical Association's Okara President Dr Shahid Dogar and Dr Liaqat Ali Kausar met the district police chief and sought action against the attackers.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Farooq Kamyana has been assigned to arrest the suspects.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/05/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
First thought upon reading the headline - Wow another heart warming story about Obamacare - Disappointed after reading the article - Another thought flashed through my mind - Wait this could happen here - Sound like a story from LA or NYC.
[DAWN] SWABI: Four people, including a woman, were killed in a clash between two families over a women dispute in Qadra village here early on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the jurisdiction of Swabi city cop shoppe, said officials, adding that a police party reached there soon after the incident because it was reported that some proclaimed offenders were also involved in the exchange of fire between the two families.
The officials said that Sajjad Zaman developed rivalry with his maternal uncle, Abdul Wadood, over a woman dispute. The relationship turned so sour that Mr Zaman warned his uncle of dire consequences.
They said that an injured man, Uzair Ali, registered an FIR with police, stating that Sajjad Zaman and his 18-year-old sister, Hidayat Bibi, were rubbed out by Hamid Khan and Qadeem Khan.
On the other hand, Abdul Wadood alleged in the FIR that the dear departed Sajjad Zaman had allegedly killed his own sister because he suspected her character. He said that Zaman later came to his (Wadood's) house and rubbed out his wife, Sahibzadgai Bibi, and son, Abdul Amin.
He alleged that Sajjad Zaman was accompanied by some proclaimed offenders.
The police officials said that Sajjad Zaman was killed as result of exchange of fire between both the parties.
The police began investigations to further probe the case.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/05/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Da Man had mean rub against his uncle, Wa Dude, over a puta. So he grabbed a clip and did da hit but it all went bad and now he's a dead sh*t.
- MSNBC Dateline 2025
[Breitbart] More anti-Semitic/anti-Netanyahu counter battery fire. Champ stalwarts are virtually coming out of the woodwork to save him from this evil, Zionist attack.
[Ynet] US military officials have previously raised concerns about Iran's development of longer-range missiles that could reach Israel and potentially Europe.
The US military is considering sending its THAAD missile defense system to the Middle East, a senior US Army general said Wednesday, citing what he called an urgent need to respond to foes with missile systems and the will to use them.
General Vincent Brooks, head of US Army Pacific Command, said no decisions had been made about deploying a US-owned Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in the Middle East or South Korea, another region where he saw an urgent need given the threat posed by North Korea.
"The need is there in ... those two places, urgently, because we have adversaries who have capability and they have demonstrated that they are willing to use it," Brooks told Reuters in an interview. Middle East? I thought your AOR was PACOM. Oh well, never to early to start campaigning for that next assignment, hmm hmm CSA job.
Brooks did not name Iran, but US military officials have raised concerns in the past about Iran's development of longer-range missiles that could reach Israel and potentially Europe. Hey Vince, hang with me bro. I need some Bibi covering fire. BTW, if I had a son.....
#1
And these Obama appointed flag officers believe Israel would be foolish enough to trust the US/Obama with their defense? Tell me, what color is the sky in their world?
#2
Islamic population within the US has been estimated at 0.6%. This is simply another way the left who holds power in certain locations use their power to push against conservative America.
#5
They won't admit it, but this is likely for safety reasons. Don't want to give them a soft target on Bathe in the Blood of Infidels Day.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
03/05/2015 6:31 Comments ||
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#6
Close the schools all the time. Home school your kids. Better education but probably won't save money, since the unions would require the teachers still be paid.
#7
More off time for unionized teachers. Supporter rewards. (I can't increase their pay substantially, but I can give them more time off since they're non-hourly employees)
#8
The claim is that Muslim students comprise 10% of the district population. And it's only two days, each one Eid al something, supposedly the most important days on the Muslim religious calendar.
#10
Other than Christmas (which these days isn't really a religious holiday ) which Christian holidays does the school system observe? And Thanksgiving isn't really a religious holiday either.
When I went to a Catholic school, we got off for all the Catholic holy days, but that was different.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
03/05/2015 10:12 Comments ||
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#12
Rob Crawford, Bathe in the Blood of Infidels Day
Every day is Bathe in the Blood of Infidels Day for Muslims.
Posted by: frozen al ||
03/05/2015 14:19 Comments ||
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#13
While treading the peaceable path,
Clean soles will avoid Allah's wrath.
Since infidels bleed it,
Although you don't need it,
Each Friday, please take a warm bath!
#14
Couple of archangels crossed paths at the gates of Heaven one day...
Jibril wasn't no kind of coward,
But with ear and first finger devoured,
His one eye was cryin':
"Izra'il, I is dyin'...
I just tried to hoodwink Moe Howard."
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.
Russian Su-30s and Su-24s aircraft from Russia's Black Sea Fleet based in Crimea have been conducting attack runs on NATO warships operating in the Black Sea, Sputnik News reported.
...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...
A top police representative on Tuesday said that there is no history of criminals using a round popular among AR-15 rifle shooters against officers, undermining the Obama administration's argument for banning the 5.56 M855 "lightgreen tip."
[DAWN] SWABI: Four people, including a woman, were killed in a clash between two families over a women dispute in Qadra village here early on Tuesday.
