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2016

Clinton Emails So Sensitive, Senior Lawmakers Had to Up Their Security Clearances to View Them By Debra Heine

Some of newly revealed emails on Hillary Clinton’s private, unsecured server are so sensitive that senior lawmakers on the oversight committees did not have high enough security clearances to read them, according to sources on Capitol Hill. Fox News reports today that lawmakers had to fulfill additional security requirements in order to read material in her emails described by Mrs. Clinton as “innocuous.”

The emails in question, as Fox News first reported earlier this week, contained intelligence classified at a level beyond “top secret.” Because of this designation, not all the lawmakers on key committees reviewing the case have high enough clearances.

A source with knowledge of the intelligence review told Fox News that senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, despite having high-level clearances, are among those not authorized to read the intelligence from so-called “special access programs” without taking additional security steps — like signing new non-disclosure agreements.

These programs are highly restricted to protect intelligence community sources and methods.

Intelligence Community Inspector General I. Charles McCullough III identified “several dozen” additional classified emails this month — including classified intelligence from “special access programs” (SAP).

Al-Qaeda Bomb Expert the Latest Terrorist Released from Guantanamo By Rick Moran

A man whose bomb designs were responsible for killing many Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan was released from the Guantanamo prison camp and sent to Bosnia, the Pentagon announced today.

The government also acknowledged that Tariq Mahmoud Ahmed al-Sawah could possibly make his way back to terrorism, but that prospect isn’t likely because he cooperated.

Uh-huh.

The Hill:

The review board set up by President Obama to review remaining detainee transfers decided to release him last February.

The Pentagon also announced the transfer of Abd al-Aziz Abduh Abdallah Ali al-Suwaydi, a 41-year-old Yemeni, to Montenegro.

Al-Suwaydi admitted to being an explosives trainer, according to his files posted by the Times.

Thursday’s transfers mark the 15th and 16th of January. They are part of the president’s bid to release as many detainees as possible in order to bring the remaining detainees to the U.S. and close the prison.

The latest transfers bring the total number of detainees remaining at the prison to 91. One more detainee is scheduled to be transferred this month.

I suppose there’s an alternate universe somewhere where America has a president who isn’t concerned about his legacy and cares more about national security than his place in the history books.

But it isn’t this America. The blood and treasure expended to get these terrorists locked up in the first place should count for something. Sacrifices were made, lives lost so that some of the worst of the worst would be prevented from going about their business of threatening and killing Americans.

Libya’s Chaos: Threat to the West by Mohamed Chtatou

ISIS badly needs Libya for its operations in North Africa: to spread its paramilitary brigades, to organize its terrorist networks and, most importantly, to prepare its political pawns, after the chaos, to take over power.

“Over the last four years, Libya has become a key node in the expansion of Islamic radicalism across North Africa… and into Europe. If events in Libya continue on their current path, they will likely haunt the United States and its Western allies for a decade or more.” — Ethan Chorin, Foreign Policy.

ISIS taking control of North Africa, the soft underbelly of Europe, would amount to it getting ready to recapture, by terror and force, al-Andalus from the Catholic Christians of Spain.

In 2011 when Libya’s former ruler, Muammar Gaddafi, was murdered by the mob of militiamen, many people believed it was the beginning of a new, free, democratic country. Libya, however, did not become free or democratic. Instead, it became fractured, violent, tribal and divided. Rather than starting a new life, Libya was sliding slowly toward some sort of hell.

Over the years, as violence became a daily casual occurrence, Libya almost became synonymous in the news with disorder, and on its way to becoming yet another failed stated, like Somalia.

In spite of that, hope emerged anew with the attempt of the United Nations to negotiate a national agreement through UNMSIL (United Nations Support Mission in Libya).

Senate looks to override Obama veto of GOP effort to block EPA power grab By Rick Moran

Republicans in the Senate are looking for Democratic votes to override a presidential veto of a GOP backed measure that would have prevented the EPA from regulating most of the waters in the US.

The legislation is aimed at a new EPA rule that would give the agency jurisdiction over small streams and tributaries that comprise about 80% of the water in the US.

The Hill:

The Senate will vote Thursday on a long-shot effort to override President Obama’s veto that preserved his contentious water pollution rule.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed for the vote Wednesday, less than a day after Obama announced that he had vetoed the GOP’s attempt to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation.

The rule, dubbed the Clean Water Rule or “Waters of the United States,” would extend federal power under the Clean Water Act to small bodies of water such as streams and wetlands. It is highly controversial, with Republicans calling it a massive power grab and Democrats saying it’s needed to protect vulnerable waterways from pollution.

McConnell slammed Obama for his veto earlier Wednesday.

Mid-week news round-up of Muslim maniacs and Western wimps By Carol Brown ****

I set about gathering reports on the Islamic advance across the West with the plan to write up one week’s worth of information. However, at the mid-week point it became clear that the post would be much too long if I went the entire week. So I stopped. What you find below is a sample of overt and abject barbarism; stealth advance; and Western weakness, stupidity, and dhimmitude that unfolded in just under four days.

Australia: Police officers were threatened as Muslims followed them home, made death threats, and tracked their movement using drones (here).

Austria: A major bank offers accounts to “asylum seekers” free of charge while Austrians are charged large fees. The bank also shut down the account of an anti-immigration organization with no explanation given (here).

Canada: A Muslim man accused of sexual assault (committed in the United States) fought the court decision to strip him of his refugee status, claiming his life will be in danger if he’s deported back to Somalia. The government assured its citizens that Canadian women will not be raped by “Syrian refugees” as is happening across Europe because Canada imports a better-quality invader. A textbook teaches children that Christians are persecuting Muslims in Syria. P.M. Trudeau visited a mosque where the imam repeatedly made vile misogynist remarks. A video of the P.M. surfaced from 2013 when he spoke at a mosque (where he also joined members in prayer). The minister of foreign affairs omitted the words “Islam” and “Islamic” when talking about Islamic terrorism (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

Denmark: There has been a surge in reports of mass sexual assault against Danish women by Muslim men. Some nightclubs are barring “migrants” due to complaints they are harassing female patrons. Many diseases, including diphtheria, are showing up in “refugee” centers. Some towns have begun programs of volunteers patrolling their villages to monitor antisocial behavior and prevent violence. One town has made pork a mandatory food at all public institutions, including schools (here, here, here, here, here).

Finland: An investigation is underway into a taharrush-like attack of a mother and daughter, where Muslim men cornered them, licked the daughter, and then beat the mother when she tried to intervene. A member of Shiite terrorist group entered the country posing as a “refugee.” (here and here).

Peter O’Brien Climategate’s Enduring Stink

The standard defence of the University of East Anglia’s climate cabal is that its fiddling scientists were “cleared” by two allegedly independent panels. What warmists won’t admit is that those probes were hobbled by their terms of reference and stacked with fellow catastropharians.
Recently Quadrant Online republished an essay by Professor Bob Carter, a tribute following his untimely death. The article included a passing reference to the Climategate scandal and prompted a number of comments, this among them:

Apparently they have nary a thought for the deep scientific malaise and malfeasance that has now been exposed for the whole lay world to see – part of which is being investigated currently in a British parliamentary committee investigation. (extract from Carter’s article)

It might have been a bit more honest if the Quadrant editor had then briefed readers on the results of that parliamentary investigation, just in order to ensure that there could be no misunderstanding on the matter. The Committee reported:

On the much cited phrases in the leaked e-mails-‘trick’ and ‘hiding the decline’-the Committee considers that they were colloquial terms used in private e-mails and the balance of evidence is that they were not part of a systematic attempt to mislead.

Insofar as the Committee was able to consider accusations of dishonesty against CRU, the Committee considers that there is no case to answer.

That Quadrant Online comment reflects a very weak understanding of what transpired post-Climategate and prompted me to set the record straight. Because of the length of my response and what I believe is the significance of Climategate in illustrating the shoddy science that so often characterises warmism and its advocates, I chose to do it here rather than respond in the original comments thread. Following an initial Parliamentary enquiry conducted by the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee, two allegedly independent investigations were commissioned: the Oxburgh enquiry and the Muir Russell enquiry. The former was charged with evaluating the robustness of the science, the second directed to examine the probity of the CRU scientists’ conduct.

Freeing (some of) our hostages: Iranian “humanitarians” Anne Bayefsky with Daniel Henninger

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, January 19, 2016:

MR. EARNEST: “…the release of five Americans who are being unjustly detained inside of Iran…What we saw was that essentially was a humanitarian gesture that was offered up by the Iranians. We made a reciprocal humanitarian gesture by releasing seven individuals…”
“QUESTION: …the Department of State announced this payment of $1.7 billion to the government of Iran just before the plane carrying the freed Americans landed in Geneva. You’re really telling me that this is an absolute coincidence?…
MR. EARNEST: I think we’ve made pretty clear that this is not a coincidence. The fact is, these kinds of diplomatic opportunities…
QUESTION: …Paul Ryan has suggested this was a ransom payment…
MR. EARNEST: What I’m suggesting is that the successful resolution of our concerns about Iran’s nuclear program created a series of diplomatic opportunities…”

UN Secretary-General’s Remarks (January 15, 2016) at General Assembly Presentation of the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (January 7, 2016):

“Definitions of “terrorism” and “violent extremism” are the prerogative of Member States…”

For more human rights and United Nations coverage see www.HumanRightsVoices.org.

The Kremlin’s London Hit Squad Recommended reading for Donald Trump on Vladimir Putin.

It has long been an open secret that Russian agents fatally poisoned Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy turned Kremlin critic, at a London hotel in November 2006. On Thursday a formal British inquiry went further. “Taking full account of all the evidence and analysis available to me,” wrote retired High Court Judge Robert Owen, “I find that the FSB operation to kill Mr. Litvinenko was probably approved by [then FSB Director Nikolai] Patrushev and President Putin.”

Litvinenko, a veteran of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), fled Russia for Britain in 2000, after going public with evidence that Russian officials abused the state security apparatus for corrupt purposes. This infuriated Vladimir Putin, then director of the FSB and soon to be the Kremlin’s paramount leader.

In exile Litvinenko published a book accusing the Russian leader of having staged terrorist bombings in Moscow in 1999 as a pretext to reignite the war in Chechnya. (See David Satter nearby.) Litvinenko also likely cooperated with British intelligence. In July 2006 Russian legislators enacted a law authorizing the government to target state enemies abroad. An unofficial Kremlin hit list began circulating in Russian circles. Litvinenko’s name was on it.

The Missionary Killed by Islamist Terror Helping orphans in Burkina Faso, but then al Qaeda struck.By Thomas S. Kidd

The 2016 political season is churning with anti-immigrant vitriol and wariness of the outside world. But one group of American Christians—missionaries—continues reaching out instead of walling themselves off. They honor Christ’s message in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

The selfless work of missionaries was poignantly illustrated by the terrorist murder on Jan. 15 of 45-year-old Michael Riddering, an orphanage director in West Africa.

Riddering and his wife, Amy, left Hollywood, Fla., in 2011 to minister to impoverished children and widows in the landlocked nation of Burkina Faso. Unicef estimates that in the country of 17 million people, almost one million are orphans. The Ridderings, who brought their young daughter with them to the town of Yako, adopted two Burkinabe children; the orphanage cared for about 400 more.

Riddering was visiting Ouagadougou, the capital about 70 miles from Yako, late last week. He was meeting with a Burkinabe pastor in the Cappuccino Café when al Qaeda terrorists attacked the restaurant and two nearby hotels. More than two-dozen people, including Riddering and six Canadians in the country on short-term missions, were killed.

NSA Chief Says U.S. at ‘Tipping Point’ on Cyberweapons Policy makers largely agree on rules of engagement for defense, but offense still undecidedBy Damian Paletta

WASHINGTON—The U.S. military has spent five years developing advanced cyberweapon and digital capabilities and is likely to deploy them more publicly soon, the head of the Pentagon’s U.S. Cyber Command said Thursday.

Adm. Mike Rogers, who is also director of the National Security Agency, said U.S. policy makers have largely agreed on rules of engagement for when cyberweapons can be used for defense.

There is still an open discussion, however, about when cyberweapons should be used for “offense,” such as carrying out attacks against a group or foreign country.

“You can tell we are at the tipping point now,” Adm. Rogers said. “The capacity and the capability are starting to come online [and] really starting to pay off in some really tangible capabilities that you will start to see us apply in a broader and broader way.”

Still, Adm. Rogers stopped short of specifying how exactly these cyberpowers could be deployed in coming months.