As H7N9 Infections Wane, MERS-CoV Claims Thirtieth Victim
With the winter flu season now over in the Northern Hemisphere, we can safely say that the feared global pandemic from the newly emerged H7N9 flu virus did not occur. As the weather in China warms up, cases are dwindling in the manner usually…
Scary Iran Plotter Gets 25 Years
The prosecutors in Manssor Arbabsiar's case succeeded in convincing Judge John Keenan that his was a real plot that must meet a harsh sentence to deter others from being entrapped in a US scheme involving fake drug cartel members. He got the…
American Drone War: Murder and Democracy
In his post on the drone killing of Waliur Rehman Mehsud earlier this week, Jim noted that CIA has sworn revenge for the 2009 Pakistani Taliban supported suicide attack on CIA's base in Khost.
Sure enough, one of the things Press Secretary…
Steven Seagal Helps Rohrabacher in Failed Quest to Visit "Chechnyans"
Proving once again that he has the reasoning skills of a termite-infested and rotting fence post, Dana Rohrabacher had the bright idea that he and fellow geniuses Michele Bachmann and Steve King should go to Russia to get to the bottom of…
CAIR-FL Calls for Investigation into Ibragim Todashev's Killing
Last Thursday afternoon, the President of the United States said this:
For the record, I do not believe it would be constitutional for the government to target and kill any U.S. citizen -- with a drone, or with a shotgun -- without due process,…
When NYT Accused Jim Comey of Approving Torture
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As you've likely heard already, NPR and others have reported that President Obama will nominate Jim Comey to lead the FBI.
I think Comey is a decent choice.
Much of the attention since this news broke…
Accused Panjwai Killer, Robert Bales, to Plead Guilty
This AP reports that the US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghans last year, Robert Bales, will plead guilty to avoid a possible death sentence.
The subtext of the article is more interesting. The AP quotes family members of those killed…
FBI's Todashev Story Gets Stupider
There are two things that amaze me about this story.
First, that the FBI wants you to believe the latest version of their story about how Ibragim Todashev presented a threat, after the story has changed 2 times already.
FBI sources say Ibragim…
Today's Pakistan Drone Strike Targeted Khost Blast Key Figure in CIA Revenge Killing
The latest CIA drone strike in North Waziristan is described by Reuters as having killed the number two figure in the Pakistan Taliban group known as the TTP. This strike was a first on many fronts. It was the first since the election of…
Neoliberalism: A Failsafe Bulwark against Terrorism
When I heard this line from Obama's counterterrorism speech last week,
We are actively working to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians -- because it is right and because such a peace could help reshape attitudes in the region. …
Compare DOD's Autonomy to Engage in Cyber-War with Obama's Close Control over DOD Drone Targeting
It will likely be some time, if ever, before one of our enemies succeeds at doing more than launching limited, opportunistic drone strikes at the US. By contrast, every day brings new revelations of how our enemies and rivals are finding new…
Time to Out the Cyber-Insecure Defense Contractors
In its latest update on Chinese hacking of our defense programs, WaPo provides a list of defense programs that have been compromised, which includes many of our most important and error-prone programs.
The designs included those for the advanced…
Torquemada Pursued Suspected Muslims, Not Journalists
In an article flattering Eric Holder's sense of remorse once he realized how inappropriate it was to claim a journalist engaging in flattery might be a co-conspirator in a leak, Daniel Klaidman quotes a Holder friend explaining that the Attorney…
Growing Signs of Intelligence from Intelligence Community, or Just Another Turf War?
On Saturday, I wrote about a remarkable about-face taken by AP's George Jahn in his reporting on Iran's nuclear technology. Instead of following his usual routine of parroting leaks from US and Israeli sources meant to put Iranian intentions…
Philip Mudd Makes the Case for Signature Strikes against Banksters
Last Friday, former Deputy Director of CIA's Counterterrorism Center and FBI Philip Mudd defended the use of signature strikes when used against multinational networked organizations that hide in safe havens.
Signature strikes have pulled…
Putin: You Show Me Yours and ... I Might Show You Mine
It's not until the 17th and 18th paragraph of this Moscow Times article on Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Alexandrovich Kolokoltsev's discussion with Attorney General Eric Holder about sharing more law enforcement information that it reminds…
Will the Saudis Let JSOC Take Over Yemeni Targeting?
There were three airstrikes in Yemen this week, with the last being a strike in al-Jawf, a province on the Saudi border, that local observers have variously described as a drone strike and a Saudi jet strike.
Keep ongoing confusion about…
Time to End the Iraq War
In his speech on Thursday, President Obama said,
America is at a crossroads. We must define the nature and scope of this struggle, or else it will define us, mindful of James Madison’s warning that “No nation could preserve its freedom…
Jahn Does Complete Reversal, Questions Sources Instead of Transcribing Iran Nuke Propaganda
Man Bites Dog
It was a development worthy of the proverbial mythical headline reversing the natural order of the world. For a very long time, I have mercilessly attacked George Jahn of the AP for the role he has played while serving to move…
Fast Times At Monaco High - Memorial Day Trash Talk
Hey there fellow lugnuts at the Emptywheel garage, how about some Memorial Day Holiday Trash Talk? We haven't taken out the trash lately, so it is time. There are a few things on tap to chat about.
First up is the Gran Prix de Monaco, the…