Weekly News Wrap-Up 3.8.13
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
The answer is NO. The president cannot kill Americans on U.S. soil with a drone attack who are not engaged in combat. It took a gutsy 13 hour filibuster from Senator Rand Paul and some other Republican and Democratic Senators to get that answer from the White House. When liberal Democrat Ron Wyden joined the Republicans, it became very hard to blow it off as partisan politics. My question is where have the liberals been? Actually, some liberals stepped up today and applauded Senators Paul and Wyden for asking the tough questions–not just about killing Americans on U.S. soil, but killing Americans without “Due Process” abroad. Oddly, some of the harshest criticism about the filibuster came from Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain. Those two supported indefinite detention, and they also support killing Americans abroad without charge or trial.
The drone targeting killing program has exploded overseas under the Obama Administration. Thousands of attacks have occurred in countries that we have not declared war with. The Obama Administration has, in fact, killed Americans without charge or trial. Many say this is totally unconstitutional and want total transparency. This killing, or some say murder policy, is clouded in secrecy, and there is zero congressional oversight.
The hype over the “sequester” was just that. Mandatory cuts are starting to take place, and the world did not come to an end, and we are all not eating tainted horse meat. I find it odd that a few percent in cuts to $3.8 trillion in annual spending would bring to a halt entire government programs. What are they spending the rest of their budgets on in these government departments? I wrote a post about what happens if we do not cut government spending, and it is a lot more dire than $85 billion in cuts to a bloated budget that spends $3,800 billion. We are spending more than a trillion dollars a year we do not have. We clearly need many more cuts.
North Korea has threatened the U.S. with a preemptive nuclear strike. They are upset about sanctions for their nuclear program and a recent new nuclear weapons test. I do not take this lightly.
New Secretary of State John Kerry says both Iran and Syria situations are heating up. Kerry says Iran is getting closer to getting a nuclear weapon and made a veiled threat when he said “useful” time for Iran is running out. In Syria, Kerry just gave $60 million to the al-Qaeda backed rebels. I guess there are good al-Qaeda and bad al-Qaeda. What kind of foreign policy is this? We also gave $250 million in aid to the Muslim Brotherhood controlled Egypt.
Join Greg Hunter as he gives his analysis of these stories and more in the Weekly News Wrap-Up.
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About the Author
Greg Hunter
Greg is the producer and creator of USAWatchdog.com. The site’s slogan is “analyzing the news to give you a clear picture of what’s really going on.” The site will keep an eye on the government, your financial interests and cut through the media spin. USAWatchdog.com is neither Democrat nor Republican, Liberal or Conservative. Before creating and producing the site, Greg spent nearly 9 years as a network and investigative correspondent. He worked for ABC News and Good Morning America for nearly 6 years. Most recently, Greg worked for CNN for shows such as Paula Zahn Now, American Morning and various CNN business shows.
Greg I am glad you mentioned the rising stock market. The fed has been giving out 85 billion a month. What would happen if the small investor gets into stocks, and the fed stops the flow of 85 billion a month ? Another bottom out on the stock market ? My dad would say never bet against a machine that backs up in a corner and challenges the whole world. What once was a shell game is now a rigged game. Have a safe weekend.
JC Davis,
We are living in a fantasy world that will collide with reality. Thank you for your comment.
Greg
The government’s definition of ‘enemy combatant’ is so broad that it allows them to kill anyone they want to, any place, any time, including US citizens. The law was passed several years ago.
Yes, and ‘being engaged in combat’ could eventually come to mean peaceful assembly, or concealed carry even with a permit, or militias peacfully practicing in one of their camps. This phrase is still not good enough to protect us. I sense another Trojan Horse entering (i.e., Smart Meters), and we will have a full-blown police state from the skies if this drone thing isn’t stopped once and for all.
relax all of this nonsense and conspiracy theories are grand theater …i was born in 1939 all of my life i have been regulated by an increasingly onerous govt…we have been controlled by govt and the rich since fdr for decades yet we can still buy a house, a car have a small business you just pay attention what is good for you the debt congress the machinations of rich people dont affect us without us the rich would be on the hook for all of the costs and they are getting there rather quickly worried about soc sec? they mess with it and 70,000,000 people will stop paying motgages credit card debts car payments TAXES in one month …and guess who is on the hook for the helatious financial canyon that will encompass usa…you guessed it ….rich people GOLD silver a big joke they are trading in futures buying promise -to -pay notes like the trillions big govt stole from soc security dreamers alll THe president he was elected because romney is /was a boob like mc cain and palin …his agenda will never get passed too many of our respected congress men ( remember we elected them) are afraid of the building -voter backlash which will sweep hispanic hating republicans from office . in florida i am watching the thousands of decent happy respectable hispanic families with 5-7 kids ( democratic voters in 10-15 years who dont like rubio( who left cuba before CAstro) and love our next President HILLARY CLINTON I am an old man my generation is going we will be gone in ten years Along with all the goofballs who are running in place so relax it will work itself out remember no police state can survive in a country where every one ( not me) has a huge arsenal of lethal weapons “I feel all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve” Yammamoto 1941
HJB,
I would hate to have Hillary Clinton backstop me. Just ask the folks at our Libyan Embassy. Oh, I forgot, you can’t they’re all dead!
Greg
greg why was live ammunition taken away from security guards at our embassey’s? Name someone governing our country now who is a viable candidate ( to hispanics) the 11 million about to get citzenship and vote 70% for democrats) dont you staqrt being a dreamer too
I worked for two different government agencies during the last fifteen years (I’m retired now). Without fail, just before the end of the government’s fiscal year, there was an urgent push to spend any money what was remaining in the budget, instead of returning unused funds back to the government. Most of the government employees had a “use it or lose it” mentality.
A few agency employees have learned ways to scam the system. For example, because both of the agencies encompassed large geographical areas, the heads of different departments would sometimes meet in a centralized location to discuss agency matters. After work, some individuals would typically meet at a local watering hole to relax. From time to time, their conversation might include something that was marginally related to their work (complaints about coworkers, training, etc.). Some of the less ethical would count this as work related and count the afternoon as overtime.
And, since the abuse of government funds doesn’t stop there, I reasonably certain government agencies can do without the sequester funds.
I would have thought the 7 Republicrat senators dining with Obama would have made the weekly review with two of them denouncing Pauls actions…IMHO
Ken,
I didn’t think there was much to the dinner, especially when compared to everything else I covered.
Greg
The drone program began as a useful method of eliminating combatants, American or foreign born, that were bent on harming Americans here and abroad. In a war zone, I support drones compared to foot soldiers as that protects our soldiers while providing much the same results. Even with foot soldiers, people get killed that are not associated with the ones being targeted. However, this program is out of hand now since it seems to be world wide and not just in war zones, even though we have not declared war. There needs to be some oversight on the President and CIA just going after whoever they want.
As for the sequester, this is probably not the best way to go about cutting, but its a start.
And the issues with Iran getting the bomb, the same mentality concerning the debt and deficit, that being wait until the crisis occurs, is being used with Iran. Wait until its too late and then try to do something. It won’t work with the debt and it wwon’t work here, IRan will become another North korea when they have the bomb.
Ron P,
The drone murder program is simply unconstitutional. For Americans, “oversight” cannot and should not take the place of charges brought and trial by jury (Due Process). For the rest of the world, using drones to kill political enemies (in countries of undeclared war) is very bad policy and breaks international law. The U.S. should be known for liberty, freedom and justice, not murder by remote control. Thank you for your comment. Your points are well made and well taken.
Greg
Since it’s against International Law, why isn’t someone internationally enforcing it? They who do the drone-killing are guilty, so why aren’t charges filed, and prosecutions taking place? Do we have to leave everything to the ITCCS?
Ron P said: “wait until the crisis occurs, is being used with Iran. Wait until its too late and then try to do something. It won’t work with the debt and it wwon’t work here, IRan will become another North korea when they have the bomb.”
Ron — American and Israeli politicians have been warning about Iran imminently developing nuclear weapons since the 1980s. That’s what’s known as crying wolf and it leads rational individuals to doubt those who make such claims.
All sixteen US intelligence agencies and the Pentagon agree with high confidence that Iran has no nukes and no nuke program. The only people who have claimed otherwise are the MEK (Mujahedin e-Khalq) who have provided what is most likely fabricated “documentation” to Israel and the UN. Please don’t tell me that you trust the Mujahedin in this insistence more than you trust US intelligence and the military. The US military and intelligence community got burned when they had to fall on their swords in order to justify the Iraq invasion. Please don’t throw your own countrymen under the bus again in an effort to satisfy Israel and the Mujaheddin.
Hi Greg,
What our your thoughts on the Reuter’s article stating the Fed might let the Bonds they have purchased mature on their books instead of selling them off? What is the impact of these policies?
Tony of Ca,
If the Fed sells any of this stuff they would have to price it for what it is really worth. That would be much less than what it printed money to pay for this junk. They may be forced to sell to pay for surging interest rates when the time comes. Either that or default. The Fed is in a very tight box and it gets tighter with every toxic bond it buys.
Greg
Good wrap up Greg. My friends have been asking me why the market is going up and I tell them the same thing you just said here. BTW, you said 60 million in the audio but you have 60 billion in the print up above. Have a good weekend Greg….
Chip,
It’s $60 million. I fixed it. Thank you.
Greg
Greg,
My wife’s sister asked questions this week about what we had paid for some PM assets. She was telling my wife how the prices were down. We bought them years ago and even today i look smart. People are bragging about how their 401k’s401k are doing. The dumb a$$es dont seem to understand that they are not back to even.
May God protect is from these idiots that dont understand that 14,000 today is not equal to 14,000 5 years ago…and what about next year?
droidX-G
And what about the NASDAQ. It’s still off nearly 40%!
Greg
Coast to Coast had a guy on a couple years back. I can’t remember his name. Anyway he said North Korea would be wipe out in 15 minutes if they started anything and they know it.
South Korea is a very rich country with many advance weapons also with America weapons backing them.
North Korea saying this are that, who cares. Maybe they said it maybe the Pentagon is worried about budget cuts.
We got gear in space that can take out a plane anytime they want. It’s about the pocket book and send us some rice please.
Peace
Bob D,
I am always fearful of a crazy man with nuclear weapons. He just may not care what happens if he pulls the trigger. Thank you for your comment.
Greg
Greg, Now Bernanke has hinted in testimony this week that the Fed may not sell all the Bonds they have purchased and instead just hold them to maturity! Bill Gross also made the statement this morning on Bloomberg radio that he thinks the Fed will never sell what they have on their balance sheet. What implications does this have? I am just an economically challenged retiree that doesn’t understand the smoke and mirrors managing! Can you enlighten me? Thanks again for you insight. Jay
Jay Bouris,
I’ll tell you the same thing I said to “Tony of Ca.”
“If the Fed sells any of this stuff they would have to price it for what it is really worth. That would be much less than what it printed money to pay for this junk. They may be forced to sell to pay for surging interest rates when the time comes. Either that or default. The Fed is in a very tight box and it gets tighter with every toxic bond it buys.”
Greg
Kudos for Rand Paul, thumbs down for McCain. Frankly, I blame President Bush for this whole scenario, you remember the Patriot Act & the Department of Homeland Security, they were proposed by him and enacted on his watch. Our FBI is plenty able to handle domestic terrorism, are a stand up agency of good & well qualified Americans who respect the Constitution. I don’t ever think the FBI would consider just killing a person without giving due process its rightful place in American law, meaning a trial by jury. Our President needs to come out formally and state for the record he would never order such a strike on American soil, that he doesn’t have the power to do so, after all, are we people who believe in law or are we not!
This is what I want to know: When would an American on American soil be engaged in combat, and against whom, so that a drone strike would be ordered against said American?
While I also have a higher opinion of the FBI than local law enforcement, I cannot help but point out that the FBI were involved in both incidents at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX. and Ruby Ridge. While rank and file members are no doubt respectible their leadership leaves alot to be desired.
Thank you Greg for continuing to be a voice for common sense and comon decency. Clearly some of our leaders in D.C.are insane and much of the public culpably ignorant. Keep calling out the BS wherever you find it. The attacks on your site are proof positive that your messages are having an effect.Thanks again for all you do.
Thank JOHN IN PHILADELPHIA for your kind words and your comment.
Greg
The WH says N. Korea doesn’t have the ability to launch a nuclear missle at the US. I don’t believe one needs a missle to deliver a suit case.
J Grosvenor,
Amen to that. North Korea worries me.
Greg
Yeah N. Korea acts likes a spoiled 16 year old girl with a shot gun, question is, will she pull the trigger?
Putting one on a boat and entering the harbor of LA for example and pulling the trigger doesn’t need a missile, just a mad man; we better take the threat seriously.
A E.M.P. bomb would be the choice first strike of any war plan. After the power grid is down any country would be in a mess. The nuclear plants would be exploding ect.. Iran has emp bombs. If they wanted to fight America the can create a equal field. Nukes would fly in every direction. Why cant we all just get along?
Another Boogey Man. We have had one all my life. I remember Saddam’s cage rattling before Desert Storm. In the second round Iraq didn’t even posses an air force but was full of “weapons of mass destruction”. My question is if North Korea really possesses anything, will we allow it to deploy? If so why?
It just dawned on me that the fed buying toxic mortgages may be a component of keeping houses off the market to artificially prop up real estate prices that desperately want to find their true place (hint hint: McJOBS). I’m unclear where the title to a foreclosed home goes but I know this scam is all about protecting the banks from admitting reality, and housing prices falling into line with the pay scale of the new American service economy. Milton Friedman warned of this outcome decades ago.
You may be right Joe G.
Greg
Happy Saturday Greg and fellow watch dogs.
What difference is there between the US Military (with which I served in combat and have been a contractor with for the last 34 years also in several combat zones) and other socialist programs. My food, housing, medical and schools were paid for by Taxpayers. Plus, someone who retired could jump on the contractor band wagon for the big bucks later or better yet go the government route with the military which also comes with housing and other allowances plus an additional retirement when finished. It was hard work and at times a great inconvenience like ditch digging in 100 plus degree weather or many other jobs like this. In my lifetime what was the return. I think Major General Smedley Butler covered the return very nicely in his short book “war is a Racket” (great short read for those who have not read it).
Indeed good al-Qaeda or bad al-Qaeda. Good Muslim Brotherhood etc.
Greg I must disagree about fantasy meeting reality. There was a time when this was true but I fear the NWO has decided to put a hard fast push on their agenda and they so far have easily been able to make up down and black white for some time now. The stock market being one great example. I hope I’m wrong.
Fair enough Jim H.
I wish this was all a dream and I wake up as a host for PM Magazine in Beaumont Texas again. I just hope I don’t wake up to a drone strike on my house someday.
Greg
Beaumont! Beautiful place with friendly people. I forgot to provide a link to a re-inactment of Major General Smedley Butler’s speech. If more of our ancestor’s and we had not allowed ourselves to be duped by the machine, we wouldn’t need to worry about drones today. I pray your home will always be safe Greg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3_EXqJ8f-0
Thank you for your prayers. I can use all I can get.
Greg
Aloha Greg,
WHAT HOLDER REALLY SAID
Lew Rockwell Blog
March 8, 2013
It took a 13-hour filibuster from Senator Rand Paul to wring this terse statement from Attorney General Eric Holder:
“It has come to my attention that you have now asked an additional question: `Does the President have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on American soil?’ The answer to that question is no.”
Like all statements from people who presume to rule others, this brief message from Holder – – who is Nickolai Krylenko to Obama’s Josef Stalin – should be read in terms of the supposed authority claimed thereby. This means removing useless qualifiers in the interest of clarity.
What Holder is saying, in substantive terms, is that the President does have the supposed authority to use a drone to kill an American who is engaged in “combat,” whether here or abroad. “Combat” can consist of expressing support for Muslims mounting armed resistance against U.S. military aggression, which was the supposed crime committed by Anwar al-Awlaki, or sharing the surname and DNA of a known enemy of the state, which was the offense committed by Awlaki’s 16-year-old son, Abdel. Under the rules of engagement used by the Obama Regime in Pakistan, Yemen, and Afghanistan, any “military-age” male found within a targeted “kill zone” is likewise designated a “combatant,” albeit usually after the fact. This is a murderous application of the “Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy,” and it will be used when — not if — Obama or a successor starts conducting domestic drone-killing operations.
Holder selected a carefully qualified question in order to justify a narrowly tailored answer that reserves an expansive claim of executive power to authorize summary executions by the president. That’s how totalitarians operate.
This article was posted: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 5:51 am
DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT THEY SAY?
VOMITORIA ON THE POTOMAC SAY I.
INGEST AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Good stuff Troy. Thank you for posting it here.
Greg
Greg,
Two thumbs up. Coast to Coast!
Thank you Troy!!
Greg
This is what worried me. The term “armed combatant”…since we now know Obama’s real agenda of disarming Americans.
Greg, great 2 hrs on C2C tonight. Wish C2C reached more people during daytime hours, everyone needs to hear the truth about what’s going on right now in our country. Thanks for your hard work to deliver the truth. Stressing food, getting car in good condition and gold/silver coins was good advise. A way to sterilize and store water may become imperative. If water supply goes down, people will be crazy and dying in 3 days…. Keep sounding the alarm, the pollyannas and dreamers need to wake up. I feel like cashing in my 401k for gold now that I’m 60. thanks again.
Thank you Catherine for the comment and sharing your perspective.
Greg
Heard you on a coast to coast show last night, had to check out the site….GREAT WORK!!! we need more people reporting the REAL news.
Thank you Shawn for the support.
Greg
The problem with the response that Rand Paul got for his filibuster is that it contains a qualifier, which makes the response virtually worthless in my opinion. It seems U.S. citizens are never entitled to a straight forward, clear response from their government on anything that affects the citizens. “The president cannot kill Americans on U.S. soil with a drone attack who are not engaged in combat.” So I guess the results will be dependent upon ones definition of combat. Obviously, the Administrations definition and that of congress differs from that of many people. Is expressing a position counter to that of the mafia government (it certainly operates like a criminal syndicate) and trying to gain support for such a position combat? Based on the slippery slope we have witnessed over the past many years, one has to question the response Rand got. I would much rather see the U.S. government say that drones are not appropriate for use over our homeland for any reason, under any circumstances other than a military land invasion by a foreign power.
Does anyone else find it interesting that we can capture, attack, and kill an American without due process in our legal system, yet we captured OBL’ son in law and have him in NYC, in a public court system? I’m really confused.
very impressed with your stint on ctoc last night. i haven’t heard you for awhile. is it just me, or has your sense of urgency ratcheted up several notches?
i make the saturday night ctoc with john b. wells a never miss. j.b.w. has a bit more edge than noory and you were fitting in quite well last night.
keep up the good work greg, we need many more like you.
Yes G. Johnson, my sense of urgency is ratcheted up a few notches anyway. Thank you for your support!!
Greg
I heard Greg on coast to coast am. He did great with a lot of good info to wake the people up.
Thank you Fairguy for the kind words and feedback.
Greg
Greg,
Thanks for having the courage and the morals to speak the truth.
There are so few men left in the world who are willing to stand for principal and to not sell out to the corporate domination of our once great country.
Thank you Jim H for your kind words and for your support!!
Greg
greg – i’d like to applaud you on your coast-to-coast interview last weekend. i think you didn’t excellent job at making clear the importance of these issues and how we are being lied to by our government. i’m probably one of the most liberal people who is a regular reader of this website because i value your reporting even though i often don’t agree with your conclusions. on the constructive criticism side, i’d like to point out a few things. drones are a tool. whether or not an american citizen is killed by a drone or a sniper, the important issue is that they had their life taken away by their government without due process. the targeted assassination of americans is not unique to this administration. i think we need to be aware of that context. i’ve taken issue with this site in the past for fawning all over paul craig roberts without asking him questions about the crimes committed under the administration which he served. thousands died illegally under reagan in central america and the middle east. some of those people were american citizens whose murders were sanctioned by that administration. they just didn’t have drone technology back then. if the did, i’m sure they would have used it.
Josh,
Thank you for your comment and support. That said, I am not going to wade into the “blame game theatre.” This country is in deep crap and people need answers, perspective and guidance. That’s what I try to give. I am neither Republican or Democrat, and both parties should be ashamed not to speaking out about our drone murder program, non prosecution of bankers for enormous crime and gutting the U.S. Constitution. I am for the people not some not some liberal/conservative agenda. Both parties have harmed this country.
Greg
Thanks for speaking out Greg
I know my remarks might be controversial to some but right on the mark to those who have done as much research as I have. I began to research to discover what is going wrong with our country about 5 yrs ago. In my research I discovered that whistle-blowers were filling in a lot of the missing puzzle pieces. I don’t feed from the trough of corporate propaganda media. I am proactive in my efforts to become an informed citizen. I put on my BS detectors and began wading. The info whistle-blowers reveal in almost all cases is right on. I know because I am double checking all the info to see if it collaborates with other things I have learned.
What really got my interest was a document brought to light by a Whistle-blower now dead called “SILENT WEAPONS FOR QUIET WARS.” W.C. claimed he first discovered a copy of said document in Navel Intel. files and that the infamous Bilderberg Group had been somehow involved in its research and development. Silent Weapons includes a security heading that essentially says that any public exposure of the document must be contained because its very existence represented a declaration of intent to carry forth a domestic war against the American citizens. Silent Weapons is the assessment of everything in our world for its weapon potential. This includes media control, manipulation of the political and economic structure, monetary policy and use your imagination. The left right paradigm must be replaced with the correct one. Lord Acton had it right ” The issue which has swept down through the centuries and which will eventually have to be fought is the people vs. the banks.”
Dave,
“People vs. the banks” says it all my friend!
Greg
I have read where if you grow a garden,collect rainwater,have extra food on hand or have a gun, the government considers you a terrorist. With that in mind, I’m glad that Senator Rand Paul an Senator Ted Cruz of Texas,had the WH go on record, an tell us they will not kill Americans in their own country with drone strikes. That’s really refreshing, an gives me the confidence that they have my back.I thank the Senator from Kentucky for standing up for my rights,but for some reason I do not trust my government to “Protect an Defend the Constitution of the United States.Nor to protect this American citizen and his family from any harm.By the Land,Sea or air. This Patriot loves his country, but feels that it is time to give pink slips to those in Washington, who think more about “What there country can do for them”,an not what they can do for the country. God Bless The United States Of America. Take care an be prepared. Respectfully submitted. Southern Patriot