Category: Politics

Sandy Hook weapons case thrown out by Connecticut supreme court

Hartford, Connecticut, Oct 14 — Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis dismissed a lawsuit filed by parents of Sandy Hook massacre victims that took place in 2012. The US Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act cited as a legal immunity provided to weapons manufacturers from liability in this situation, (further recommended reading).

Read full article at the Hartford Courant.

Our possible interpretation

The Sandy Hook massacre is a no-doubt an incomprehensible tragedy. It is likely that many parents of the countless victims will never psychologically recover over their losses. This case made sense for an untamable anguish longing justice to an infinite loss within the dark void of injustice as the shooter committed suicide.

But in the legal world emotions, morality and the law though sometimes intertwined are woven from entirely different threads. These threads hold the large fabric that spans from coast to coast, person to person. Seeking “justice” from the weapons manufacturers for illegal acts committed by mentally unstable individuals is not different than seeking “justice” from rope makers whose rope ISIL terrorists use to hang innocent Christians.

Each time such cases pull out the individual threads, the fabric of freedom enfeebles. The pulled out threads however do not vanish but lay in darkness where they meticulously weave themselves into a rope with which we will hang ourselves when the fabric of freedom is reduced to lint.

 

Al-Nusra Front commander killed near Aleppo

Syria, Semptember 8 — Syrian rebel group Fateh al-Sham Front (Al-Nusra Front) reported earlier the chief Abu Omar Sarakeb was killed in Aleppo province. Appears the death was the result of an airstrike but is unclear from which nation.

Al-Nusra Front is a terrorist organization under US State Department’s terrorist organizations list, (05/15/2014).

Read full article at DW.

Russian defense R&D on 5th generation MRSA missiles

Kubinka, Russia, September 8 — Russia’s military technology bureau Almaz-Antey Concern has begun work on the fifth-generation medium range surface to air missile system. The new system will have smaller missiles with more efficient propulsion system enabling better endurance capability.

Report also explains the capacity for the launch platform is increased from four to six missiles. The new missile will incorporate newest target acquisition system, have improved anti-jamming capability and higher destruction area. Allegedly twice better overall capability from previous models.

The design bureau works in conjunction with JSC Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design.

Read the full article at TASS.

Freedom of press – not in Turkey

Ankara, September 06 — Deutsche Welle (DW.com) conducted an interview earlier with Turkey’s Youth and Sports Minister Akif Cagatay Kilic. DW asked many questions that were allegedly agreed upon in advance.

Upon completion of the interview Turkish representatives detained the DW interviewing crew until they surrendered the interview footage.

Reasons for confiscation cited (much later) by Ubeydullah Yener, Turkish press officer of the Sport Minister said “There was no authorisation for the interview. The questions asked were not the ones that were planned. Mr. Friendman himself knows exactly why this happened. Some statements were right out allegations. In such a situation, there was no authorization granted.” — writes DW.

DW Director General Peter Limbourg commented on the situation, “[this] incident is a proof of blatant violation of press freedom in Turkey. What we are experiencing constitutes an act of the Turkish regime’s coercion. It no longer follows the rule of law and has nothing to do with democracy….” – reports DW. (We encourage you to read the full article at DW, see links below.)

A serious system is one which grants freedom of speech and press. A serious system is one which categorically restricts freedom of speech and press but that is the system’s normal modus operandi. A spurious system is one which pretends to grant freedom of speech and press but nullifies such grants arbitrarily. K.Hemway

Read the full article at DW.
Read the full article at HurriyetDailyNews.

Terminating Muhammad al-Adnani “a joke”?

Russia, September 2 — Political conversation over which nation  (US or Russian Federation) liquidated the ISIL terrorist spokesman Muhammad al-Adnani continues.

Apparently US claims its air operation with other coalition forces (excluding Russian Federation) likely liquidated ISIL spokesman Muhammad al-Adnani. Around the same time of US-coalition operations the Russian Federation was conducting its own air strikes in Aleppo province on August 30. Russian Defense Ministry reported via field intelligence that al-Adnani was among deceased, reports TASS.

Regardless which faction scored the terrorist liquidation matters less now as long as the target has indeed been liquidated. What is interesting is that there appears to be a growing enthusiastic fervor in continued liquidations of ISIL command and control chain of command between the two nations.

Read the full article at TASS.
Read US Department of Defense statements regarding bombs (Aug 30).

US Navy’s new Gerald Ford carrier class under review

US Navy, August 30 — US Navy’s latest Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier project under review by Pentagon. Among cited issues are “performance of key systems aboard” reports USNI (via August 23 memo obtained by USNI).

Estimated cost is $12.8 billion according to nationalinterest.org

The article continues listing some of the project related issues citing “Transformation” doctrine of early 2000s under which many latest, bleeding-edge systems were to be used – and unproven.

It is interesting how this particular project review coincides with the fact that Russian 3M22 Zircon anti-ship hypersonic (speeds mach 5-6) missiles are to go into serial production in 2018. Read this as a system of direct threat to entire carrier groups.

These are newest generation of anti-ship missiles as an addition to already vast Russian arsenal. See P-800 Oniks/Yakhont, Brahmos, etc. These are some of the issues to think about.

Read the full article at USNI.

US-EU TIPP trade agreement utter failure

Germany, August 28 — The United States and Germany negotiations over The European Union Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TIPP) have effectively failed after three years of talks.

German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said “in my opinion the negotiations with the United States have de facto failed, even though nobody is really admitting it,” adding “nothing is moving” — via DW and German broadcaster ZDF.

Mr. Gabriel continued to say that after 14 rounds of talks and of 27 chapters under discussion the two sides did not agree even on one chapter. When asked why such a lack a progress Mr. Gabriel answered “we Europeans did not want to subject ourselves to American demands,“.

Read the full article at DW.

Unarmed Palestinian charges IDF post

West Bank, August 27 — An unarmed Palestinian man, a 38-year-old Eyad Zakaria Hamed died in what appeared to be a charge at an IDF guard post. In following the procedures for “stopping suspicious individual[s]” IDF opened fired killing the man. No IDF soldiers sustained injuries.

An unnamed Palestinian official said the deceased individual “suffered from mental illness and was not found to have any weapons on his person when searched…”, reports Ynetnews.

Read full article at Ynetnews.

 

Possible deal reached over Syrian conflict by Lavrov and Kerry

Geneva, August 26 — US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Secretary Sergei Lavrov met in Geneva to discuss possible end-of war strategy in Syria. After a ten hour meeting Mr. Kerry said the two nations “achieved clarity on the path forward“.

Nationwide ceasefire technical aspects are still under discussion. Russian and American diplomats are to continue talks in the coming days to collaborate on a key unresolved issues in Syria, reports DW.

Continue reading full article at DW.