June 14, 2017


News and Views


ALEXANDRIA VA SHOOTING -- CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT LIVE VIDEO – BERNIE SANDERS INTERVIEWED, AND DEPLORES THE ATTACK BY ONE OF HIS FOLLOWERS. HE HAS NEVER ONCE ADVOCATED ANYTHING EXCEPT LOGIC, FAIRNESS AND PEACEFUL ACTION. THE POPULATION IS AT A POINT OF ECONOMIC DESPAIR IN TOO MANY CASES, AND CAN BE SO DISTURBED EMOTIONALLY AS TO BECOME VIOLENT. I STILL THINK, THOUGH, THAT STABLE AND HEALTHY PEOPLE WON’T DO THIS, JUST AS I THINK A TRULY HONEST PERSON WON’T LIE, STEAL OR CHEAT UNLESS HE IS TRULY DESPERATE. FIRMLY HELD VALUES ARE NOT EASILY ABANDONED. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE TODAY WHO DON’T SHARE THOSE VALUES.

VIDEO REPORT ALSO SAID THAT LEGISLATORS ON BOTH SIDES HAVE RECEIVED DEATH THREATS SINCE THE TRUMP INAUGURATION. I SUSPECT THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OTHER PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL FIELD WHO ARE AT A POINT OF SUFFICIENT EMOTIONAL FRENZY TO DO THESE KINDS OF ACTS. PRESIDENT TRUMP’S HIGHLY UNORTHODOX VIEWS AND ACTIONS SO FAR DON’T HELP THE SITUATION. AT LEAST TODAY, HOWEVER, THE GUNMAN WAS SHOT AND DIED A FEW HOURS AGO. HE HAD MADE THREATS OVER THE INTERNET AGAINST TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS AS A PARTY. I APPROVE POLITICAL ACTIVISM, BUT NOT VIOLENCE.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/capitol-police-played-key-role-in-saving-peoples-lives-officials-say/
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS June 14, 2017, 11:36 AM
Capitol Police played key role in saving people's lives, officials say

Photograph -- U.S. Capitol Police keep watch on Capitol Hill following a shooting in nearby Alexandria, in Washington, U.S., June 14, 2017. AARON P. BERNSTEIN

Rep. Steve Scalise's presence at the congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia where a shooting unfolded Wednesday morning may have saved a number of lives, Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday.

As a member of House leadership, Scalise, the House majority whip, had members of dignitary protection traveling with him at the practice. That's the only reason why Capitol Police were at the scene when shots were fired, Paul said.

"The only reason they were there was because we had a member of leadership on our team," Paul said in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "If Scalise wouldn't have been on the team…him being there, he probably saved everybody else's life because if you don't have a member of leadership there, there probably would have been no security there."

He added that if they had not been there, "It would have been a massacre."

Scalise was among at least five people shot and he was transferred to MedStar Washington Hospital Center to undergo surgery. He had been shot in the hip. His office said he was in "stable condition" and that he was in "good spirits" before entering surgery.

Tim Slater, special agent in charge of the FBI's Washington, D.C. field office, confirmed that Scalise was traveling with a protection team.

"I'm sure it made a significant difference," Slater said of the officer's' presence as the shooting transpired.

Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa confirmed that two Capitol Police officers engaged fire with the gunman, who has now been identified as James T. Hodgkinson. He would not reveal how many Capitol Police officers were on the scene initially.

Plain clothes Capitol Police officers protect senior members of Congress, including Scalise. They are part of a separate division within Capitol Police -- the department of protective services. They look and act like Secret Service but are separate entities. They also protect Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, and others. They also investigate threats against members of Congress. Scalise, as House Majority Whip, generally travels in an armored SUV with two plain clothes Capitol Police officers with him.

Paul said he was in the batting cage at the time that he heard the first shot and then a "rapid succession of shots." He said there was a ten-foot fence between him and the field and he saw Scalise had been shot, but was moving and dragging himself through the dirt. He saw two staffers laying down, one of whom then climbed a 15 to 20-foot fence who then hid behind a tree with Paul. He said he heard at least 50 to 60 gunshots and then he finally heard Capitol Police responding.

"We're actually very lucky they were there," he said.

CBS News' Walt Cronkite and Jillian Hughes contributed to this report.



SCALISE HAS WORKED FOR REPEAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ACT AND HAS A STRONG INVOLVEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION; SO HE IS QUITE CONSERVATIVE, BUT THE WORST THING AGAINST HIM IS THAT HE GAVE A SPEECH TO A WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUP IN 2002. THAT STORY BROKE IN 2014 CAUSING AN UPROAR. HIS POSITION WAS SAVED, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE EXPRESSED TRUST OF A NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WHO ECHOED HIS CLAIM THAT SPEAKING TO THE WHITE SUPREMACISTS WAS “A MISTAKE.” I DON’T KNOW FROM THAT WHETHER HE MEANS THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT THEY STOOD FOR, OR SIMPLY REGRETS DOING IT SINCE IT TURNED OUT SO BADLY, AND WISHES TO GET FORGIVENESS AND RETAIN HIS POSITION.

IF THE SHOOTER TARGETED HIM FOR THOSE THINGS, OR IF HE JUST WENT TO THE PRACTICE SESSION TO SHOOT AS MANY REPUBLICANS AS POSSIBLE, HE DID CARRY AN ASSAULT RIFLE, AND ONLY MANAGED TO HIT SCALISE IN THE HIP. THAT MAKES ME THINK HE JUST SPRAYED THE GROUP IN A FRENZY, AS SO MANY OF THESE SHOOTERS DO. SEVERAL OTHERS WERE HIT ALSO. I’M SORRY FOR THIS TO OCCUR IN ONE OF THE MORE BEAUTIFUL CITIES THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN, ALEXANDRIA. ALSO, ITS’ CLOSENESS TO WASHINGTON DC MAKES ME NERVOUS, AND THE FACT THAT HE WAS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THE REPUBLICAN EVENT AHEAD OF TIME, SHOWING UP AT 7:00 AM, MAKES ME FEEL THAT SECURITY AGAINST THE USE OF THE INTERNET TO PINPOINT A TARGET EVENT, OR TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE OF A VIOLENT GROUP OF POLITICAL ZEALOTS, REALLY ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH AT THIS POINT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EFFECTIVE MEASURES WHICH DON’T AMOUNT TO A GENERALIZED “BIG BROTHER FILE.” I AM IN GENERAL IN FAVOR OF THOSE WHO HOST SUCH WEBSITES AS FACEBOOK, BREITBART, ETC. WHERE CHATTERS GET TOGETHER AND VENT OR TROLL OTHERS TO BE REQUIRED TO REPORT DEATH THREATS, OR SLURS AGAINST RELIGIOUS, ETHNIC OR RACIAL GROUPS, TO THE FBI FOR A PREVENTATIVE VISIT BY AUTHORITIES.

I ALSO THINK THAT FACEBOOK, ETC., SHOULD REMOVE THOSE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS WHO DO THREATEN CRIMES FROM THE PRIVILEGE OF THEIR ACCESS. I SAY THAT, BECAUSE I DON’T FEAR GOVERNMENT ACTION AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE NOT COMMITTING A CRIME, AS MUCH AS I FEAR “NUTJOBS” PICKING THEIR SITES FOR IDENTIFYING A TARGET FOR AN ATTACK, OR COMMUNICATING WITH VIOLENT PEOPLE ABOUT A PLANNED ATTACK OVER THE INTERNET. I’M A PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT, BUT IT’S POSSIBLE FOR THE INTERNET TO BE TOO OPEN. IT SHOULD BE OPEN FOR THE HARMLESS PEOPLE AND CLOSED FOR THE BAD GUYS. I’M SO GLAD THAT MY SETTINGS AREN’T SUCH THAT THOUSANDS OF ANGRY PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO FIND ME PERSONALLY ON LINE AND TRY TO PUNISH ME FOR SAYING THAT. PRIVACY ON THE INTERNET IS VERY IMPORTANT. THE NET IS A GREAT TOOL, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE TWEAKED. THAT’S MY VIEW.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-is-steve-scalise-louisiana-congressman-shot-in-virginia/
By STEFAN BECKET CBS NEWS June 14, 2017, 9:40 AM
Who is Steve Scalise? Louisiana congressman shot in Virginia

A gunman carrying a rifle opened fire at a baseball field where members of Congress were practicing in Alexandria, Virginia, Wednesday morning, allegedly shooting four people before being taken into custody.

Among the injured was Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise, who was shot in the hip and taken away on a stretcher. His office says he is currently undergoing surgery at a Washington, D.C., hospital and is in stable condition. His office says he was "in good spirits and spoke to his wife by phone" before going into surgery.

Two Capitol Hill police officers in Scalise's security detail and a congressional staffer were also injured in the shooting.

Scalise, 51, serves as majority whip in the House of Representatives, the third-highest leadership position in the Republican conference. He represents Louisiana's first congressional district, which includes portions of New Orleans.

Scalise has been in Congress since 2008, when he replaced Bobby Jindal, who surrendered his seat as governor. Prior to winning election to his House seat, Scalise served in the Louisiana legislature, first in the House and then briefly in the state Senate.

Before becoming majority whip, Scalise served as the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the leading caucus of conservative members.

Witness describes "at least 50 gunshots" in Alexandria shooting
Play VIDEO
Witness describes "at least 50 gunshots" in Alexandria shooting

In June 2014, Scalise was elected as majority whip by his fellow Republicans after a series of events stemming from then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's defeat in a primary to a conservative challenger. Scalise had the solid backing of conservative members, including many Southerners.

Scalise came under intense criticism in December 2014 after revelations that he had delivered a speech to a white supremacist group in 2002 before being elected to Congress. Scalise issued an apology for addressing the organization, saying "it was a mistake I regret, and I emphatically oppose the divisive racial and religious views groups like these hold."

His fellow Republicans came to his defense as Democrats called on Scalise to resign his leadership post. Then-Speaker John Boehner called Scalise "a decent man" who had "made a mistake." Scalise was eventually re-elected as majority whip in January 2015 as the new session of Congress convened.

More recently, Scalise played a key role in Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, helping shepherd the American Health Care Act through the House after an initial failure to bring the bill to a vote.

Scalise is a strong supporter of gun rights and the Second Amendment, earning an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association. He has cosponsored legislation to loosen gun restrictions in Washington, D.C., and expand recognition of concealed carry permits.

Scalise, who is Catholic, is a Louisiana native and graduated from Louisiana State University in 1989. He and his wife have two children and live in Jefferson, Louisiana, according to his House biography.



FLAKE, WHO WORKED WITH OBAMA ON THE NORMALIZATION OF US-CUBA RELATIONS IN 2014, SAID THAT OBAMA’S CALL WAS “NICE,” AND THAT HE GAVE “A GREAT SPEECH,” WHEN GABBY GIFFORD WAS SHOT. THEY SEEM TO HAVE HAD A CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-calls-sen-jeff-flake-after-congressional-baseball-shooting/
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS June 14, 2017, 3:00 PM
Obama calls Sen. Jeff Flake after Alexandria shooting

Last Updated Jun 14, 2017 3:12 PM EDT

Former President Obama called Sen. Jeff Flake after the shooting at the Republicans' practice for Thursday's congressional baseball game, a spokesman for Obama confirmed Wednesday.

Flake was among the lawmakers at the practice when the the gunman, identified as James T. Hodgkinson, opened fire, wounding House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, two Capitol Police officers, Matt Mika, a Tyson Foods lobbyist and Zachary Barth, a staffer for Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas.

Speaking to CBS News after the shooting, Flake confirmed that he received a call from Obama in the morning. Flake said the former president was watching the developments on the news and was concerned.

Asked what Obama said to him, the Arizona senator said the former president delivered a "great speech" after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, was shot in 2011.The former president also asked that Flake pass on his regards to Scalise, who underwent surgery at a local medical center.

"He just said, 'I hope that this does bring more unity,' and he wanted me to pass on certainly his regards if he wasn't able to get to Steve or others before me that he was praying for their good health," Flake said. "It was a nice call."

Flake said he got a quick look at the gunman behind a dugout and that he had a rifle and "a lot of ammo."

"Then when I realized he had a line of sight into the dugout with all the members there then we obviously went back down quickly," Flake said.

Flake flew on Air Force One to Arizona following the Tucson shooting that ended Giffords' career and killed six others. The Arizona senator was a major advocate of Obama's efforts to normalize diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba in 2014.

CBS News' Arden Farhi and Mia Ehrenberg contributed to this report.


THIS ARTICLE DOESN’T SAY HOW A CIVILIAN GETS A US MILITARY WEAPON WHICH IS IN CURRENT USE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. SURELY, THEY CAN’T BE BOUGHT IN ORDINARY GUN STORES. THIS ARTICLE DOESN’T SAY CLEARLY, BUT IT DOES SAY THAT VA LAWS ARE MORE LENIENT THAN THOSE IN ILLINOIS. OF COURSE, HE COULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL HE GOT TO VIRGINIA TO BUY IT, AND HE PROBABLY COULD HAVE EVEN BOUGHT IT FROM AN INTERNET SOURCE. VIRGINIA IS A SOUTHERN STATE, SO BUYING IT THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE EASIER. IT’S EVEN POSSIBLE THAT SOMEONE WOULD SELL IT AT A GUN SHOW, ALTHOUGH I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE RULES AGAINST SOMETHING LIKE THAT ONE THERE. THE ATF IS RESEARCHING WHERE, WHEN AND HOW THE TWO GUNS WERE BOUGHT, SO MAYBE THE INFORMATION WILL BE PUBLISHED LATER.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-alexandria-shooting-and-virginia-gun-laws/
By KATHRYN WATSON CBS NEWS June 14, 2017, 12:35 PM
Alexandria Shooting: What are Virginia's gun laws?

26 Photos -- People gather near the scene of an early morning shooting in Alexandria, Virginia, June 14, 2017. Senior Republican Congressman Steve Scalise was among several victims shot and wounded at a baseball practice ahead of an annual game between lawmakers. Scalise was reportedly shot in the hip. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP/GETTY IMAGES

On a quiet Wednesday morning in the suburbs outside Washington, D.C., on a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, a man used a rifle -- similar to an M4 rifle -- and a handgun to shoot at members of Congress, their staffs and security officers practicing for the annual congressional baseball game, according to law enforcement sources.

So, what gun laws does Virginia have in place that a member of the public could obtain a gun and open fire on five people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana)?

First, it's unclear if the suspect -- 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson of Illinois whom President Trump said has died from his injuries -- obtained or was carrying the gun legally. It's also not yet known where he obtained the gun, a matter federal authorities are now investigating.

Virginia is historically a fairly gun-friendly state, and although Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe's administration has worked to toughen gun laws, the Republican-controlled legislature has worked to keep gun laws relatively loose.

"There are too many guns in the street," McAuliffe said in a news conference Wednesday near the shooting location. "...This is a very serious issue."

Rep. Joe Barton on the heroes of Alexandria shooting
Play VIDEO
Rep. Joe Barton on the heroes of Alexandria shooting

Virginia requires background checks at commercial, licensed retailers, although background check requirements are more relaxed for private sales, such as at gun shows. Firearms do not have to be registered in Virginia, according to the Virginia State Police. Virginia allows people to openly carry guns without a permit -- although concealed carry does require a permit. It's not yet known whether the suspect concealed the weapons or not. Notably, Virginia does not have a concealed carry permit reciprocity agreement with Illinois, the suspect's state of residence.

But Illinois' gun laws could also be at issue, if the suspect obtained his weapons there. That state's gun laws are much stricter.

Illinois requires all individuals without a concealed handgun permit to obtain a 10-year firearms owner's identification card, according to the National Rifle Association (NRA). The licensing process requires a detailed background check. Illinois also imposes waiting periods between the purchase and transfer of a firearm. That waiting period is 24 hours for "long" guns and 72 hours for handguns. The state does not require gun owners to register their guns with the state, or impose restrictions on the purchase or sales of multiple firearms. The state also doesn't prevent the transfer of assault weapons or high-capacity ammunition magazines.

After the Wednesday morning shooting, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was in the process of tracing the weapons, which can take about 24 hours.



“THE SMELL OF SMOKE AND THE SOUND OF SCREAMING ....” THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST PIECES OF NEWS WRITING THAT I’VE SEEN IN QUITE A WHILE, IN MY OPINION, AND THE SITUATION IS SIMPLY HORRIFIC. THE ARTICLE MENTIONED A HISTORY OF FIRE HAZARD REPORTS WHICH WERE LEFT UNATTENDED, BUT GAVE NO DETAIL. THIS IS OFTEN TRUE IN AGING APARTMENT BUILDINGS, RENTED TO LOW INCOME TENANTS BECAUSE IT'S ALL THEY CAN AFFORD. SOMETIMES THE LACK OF ATTENTION IS DUE TO THEIR INABILITY HIRE LAWYERS OR SIMPLY TO COMMAND RESPECT. WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO IGNORE THOSE WHO SEEM TO BE BENEATH US.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fire-in-london-high-rise-leaves-number-dead-grenfell-tower-kensington/
CBS/AP June 14, 2017, 5:13 AM
Death toll rises to 12 in huge London high-rise fire

LONDON -- A fast-moving overnight fire engulfed a 24-story apartment tower in London on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens of others, police said. Desperately trying to avoid the flames, residents threw babies and small children from high windows to people down on the sidewalk, witnesses said.

The inferno lit up the night sky and spewed black smoke from the windows of the Grenfell Tower in the North Kensington neighborhood, where more than 200 firefighters battled the blaze.

Authorities say the fire injured 74 people, 18 of them critically, and left an unknown number missing. U.K. news outlets reported as many as 600 people were believed to live in the building.

The smoke stretched for miles across the sky after dawn, revealing the blackened, flame-licked wreckage of the building, which was still burning over 12 hours later.

London high-rise had history of fire safety complaints

London's Metropolitan Police gave the preliminary death toll of 12, but said that, given the magnitude of the disaster, that figure was likely to rise.

"In my 29 years of firefighting I have seen nothing of this scale," London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton said at an early morning briefing to journalists.

london-fire-kensington-grenfell-tower-695801008.jpg
In this image taken by eyewitness Gurbuz Binici, a huge fire engulfs the 24-story Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, West London, in the early hours of June 14, 2017. GETTY

Flames shot from windows all the way up the side of the 24-story Grenfell Tower in North Kensington as firefighters battled the blaze.

Paul Littlejohn, who lives opposite Grenfell Tower, told the BBC he woke up at about 1:30 a.m. (8:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday night) to see the building across the street "in a towering inferno, blaze, just fire coming out of every window, windows smashing and exploding."

"Things falling out, people screaming, people jumping out on fire, chucking ropes down what they'd made out of bed sheets, to try and climb out. Just complete nightmare, absolute nightmare," recounted Littlejohn.

london-kensington-apartment-fire.jpg
Smoke billows from the Grenfell Tower apartment building after it was engulfed in flames in North Kensington, London, June 14, 2017. REUTERS

Two separate witnesses told CBS News they saw parents throwing young children or babies from balconies in an effort to save them from the flames.

At least one infant was caught by a person on the ground and survived, according to a witness who spoke to the Huffington Post. The fate of the child's mother, who threw the baby off a balcony wrapped in a sheet or blanket, was not known.

By mid-morning in London, fire crews trying to clear the building had reached the 19th floor of the tower, searching room-by-room for victims or survivors. Structural engineers were monitoring the building closely, but were not immediately concerned of a potential collapse.

London high-rise fire leaves unknown number dead
Play VIDEO
London high-rise fire leaves unknown number dead

Residents recalled waking up to the smell of smoke and sound of screaming, and then rushing to escape through smoke-filled corridors.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Residents said it appeared to start in an apartment on a lower floor and spread upward quickly.

"Around midnight my brother initially woke me up, and screamed, 'there's a fire!' So we went out and initially it was only on the third, fourth floor, so it wasn't too bad," Samira Awil, who lives in the charred building, told CBS News on Wednesday morning. "Within half an hour, an hour, it literally went to the top floor and there is about 23 floors up there, so it was really bad. It caught on really quickly and it was, there was obviously people on the balcony screaming for help."

The blaze started around 1 a.m. London time, but 11 hours later smoke was still pouring from the building and flames could still be seen in some of the upper floor windows, out of the reach of fire hoses on the ground. Only one person was seen being pulled out of the building alive.

2017-06-14t042004z-749459221-rc1bc5969810-rtrmadp-3-britain-fire.jpg
Flames and smoke billow as firefighters deal with a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London, Britain June 14, 2017. REUTERS / TOBY MELVILLE

Ahlam Said, who made it out of the blaze early on, was emotional as she spoke to CBS News outside the building. She said her friend, with her five children, were all unaccounted for.

Nassima Boutrig, who lives opposite the building, said she was awakened by sirens and smoke so thick that it filled her home as well.

"We saw the people screaming," she said. "A lot of people said 'Help, help, help.' The fire brigade could only help downstairs. It was fire up, up, up. They couldn't stop the fire."

Boutrig said her friend's brother, wife and children lived in the building and that her friend was waiting to find out if they were OK.

london-apartment-fire-kensington.jpg
Firefighters stand amid debris in a playground near a tower block severely damaged by a serious fire in West London, June 14, 2017. REUTERS

People who live nearby were evacuated, some carrying pets in their arms as they left. Volunteers handed out bottled water and collected donations of food, clothing and household items for families who lost their homes.

Helicopters hovered overhead and smoke hung over the scene. Exhausted firefighters sprawled on the pavement just inside the police cordon, drinking water from plastic bottles.

Police closed the A40, a major road leading out of West London, while some parts of London's Underground train network were closed as a precaution, Reuters reported.

The London Fire Brigade said 45 fire engines and 200 firefighters were called to the scene.

"The prime minister is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in the Grenfell Tower and is being kept constantly updated on the situation," a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement.



NEW SANCTIONS BILL IS FINDING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT: I DO HOPE THIS BILL IS PASSED. RUSSIA HAS BEEN OVERTLY AGGRESSIVE TO THE POINT OF ARMED TAKEOVER AGAINST A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF NATIONS DURING MY LIFETIME, AND I THINK IT IS JUST POSSIBLE THAT WE WERE TO BE THE NEXT, ONLY IN THIS CASE BY MEANS OF A PUPPET, AS IN UKRAINE.

I ALSO REMEMBER THAT, THOUGH RUSSIA ENDED UP SIDING WITH THE ALLIES IN WWII, THEY BRIEFLY FORMED AN AGREEMENT WITH HITLER, SO HIS INTENTIONS WERE NOT SO OFFENSIVE AS TO PREVENT THEIR JOINING FORCES WITH HIM. RUSSIAN VALUES ARE NOT EVEN HUMANE IN SO MANY CASES. THEY HAVE CONDUCTED POGROMS AGAINST JEWS AND OTHERS DOWN THROUGH THE CENTURIES, AS OFTEN AS THE GERMANS HAVE. OF COURSE, OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN MUCH THE SAME IN THE PAST AS WELL.

WARFARE AND EVEN A STRAIN OF PURE VICIOUSNESS HAVE BEEN A PART OF HUMAN LIFE ALL THE WAY TO THE BEGINNINGS OF OUR SPECIES, I FEEL SURE. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AT LEAST TWO RARE PIT GRAVES WITH MULTIPLE BODIES ARE LISTED ON GOOGLE, FOUND IN EUROPE FROM NEOLITHIC TIMES AND FOLLOWING. EXPLANATIONS HAVE BEEN PLAGUE DEATHS, MASS SLAUGHTERS BASED ON SOCIAL OR RACIAL DIFFERENCES, AND SIMPLY WARFARE. THE FOLLOWING REFERRED TO AN IDEA AMONG ARCHAEOLOGISTS THAT BEFORE THE NEOLITHIC THERE WAS NO FULL-SCALE WARFARE. AN EVEN EARLIER SITE IS LOCATED IN KENYA. SEE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE SITE IN PARTICULAR. IT’S VERY INTERESTING.: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/17/mass-grave-prehistoric-warfare-ancient-european-farming-community-neolithic

THE OLDER I GET AND THE MORE I SEE OF THE WORLD, THE MORE DISGUSTED AND OFTEN ANGRY I BECOME. THERE WAS A GREAT BOOK FROM WHICH I READ SOME PASSAGES CALLED “THE UGLY AMERICAN,” ON THIS SIDE OF BOTH THE MILITARY AND BUSINESS ACTIVITIES ABROAD. WHEN WE SET UP FACTORIES IN POVERTY STRICKEN COUNTRIES WHICH PAY SO LITTLE THAT THE PEOPLE CAN’T LIVE ON IT, THAT IN MY VIEW IS HEARTLESS.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tillerson-testify-house-russia-sanctions-vote-nears-080407378--finance.html?soc_trk=gcm&soc_src=bad81b5f-db87-38f1-ad4e-b7e8e737f190&.tsrc=notification-brknews
Senate approves sanctions bill to punish Russia for meddling
Associated Press
RICHARD LARDNER
Associated Press, June 14, 2017

Photograph -- Russian President Vladimir Putin walks along the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin, to take part in a holiday reception in Moscow, Monday, June 12, 2017. Since 1992 the 'Day of Russia' is annually celebrated on 12 June as the Russian Federation's national holiday.(Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Senate voted decisively to punish Moscow for interfering in the 2016 election by approving a wide-ranging sanctions package that targets key sectors of Russia's economy and individuals who carried out cyber attacks.

Senators on Wednesday passed the bipartisan sanctions legislation 97-2, underscoring broad support among Republicans and Democrats for rebuking Russia after U.S. intelligence agencies determined Moscow had deliberately interfered in the presidential campaign. Lawmakers who backed the measure also cited Russia's aggression in Syria and Ukraine.

Despite Russia's bellicosity, there's been no forceful response from President Donald Trump. The president has instead sought to improve relations with Moscow and rejected the implication that Russian hacking of Democratic emails tipped the election his way.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's "brazen attack on our democracy is a flagrant demonstration of his disdain and disrespect for our nation," Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said ahead of the vote.

"But in the last eight months, what price has Russia paid for attacking American democracy?" McCain said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered tepid support for the sanctions measure, telling the House Foreign Affairs Committee he agreed "with the sentiment" among lawmakers that Russia must be held accountable for its meddling in the election.

But Tillerson urged Congress to make the sanctions legislation doesn't tie the president's hands and shut down promising avenues of communication between the two former Cold War foes. He asked lawmakers "to ensure any legislation allows the president to have the flexibility to adjust sanctions to meet the needs of what is always an evolving diplomatic situation."

If the Trump administration decides to oppose the new sanctions, they could be in a bind. The sanctions measure has been attached to a bill imposing penalties on Iran that the Senate is currently debating and which also has strong bipartisan support. So the White House would have to reject stricter punishments against Iran, which it favors, in order to derail the parts of the legislation it may object to.

Once the Iran bill is passed, the legislation moves to the House for action.

The leaders of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations committees announced late Monday that they'd reached an agreement on the sanctions package after intensive negotiations.

The deal was forged amid the firestorm over investigations into Moscow's possible collusion with members of Trump's campaign. House and Senate committees are investigating Russia's meddling and potential links to the Trump campaign. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting a separate probe.

The measure calls for strengthening current sanctions and imposing new ones on a broad range of people, including Russians engaged in corruption, individuals in human rights abuses and anyone supplying weapons to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Broad new sanctions would be imposed on Russia's mining, metals, shipping and railways sectors.

The measure would punish individuals who conduct what the senators described as "conducting malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government." Also covered by the sanctions are people doing business with Russian intelligence and defense agencies.

The package also would require a congressional review if a president attempts to ease or end current penalties. The review mechanism was styled after 2015 legislation pushed by Republicans and approved overwhelmingly in the Senate that gave Congress a vote on whether Obama could lift sanctions against Iran. That measure reflected Republican complaints that Obama had overstepped the power of the presidency and needed to be checked by Congress.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, said the Senate has finally confronted Russia.

"This bipartisan amendment is the sanctions regime that the Kremlin deserves for its actions," Shaheen said.
___
Contact Richard Lardner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rplardner



WHITE PHOSPHOROUS AGAIN. ITS’ PURPOSEFUL USE IN A POPULATED AREA CONSTITUTES A WAR CRIME WHEN IT IS USED TO KILL RATHER THAN WITH AN INTENTION OF PROVIDING A SMOKE SCREEN TO OBSCURE TROOP ACTIONS. IT SEEMS OBVIOUS TO ME, THOUGH, IT ISN’T “SAFE,” EVEN IF THERE WAS NO INTENTION TO INJURE OR KILL. DID WE DO IT PURPOSELY? THIS IS ONE WEAPON THAT I THINK SHOULD BE BANNED ENTIRELY. THIS ARTICLE SAYS THAT PHOSPHOROUS THAT LANDS ON THE GROUND CAN IGNITE AGAIN MORE OR LESS SPONTANEOUSLY WEEKS LATER, MAYBE WHERE CHILDREN ARE PLAYING.

THIS REPORTED ATTACK MAY HAVE HAPPENED ON OBAMA’S WATCH, OR AS RECENTLY AS TODAY. THE AMAQ VIDEO HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED YET BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, AND THE ARTICLE SPECIFIES NO DATE. THE ALLEGATION OF ITS’ USE, HOWEVER, STATES THAT IT “IS BEING USED.” USING IT TO CREATE A SCREEN IS ACCEPTABLE UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL LAW, BUT IN THIS CASE IT IS IN A HEAVILY POPULATED AREA, AND MANY REFUGEES ARE IN THAT CITY. THEY HAVE REQUESTED URGENTLY THAT LEAFLETS BE DROPPED TO TELL RESIDENTS WHERE SAFE HIDING PLACES WOULD BE. THE LACK OF COMMENT ON THE MATTER IMPLIES TO ME THAT SUCH A PRECAUTION MAY NOT BE OCCURRING.

EVERY TIME I READ SOMETHING LIKE THIS I COME BACK TO THAT UNFORGETTABLE STATEMENT, “WAR IS HELL.” I FIRST PUT EISENHOWER AS THE AUTHOR, THEN PATTON, THEN I GOOGLED IT. IT’S SHERMAN, WHO DECIMATED THE SOUTH IN THE CIVIL WAR. THIS IS THE FULL QUOTATION FROM BRAINYQUOTE.”

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamtec190604.html
William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes

“I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.”

William Tecumseh Sherman


http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/06/13/532809626/u-s-led-coalition-has-used-white-phosphorous-in-fight-for-mosul-general-says
CONFLICT ZONES
U.S.-Led Coalition Has Used White Phosphorus In Fight For Mosul, General Says
June 13, 2017 8:13 PM ET
ALISON MEUSE
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Photograph -- White phosphorous smoke screens were fired by the U.S. Army in November 2004 on the outskirts of Fallujah, Iraq.
Scott Nelson/Getty Images

In Iraq, the U.S.-led coalition has admitted — for the first time — to using white phosphorous during operations in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

"We have utilized white phosphorous to screen areas within west Mosul to get civilians out safely," New Zealand Brig. Gen. Hugh McAslan tells NPR. He estimates that around 28,000 civilians have managed to make the dangerous crossing out of Islamic State territory in the past few days alone.

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Battle To Wrest ISIS From Iraqi City Of Mosul Enters More Intense Phase
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Coalition spokesmen previously have confirmed the use of the incendiary substance in less-populated areas of northern Iraq in the fight against ISIS. But this is the first confirmation that white phosphorus has been used in Mosul.

McAslan says Iraqi forces backed by the coalition have retaken almost 90 percent of western Mosul — the last holdout of the extremists in Iraq's second-largest city. But ISIS still controls a densely populated enclave, where the U.N. says tens of thousands of people remain and have been used as human shields.

The U.N. Human Rights Council says it has received credible reports that ISIS increasingly is targeting civilians as they try to flee, leaving more than 230 dead in recent weeks.

White phosphorous munitions are blown up by U.N. and Hamas sappers, not seen, in the Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip in March 2010. The munitions remained unexploded since the Gaza war in 2008, when they were fired.
Eyad Baba/Associated Press

Human rights organizations have warned that the use of white phosphorus to produce obfuscating smoke screens carries deadly risks in an urban setting. Amnesty International says the substance can cause "horrific injuries, burning deep into the muscle and bone." The incendiary substance can reignite weeks after being deployed, causing potential harm to those fleeing or returning.

Amnesty made those warnings in a report documenting the use of white phosphorus east of Mosul in 2016. At the time, it said that the use of the substance in the vicinity of population centers "constitutes an indiscriminate attack and can be a war crime."

White phosphorus, which bursts into flame when it hits oxygen, is not banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, but its legality is linked to its use. In 2005, the CWC spokesman Peter Kaiser told the BBC that white phosphorus is permitted in war if used to camouflage movement, but not if it is employed as a weapon.

The U.S. military has admitted using white phosphorous in the 2004 battle for Fallujah in Iraq, and in Afghanistan in 2009. Israel used it in the 2008 Gaza war, but said in 2013 that it would stop.

U.S.-Backed Fighters Begin Offensive To Push ISIS From Its 'Capital'
THE TWO-WAY
U.S.-Backed Fighters Begin Offensive To Push ISIS From Its 'Capital'

The coalition admission comes amid fresh allegations that white phosphorus also is being deployed in the fight for Raqqa, Syria. There, the U.S. is backing an alliance of Kurdish and Arab partner forces to seize that city from Islamic State control. Those forces have made gains in recent days, pushing into the city for the first time since the campaign began.

In recent days, the ISIS-affiliated media outlet Amaq released a video purporting to show white phosphorous raining down on Raqqa by night. Amnesty International says it has not yet been able to verify the Amaq footage, but is urging U.S.-led forces to refrain from using white phosphorus in Raqqa and its surroundings, where civilians remain trapped. The rights group says the risk to civilians is "unacceptably" high, and could potentially count as a war crime.

The Amaq video prompted rare unity in condemnation from both supporters and opponents of Syria's regime. One supporter tells NPR that contacts inside Raqqa are desperate for leaflets from the coalition telling them where to shelter amid the bombing campaign.

Tom Bowman contributed to this report.