October 21, 2017


News and Views


I PUT THIS ARTICLE FIRST BECAUSE IT IS A TRULY IMPORTANT PIECE FROM A CRUCIAL TIME IN US HISTORY. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT. I AND MANY OTHERS WERE TRULY IN GRIEF WHEN HE WAS SO CRUELLY SHOT AND KILLED.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jfk-assassination-trump-to-allow-release-of-classified-documents/
CBS/AP October 21, 2017, 8:48 AM
JFK assassination: Trump to allow release of classified documents

President Trump announced on Twitter that he will allow the release of thousands of classified documents about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy after years of delays.

The unexpected move means the trove of never-before-seen documents are set to be released by the National Archives by Oct. 26.

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Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as President, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened.
8:35 AM - Oct 21, 2017
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The National Archives has until Thursday to disclose the remaining files related to Kennedy's 1963 assassination. The trove is expected to include more than 3,000 documents that have never been released to the public and more than 30,000 that have been previously released but with redactions.

Congress mandated in 1992 that all assassination documents be released within 25 years, but Mr. Trump has the power to block them on the grounds that making them public would harm intelligence or military operations, law enforcement or foreign relations.

JFK at 100

"Thank you. This is the correct decision. Please do not allow exceptions for any agency of government," tweeted Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and author of a book about Kennedy, who has urged the president to release the files. "JFK files have been hidden too long."

The anticipated release has had scholars and armchair detectives buzzing. But it's unlikely the documents will contain any big revelations on a tragedy that has stirred conspiracy theories for decades, Judge John Tunheim told The Associated Press last month. Tunheim was chairman of the independent agency in the 1990s that made public many assassination records and decided how long others could remain secret.

Sabato and other JFK scholars believe the trove of files may, however, provide insight into assassin Lee Harvey Oswald's trip to Mexico City weeks before the killing, during which he visited the Soviet and Cuban embassies. Oswald's stated reason for going was to get visas that would allow him to enter Cuba and the Soviet Union, according to the Warren Commission, the investigative body established by President Lyndon B. Johnson, but much about the trip remains unknown.

Roger Stone, a longtime friend of Mr. Trump who wrote a book alleging that Johnson was the driving force behind Kennedy's assassination, had personally urged the president to make the files public, he told far-right conspiracy theorist and radio show host Alex Jones this past week.

"Yesterday, I had the opportunity to make the case directly to the president of the United States by phone as to why I believe it is essential that he release the balance of the currently redacted and classified JFK assassination documents," Stone said, adding that "a very good White House source," but not the president, had told him the Central Intelligence Agency, "specifically CIA director Mike Pompeo, has been lobbying the president furiously not to release these documents."

"Why? Because I believe they show that Oswald was trained, nurtured and put in place by the Central Intelligence Agency. It sheds very bad light on the deep state," he said.

After the president announced his decision, Stone tweeted: "Yes ! victory !"

The files that were withheld in full were those the Assassination Records Review Board deemed "not believed relevant," Tunheim said. Its members sought to ensure they weren't hiding any information directly related to Kennedy's assassination, but there may be nuggets of information in the files that they didn't realize were important two decades ago, he said.

"There could be some jewels in there because in our level of knowledge in the 1990s is maybe different from today," Tunheim said.

The National Archives in July published online more than 440 never-before-seen assassination documents and thousands of others that had been released previously with redactions.

Among those documents was a 1975 internal CIA memo that questioned whether Oswald became motivated to kill Kennedy after reading an AP article in a newspaper that quoted Fidel Castro as saying "U.S. leaders would be in danger if they helped in any attempt to do away with leaders of Cuba."

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



FORMER PRESIDENTS STAND UP FOR AMERICA

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-presidents-raise-31-million-for-hurricane-relief-fund/
CBS NEWS October 21, 2017, 5:37 PM
Former presidents raise $31 million for hurricane relief fund

Photograph -- President Barack Obama stands with former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter at the dedication of the George W. Bush presidential library on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, on Thu., April 25, 2013. AP

An initiative launched by all five living former presidents has raised $31 million for hurricane relief from 80,000 donors.

The One America Appeal initiative, launched Sept. 7 in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in Florida, has distributed nearly $13 million to the Florida Disaster Fund, Rebuild Texas Fund, the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, Juntos y Unidos por Puerto Rico and the Fund for the Virgin Islands, according to a news release from former President George H. W. Bush's office. The project is being managed through the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation.

The fundraising figure comes ahead of a Saturday night concert One America Appeal is hosting at Texas A&M to raise money for hurricane victims. All five living former presidents -- Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter -- are expected to attend.

"With damage estimates from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria topping $300 billion and requiring months and years of rebuilding ahead, we hope this strong start to the One America Appeal is just that – a start," David Jones, CEO of the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation, said in a statement. "The former presidents want to thank each donor who, out of the goodness of their hearts, has given of themselves in such a selfless way to help their fellow Americans."

The five former presidents announced the initiative in an emotional video in September, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey's destruction in Texas. But since then, Hurricane Irma ravaged Florida, and Hurricane Maria destroyed much of Puerto Rico.

45 photos -- Puerto Rico's long road to recovery from Hurricane Maria
Puerto Rico's long road to recovery from Hurricane Maria



"WE ARE REJECTING A POLITICS OF FEAR," OBAMA SAID. READ HIS WHOLE SET OF COMMENTS BELOW. HE TALKS A GOOD DEAL MORE LIKE JESUS THAN A LOT OF WHITES DO. FOR INSTANCE, WHITE SUPREMACY IS NOT LIKE JESUS. WWJD.

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/obama-campaigns-phil-murphy-in-new-jersey-live-stream-updates/
KATHRYN WATSON CBS NEWS October 19, 2017, 2:25 PM
Obama stumps for Phil Murphy in New Jersey — live updates
Last Updated Oct 19, 2017 4:47 PM EDT

Photograph -- NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 20: Former U.S. President Barack Obama prepares to leave the Gates Foundation Inaugural Goalkeepers event after speaking there on September 20, 2017 in New York City. YANA PASKOVA / GETTY IMAGES

Former President Barack Obama is hitting the campaign trail Thursday for Phil Murphy, the Democratic nominee for governor in New Jersey, marking his first campaign appearance since leaving office in January.

Obama will speak at the invite-only canvas kickoff with grassroots supporters in an attempt to help propel Murphy into the seat currently held by New Jersey's Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Obama, who has kept a low profile in recent months with the exception of occasional statements and events, will also campaign for Ralph Northam, Democrats' pick for Virginia governor, Thursday afternoon.

Murphy, a former U.S. ambassador to Germany and ex-Goldman Sachs executive, appears to be in for a smooth election day so far. He leads Republican opponent Kim Guadagno by an average of 16.5 points in the polls, according to a Real Clear Politics aggregation of recent polls. Whoever wins, the victor will replace a governor with dismal approval ratings. In June, a Quinnipiac University poll found Christie had only a 15 percent approval rating in the Garden State. The election is Nov. 7.

Follow for live coverage of the Obama-Murphy event starting at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

"We are rejecting a politics of fear," Obama says

4:41 p.m. The former president urged the crowd to have hope, and promote the value that everyone has worth.

"We are rejecting a politics of fear," Obama said.

"You cannot complain if you didn't vote," Obama says

4:38 p.m. Obama said the most important office in America is not president or governor, but citizen.

"All of us have a responsibility to make our democracy work," Obama said.

"You cannot complain if you didn't vote," he added.

"This is the 21st Century, not the 19th Century," Obama says
4:35 p.m. The former president lamented the state of modern-day politics.

"Some of the politics we see now, we thought we put that to bed," Obama said.

"This is the 21st Century, not the 19th Century," Obama added, to an eruption of applause.

Obamacare comes up

4:32 p.m. Obama spent a few moments mentioning some of the accomplishments of his administration, including cutting the unemployment rate. As President Trump and Republicans look to dismantle his Affordable Care Act, the former president mentioned that milestone, too.

"And oh, by the way, we covered a whole bunch of folks with insurance too," Obama said.

Obama: The world counts on America having its act together
4:30 p.m. Obama, mentioning Murphy's time as ambassador to Germany, said the world is looking to the U.S. and counting on America having its act together.

"What are our priorities? What are our values?" Obama asked.

Crowd chants "four more years" after Obama takes stage
4:23 p.m. Murphy asked everyone to stand as Obama took the stage.

Obama said it was good to be back in New Jersey, and the crowd erupted in chants of, "four more years, four more years."

"I will refer you both to the Constitution as well as to Michelle Obama to explain why that will not happen," Obama joked.

Phil Murphy says he won't go to the beach alone
4:18 p.m. Murphy, taking a shot at Christie, said he wouldn't go to the beach by himself. When he goes to the beach, everyone goes to the beach, he said.

Christie ventured to the beach during a government shutdown over the summer, drawing ire from critics. Christie defended his decision.

Phil Murphy joins the stage, finally
4:12 p.m. More than 40 minutes after the rally was supposed to start, Murphy took to the stage.

"How cool is this folks, huh?" the candidate said.

Murphy thanked his supporters and family, saying that 19 days out, his team can "take nothing for granted."



NIGER

http://www.businessinsider.com/congress-demands-answers-from-pentagon-over-niger-attack-2017-10
Congress is demanding answers over the Niger ambush that killed 4 American soldiers
Associated Press
Robert Burns, Associated Press
Oct. 20, 2017, 9:37 AM

Photographs -- These images provided by the U.S. Army show, from left, Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; Sgt. La David Johnson of Miami Gardens, Fla.; and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Ga. US Army via Associated Press

Two weeks have passed since a deadly ambush in Niger left four US soldiers dead, and Congress is demanding answers.

It's unclear why US troops were caught unawares by the attack, why it took additional time to recover one of the soldiers' bodies, and who was responsible.

Defense secretary Jim Mattis has defended the slow pace of the investigation, saying he will provide information as soon as it is available.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress demanded answers Thursday two weeks after an ambush in the African nation of Niger killed four US soldiers, with one top lawmaker even threatening subpoenas. The White House defended the slow pace of information, saying an investigation would eventually offer clarity about a tragedy that has morphed into a political dispute in the United States.

Among the unresolved inquiries: Why were the Americans apparently caught by surprise? Why did it take two additional days to recover one of the four bodies after the shooting stopped? Was the Islamic State responsible?

The confusion over what happened in a remote corner of Niger, where few Americans travel, has increasingly dogged President Donald Trump, who was silent about the deaths for more than a week.

Asked why, Trump on Monday turned the topic into a political tussle by crediting himself with doing more to honor the dead and console their families than any of his predecessors. His subsequent boast that he reaches out personally to all families of the fallen was contradicted by interviews with family members, some of whom had not heard from Trump at all.

And then the aunt of an Army sergeant killed in Niger, who raised the soldier as her son, said Wednesday that Trump had shown "disrespect" to the soldier's loved ones as he telephoned to extend condolences while they were driving to the Miami airport to receive his body. Sgt. La David Johnson was one of the four Americans killed Oct. 4 in southwest Niger; Trump called the families of all four Tuesday.

Myeshia Johnson
Myeshia Johnson mourns the death of her husband, Sgt. La David Johnson, on Tuesday. WPLG/AP

In an extraordinary White House briefing, John Kelly, the former Marine general who is Trump's chief of staff, described himself as "stunned" and "brokenhearted" by the criticism of Trump. He also invoked his son serving in Iraq to explain why American soldiers operate in dangerous parts of the world, saying their efforts to train local forces mean the US doesn't have to undertake large-scale invasions of its own. Kelly's other son, Robert, was killed in combat in Afghanistan seven years ago.

The deadly ambush in Niger occurred as Islamic militants on motorcycles, toting rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns, seized on a US convoy and shattered the windows of their unarmored trucks. In addition to those killed, two Americans were wounded. No extremist group has claimed responsibility.

The attack is under official military investigation, as is normal for a deadly incident.

What is abnormal, according to Sen. John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is the Trump administration's slow response to requests for information. He said Thursday it may take a subpoena to shake loose more information.

"They are not forthcoming with that information," McCain told reporters.

Sen. Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said members of Congress have been provided with some information about the attack, "but not what we should."

jim mattis

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis answers a reporter's question about the ambush of U.S. troops in Niger before a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman at the Pentagon, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, in Washington. Associated Press/Alex Brandon

At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pushed back, saying it naturally takes time to verify information about a combat engagement. He promised to provide accurate information as soon as it's available, but offered no timetable.

"The loss of our troops is under investigation," he said. "We in the Department of Defense like to know what we're talking about before we talk."

Mattis did not offer details about the circumstances under which the Americans were traveling but said contact with hostile forces had been "considered unlikely."

That would explain why the Americans, who were traveling in unarmored vehicles with Nigerien counterparts, lacked access to medical support and had no immediate air cover, although Mattis said French aircraft were called to the scene quickly. He said contract aircraft flew out the bodies of three Americans shortly after the firefight. Local Nigeriens found Johnson's body and returned it Oct. 6.

It's not clear why Johnson was not found with the three others Oct. 4.

Dana W. White, a spokeswoman for Mattis, said Johnson had become "separated." Speaking at a news conference with her, Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, director of the Joint Staff, said he knew more about what had happened to Johnson but was not willing to share it. He said US, Nigerien and French forces remained in the area searching for Johnson until he was found, so it would be wrong to say he was "left behind."

Mattis said the US has about 1,000 troops in that part of Africa to support a French-led mission to disrupt and destroy extremist elements. He said the US provides aerial refueling, intelligence and reconnaissance support, and ground troops to engage with local leaders.

"In this specific case, contact (with hostile forces) was considered unlikely, but the reason we had US Army soldiers there and not the Peace Corps, it's because we carry guns."

McKenzie said last week that US troops in that area had done 29 similar missions over the previous six months without encountering enemy forces.

Underlining how the attack and its response have rattled the White House this week, Trump's national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, also joined the defense. He said Thursday that it would be wrong for the Pentagon to provide details of the tragedy before it had fully verified them in the course of an in-depth investigation.

"Answers that are provided, oftentimes, short of that full investigation, turn out in retrospect to have been inaccurate and just cause more confusion," McMaster said.

Mattis described the mission being performed by the US troops in Niger as a classic example of training that Army Green Berets have performed worldwide for decades, usually with no publicity. Known in military parlance as "foreign internal defense," the mission is to help local militaries improve their fighting skills and techniques. It requires a cultural acuity for which US special operations troops are known.



“REID’S FOLLOW-UP QUESTION WAS IGNORED AND THE IMPLICATION – FROM A DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT – THAT A MILITARY GENERAL WAS BEYOND CRITICISM WAS TROUBLING TO MANY.” THERE IS A GREAT DEAL ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS FOLLOWERS THAT IS “TROUBLING” TO ME!

ALTHOUGH MUCH OF THIS IS REPETITIOUS, THE EXACT WORDING IS SO DISRESPECTFUL OF THE DEMOCRATIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT I JUST HAD TO POINT IT OUT. I FEEL AS THOUGH I WERE SUDDENLY IN A VICTORIAN BRITISH NOVEL, BY JANE AUSTEN OR CHARLES DICKENS. I WANT MY AMERICA BACK!

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/20/trump-feud-florida-congresswoman-john-kelly
US military
White House under fire for suggesting general's remarks should not be questioned
Press secretary calls reporter’s question ‘highly inappropriate’
Frederica Wilson says Kelly lied about her during press briefing on Thursday
David Smith and Sabrina Siddiqui in Washington
Friday 20 October 2017 18.14 EDT

Photograph -- Frederica Wilson said: ‘I feel sorry for General Kelly. He has my sympathy for the loss of his son. But he can’t just go on TV and lie on me.’ Photograph: Alan Diaz/AP

The White House has been condemned for attempting to silence the media by warning that it is “highly inappropriate” to challenge the veracity of remarks by a military general.

Pressure grows on Trump to reveal details of soldiers' deaths in Niger

A reporter on Friday questioned a claim by the White House chief of staff, John Kelly, a retired four-star marine general, that the Democratic congresswoman Frederica Wilson had taken credit for securing funding for an FBI building in Florida.

Chip Reid, a CBS News correspondent, said during the daily press briefing: “He was wrong yesterday in talking about getting the money. The money was secured before she came into Congress.”

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, replied coldly: “If you want to go after Gen Kelly, that’s up to you. But I think that if you want to get into a debate with a four-star marine general, I think that that’s something highly inappropriate.”

Reid’s follow-up question was ignored and the implication – from a democratically elected civilian government – that a military general was beyond criticism was troubling to many.

Perry O’Brien, a former army medic who served in Afghanistan, said: “It’s just another example of the administration hiding behind the uniform of others. That’s why it’s so unfortunate to see someone like Gen Kelly enable that and jump on the grenade that Trump threw.”

O’Brien, organising director of Common Defense, a group of veterans against Trump, added: “When you say, ‘How dare you criticise a general?’, how about [former Trump national security adviser] Gen Michael Flynn, who was the first to resign after we learned they were colluding with foreign powers? I don’t think most generals would say a star on your shoulder makes you immune from criticism.”

Kelly appeared at the White House podium on Thursday, to defend Trump against the charge that he caused offence during a call with the widow of Sgt La David Johnson, one of four US soldiers killed in Niger earlier this month by Islamic State fighters. Wilson heard the call and criticised Trump for disrespecting Johnson’s widow, Myeshia.

While defending the president, Kelly – whose son Robert was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 – accused Wilson of “grandstanding” in a 2015 speech by saying she was instrumental in getting funding for an FBI building in Florida and took care of her constituents because she got the money. Wilson denied the charge and video evidence appeared to support her account.

Play Video 3:42
John Kelly rebukes Trump critics over military deaths – video

Kelly stood by his accusation, Sanders said on Friday. “Gen Kelly said he was stunned that Representative Wilson made comments at a building dedication honouring slain FBI agents about her own actions in Congress, including lobbying former president Obama on legislation,” she said.

“As Gen Kelly pointed out, if you’re able to make a sacred act like honouring American heroes all about yourself, you’re an ‘empty barrel’. If you don’t understand that reference, I’ll put it a little more simply. As we say in the south: all hat, no cattle.”

Wilson regularly wears a cowboy hat.

Challenged over the video footage of the speech, in which Wilson praises FBI agents, Sanders insisted: “She also had quite a few comments that day that weren’t part of that speech and weren’t part of that video that were also witnessed by many people that were there.”

The press secretary also rejected criticism from Johnson’s mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson, who supports the accounts of the Trump phone call given by her son’s widow and Wilson.

“Certainly, if the spirit of which those comments were intended were misunderstood, that’s very unfortunate,” Sanders said. “But as the president has said, as Gen Kelly said – who I think has a very deep understanding of what that individual would be going through – his comments were very sympathetic, very respectful. And that was the spirit in which the president intended them. If they were taken any other way, that’s certainly an unfortunate thing.”

Play Video 0:41
Trump: 'I didn't say what the congresswoman said' – video

According to Wilson, Trump told Johnson’s widow her late husband “knew what he signed up for, but when it happens it hurts anyway”.

Related: Puerto Rico mayor: for US response to crisis Trump deserves 'a 10' – out of 100

Kelly in effect corroborated that account, saying he had counseled Trump on how to make the call by telling him of the morning he was told of his son’s death. Kelly recalled his close friend, Gen Joseph Dunford, telling him his son “was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed”.

“He knew what the possibilities were, because we’re at war,” Kelly said. “That’s what the president tried to say to the four families the other day.”

Trump, however, continues to vehemently deny that he said such words.

“The fake news is going crazy with wacky congresswoman Wilson [Democrat] who was secretly on a very personal call and gave a total lie on content,” he tweeted late on Thursday.

Kelly also suggested Wilson had eavesdropped on a highly sensitive call. The congresswoman, a close friend of the Johnson family, pointed out she was in the car when Myeshia Johnson received the call, which was placed on speakerphone.

“I wasn’t listening in,” she told CNN on Friday. “Please don’t characterize it as that.”

Wilson said Trump’s comments were “not a good message to say to anyone who has lost a child at war”.

“You don’t sign up because you think you’re going to die,” she said. “You sign up to serve your country. There’s nothing to misinterpret. He said what he said. I just don’t agree with it. I just don’t agree with that’s what you should say to grieving families.”

Regarding Kelly’s remarks about the FBI field office speech, Wilson said she had not been a member of Congress in 2009, when the funding mentioned by Kelly was secured. “That’s a lie,” she said of Kelly’s characterization. “How dare he?”

She added: “I feel sorry for Gen Kelly. He has my sympathy for the loss of his son. But he can’t just go on TV and lie on me.”



THE ARMY TEAM HAD 12 MEMBERS, AND WAS ATTACKED BY NEARLY 50 MILITANTS. FOUR WERE KILLED AND THE REST SURVIVED WITH WOUNDS. THERE HAS BEEN NO REPORT THAT I HAVE SEEN OF THE THEIR COMMENTS, NOR OF THEIR CURRENT PHYSICAL CONDITION. I WANT TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. TWO SENATORS ARE QUESTIONING WHETHER TO MODIFY THE AUMF, OR AUTHORIZATION ON THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE FROM 2001.

IT IS BEING QUESTIONED WHETHER OR NOT TRUMP HIMSELF AUTHORIZED THE ACTION IN NIGER, AND HOW MUCH OF OUR MILITARY IS SPREAD OUT AROUND THE GLOBE; AND PERHAPS, AS IN THIS CASE, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THEM. IN THE DANGEROUS YEARS AFTER 9/11 WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WROTE AN OVERLY BROAD AND OVERLY LIBERAL SET OF RULES FOR THE FEDS OVER THEIR POWERS IN THE DOMESTIC SITUATION, WHICH REALLY FRIGHTENED ME. STILL, I DIDN’T SEE TROOPS MARCHING DOWN OUR CITY STREETS, SO HOPEFULLY TRUMP WON’T TRY TO DO SUCH THINGS EITHER.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/20/donald-trump-niger-ambush-frederica-wilson
Donald Trump
Pressure grows on Trump to reveal details of soldiers' deaths in Niger
Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and Senator John McCain demand clarity over ambush that left four dead as Pentagon says it is investigating
Sabrina Siddiqui in Washington
Friday 20 October 2017 15.58 EDT

Photograph -- The defense secretary, James Mattis, would not say if Donald Trump had authorized the US mission in Niger. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Donald Trump’s administration is facing mounting pressure to release more details about the circumstances that led to the ambush of US troops in Niger, leaving four Americans dead and two wounded.

The controversy surrounding the Niger attack escalated this week as the White House engaged in a high-profile feud with Frederica Wilson, a Democratic congresswoman, over Trump’s condolence call to the widow of one of the fallen soldiers.

But questions have also compounded over what exactly transpired in the north-west African country, with critics accusing the administration of failing to provide adequate information on the deadliest combat mission since Trump took office in January.

White House under fire for suggesting general's remarks should not be questioned
Read more

Frustration over the lack of answers spilled into public view on Thursday, as the Arizona senator John McCain suggested the issue “may require a subpoena”. Asked by reporters on Capitol Hill if the Trump administration had been forthcoming about the attack, McCain, who chairs the Senate armed services committee, replied: “Of course not.”

In separate remarks on Thursday, the defense secretary, James Mattis, said the Pentagon was conducting an investigation into the attack while noting the US currently had roughly 1,000 troops stationed in the region to provide support and training for a French-led mission aimed at eradicating extremist groups.

While no group has formally claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on 4 October, US officials have said it was probably carried out by an Islamic State affiliate. Initial reports have suggested that a 12-member team of US troops were traveling in unarmored trucks when they were ambushed by as many as 50 militants.

Mattis told reporters US intelligence had deemed it “unlikely” that the troops would encounter hostile forces, while adding: “I would just ask that you not question the actions of the troops who were caught in the firefight and question whether or not they did everything they could to bring everyone out at once.”

Mattis also said French aircraft responded to the situation and evacuated the wounded Americans, along with those killed.

But Sgt La David Johnson, whose widow received the phone call from Trump that has been at the center of its own controversy, was separated from the group and therefore not among those recovered on the day of the attack.

His body was found by local residents and returned on 6 October. It was not yet clear if Johnson was alive at the time French helicopters left the scene, nor had it been explained why it took 48 hours to locate his body.

It was confirmed on Friday that the FBI had joined the investigation into the Niger attack, a standard practice when American citizens are killed overseas.

Mattis emphasized that the US military “does not leave its troops behind”, but the response thus far has been insufficient for critics such as Wilson, who was close to Johnson’s family.

Mattis met privately with McCain at his Capitol Hill office on Friday in what appeared to be an effort to quell some of the senator’s concerns.

“We can do better at communication, we can always do better on communication, and that’s what we’ll do,” Mattis told reporters after the meeting.

Asked if Trump had authorized the US mission in Niger, Mattis would not say.

“I don’t discuss those kinds of things,” he said.

Wilson, who disclosed this week that Trump had told Johnson’s widow the fallen solder “knew what he signed up for” in a condolence call, told CNN on Friday she was seeking further explanation.

“He was abandoned for two days, for 48 hours,” Wilson said of Johnson, while adding she had requested a classified briefing on the incident.

“I want to know why he was separated from the rest of the soldiers,” she said. “Why did it take 48 hours for them to find him? Was he still alive? Was he kidnapped?

“I am distraught and so is the family. There’s so many questions that must be answered.”

Trump has also come under fire for taking nearly two weeks to make any public mention of the attack. Speaking at the White House Rose Garden on Monday, the president addressed Niger for the first time while noting he had written letters to families of the fallen soldiers.

In the subsequent days, however, the focus shifted toward Trump’s false claim that Barack Obama and George W Bush had not reached out to Gold Star families.

The president also fired back at Wilson, suggesting multiple times on Twitter that the Florida Democrat’s account of his call with Johnson’s widow was “fabricated”. Trump continued to make the argument even after Kelly essentially confirmed the contents of the call in remarks on Thursday, while seeking to defend the president’s tone.

Left unaddressed amid the furor was whether Trump authorized the US mission in Niger, a country that prohibits offensive air operations.

Emotional John Kelly lashes out at Trump critics over military deaths

In a sign that Trump’s war authorization powers might be the subject of scrutiny on Capitol Hill, the Senate foreign relations committee on Friday announced plans to hold a public hearing on the use of military force. Mattis and the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, are expected to testify.

The Trump administration, as the Obama administration did, has been relying on the authorization for use of military force (AUMF) passed by Congress in 2001 to authorize the war in Afghanistan. Senators Jeff Flake and Tim Kaine, both members of the foreign relations committee, have been pushing for a vote to replace the AUMF with a new measure to authorize military force against al-Qaida, the Taliban and Islamic State.

On Friday, Kaine said the attack in Niger reinforced the need for a debate about war powers, stating: “The many questions surrounding the death of American service members in Niger show the urgent need to have a public discussion about the current extent of our military operations around the world.”

He added: “For sixteen years, Congress has remained largely silent on this issue, allowing Administrations to go to war anywhere, anytime. A new AUMF is not only legally necessary, it would also send an important message of resolve to the American public and our troops that we stand behind them in their mission.”



SECRETARY MATTIS’ COMMENTS BELOW CONTAIN OTHER INTERESTING INFORMATION, THOUGH SOME OF IT IS SHARED IN OTHER REPORTS TODAY.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-mccain-may-use-subpoena-to-get-answers-on-niger-ambush/
CBS NEWS October 20, 2017, 7:11 AM
Members of Congress demand answers in deadly Niger ambush

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis says the mission in Niger that killed four U.S. Army sergeants is still under investigation. Jeremiah Johnson, Bryan Black, Dustin Wright and La David Johnson were not expecting enemy contact when they were ambushed earlier this month by a group of about 50 fighters affiliated with ISIS. Senate Armed Services Committee members want more information and may use a subpoena to get it.

What started out as a low-risk patrol – the 30th of its kind – to meet with local village leaders has turned into the most controversial military operation of the Trump administration, reports CBS News correspondent David Martin.

"The loss of our troops is under investigation," Mattis said Thursday.

As the Pentagon probes the death of four American soldiers killed in Niger, members of Congress are now also calling for their own investigation.

"We are coequal branches of government we should be informed at all times," said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain.

Trump administration faces questions over deadly ambush in Niger
Play VIDEO
Trump administration faces questions over deadly ambush in Niger

Pentagon officials say an American reconnaissance aircraft was in the air but not watching over the patrol. It was only called in after the ambush started. Three soldiers were killed and a fourth, Sgt. La David Johnson was missing.

Officials believed he was still somewhere on the battlefield. For several hours they tracked a locator beacon that became intermittent and finally faded out. By the time they found him two days later he was dead, raising the awful possibility an American soldier had been left behind.

It's a possibility the Pentagon's Lt. Gen Kenneth McKenzie flatly rejected.

"No one's left behind. Either U.S., our partner Nigerian forces, our French forces, were on the ground actively looking for this soldier," McKenzie said at a press conference on Thursday.

According to Defense Secretary Mattis, the first reinforcements to arrive were French aircraft, 30 minutes after the ambush was reported.

"The French response included armed fighter aircraft, armed helicopter gunships, medevac helos that lifted out our wounded," Mattis said.

The first American aircraft to arrive was an unarmed helicopter sent to recover the bodies of the American soldiers. It was operated by a U.S. contractor hired to provide support for American troops operating in Niger.

There are about 800 American troops in Niger, which sounds like a lot except Niger is a country the size of Texas. They are there on a counterterrorism mission and as Secretary Mattis said Thursday, even missions where no enemy contact is expected carries a risk.

A U.S. law enforcement official confirmed to CBS News that the FBI is now assisting the military in its investigation of the Niger ambush but is not taking over the investigation. The FBI has been involved in other recent ambushes of U.S. military overseas including last year's attack on soldiers in Jordan.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



THIS IS AN OVERVIEW WITH NOT MUCH DETAIL, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE A MAP. THE GIST SEEMS TO BE THAT AFRICA IS A HOTBED OF ISLAMIC EXTREMIST ACTIVITY, SO THAT’S WHAT OUR TROOPS WERE DOING THERE – A QUESTION THAT IS ON SEVERAL TONGUES SINCE THIS AMBUSH HIT THE NEWS.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/where-does-the-u-s-have-troops-in-africa-and-why/
By KATHRYN WATSON CBS NEWS October 21, 2017, 4:02 PM
Where does the U.S. have troops in Africa, and why?

The deaths of four U.S. soldiers in Niger earlier this month -- and the ensuing controversy surrounding President Trump's calls to their families -- has thrust a little-discussed country into the spotlight, and could lead to a reevaluation of the U.S. presence on the African continent more generally.

The Pentagon has slowly been bolstering the U.S. presence in Africa in recent years to partner with African nations to thwart various extremist terrorist organizations like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Boko Haram and al Qaeda. The four troops slain in an ambush earlier this month -- Sgt. La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson and Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright -- were in Niger to help the Nigerien government fight extremists.

U.S. solders killed in Niger were caught by surprise, official says
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The U.S. has roughly 800 military personnel temporarily deployed to Niger, and roughly 8,000 military personnel spread across the continent, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). Many of those troops are there to support African partners, alongside allies like France, with the goal of increasing the African nations' own security capabilities and stabilizing the region. AFRICOM only began initial operations 10 years ago, in October 2007.

Pressure from Congress mounts for details in Niger ambush
Play VIDEO -- Pressure from Congress mounts for details in Niger ambush

Niger offers a glimpse of that growing presence. In February 2013, former President Barack Obama announced a 40-person increase in Niger, bringing the total number of U.S. military personnel to 100. Back then, Obama described it as an "intelligence collection" mission. Now, the number of soldiers in the country is eight times higher.

A handful of African nations host the bulk of U.S. military personnel, who are generally deployed on rotations for a few months at a time. Djibouti, situated across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, is one of the world's smallest countries but currently hosts more U.S. military personnel than any other African nation. Roughly 2,000 -- or about one in four U.S. military personnel on the continent -- are temporarily deployed to Djibouti.

U.S. troops have been in Djibouti for years. Camp Lemonnier is the only permanent U.S. base in Africa, and serves as a key outpost for surveillance and combat operations against al Qaeda and other extremist groups in the region.

The country with the second most U.S. military personnel deployed there is Niger, with roughly 800, according to AFRICOM. Next comes Somalia, Djibouti's neighbor, with roughly 400 U.S. military personnel. The fourth nation in terms of U.S. military personnel is Cameroon, with more than 100.

The interactive map below highlights the countries with the most U.S. military personnel.


HERE IS A SLICE OF LIFE IN THE BIG CITY – CRIME, AND A TERRIBLE KIND, TOO. THERE HASN’T BEEN A SERIAL KILLER IN THE NEWS IN SEVERAL YEARS, THAT I HAVE SEEN, ANYWAY. PEOPLE ARE BEING WARNED, “DON’T WALK ALONE AT NIGHT!” I HOPE HE WILL BE CAUGHT SOON, BECAUSE THAT TURN OF MIND REALLY DOES FRIGHTEN ME. MURDER MOST FOUL, OFTEN FOR THE SHEER FUN OF IT, THOUGH SOMETIMES FROM PSYCHOTIC REASONS LIKE THE SON OF SAM KILLER. [HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/DAVID_BERKOWITZ]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/serial-killer-seminole-heights-tampa-florida/
CBS NEWS October 21, 2017, 12:37 PM
Possible serial killer "terrorizing" neighborhood in Tampa, Florida

A serial killer might be on the loose in Tampa, Florida.

Police are warning people not to walk alone at night in the Seminole Heights neighborhood after a third person in 10 days was shot to death on Thursday night.

As CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports, police seem certain their murders are all connected, even though the victims did not appear to know one another.

Frightened residents did what they could to reclaim the streets of the neighborhood Friday night, chanting "Whose streets? Our streets!" a day after 20-year-old Anthony Naiboa was found shot to death on a sidewalk.

Naiboa, who was autistic, had just gotten off the wrong bus home from work when he was shot. His family knew something was wrong when he didn't come home.

satmo-102117.jpg
Anthony Naiboa was shot and killed in Tampa, Florida, on Oct. 19, the third person killed in 10 days.

"It's the most awful feeling that you can feel, that you know that your child is dead, and you have these people [are] coming to let you know, to confirm for you," said Maria Rodriguez, Naiboa's stepmother. "It's very devastating."

Police heard the shots that killed Naiboa. They had deployed extra patrols in the area after the two other murders in 10 days.

Naiboa was shot about 100 yards away from where Benjamin Mitchell was killed on Oct. 9.

On Oct. 13, Monica Hoffa's body was found in a vacant lot less than a mile away. She had been shot and killed two days earlier.

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Monica Hoffa was shot and killed Oct. 11, and her body was found two days later.
Tampa police say they have no leads, and can't determine a motive.

"We have someone who's terrorizing the neighborhood," Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said.

On Friday, they released surveillance video of a person walking in the area when the first murder happened. They seem certain the murders are not a coincidence.

"Through the proximity, and the timeframe, they are related," Dugan said. "There is no doubt in our mind about that."

Police are hoping the public can help, something Naiboa's stepmother said needs to happen.

"I just hope that someone in the community can speak out. Do not be afraid," she said. "It could be your daughter, your grandson, your son, your wife, your husband. Whoever may be in your family. You don't know when it's going to be your turn. Just speak up."

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



DOGGIE, DEAR! NOT ONLY IS THIS ARTICLE HEARTWARMING, IT’S SCIENTIFICALLY INFORMATIVE. WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT WE ARE A PART OF THE EVOLUTIONARY CHAIN OF LIFE, AND OUR CHARACTERISTICS ARE SHARED BACK DOWN THROUGH THE MILLIONS OF YEARS TO THE VERY ORIGINS OF MAMMALIAN CREATURES. PLACENTAL MAMMALS ARE MORE WARM, RESPONSIVE AND COMPANIONABLE THAN OTHER ANIMALS “LOWER” ON THE CHAIN OF EXISTENCE, AND THE GREAT APES AND HUMANS ARE THE HIGHEST. (OF COURSE, WE REALLY DON’T KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT THE SEA MAMMALS. SOME SCIENTISTS THINK THEY MAY BE AMONG THE MOST INTELLIGENT, ALSO.) I WOULD LIMIT THAT BY SAYING THAT SOME LEVEL OF INTELLIGENCE IS REQUIRED FOR A SPECIES TO ADAPT TO A PARTNERSHIP RELATIONSHIP WITH ANOTHER AND BOND EMOTIONALLY.

TO HAVE AN ANIMAL “BEST FRIEND,” WE MUST LEARN TO READ THE SIGNALS OF THE OTHER CREATURE, AND SPEND A GOOD DEAL OF QUALITY TIME WITH THEM, AS WE SHOULD WITH CHILDREN IF WE WANT THEM TO BE EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY AND AT THE PEAK OF THEIR INTELLIGENCE. THIS ARTICLE LOOKS AT THOSE SIGNALS. I HAD A GREAT PSYCHOLOGY COURSE IN COLLEGE WHICH WAS ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE BRAIN TO THE BODY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AND ANIMAL TO ANIMAL (WHEN I SAY THAT, I DEFINITELY DO INCLUDE HUMANS). IT LOOKED AT ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE AND CAPABILITIES, AS WELL AS THAT OF HUMANS. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE EGO, SUPEREGO, AND ID – NOT THAT SUCH INFORMATION IS USELESS, BUT IT IS MORE PHILOSOPHY THAN SCIENCE, IN MY OPINION. MY PSYCH COURSE WAS SCIENCE.

FROM THAT COURSE I LEARNED THAT WHAT I HAD INSTINCTIVELY BELIEVED WAS TRUE – INTELLIGENCE IS PRESENT IN ALL ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY MAMMALS, AND WE ARE IN SOME WAYS AT THE TOP OF THE LADDER, BUT IN OTHERS WE MAY BE INFERIOR TO A LOVING AND LOYAL DOG. HUMANS ARE SOMETIMES LOVING AND TRUSTWORTHY, BUT USUALLY NOT TOTALLY SO; AND AS A SPECIES WE HAVE A STREAK OF SIMPLE-MINDED MISCHIEF AND AGGRESSIVENESS IN US. THAT “SIMPLE-MINDED MISCHIEF” IS THE SOURCE OF CRUELTY OF ALL KINDS. PARTLY THAT COMES OUT OF OUR UNRESOLVED PERSONAL PAIN, AND PARTLY IT IS SIMPLY A BLOOD SPORT. A DOCUMENTARY WITH JANE GOODALL AND HER CHIMPS SHOWED HER GROUP OF CHIMPS “GOING TO WAR.” THE LEAD MALE GAVE HIS WAR CALL, AND SIX OR EIGHT OF THEM PURPOSEFULLY WALKED IN A LINE DOWN THE TRAIL INTO THE JUNGLE. WHEN THEY CAME TO THE INVADING MONKEYS, THEY SHRIEKED AND RAN UP THE TREES AFTER THEM, GRABBING AND BITING. THEY KILLED SEVERAL AND THEN, PREPARE YOURSELF, TORE THEM APART LIMB FROM LIMB AND BEGAN TO EAT THEM. THAT IS OUR GENETIC INHERITANCE. KILLING AND CANNIBALISM ARE BORN INTO US.

THOSE CHARACTERISTICS VARY WITHIN BREEDS AND ESPECIALLY ACCORDING TO THE CONDITIONS OF BABYHOOD/PUPPYHOOD AND UPBRINGING. A HARSH AND PUNITIVE ANIMAL OWNER WILL GET THE SAME RESULT WITH AN ANIMAL THAT THEY WILL WITH THEIR CHILD. IT MAY OBEY OUT OF FEAR, BUT IT WON’T BE A CONFIDENT, HAPPY CREATURE, AND WILL HAVE A BACKLOG OF ANGER THAT MAY BE DESTRUCTIVE. IF WE WANT A CIVILIZED SOCIETY, OR A DOG THAT WON’T ATTACK THE NEIGHBOR’S CHILD, WE MUST BRING THEM UP GENTLY AND WITH INTELLIGENCE. THAT’S OUR MOST SUPERIOR CHARACTERISTIC, WE THINK, SO LET’S USE IT.

I’M FIRMLY OF THE OPINION THAT PARENTS SHOULD BE TRAINED IN PSYCHOLOGY AND TAKE A COURSE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY TO WORK OUT SOME OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL NEUROSES BEFORE THEY BRING A CHILD INTO THE WORLD. IF WE HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING ALONG IN THE WORLD, THAT WILL ONLY GET WORSE IF WE ADD SUCH A HEAVY-DUTY RESPONSIBILITY AS A CHILD TO OUR PLATE.

THAT SPECIAL PERSONAL TRAINING FOR BOTH HUMAN PARENTS COULD BE PART OF PRENATAL CARE, FURNISHED THROUGH OUR FEDERAL FREE ONE-PAYER HEALTH COVERAGE, “MEDICARE FOR ALL.” NOT POSSIBLE, MAYBE, BUT IF IN CHURCH, WE WOULD WORK TOWARD DEVELOPING IN OUR MEMBERS MORE EMPATHY AND LESS CRITICISM, MORE IN-DEPTH THINKING AND LESS DOGMATISM AND RULES, RULES, RULES, WE WOULD BE A LONG WAY DOWN THE ROAD TO A GENTLER, FREER AND MORE RATIONAL SOCIETY. THAT’S WHAT I LEARN FROM DEALING WITH ANIMALS AND SMALL CHILDREN THEY ARE WARM UNTIL THEY ARE RUINED. THEY ARE ALSO A MAJOR SOURCE OF THE LOVE THAT WE DO SO DEEPLY NEED IN ORDER TO BE HEALTHY AND LOVING OURSELVES. SO, GO TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND BUY A DOG AND/OR A CAT, TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT, DO SOME TRAINING AND SOME PLAY, AND CUDDLE WITH IT. YOU WILL BOTH BENEFIT. AFTER THAT, YOU MAY WANT TO ADD YOUR VERY OWN BABY TO THE MIX (OR ADOPT ONE).

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2150956-dogs-really-can-smell-your-fear-and-then-they-get-scared-too/?cmpid=ILC|NSNS|2017_webpush&utm_medium=ILC&utm_source=NSNS&utm_campaign=webpush-dogs-smell-fear
NEWS & TECHNOLOGY 19 October 2017
Dogs really can smell your fear, and then they get scared too
By Jake Buehler

Photograph -- I want a cuddle
Gary John Norman/Getty

Dog owners swear that their furry best friend is in tune with their emotions. Now it seems this feeling of interspecies connection is real: dogs can smell your emotional state, and adopt your emotions as their own.

Science had already shown that dogs can see and hear the signs of human emotions, says Biagio D’Aniello of the University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy. But nobody had studied whether dogs could pick up on olfactory cues from humans.

“The role of the olfactory system has been largely underestimated, maybe because our own species is more focused on the visual system,” says D’Aniello. However, dogs’ sense of smell is far superior to ours.

D’Aniello and his colleagues tested whether dogs could sniff out human emotions by smell alone. First, human volunteers watched videos designed to cause fear or happiness, or a neutral response, and the team collected samples of their sweat.

Next, the researchers presented these odour samples to domestic dogs, and monitored the dogs’ behaviours and heart rates.

Dogs exposed to fear smells showed more signs of stress than those exposed to happy or neutral smells. They also had higher heart rates, and sought more reassurance from their owners and made less social contact with strangers.

We’ve always known that dogs collect information about their social partners through different sensory channels to decide how to respond to situations, says Márta Gácsi of Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. “However, it is not easy to investigate such processes so that we can unfold the mechanisms and separate the channels,” as this study has done, explains Gácsi.

Look at my face

D’Aniello’s study suggests humans can inadvertently hijack their dogs’ emotions by releasing smells. A second study suggests dogs can return the favour, using their expressive faces.

Juliane Kaminski of the University of Portsmouth, UK, and her colleagues have found that dogs’ faces are most expressive when they know people are looking at them.

The researchers introduced dogs to a human who was either looking at them or facing away, and either presenting food or offering nothing. The team analysed how much the dogs’ facial movements varied in the four scenarios.

They found that the dogs’ facial expressions varied the most when the person was looking at them. In contrast, Kaminski says there was no sign of a “dinner table effect”, “which would predict that dogs try and look super-cute when they want something from the humans.”

Puppy-dog eyes

“This adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that dogs are very sensitive to human attention,” says Kaminski.

It’s not clear precisely how dogs visually signal us and how we respond, says Monique Udell of Oregon State University in Corvallis. “This kind of research is needed to fully understand the bidirectional nature of the human-dog relationship.”

However, there is evidence that we are susceptible to these signals. Kaminski found that when dogs were being watched they often raised their eyebrows in a particular way. This eyebrow raise is known to give shelter dogs a better chance of being rehomed. It may make the dogs’ eyes look “sad” or infant-like, creating an empathetic response.

It is not clear what role, if any, the domestication of dogs played in the development of these behaviours. It has been suggested that dogs’ striking emotional intelligence towards humans is a product of the thousands of years we have spent with them.

Journal reference: Animal Cognition, DOI: 10.1007/s10071-017-1139-x

Scientific Reports, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12781-x