Tag Archives: somalia

International, U.S.

Biden’s War: Millions more in Tax Dollars for war fighting, no not to Ukraine, to Somalia!

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23 January 2023 (08:36-UTC-07 Tango 06) 03 Bahman 1401/01 Rajab 1444/02 Gui-Chou 4721/23 январь 2023 года

“We cheer the success achieved by Somali security forces in their historic fight to liberate Somali communities suffering under al-Shabaab. This is a Somali-led and Somali-fought campaign. The United States reaffirms our commitment to support your effort.”-Larry André, U.S. Ambassador to Somalia, 08JAN2023

U.S. Ambassador to Somalia, Larry André, shakes hands with SNA officer, while standing in front of the Russian machine guns donated on 08JAN2023. Photo via U.S. Embassy in Somalia.

The Biden Administration overseeing yet another multi-million U.S. dollar taxpayer funded giveaway of weapons, but not to Ukraine, to a small country on the Horn of the African continent: Somalia.

Somali Minister of Defense Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama stands in front of light (7.62mm) & heavy (DShK 12.7mm) Russian machine guns during donation ceremony. Photo via U.S. Embassy in Somalia, 08JAN2023.

An official ceremony was held on 08JAN2023, announcing the giveaway, yet according to a press release by U.S. Africa Command (USAfriComm), most of the $9-million worth of weapons (mainly Russian designed and built light and DShK heavy machine guns), construction vehicles, explosive ordinance disposal kits, medical supplies, and maintenance equipment, were already being delivered to Somali National Army (SNA) units in the war ravaged states of Hishabelle and Galmudug.

USAfriComm also admitted that the $9-million ‘aid’ package was paid for through the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and was done in coordination with the United Nations (UN) Security Council.

Biden’s War: U.S. ARMY ADMITS IT’S (Ukraine Crisis) ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY FOR NATO-GREECE!

In 2022; NEW YORK BURIES MORE VETS THAN ANY OTHER STATE, AGAIN?

Biden’s War, December 2022: ANOTHER NORTH CAROLINA GUARD UNIT DEPLOYING TO AFRICA!

Biden’s War, November 2022: BLOW-BACK FROM BIDEN’S Operation ALLIES REFUGE? AFRICAN REFUGEES SHUTDOWN BUSY INTERSTATE IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST!

Biden’s War, February 2022: MORE U.S. ASSAULT RIFLES GOING TO AFRICA

Biden’s Borderland: 2022; END OF YEAR BOAT PEOPLE CAPTURES, FLORIDA & TEXAS

International

False Flag: Mystery bombing used as excuse to ramp up U.S. occupation of Somalia!

21 OCT 2017 (02:52 UTC-07 Tango 06)  29 Mehr 1396/30 Muharram 1439/02 Geng-Xu (9th month) 4715

“The United States is expected to play a supporting role in the new offensive that President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is set to launch on Saturday…..”–ABCNews

On 20 OCT 2017, the U.S. began drone strikes against al-Shabaab (The Youth) despite no evidence they were behind the 15 OCT 2017 bombing in Mogadishu, which also lacks their usual statements of taking credit for past bombings.

In fact, Associated Press published a statement by Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, described as a former leader of al-Shabaab, who actually denounced the 15 OCT 2017 attack!

Mogadishu Mayor Thabit Abdi greets U.S. Army Brigadier General Miguel Castellanos and other U.S. officials, 17 OCT 2017

On 17 OCT 2017, British empire’s TheGuardian reported that the massive truck bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia, was a vengeance attack by a U.S. backed Somali soldier for a U.S. backed attack on his home town, which left about a dozen civilians dead.  Also on 17 OCT 2017, official U.S. taxpayer funded propaganda machine (ie Fake News) Voice of America claimed it interviewed an unnamed Somali intelligence official who said the bombing was targeting a new NATO-Turkish military training facility.

From day one of the unprecedented bombings, Somali and U.S. government officials blamed al-Shabaab (The Youth) without giving any evidence other than saying the bombings had the ‘hallmarks’ of previous al-Shabaab bombings.   But this latest, and biggest bombing attack is missing a critical hallmark; al-Shabaab has yet to take credit for the attack.

Also, previous al-Shabaab bombings were never to this scale, and this latest bombing comes after al-Shabaab’s battlefield capabilities were supposedly destroyed.  On 10 OCT 2017, in the nearby U.S. backed country of Kenya, government forces described al-Shabaab as being “in flight mode”.

In fact, the claim that al-Shabaab has ‘been on the run’ goes all the back to 2012 during the Obama regime.   Yet they keep resurfacing, supposedly more powerful than before, and even after rejecting help from ‘Islamic’ foreign fighters!   

Day one of the latest bombings was 15 OCT 2017, three days after a high-level meeting between the U.S. backed president of Somalia and current U.S. Africa Command (AfriCom) commander Marine Corps General Thomas Waldhauser.  Coincidentally the meeting was officially to remind the Somali president that the United States ‘got-your-six’.

At the end of September, U.S. AfriCom (through the generous donations of U.S. taxpayers) delivered a convoy of 20 brand new U.S. made Mack Bastion armored vehicles to the the African Union Mission in Somalia, apparently because intelligence suggested a sudden need for more military equipment.

In May, another U.S.-Somalia meeting was officially about “creative and viable solutions to meet the complicated and diverse challenges facing the African continent.”

In April, U.S. AfriCom sponsored “the first-ever conference for all chiefs of defense on the African continent” in Germany, saying “our continuation of [counterterrorism] operations, specifically against al-Shabab is a big part of our strategy.”

WGME: Somalia bombing hits immigrant family in Maine

WDAZ: Somalia bombing hits immigrant family in North Dakota

U.S. TAX SPENDING FAILS IN SOMALIA, VIOLENCE LITERALLY EXPLODING!

“We are going to have to stop being the policemen of the world.”-Donald Trump, August 2015 interview with Hugh Hewitt

GREAT RENEGER: LOUISIANA MILITIA DEPLOYED TO KUWAIT!

FALSE FLAG: CALIFORNIA’S PUPPET REGIME IN UKRAINE PLANNED 24 YEARS AGO!

International, U.S.

Obama regime bold face liars: United Nations has proof U.S. regime killing civilians with drones! Violating international law! U.S. citizens “future” targets of drones!

19 October 2013 (01:26 UTC-07 Tango)/14 Dhu’l-Hijja 1434/27 Mehr 1391/15 Ren-Xu (9th month) 4711

“….if there are terrorists within an area where there are women and children, or others, we do not [stress added by speaker] take such action…In fact I can say…there hasn’t been a single collateral death because of the exceptional proficiency, precision of the capabilities that we’ve been able to develop.”-John O. Brennan, Obama regime adviser, during the question and answer session after his speech to Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, 29 June 2011. The answer to the question is not on the official White house transcript but can be viewed about 49:30 minutes into C-SPAN video

“Zero innocent civilians having lost their lives does not sound to me like reality….”-USAF Colonel David M. Sullivan, commenting on Obama regime’s claims of no civilians killed in 2011

“America’s actions are legal.”-Barack Obama, May 2013 speech to National Defense University, he was repeatedly interrupted by people wanting to know why GITMO prison was still in operation

“The position of the Government of Pakistan is quite clear. It does not consent to the use of drones by the United States on its territory and it considers this to be a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. As a matter of international law the U.S. drone campaign in Pakistan is…..a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty…….”-The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Statement of the Special Rapporteur following meetings in Pakistan, 19 October 2013

In May 2013, Barack Obama finally admitted that civilians were being killed by drones: “…it is a hard fact that U.S. strikes have resulted in civilian casualties…”

He also stated that he’s not the only one responsible: “….Not only did Congress authorize the use of force, it is briefed on every strike that America takes.  Every strike.”

In the same speech Obama also has these ominous warnings for the people of the United States: “From our use of drones to the detention of terrorist suspects, the decisions that we are making now will define the type of nation, and world, that we leave to our children.

We have to be mindful of James Madison’s warning that ‘No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.’

….we face a real threat from radicalized individuals here in the United States…….Deranged or alienated individuals, often U.S. citizens or legal residents…..

This is the future of terrorism.”

In September 2013, the artist who created Obama’s Hope election campaign art, Shepard Fairey, admitted he has regrets.  TMZ paparazzi asked if there was something he could change, his reply was that he would replace the slogan Hope, with the slogan Drones!

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: Terror Drone update, 04 June – 17 June. UAV War an attempt to save U.S. economy? Using drones like doing drugs! U.S. mainstream media lies; drones will be used to spy on ‘mericans! Space Drone succesful. Drone war expanding!

17 June 2012

“After consultation with the Taliban Shura, servant of Mujahideen in North Waziristan Agency Hafiz Gul Bahadur has decided that there will be a ban on polio campaign as long as drone strikes are not stopped.”-public statement by the people of 17 towns in Pakistan’s North Waziristan

People living in North Waziristan refusing to let international medical personnel in to administer vaccines until U.S. drone strikes stop. The people also claim the medical personnel are spying for the United States. Apparently the doctor who got DNA samples from Osama bin Laden did so under the pretext that he was administering vaccine.

Some people believe the vaccination program is meant to sterilize them.

According to a Stars & Stripes article, President Obama’s increased use of terror drones has saved hundreds of jobs for one National Guard unit. The Springfield Air National Guard Base (Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport), in Ohio, retained 804 local jobs by becoming a dedicated terror drone base. However, ironically, current budget proposals from the Obama administration are threatening as many as 1,000 Ohio Guard jobs, including 47 positions at the terror drone base.

According to the Swiss Basler Zeitung, the U.S. is expanding their fleet of UAVs by buying more drones, and drone engines, made by Switzerland’s Pilatus Aircraft Ltd.   The Swiss newspaper also said U.S. drone operations in Africa are being conducted from Swiss made Pilatus PC-12 manned aircraft.

Covert U.S. air bases are reportedly in countries such as Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, and Seychelles.

Afghan Mujahideen claim to have shot down a U.S. drone in Afghanistan’s Paktia Province.  U.S. led ISAF/NATO claim the drone crashed due to technical problems.

16 June 2012

“These [drone] strikes will ultimately fail to influence the outcome of an Afghan settlement, but they have already succeeded in making the United States more hated in Pakistan than India.”-Michael Krepon, South Asian Program at the Stimson Center

People living in Garbaherey town, in Somalia’s Gedo region, claim the U.S. launched drone strikes, killing at least 35 people.

Despite several articles and reports by the main stream U.S. news media, downplaying concerns over the use of drones to spy on U.S. citizens (several said outright that it was not true), here’s what the Christian Science Monitor said: “By some government estimates, as many as 30,000 drones could be part of intelligence gathering and law enforcement here in the United States within the next ten years. Operated by agencies down to the local level, this would be in addition to the 110 current and planned drone activity sites run by the military services in 39 states, reported this week by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), a non-government research project.”

After a 14 month top secret mission, a space UAV returned to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.  It was revealed on 16 June, but the landing took place on 9 June.

It’s called the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, it was originally designed to test new space shuttle technologies, but when the NASA budget cuts scrapped the project the Pentagon took it over, turning it into a super high altitude drone.  Exactly what the U.S. Department of Defense is doing with it is still classified!

15 June 2012

It was revealed by Los Angeles Times, that the Pentagon will be testing individual assassination drones in Afghanistan next month.  The UAVs can be carried in the backpacks of special forces troops. They are called Switchblade mini-UAVs.

Two U.S. Navy classified drones (aka X-47B) flew test missions from Edwards AFB in California.  They were spotted by civilians, who promptly reported them as alien space craft!

U.S. President Barack Obama admitted, in an open letter to Congress, that the United States is at war in Yemen and Somalia, the main weapon of choice being the terror drone.

14 June 2012

U.S. drone strike kills at least three people in Pakistan.  Two missiles were fired at a busy shop in a market place in Miranshah: “When the first missile hit the building, I heard cries for help and ran towards it…..When they started rescue work, another missile hit.”-Witness

Russia and Israel to jointly develop new drones: “We are negotiating with Israel. Our aim is to persuade them to start technological cooperation and to develop a product that will be used in both countries, and could also be sold to third countries.”-Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia

13 June 2012

U.S. drone strike kills as many as 27 people in Shabwa Province of Yemen.  CNN said that the U.S. launched at least 14 drone strikes over a two day period.

U.S. drone strike kills four people in North Waziristan, Pakistan.

A global survey by the Pew Research Center showed that the United States is increasingly alone regarding terror drone operations.  People in 17 of 21 countries surveyed are against the U.S. drone wars.  However, the survey showed warmongering ‘mericans (62%) love the drone wars!

Venezuela revealed a recon drone, jointly built with Iran.  It’s called Arpia-001 (Harpy-001).

12 June 2012

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) admitted that their drones are being hacked!  Officials ordered new encryption of their new Skylark I UAVs after they found out that video data being sent back from older drones were being intercepted.

The IDF also revealed that Lebanon’s Hezbollah wiped out an Israeli navy commando assault, back in 1997, after they hacked an Israeli spy drone!  It’s called the Shayetet Disaster inside the Israeli military. 11 members of Israel’s Flotilla 13 unit were killed when they were ambushed by Hezbollah.

Royal Australian military officials in Afghanistan state that using Israeli made drones is like doing drugs: “The capability? It’s like crack cocaine, a drug, for our guys involved.”-Wing Commander Jonathan McMullan, RAAF Heron drone commander, Afghanistan

Australia gets the Heron drone from Canada, who in turn leases them from Israel.

U.S. Marine General John Allen order an end to drone strikes on houses in Afghanistan!

11 June 2012

“Obama is authorizing murder on a weekly basis, with a discussion of the guilt or innocence of candidates for the ‘kill list’ being resolved in secret on ‘Terror Tuesday’ teleconferences with administration officials and intelligence officials.”-Michael Boyle, former adviser to Obama’s counter terrorism group July 2007-November 2008

USAF General, Norton Schwartz, announced that U.S. drones will be deployed in South America and the Pacific.  They will be used to bolster the U.S. combat commands in those regions, known as U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Pacific Command.

06 June 2012

A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed at least 18 people attending a wedding.  U.S. military officials apologized several days later.

Israeli officials refused to apologize for killing nine Turkish citizens, in the 2010 Gaza blockade runner incident.  This after it was revealed that the IDF knew the activists on the Turkish ship were not armed, because their own Israeli drone recon mission showed they were not armed!

04 June 2012

U.S. drone strike kills at least 15 people in North Waziristan, Pakistan.  U.S. officials claim one of those killed was al Qaeda’s second-in-command (how many times are we gonna hear that claim?).

International, U.S.

World War 3: Obama worth 10 camels, Clinton worth 10 chickens & 10 roosters!

“Whoever reveals the hideout of the idiot Obama will be rewarded with 10 camels, and whoever reveals the hideout of the old woman Hillary Clinton will be rewarded 10 chickens and 10 roosters.”-attributed to Fuad Muhammad Khalaf, Somali Mujahideen

10 June 2012, in response to the U.S. putting a bounty on the head of a Somali Mujahideen “leader”, President Barack Obama, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are now wanted men (oops, man & woman).

By the way, how many ‘mericans out there realize we’re at war in Somalia?

 

International, U.S.

Terror Drones: May 7-13. Obama kills thousands more people than Bush Jr! German officials say some of those killed were German citizens! USAF spying on you right now!

May 12, 2012, Yemen media reporting that two U.S. drone strikes killed 16 people in Yemen.

The drone strikes are part of a Yemen military blitz underway now: “A force of about 20,000 men is taking part in this offensive, ordered by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to free the cities of Zinjibar and Jaar.”-unnamed Yemen military officer

Thousands of civilians are fleeing the government’s efforts to “free the cities”.

May 10, 2012, CNN reported that U.S. drone strikes killed eight people in Yemen.  An analyst said the U.S. has launched at least 15 drone strikes in Yemen this year, so far.

May 11, 2012, Mujahideen in Somalia say a U.S. drone strike left 38 people dead.

May 12, 2012, in Seattle, Washington, a group of university students from Pakistan won the Best Audience Award at the National Film Festival For Talented Youth (NFFTY).  Their 20 minute documentary (The Other Side) is about the ongoing U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan.  The student filmmakers were not able to attend the ceremony.

So far this year there have been at least 10 drone strikes, with at least 83 Pakistanis reported killed.

According to a May 11, 2012, report by Germany’s Deutsche Welle, peace prize winner U.S. President Barack Obama has killed more Pakistanis with drones in his first three and a half years in office, than former President George W. Bush did in all his last five years as president!

So far Obama has authorized the killing of 2,355 people in Pakistan, compared to Bush Jr’s measly 426!!!

According to Peter Rudolf, of the German Institute for International and Security Policy, German citizens have also been killed by U.S. drones.  He says German officials are looking the other way because of Germany’s support for the United States: “Certain information that would lead to the killing of a German citizen is not permitted to be shared [with public/news media] as part of the cooperation between intelligence agencies.” 

An unnamed German Interior Ministry official confirmed, in a round-a-bout way, that the U.S. was conducting extra-judicial murder and Germany had no problem with it: “Our constitutional order prohibits providing information regarding extra-judicial killing.”

May 8, 2012, the Federation of American Scientists posted on their website USAF documents that prove the U.S. Air force is spying on people who live within the United States.

As long as the imagery data they collect is considered “incidental” then they are violating no privacy laws, or civil liberties of U.S. citizens.  The data can be kept for 90 days, and shared with other agencies of the Department of Defense.

Also, USAF documents show that drones used for combat must not be operated by civil service workers, or contractors.

 

International, Technology, U.S.

Terror Drones: April 23-29. Pakistan hit. Taliban claim capture of drone. U.S. cops chomping at the bit for their new drones. U.S. politicians taking food from hungry children to build more drones! CIA protected by law.

“The American planes hovering in the skies for quite some time fired at least three missiles at a house in Zafar town in Miran Shah bazaar that damaged the compound completely….They did not appear to be the local militants.”-unnamed local official

April 29, 2012, a U.S. assassination drone killed at least three people in Pakistan.

The attack took place in North Waziristan (within the Waziristan region), dozens of people were wounded.

Also on April 29, a U.S. drone crashed in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.  Mujahideen claim they shot it down and have recovered the wreckage.

“We want (police) to be able to use the aircraft sooner because there is a public interest.”-Ben Gielow, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International

According to a Boston Herald report, U.S. police are chomping at the bit for their FAA issued drone licenses.

“Rushing to push through applications to fly drones doesn’t seem like a good idea.”-Jennifer Lynch, Electronic Frontier Foundation

Many police departments say they have already bought small drones, claiming they are to be used to find missing people.  Until now rules did not allow them to legally use them.  Federal Aviation Administration will have new rules in place by May 14, allowing your local police to legally spy on you with drones.

What’s interesting is that some “law” enforcement agencies have already been caught operating drones.

“….instead of having a caucus to feed preschool children, they decided it was more important to have a Drone Caucus and that’s because all the manufacturers in their districts are funding them.” also “Eisenhower was so right, and he was so right when he said it steals money, it robs us of food for our children, of healthcare for our parents, he was so right. And it’s just worse and worse.”-Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK

Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, revealed that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection are operating Predator-B drones, from North Dakota and now into Washington state.  They claim to be watching the Canadian border for criminal activity.

Down Mexico way, some people are questioning the effectiveness of Predator drones used on that border.

According to stltoday.com: “…Homeland Security officials who have spent six years and more than $250 million building the nation’s largest fleet of domestic surveillance drones. The nine Predators that help police America’s borders have yet to be very useful in stopping contraband or illegal immigrants.”

Washington Post reported on April 25 that President Barack Obama has authorized the CIA to use drones to kill people, even if they can’t tell who it is they’re killing.  The new drone policy is called “signature” strikes.

On April 10, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s Stephen W. Preston, gave a speech which explained why the Obama administration is so gung ho on allowing the CIA, and not the military, to operate the assassination drones. Supposedly traditional “laws of war” do not apply to intelligence agencies.

According to Preston, the CIA answers only to U.S. laws, and those laws favor the CIA: “The courts have long recognized the state secrets privilege and have consistently upheld its proper invocation to protect intelligence sources and methods from disclosure. Moreover, federal judges have dismissed cases on justiciability or political question grounds, acknowledging that the courts are, at times, institutionally ill-equipped and constitutionally incapable of reviewing national security decisions committed to the President and the political branches.”

Speaking of Yemen, the Associated Press revealed that a Yemen Mujahideen claimed to have killed by CIA drone strike last year, is actually alive and well.

April 24, a top FBI official was in Yemen, just two days after a CIA drone strike killed what Yemen officials claim was a top militant “leader”.

Mohammed Al-Basha, Yemen’s embassy spokesman in Washington DC, revealed that the FBI is also involved with drone strikes in Yemen: “Mueller visits Yemen on an annual basis so this is not a special or secret occasion. President Hadi emphasised that he is strongly committed to combatting extremism and working with the U.S. to counter the mutual threat of terrorism.”

FBI director Robert Mueller vowed to crush the Yemen Mujahideen.

April 27, at least 22 people were killed by U.S. drone strikes in Somalia.

 

Technology

Terror Drones: April 16-22, Iran copies Stealth Drone shares info with Russia & China. Seattle & Ogden using drones. Illinois National Guard RQ-7B. CIA wants to kill everyone!

April 22, 2012, Iranian military officials announced they have successfully reverse engineered the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth UAV, captured from the United States in December last year.

Iranian officials gave several clues to prove they recovered data from the aircraft’s computers.

1: Drone parts had been transferred to California for technical work in October 2010. The drone was later transferred to Kandahar, Afghanistan in November 2010.

2: The drone had experienced some technical flaws in its Kandahar flight in November, but U.S. experts failed resolve the problems. The RQ-170 was then sent back to an airfield near Los Angeles in December 2010, for tests on its censors and parts. The drone had a number of test flights there.

3: The spy drone’s memory revealed that it had flown over Al-Qaeda Leader Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan two weeks before his death.

“Had we not accessed the plane’s soft wares and hard discs, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve these facts.”-Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Forces

Iranian officials also confirmed that Russia and China are requesting that Iran share the info recovered from the RQ-170 Sentinel.  Iranian officials said many countries were asking for details on the U.S. stealth drone, but Russian and China had are being most insistent.

To show you how stupid U.S. officials are, U.S. Senator (and warmonger) Joe Lieberman called the claims “Iranian bluster.”

Facts are that during the 1980s Iran reverse engineered every U.S. and British weapons system they had, including the F-14 Tomcat and its Phoenix missiles!

Of course the Soviets helped. The proof is the fact that by the end of the 1980s the Soviets had exact copies of U.S. air to air missiles, including the Phoenix, as well as the radar system used on the F-14!

Iran has been building their own “new builds” of F-5s (including a twin tail version), F-14s (one British intelligence source had counted the number of F-14s Iran now has and concluded that the amount could only be explained by Iran building their own Tomcats), as well as developing their own medium altitude anti-aircraft missile based on the U.S. Hawk system.

Iran’s own Main Battle Tank (MBT), the Zolfaqar-3, is the result of combining technologies from U.S. M60 tank, British Chieftain tank and the Soviet/Russian T-72.  In other words; the Iranians are more than capable of reverse engineering the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth UAV.

April 21, Illinois National Guard has been operating UAVs within the U.S.  The unit is called Shadow Platoon and operates RQ-7B drones.

April 19, reports out of Pakistan said the United States is considering allowing Pakistani military to jointly operate U.S. assassination drones.

On April 19, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has officially requested for permission to kill anyone in Yemen!

According to an unnamed U.S. source, the CIA wants expanded authority to kill, even when it does not know the identities of those who could be killed!  Apparently it is because U.S. assassination drone operators are having a hard time telling who’s the bad guy in Yemen!

U.S. Secretary of Defense, numb nuts Leon Panetta, flat out lied and said all the people killed by drones were planning on attacking the United States:  “Our target there represents those terrorists, or those al-Qaida terrorists that involve a threat to this country, and there are very specific targets. This is not broad based. We are not becoming part of any kind of civil war disputes in that country. We are very precise, and very targeted and will remain pursuant to those operations.”

An international legal expert countered by stating the drone strikes are a violation of international law:  “In other words, the CIA is seeking to escalate an already unlawful campaign of targeted killing at the very time Yemen needs support building the rule of law and ending violence and military conflict. The last time the CIA had this much freedom to kill was in Vietnam. It killed 25,000 people, and the U.S. lost the war!”-Mary Ellen O’Connell, American Society of International Law

April 18, U.S. drones killed five people in Yemen.

April 17, U.S. drones kill 31 people in Somalia.

April 16, three people killed by U.S. terror drone strike in Yemen.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved a license for the Seattle Police Department to operate UAVs.  The approval was signed by President Obama back in February.

Since 2006, the FAA has issued as many as 750 UAV licenses, or permits, to 56 local governments through out the country. It took a lawsuit by the Electronic Frountier Foundation to force the FAA to reveal who is getting the permits.

Out of the 56, 22 are law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.  23 have law enforcement duties, such as universities who’s campus police are using the drones.

Here’s a short list of U.S. police departments licensed to operate UAVs: Arlington, Texas; North Little Rock, Arkansas; Queen Anne’s County, Maryland; FBI; Gadsden PD; Georgia Tech PD; Mesa County, Colorado; Miami-Dade, Florida; Montgomery County, Texas; Ogden, Utah; Polk County, Florida; Otter Tail County, Minnesota; Herington, Kansas.

 

 

 

International, U.S.

Terror Drones: April 9-15, Pakistani official says he will shoot down U.S. drones

April 15, 2012, Pakistani politician and activist, Imran Khan Niazi, said if he were Prime Minister he would shoot down any U.S. drone found over Pakistan.  Khan re-enforced his statement by saying that even if it were an “angel”, if it was wearing a military uniform he would shoot it down.

Khan blamed deteriorating conditions in Pakistan on the United States: “It is time we must separate ourselves from U.S. slavery and the war which has caused tremendous loss to us. Due to this war, we have not only faced terrorism but the menace of sectarianism is also on the rise…”

April 14, 2012, a U.S. drone strike killed seven people in the town of al-Zahar.  Yemeni officials said the people were anti-government Mujahideen.

April 12, 35 people were killed in Somalia, after two U.S. drone attacks.   Somali officials say the drone attacks were against two Mujahideen training bases, one near Mogadishu the other near Afgoye.

 

 

 

International, Technology, U.S.

Terror Drones: April 2-8, U.S. to quadruple assassination drone attacks

The Washington Post reporting that the United States did indeed spy on Iran using UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles, aka drones).

The report says the National Security Agency has at least three years worth of drone surveillance data on Iran. The program is being run by the Central Intelligence Agency’s Iran Operations Division (aka Persia House).

April 7, Yemen military officials say a U.S. drone strike killed 24 anti-government Mujahideen in two locations.  They say some of those killed were foreign Arabs.

There are several anti-government groups in Yemen, two are called Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and Partisans of Sharia.

Reports this past week say that the continued use of drones in Yemen could draw the U.S. into a full blown civil war: ”The more the U.S. applies its current policy, the stronger Al Qaeda seems to get.”–Charles Schmitz, American Institute of Yemen Studies

“Drones are a weapon of terror in many ways, and the kind of hostility this is going to breed may not be worth the counter-terrorism gains.”-Barbara Bodine, former U.S. ambassador to Yemen

“Heavily armed American soldiers have begun appearing in large numbers at the Sheraton Hotel in the capital, Sana, a Yemeni official said.“-Los Angeles Times

Also on April 7, Israeli forces attacked Gaza Strip with drones. Israeli officials said they targeted two men on a motorcycle in the town of Rafah: “Aircraft thwarted a rocket launch in the southern Gaza Strip.”-IDF statement

Despite claiming to have “thwarted” a rocket launch by Palestinians, two rockets were launched at Israel the next morning, April 8.

April 6, “An International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle crashed in northern Afghanistan…”-ISAF statement

No further details were presented.  Some reports also said a NATO helicopter crashed in the same area, but it might be witnesses confusing the rotary wing drone for a manned helicopter.

There are conflicting reports about drone operations ending in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Most reports say drone operations will end after 2014, but there is a report that says assassination drones (aka MQ 9 Reapers) will actually quadruple their terror activity until 2016!

The report says the Reapers will operate from Australia’s Cocos Islands: “But don’t expect the worldwide drone war now being waged in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen to wind down. To the contrary, an Air Force announcement posted online this week indicates the Pentagon anticipates more than quadrupling the size of the global drone war over the next four years.”-Salon, Air Force ramps up drone war

April 5, the U.S. puppet government of Somalia stated to the United Nations that they have given the U.S. permission to use drones against their own people.

“I’m not going to get into matters that relate to intelligence. I will say that the United States has been and remains extremely focused-as do all members of the international community-on combating the terrorist threat that Al Shabaab poses, as an active threat not only to Somali but to the people of the region and beyond, in particular, given its active affiliation with Al Qaeda.“-Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the UN

April 3, a U.S. drone crashed and exploded in Somalia.  The drone went down near the town of El-Bur, which is considered a stronghold of the anti-Western government Mujahidden group called al-Shabaab.  However, the residents of the town say al-Shabaab fighters left the town on March 24.