Nine nuclear base commanders fired from US Air Force over cheating scandal
Published time: March 27, 2014 19:40
AFP Photo
The United States Air Force says it has taken unprecedented action by firing nine nuclear missile base commanders on Thursday amid an ongoing and exhaustive investigation surrounding allegations of cheating.
Dozens of additional employees described as junior officers at those bases will be disciplined as well, the Associated Press reported first on Thursday afternoon, and will join an ever-expanding list of Air Force personnel who have been reprimanded in recent months as part of an embarrassing scandal that has increasingly generated criticism directed at the Pentagon’s nuke program.
But although the Air Force has taken action already in recent months amid reports that missile base personnel cheated on critical military examinations, the AP says officials describe the latest round of terminations as being “unprecedented in the history of the intercontinental ballistic missile force.”
“None of the nine fired commanders was directly involved in the cheating, but each was determined to have failed in his or her leadership responsibilities,” Robert Burns wrote for the AP.
According to Burns, a defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the AP that Air Force investigators believe the cheating scandal started as early as November 2011 and continued for two years.
“It involved unauthorized passing of answers to exams designed to test missile launch officers’ proficiency in handling ‘emergency war orders,’ which are messages involving the targeting and launching of missiles,” Burns learned from his confidential source.
This past January, the Air Force said that 34 missile launch officers were implicated in the cheating scandal and stripped of their security clearances, though they may not have necessarily faked their way through their own exams. According to the AP’s latest however, upwards of 100 missile launch crew members from a single facility — the Malmstrom Air Force Base in the state of Montana — were at one point or another linked to the scandal.
“Some officers did it. Others apparently knew about it, and it appears that they did nothing, or at least not enough, to stop it or to report it,” Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said at a news conference earlier this year.
Now two months later, on Thursday the Air Force reportedly took action against a number of officials linked to the scandal by investigators, including Col. Robert Stanley, the commander of the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom.
Stanley was allowed to resign, the AP reported, but nine key commanders below him were removed from the Air Force, including the commanders of the 341st Wing’s three missile squadrons, according to Burns, “each of which is responsible for 50 Minuteman three nuclear missiles.”
“Also sacked were the commander and deputy commander of the 341st Operations Group, which oversees all three missile squadrons as well as a helicopter unit and a support squadron responsible for administering monthly proficiency tests to Malmstrom’s launch crews and evaluating their performance,” Burns claimed. Members of all three missile squadrons were implicated, he added, although no generals were formally punished.
This week’s news is only the latest to stir up the Air Force’s nuke unit, which for months now has repeatedly come under fire due to a barrage of incidents. The Pentagon removed 17 of its officers from a base in North Dakota last year following a poor inspection rating, and last October it was reported that two US missile technicians assigned with launch keys were discovered repeatedly leaving a blast door open while sleeping on base.
Soros, OSI, USaid, and Ukrainian Neo-Nazi groups, Compared To Tides Role in Canada
Dissembling
Mar 12, 2014
For those who have been paying attention to the situation in Ukraine, many people have noticed that there has been an escalation between US foreign interests and Russian interests, specifically in Crimea. Soros’ OSI groups and their network of NGO’s (which is a mirror of how things are done here in Canada/USA with Soros’ Tides Foundation) have affiliated themselves with neo-nazi groups. Sometimes you may see Tides connected affiliates whine about nazi groups and racists but it would seem their benevolent angel donor (or master) doesn’t care about racism so long as it is a useful tool for the advancement of geopolitical agenda.
In the Ukraine OSI has been reported as having paid protestors a whole of $20 american to risk their lives and participate as fodder in a pre-meditated coup d’etat of their ELECTED leader. In Canada, they cost a little more than that and need more training to get worked up to violence. Sun News conducted a poll of the blatant activity the fake paid protestors are up to and most people disapprove of it:
The situation in Ukraine is quite the foreshadowing of things to come in Canada, so long as politicians openly endorse the conduct of these people and do not speak up about what is visibly a form of open recruiting and training of subjects to engage in eco-terrorism. If anything the authorities (if they were not compromised) would have shown up and arrested the lot of them for conspiracy and high treason.
A recent article by Greg Renouf demonstrates the usual political faces who have been backing the Soros’ backed faketivist (fake paid activist) activities in Canada, also back the faketivist activities in the Ukraine. Even to the extent of allowing a group to fundraise for bullet proof vests (which are illegal here in Canada without a permit), and send them to the Ukraine to aid in the coup d’etat.
I believe the same thing is being set up for Canada as has been setup for the Ukraine. My opinion is that it doesn’t matter which side wins, the Ukrainian people lose. Foreign interests from one side (USA) or the other (Russia) have come into the Ukraine to battle it out as to which power block the Ukraine will be sacrificed to. Either way the Ukrainian people are facing a lose/lose situation.
The uprising in Ukraine didn’t happen overnight. Funds needed to be moved, people needed to be armed, and protected with bullet proof vests, and trained; this is how uprisings start and, the warning signs are all out in the open right here in Canada.
8 killed in local election clashes as Turkey splits over rival parties — video included
Published time: March 30, 2014 11:52
Edited time: March 30, 2014 20:10
A Turkish woman casts her vote in Istanbul on March 30, 2014 as Turkey gears up for local elections ahead of a presidential vote in six months and parliamentary polls next year. (AFP Photo/Bulent Kilic)
At least eight people have been killed in clashes between rival groups in Turkey’s municipal elections, media reports say. Tensions soared at the polls that will decide the distribution of power between the country’s two major parties.
Two people have been killed and nine more injured in the southern Turkish province of Hatay after a fight broke out between two rival candidates for village headman (muhtar), Hurriyet reports.
In the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, six people have been killed in a similar incident in Hilvan district and several more have been seriously injured, security sources said.
Al Arabiya reported that the incidents involved gunfire from both sides, supporting either candidates for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan or his rival Fethullah Gulen. Whole families have reportedly been involved in some of the gun battles.
Preliminary results of the votes in different regions of Turkey started emerging hours before the time of the official announcement. State agency Anadolu and pro-opposition agency Cihan showed conflicting figures.
While Anadolu said that the ruling AKP party candidates lead with a 10 percent margin nationwide, Cihan reported that in key cities of Istanbul and Ankara Gulen’s CHP party was either leading or going second with a small margin.
[…CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE]
[related: Turkey: It is Time to Prove Your Sovereignty]
US jazz musicians were drafted into the CIA’s MKULTRA
by John Rappoport
Jon Rappoport’s Blog
Mar 24, 2014
Here is a bit of US history that shows the reach of the CIA’s infamous mind-control program, MKULTRA.
During the 1940s and 50s, it was common knowledge that musicians who were busted for drug use were shipped, or volunteered to go, to Lexington, Kentucky. Lex was the first Narcotics Farm and US Health Dept. drug treatment hospital in the US.
According to diverse sources, here’s a partial list of the reported “hundreds” of jazz musicians who went to Lex: Red Rodney, Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Sonny Stitt, Howard McGhee, Elvin Jones, Zoot Sims, Lee Morgan, Tadd Dameron, Stan Levey, Jackie McLean.
It’s also reported that Ray Charles was there, and William Burroughs, Peter Lorre, and Sammy Davis, Jr.
It was supposed to be a rehab center. A place for drying out.
But it was something else too. Lex was used by the CIA as one of its MKULTRA centers for experimentation on inmates.
The doctor in charge of this mind control program was Harris Isbell. Ironically, Isbell was, at the same time, a member of the FDA’s Advisory Committee on the Abuse of Depressant and Stimulant Drugs.
Isbell gave LSD and other psychedelics to inmates at Lex.
At Sandoz labs in Switzerland, Dr. Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD, also synthesized psilocybin from magic mushrooms. The CIA got some of this new synthetic from Hofmann and gave it to Isbell so he could try it out on inmates at Lex.
MKULTRA was a CIA program whose goal was to control minds…in part through the use of drugs.
Isbell worked at Lex from the 1940s through 1963. It is reported that in one experiment, Isbell gave LSD to 7 inmates for 77 consecutive days. At 4 times the normal dosage. That is a chemical hammer of incredible proportions.
To induce inmates to join this drug experiment, they were offered the drug of their choice, which in many cases was heroin. So at a facility dedicated to drying out and rehabbing addicts, addicts were subjected to MKULTRA experiments and THEN a re-establishment of their former habit.
Apparently as many as 800 different drugs were sent to Isbell by the CIA or CIA fronts to use on patients at Lex. Two of the fronts? The US Navy and the US National Institute of Mental Health.
In another MKULTRA experiment at Lex, nine men were strapped down on tables. They were injected with psilocybin. Lights were beamed at their eyes–a typical mind control component.
During Isbell’s tenure, no one knows how many separate experiments he ran on the inmates. No one knows what other mind-control programming he attempted to insert along with the drugs.
As I say, Lex was the main stop for drying out for NY jazz musicians. How many of them were taken into these MKULTRA programs?
As Martin Lee explains in his book, Acid Dreams, “It became an open secret…that if the [heroin] supply got tight [on the street], you could always commit yourself to Lexington, where heroin and morphine were doled out as payment if you volunteered for Isbell’s whacky drug experiments. (Small wonder Lexington had a return rate of 90%.)”
A June 15, 1999, Counterpunch article by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair, “CIA’s Sidney Gottlieb: Pusher, Assassin & Pimp— US Official Poisoner Dies,” contains these quotes on Dr. Isbell:
“Gottlieb also funded the experiments of Dr. Harris Isbell. Isbell ran the Center for Addiction Research in Lexington, Kentucky. Passing through Isbell’s center was a captive group of human guinea pigs in the form of a steady stream of black heroin addicts. More than 800 different chemical compounds were shipped from Gottlieb to Lexington for testing on Isbell’s patients.
“Perhaps the most infamous experiment came when Isbell gave LSD to seven black men for seventy-seven straight days. Isbell’s research notes indicates that he gave the men ‘quadruple’ the ‘normal’ dosages. The doctor marveled at the men’s apparent tolerance to these remarkable amounts of LSD. Isbell wrote in his notes that ‘this type of behavior is to be expected in patients of this type.’
“In other Gottlieb-funded experiment at the Center, Isbell had nine black males strapped to tables, injected them with psylocybin, inserted rectal thermometers, had lights shown in their eyes to measure pupil dilation and had their joints whacked to test neural reactions.”
Jon Rappoport
The author of two explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED and EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free emails at www.nomorefakenews.com
[h/t: GnosticMedia]
VIDEO — How to Steal an Airplane: From 9/11 to MH370
Corbett Report
Mar 19, 2014
Now that the MSM is flirting with the idea of “cyber hijacking” in the increasingly desperate search for MH370, many are left wondering how long the possibility of a remote control hijack has been possible and why the public hasn’t been warned of this threat. Join us for this week’s BoilingFrogsPost.com Eyeopener report as we examine the cyber hijacking issue and its connections to 9/11.
SUPPORT BFP: http://www.boilingfrogspost.com/suppo…
TRANSCRIPT AND SOURCES: http://www.corbettreport.com/?p=8886
[related links:
- Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 now clearly a government cover-up: All evidence contradicts official story
- Hunt for Malaysian airliner shifts following new leads
- Malaysian Airlines Flight 370: The Complete Timeline And Infographic
- VIDEO — Malaysian Airline Disappearance One Bizarre Theory – Pete Papaherakles
- VIDEO — Flight 370 my 2 cents]
Hobocops: Police posing as homeless to catch distracted drivers at intersections
Metro
Mar 26, 2014
Toronto Police Const. Brian Kellar posing as a homeless man targets distracted drivers. (image credit: Twitter/@PCArsenault )
Imagine sitting in your car and being approached by a man in a hooded jacket carrying a piece of cardboard that says “I’ve Got High Hopes — Frank Sinatra.”
What comes to mind?
If you thought “panhandler,” you would be wrong. It turns out the man is a cop, and he probably has high hopes of catching you on your cellphone.
Recently, a Toronto police officer, dressed in a jacket and jeans and carrying the above-mentioned sign, took to walking among vehicles coming off Highway 401 at Markham Rd., in search of distracted drivers.
When a culprit was discovered, out would come the badge from behind the coat, and the sign would be flipped to read: “Hello I’m a police officer. If you are reading this, you are about to get a cellphone ticket.”
Sneaky? Creative? Or just plain wrong?
Even if the average citizen is more accustomed to tales of undercover police officers cracking drug trafficking rings than slapping fines on cellphone users, experts say the move is perfectly legal.
“On the scale of activity designed to catch people breaking the law, it is at the low end of deceit,” said defence lawyer Frank Addario, who recently crafted a draft policy on carding for the Toronto police.
Ukraine parliament passes austerity bill required by IMF
Published time: March 28, 2014 02:18
Edited time: March 29, 2014 12:53
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk (top L) and acting President Oleksander Turchinov (top R) talk to deputies as they attend a parliament session in Kiev March 27, 2014. (Reuters / Alex Kuzmin)
The Ukrainian parliament has adopted an anti-crisis bill proposed by the IMF to secure an international financial aid package. Ordinary Ukrainians will have to tighten their belts to help the coup-installed government keep the collapsing economy afloat.
It took two readings of the bill for 246 MPs out of 321 registered to approve the austerity measures outlined in the legislation dubbed “On prevention of financial catastrophe and creation of prerequisites for economic growth.”
Ahead of the vote, Ukrainian self-imposed Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk told the Parliament that it had “no other choice but to accept the IMF offer,” as country fiscal gap in 2014 is projected to reach $26 billion. Ukraine’s Finance Ministry says it needs $35 billion over the next two years to avoid default.
“The country is on the edge of economic and financial bankruptcy,” Yatsenyuk said. “This package of laws is very unpopular, very difficult, very tough. Reforms that should have been done in the past 20 years.”
It is ordinary Ukrainians who will suffer the most under the new austerity measures as the floating national currency is likely to push up inflation, while spike in domestic gas prices will impact every household. Under the IMF conditions Kiev has to cut the budget deficit, increase retail energy tariffs, and shift to a flexible exchange rate.
The state-owned energy company Naftogaz already said that it will increase household gas prices by 50 percent starting May 1, while utility companies will see a 40 percent rise as of July. According to estimates, this year Ukraine’s economy will contract by 3 percent while inflation will rise to 14 percent. The government is not planning to raise minimum wages in response to inflation.
The law adopted on Thursday, in particular, introduces a permanent application of the basic rate of corporate income tax at 18 percent and VAT at 20 percent, according to RBC-Ukraine. The government will also cancel the VAT refund for grain exporters.
The bill also introduces a 15 percent tax rate on pension payments if they exceed 10 thousand hryvnas (about $900). This tax, however, won’t really hurt an ordinary Ukrainian pensioner since an average pension in Ukraine is $160 – which may be further cut by 50% for those still working.
A progressive personal income taxation scale has also been installed to charge individuals 15, 17, 20 and 25 percent depending on their earnings. Those persons who make over 1 million hryvnas will be charged 25 percent income tax.
Car enthusiasts will also suffer as taxes on new cars and motorcycles with engine capacity exceeding 0.5 liters will also be doubled. Those who shop online and use overseas retailers will now see lowering of the limit on tax-free imports from 300 to 150 euros.
Excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco will also go up. In 2014 spirits price will see a 39 percent increase, while tobacco products will see a rise of 31.5 percent. Beer lovers will suffer the most with a 42.5 percent rise.
The legislation also reduces the total number of personnel in law enforcement agencies. Almost 80,000 people will be dismissed in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Security Service, the Office of the State Guard, and the prosecutor’s office.
Reuters / Yuri Gripas
The International Monetary Fund has agreed to throw Ukraine’s sinking economy a lifeline provided the country adopts severe austerity measures. According to a preliminary agreement announced by the IMF, it would provide Kiev between $14 and $18 billion in loans over the next two years. Pending final approval by the IMF’s board, Ukraine could get their hands on the first installment as early as April.
“The mission has reached a staff-level agreement with the authorities of Ukraine on an economic reform program that can be supported by a two-year Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF,” the Fund said in a press release.
A successful deal with the IMF is expected to unleash further $10 billion in loans from other international partners, including the EU and the US. The World Bank is also considering the possibility of providing Ukraine with $1 to $3 billion. Canada, Japan and Poland are also contemplating financial aid.
“The financial support from the broader international community that the program will unlock amounts to US$27 billion over the next two years. Of this, assistance from the IMF will range between US$14-18 billion, with the precise amount to be determined once reforms are in place,” the IMF said.
In Washington, both the Senate and House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday to provide a $1 billion loan guarantee aid to Ukraine. In addition the Senate bill includes $50 million for democracy building and $100 million for enhanced security cooperation.
“This significant support will help stabilise the economy and meet the needs of Ukrainian people over the long term because it provides the prospect for true growth,” US President Barack Obama said in Rome.
Despite the promised injection of cash into Ukraine, Nikolay Gueorguiev, IMF Mission Chief for Ukraine said that “Nonetheless, the economic outlook remains difficult, with the economy falling back into recession,” he said cited by Kyivpost. “With no current market access, large foreign debt repayments loom in 2014-2015.”
PN 