South Africa Deploys Troops to Central African Republic as Aid Group Declares "Silent Crisis". U.S. Drone Strike Kills Up to 18 in Pakistan. Giffords Meets With Victims’ Families in Newtown
Fools on the Hill
THREATS TO USA ECONOMY
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Ataque con avión no tripulado estadounidense deja un saldo de dieciocho muertos en Pakistán
Unas dieciocho personas murieron a causa de los últimos ataques con aviones no tripulados estadounidenses en zonas tribales de Pakistán. Los ataques impactaron lo que funcionarios paquistaníes calificaron como distintos complejos pertenecientes al Talibán paquistaní en Waziristan del Sur. Según se informó, entre las víctimas se encuentra un comandante del Talibán.
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Jueza ratifica secreto de aviones no tripulados a pesar de las dudas existentes acerca de la legalidad de los ataques
Los actuales ataques con aviones no tripulados tienen lugar a escasos días de que una jueza federal determinara que el gobierno de Barack Obama no tiene obligación de revelar públicamente la justificación legal de los ataques. La Unión Estadounidense por las Libertades Civiles (ACLU, por su sigla en inglés) y el periódico New York Times entablaron una demanda amparándose en la Ley de Libertad de Información en la que solicitan al gobierno de Estados Unidos revelar los motivos legales para efectuar ataques con aviones no tripulados en el extranjero. La demanda fue presentada luego de que Estados Unidos causara la muerte en Yemen del clérigo nacido en Estados Unidos Anwar al-Awlaki, a pesar de nunca haberlo acusado de delito alguno. Al ratificar el derecho al secreto del gobierno de Obama, la Jueza federal Colleen McMahon expresó sus dudas respecto al programa de aviones no tripulados en sí, al redactar: “No encuentro vía alguna entre leyes y precedentes que de hecho permita que el Poder Ejecutivo proclame como completamente legítimas ciertas acciones que aparentemente son incompatibles con nuestra Constitución y nuestro derecho, a la vez que mantiene en secreto los motivos para llevarlas a cabo”. McMahon agregó: “Sólo puedo concluir que el gobierno no ha violado la Ley de Libertad de Información al negarse a revelar los documentos y por tanto, este tribunal no puede obligarlo a explicar en detalle las razones por las que sus acciones no violan la Constitución ni el orden jurídico de Estados Unidos. Soy consciente de la increíble naturaleza de este fallo”.
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Informe: Comisión administrativa analiza base de datos de armas y controles generales
Han surgido algunos de los primeros detalles sobre los esfuerzos que realiza la Casa Blanca para ocuparse del control de armas tras la masacre acaecida el mes pasado en el tiroteo de Newtown, Connecticut. El periódico The Washington Post informa que la comisión que supervisa el Vicepresidente Joe Biden analiza propuestas entre las que figuran reimplantar la caduca prohibición de armas de asalto y de cartuchos de alta capacidad, realizar un control general de los antecedentes de todos los compradores de armas, crear una base de datos para rastrear la trayectoria de las armas de fuego a nivel nacional, realizar controles de salud mental más exhaustivos e imponer penas más severas por portar armas cerca de una institución educativa o por proporcionar un arma a un menor de edad. Según se informó, en un gesto de aceptación de la influencia de la Asociación Nacional del Rifle, el gobierno espera contrarrestar la oposición de la asociación convenciendo a los grandes vendedores de armas como Wallmart de que las nuevas medidas podrían contribuir a sus ganancias al restringir las ventas en exposiciones de armas. La noticia de la propuesta tiene lugar tras otro tiroteo perpetrado en Aurora, Colorado, donde el año pasado tuvo lugar la segunda peor matanza del país después de Newtown. El sábado, un hombre armado asesinó a tres personas en una vivienda de Aurora, antes de morir a causa de los disparos que recibió de la policía. Aurora es donde presuntamente el sospechoso James Holmes asesinó a doce personas e hirió a otras 58 durante una función de cine de medianoche el pasado mes de julio. Un portavoz de la policía de Aurora relató el reciente tiroteo.
El portavoz de la policía de Aurora expresó: "Insistimos en que saliera, en que se rindiera, pero no lo hizo. Entonces se acercó a una ventana de la planta alta con un arma y nos disparó por segunda vez. Esta vez, respondimos a los disparos. El sospechoso fue impactado por las balas y declarado muerto. Luego ingresaron oficiales de policía que confirmaron que había otras tres víctimas en el interior cuyo fallecimiento se determinó en ese momento”.
Está previsto que Colorado inaugure a fines de este mes el campo de tiro más grande que ha tenido hasta el momento, el Complejo de Tiro de Montaña Cheyenne, ubicado cerca de Colorado Springs.
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Giffords se reúne con familias de las víctimas en Newtown
Tres semanas después de la masacre de Newtown, la ex congresista demócrata de Arizona Gabrielle Giffords fue una de las últimas visitantes que recibió ese pueblo en duelo de Connecticut. Giffords sufrió graves heridas que casi le causaron la muerte en el tiroteo de Tucson en el que murieron seis personas y del cual se cumplen dos años este mes. El viernes, Giffords se reunió con funcionarios de Newtown antes de visitar a los familiares de las víctimas de Newtown.
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Cámara de Representantes aprueba ayuda inicial tras Sandy pero pospone grueso de asistencia
El Presidente Obama promulgó la ley que otorga 9.700 millones de dólares en asistencia inicial para las víctimas del huracán Sandy. La Cámara de Representantes aprobó el proyecto el pasado viernes luego de que el Presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, John Boehner, cancelara una votación por un paquete más amplio de 60.000 millones de dólares, decisión que suscitó duras críticas. Al mismo tiempo que el proyecto menor recibía la aprobación de la Cámara baja, los congresistas demócratas Steny Hoyer de Maryland y Nydia Velázquez de Nueva York denunciaron la decisión de Boehner.
El republicano Steny Hoyer afirmó: “Aunque nunca es demasiado tarde para hacer lo correcto, es tarde para hacer lo que estamos haciendo, y estamos haciendo sólo lo mínimo”.
La republicana Nydia Velázquez sostuvo: “Resulta inexcusable que los estadounidenses sigan sufriendo el impacto de Sandy mientras que la Mayoría de la Cámara de Representantes no logra organizarse para llevar a votación el total del paquete de asistencia aprobado por el Senado”.
Boehner afirma que llevará a votación los restantes 51.000 millones de dólares en asistencia para las víctimas de Sandy el próximo 15 de enero.
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WASHINGTON PORK PROJECT
PROPHECY
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Obama nombrará a Hagel como Secretario de Defensa y a Brennan para la CIA
Está previsto que el Presidente Obama haga públicos en el día de hoy los nombramientos del ex Senador republicano Chuck Hagel de Nebraska como su próximo Secretario de Defensa, en sustitución de Leon Panetta. Veterano de la Guerra de Vietnam y miembro del Senado durante tres legislaturas, Hagel ha enfrentado críticas de sus enemigos de la derecha por su postura respecto a Israel e Irán; así como críticas de progresistas por comentarios ofensivos que pronunció en el año 1998 respecto a los homosexuales en el gobierno y por los cuales no se disculpó hasta hace poco tiempo. En declaraciones para el programa "Meet the Press" de la cadena NBC, el líder de la minoría republicana en el Senado, Mitch McConnell, prometió que habrá un duro proceso para la confirmación del nombramiento de Hagel.
El senador Mitch McConnell declaró: “Creo que habrá muchas preguntas duras al senador Hagel, pero será tratado con justicia por los republicanos del Senado. Su postura respecto a Israel, por ejemplo, y a Irán, y todas las demás posturas que ha adoptado a lo largo de los años, pienso que serán tema de discusión durante el proceso de confirmación".
Se espera que el Presidente Obama anuncie durante la conferencia de prensa de hoy el nombramiento del asesor antiterrorismo John Brennan como director de la CIA. Habían corrido rumores de que Brennan sería elegido para el cargo luego de que Obama fuera electo por primera vez en 2008; sin embargo, se vio obligado a considerarlo ante las quejas por el papel que desempeñó en la CIA durante el gobierno de George W. Bush. Brennan apoyó públicamente las políticas de la CIA conocidas como “técnicas avanzadas de interrogatorio”, así como el traslado de prisioneros a centros de detención en el extranjero. Por otra parte, fue el primer funcionario del gobierno de Obama en confirmar públicamente que se efectuaban ataques con aviones no tripulados en el extranjero y en defender su legitimidad.
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Informe: Obama considera mantener hasta 9.000 efectivos en Afganistán luego de 2014
Según se informa, el gobierno de Obama estaría considerando mantener una fuerza “residual” de entre 3.000 y 9.000 efectivos en Afganistán tras la fecha de la retirada oficial en 2014. El Wall Street Journal citó las nuevas cifras luego de que informes previos sugirieran que Estados Unidos estaba considerando un despliegue de tropas de hasta 20.000 integrantes.
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JOHN BOHENER
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DOWNLOAD: VIDEOAUDI Headlines January 7, 2013
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U.S. Drone Strike Kills Up to 18 in Pakistan
Up to 18 people have been killed in the latest U.S. drone attacks on Pakistan’s tribal areas. The strikes hit what Pakistani officials described as separate compounds belonging to the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan. A Taliban commander was reportedly among the dead.
Judge Upholds Drone Secrecy Despite Doubts on Attacks’ Legality
The ongoing drone attacks come days after a federal judge ruled the Obama administration is under no obligation to publicly disclose their legal justification. The American Civil Liberties Union and The New York Times had filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act demanding the U.S. government disclose the legal basis for launching drone strikes overseas. The suit was filed after the U.S. killed the American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen despite having never charged him with a crime. In upholding the Obama administration’s right to secrecy, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon expressed misgivings about the drone program itself, writing: "I can find no way around the thicket of laws and precedents that effectively allow the Executive Branch ... to proclaim as perfectly lawful certain actions that seem on their face incompatible with our Constitution and laws, while keeping the reasons for their conclusion a secret." McMahon continued, "I can only conclude that the government has not violated [the Freedom of Information Act] by refusing to turn over the documents, and so cannot be compelled by this court of law to explain in detail the reasons why its actions do not violate the Constitution and laws of the United States. The Alice-in-Wonderland nature of this pronouncement is not lost on me."
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Report: Admin Task Force Mulls Gun Database, Universal Checks
Some of the first details have emerged on the White House’s effort to tackle gun control in the aftermath of last month’s shooting massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. The Washington Post reports the task force overseen by Vice President Joe Biden is mulling proposals including reinstatement of the expired ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks for all gun buyers, a database to track the trajectory of firearms nationwide, more detailed mental health checks, and harsher penalties for carrying a gun near a school or giving one to minors. In a nod to the influence of the National Rifle Association, the administration is reportedly hoping to counter NRA opposition by convincing gun retailers such as Wal-Mart that the new measures would help their profits by curbing sales at gun shows. News of the proposal comes after yet another shooting in Aurora, Colorado, site of the nation’s second-worst gun rampage last year after Newtown. A gunman killed three people in an Aurora home on Saturday before being shot dead by police. Aurora is where suspect James Holmes allegedly killed 12 people and wounded 58 others during a midnight movie screening in July. An Aurora police spokesperson described the latest shooting.
Aurora police spokesperson: "We kept persisting on him coming out, him surrendering. He did not. And then he came to a second-story window with a gun and fired upon us a second time. This time shots were returned. The suspect was hit, and he has been pronounced dead. We sent people in and have confirmed that there were three other victims inside who have all been pronounced dead at this time."
Colorado is set to open its largest shooting range to date, the Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex, near Colorado Springs later this month.
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GOP ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Giffords Meets With Victims’ Families in Newtown
Three weeks after the Newtown massacre, former Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona has been among the latest visitors to the grieving Connecticut town. Giffords suffered major head injuries and nearly lost her life in the Tucson shooting rampage that killed six people two years ago this month. On Friday, Giffords met with Newtown officials before visiting with families of the Newtown victims.
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House Passes Initial Sandy Relief, But Delays Bulk of Aid
President Obama has signed into law a measure providing $9.7 billion in initial federal aid for victims of Superstorm Sandy. The House approved the bill Friday after House Speaker John Boehner canceled a vote on a wider $60 billion package, a move that sparked harsh criticism. As the smaller bill advanced on the House floor, Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Rep. Nydia Velázquez of New York denounced Boehner’s decision.
Rep. Steny Hoyer: "While it is never too late to do the right thing, it is late that we are doing this thing, and we are doing only the bare minimum."
Rep. Nydia Velázquez: "It is indefensible that as Americans continue to suffer from Sandy’s impact, that the House majority could not get their act together to bring the entire aid Senate pass package to a vote."
Boehner says he will bring the remaining $51 billion in Sandy relief to a vote on January 15.
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SPENDING TERMITE
Obama to Nominate Hagel for Defense Secretary, Brennan for CIA
President Obama is expected to unveil the nomination today of former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska as the next secretary of defense, replacing Leon Panetta. A Vietnam War veteran and three-term member of the Senate, Hagel has faced criticism from right-wing foes over his positions on Israel and dealing with Iran, as well as from progressive critics for making denigrating comments in 1998 about gays in government, for which he only recently apologized. Speaking on NBC’s "Meet the Press," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed a tough confirmation process for Hagel.
Sen. Mitch McConnell: "I think there will be a lot of tough questions of Senator Hagel, and — but he’ll be treated fairly by Republicans in the Senate. His views with regard to Israel, for example, and Iran and all the other positions that he’s taken over the years will be, you know, I think, very much a matter of discussion during the confirmation process."
During today’s news conference, President Obama is also expected to announce the nomination of counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to head the CIA. Brennan was a rumored pick for the job when Obama was first elected in 2008 but was forced to withdraw from consideration amid protests over his role at the CIA under the Bush administration. Brennan has publicly supported the CIA’s policies of so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" and extraordinary rendition. He was also the first Obama administration official to publicly confirm drone attacks overseas and to defend their legality.
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Report: Obama Considering Up to 9,000 Troops in Afghanistan After 2014
The Obama administration is reportedly now considering a keeping a "residual" force of between 3,000 to 9,000 troops in Afghanistan after the formal withdrawal date of 2014. The Wall Street Journal cited the new figures after previous reports suggested the United States was mulling a troop deployment of up to 20,000.
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Bahrain’s Highest Court Upholds Convictions of Opposition Leaders
Bahrain’s top court has upheld the convictions of 13 opposition leaders on allegations of plotting to overthrow the U.S.-backed regime. The activists were sentenced by a military court in 2011, eight of them to life behind bars, after leading massive protests against Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy. Today’s ruling marks the end of their legal options after an appeals court upheld the convictions in September. Another seven activists were also convicted in the initial case but did not file appeals because they were tried in absentia. Bahrain is a key U.S. government ally, hosting the Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
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Assad Vows Continued Crackdown in Rare Public Speech
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is vowing to continue his government’s fight against rebel groups while ruling out talks with the armed opposition. In his first pubic address in six months, Assad called Syrian rebels a tool of foreign intervention.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: "We are now in a state of war in every sense of the word. We are now confronting a vicious, external war. This form of war is more fragmenting and more dangerous than conventional war because it does not utilize its equipment to hit us, but it pulls us into carrying out its plans. This war targets Syria using a handful of Syrians and many foreigners. It’s trying to use us to tear down our trees and destroy our foundations, and it is with pity that this is happening with help from some of our own."
Assad said he is open to dialogue, but only with those opposition groups tolerated by his regime. His appearance came days after the United Nations reported the death toll from nearly two years of fighting in Syria has reached around 60,000. In the rebel-held town of Aleppo, a Syrian resident said his fellow citizens don’t trust Assad.
Aleppo resident: "Any normal citizen listening to his speech heard him say that he asks for the refugees to return to their homes. At the same time, he says he will not be deterred in fighting terrorism. How can a citizen go back to his home when at the same time Assad forces are attacking them with missiles and tanks? There is great contradiction in his speech. We’re at a point where citizens don’t believe a word he says."
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India Rape Suspects Appear in Court
In India, five men accused in the gang rape and death of a 23-year-old woman have appeared in court for the first time. The unidentified victim was raped on a moving bus in New Delhi last month, dying from her injuries two weeks later. The case has sparked a nationwide call for reforms to increase punishment for rapists and prevent legal cases from languishing. At a candlelight vigil in India on Sunday, hundreds of women paid tribute to the victim and demanded government action.
Protester: "I don’t know how much of security will come in, even after all this is being done. But I hope, somewhere or the other in the minds of some people, some little bit of awareness will come, some bit of consciousness will come."
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South Africa Deploys Troops to Central African Republic as Aid Group Declares "Silent Crisis"
South Africa has deployed up to 400 soldiers to the Central African Republic in a bid to help the government defeat a rebel advance. The Seleka rebels have claimed a series of victories in recent weeks after accusing the government of violating a 2007 peace accord. Several other African countries, including neighboring Chad, have sent troops to help fight the rebels. Speaking from the capital of Bangui, Ellen van der Velden of Doctors Without Borders said the Central African Republic’s turmoil marks a "silent crisis."
Ellen van der Velden: "So far, we have labeled the crisis in the Central African Republic as a silent one because of the very poor health indicators that already existed surpassing crisis indicators, while at the same time there was very limited attention for this crisis. There is, even before the current crisis broke out, already very few development NGOs or support or business, and this country already — at the best of times, many people could have done with a lot of help, and that situation has only become more complicated."
The Central African Republic is among the poorest countries in the world despite having deposits of gold, diamonds and uranium, which are mined by foreign interests.
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Idle No More Movement Stages Blockades, Protests in Canada as Hunger-Striking Chief to Meet PM
Canada’s Idle No More movement expanded to the U.S. border on Saturday with a series of blockades and actions. Police closed the International Bridge connecting Ontario with Michigan after hundreds of protesters marched from the United States to the Canadian side. Sit-ins and protests were also held at bridges, roads, rail lines and other border crossings across Canada. The actions came one day after Chief Theresa Spence announced she would join a meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and First Nations leaders. Spence has been on hunger strike since December 11, demanding a meeting with Harper, an action that has helped spur the Idle No More movement’s broader call for political transformation, indigenous rights and environmental justice. Idle No More organizers have called for a global day of action on January 11th — the same day that Spence is slated to meet with Harper, and the one-month anniversary of her hunger strike.
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Union of California Nurses, Healthcare Workers to Challenge SEIU
In labor news, two major healthcare unions have announced a merger after previously teaming up against the health giant Kaiser Permanente. The 85,000-member California Nurses Association will join with the 10,000-member National Union of Healthcare Workers, or NUWH, for a new union entirely of workers in the health sector. Both unions have waged strikes against Kaiser in the last two years. The move is expected to stoke tensions with the two-million-member Service Employees International Union, with plans already in place to recruit the SEIU’s Kaiser Permanente workers in California. The SEIU defeated the NUHW in a bitterly contested vote among Kaiser Permanente’s California workers in 2011, but the National Labor Relations Board called for a new election after finding that the SEIU had colluded with Kaiser to influence the outcome.
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Illinois "Supermax" Prison Tamms Closes Doors
The notorious Tamms "supermax" prison in Illinois has officially closed its doors following the transfer of the last of its prisoners. Prisoners’ advocates and family members led a campaign for the shuttering of Tamms, citing harsh conditions that included the use of long-term solitary confinement for a decade or longer. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced its closure last year, citing budgetary concerns. In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project praised the closure of Tamms, saying the prison "symbolized the ever more punitive, dehumanizing, and ineffective state of our criminal justice system where entire institutions are built to hold prisoners in extreme solitary confinement. [Its closure] is a major victory first and foremost because of [solitary’s] abhorrent and terrifying psychological consequences."
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