Salem-News.com Politics articles Page 22

Enter the Chameleon

He smiles, nods, speaks and becomes whatever his audience craves. Now don't they feel better.

(LONDON) - The stage is set, the venue is the UN General Assembly, New York and the audience is in place, awaiting the appearance of the star performer, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel.

The chameleon came dressed in the colours of the United States of America. After all, he was speaking in New York and he employed local American idioms and colloquialisms to deliver what was without doubt a brilliant exhibition of showmanship in full Technicolor. All that was missing were the violins.

Ray McDonald Case May Test NFL`s New Domestic Violence Policy

No level of celebrity-ism should result in society overlooking, therefore being complicit to, domestic violence.

(SAN FRANCISCO) - I have seen the terrible toll on victims of domestic violence as a volunteer at the Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic (CROC), helping victims of domestic violence obtain restraining orders against their abusers.

Statistics show that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, and 1.3 million women are victims of assault by an intimate partner each year. This is simply intolerable.

Did Israel Offer ISIS $10 Million to Free Steven Sotloff?

Scarcely anyone ought reasonably indulge themselves in feelings of confidence about their own personal security.

(Ein el Helwe Palestinian camp) - Though details are not yet fully known to this observer, reliable sources who have contact with DAASH report that the Islamic State rejected frantic Mossad efforts to buy the release of American journalist Steven Joel Sotloff.

This much is credited with a fair amount of certainty. Steven Sotloff, born and raised in Florida, checked into Room 303 of the Hotel Istanbul in the small border town of Kilis in southern Turkey. Three days later while heading to the border to take the Kilis-Aleppos highway south into Syria, Mr. Sotloff and his "fixer" were abducted at a check point manned by unknown jihadists.

Bahrain: Immediately and Unconditionally Drop All Charges Against Maryam Al Khawaja

She is a legitimate and peaceful human rights defender who has not been allowed legal counsel since her apprehension.

(LONDON) - On 30 August 2014, human rights defender Ms Maryam Al-Khawaja was detained upon arrival at Bahrain International Airport. She was travelling to visit Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja in detention, who has been on hunger strike since 24 August 2014.

Maryam Al-khawaja is a prominent human rights defender in Bahrain and is Co-Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights. She is the sister of human rights defender Ms Zainab Al-Khawaja and daughter of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.

Oregon National Guard hosts Vietnam delegation visit through State Partnership Program

The week-long visit includes tours of emergency management and Oregon National Guard facilities.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The Oregon National Guard is hosting a delegation from Vietnam's National Committee for Search and Rescue (VINASARCOM) this week, Aug. 24-30, as part of the ongoing State Partnership Program.

Vice Admiral Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Chief of General Staff of Vietnam People's Army and Vice Standing Chairman of VINASARCOM, leads the delegation, which also includes other VINASARCOM experts in search and rescue, firefighting, explosion and building collapse, finance planning and investment, and foreign relations.

John Yoo and The Senate Torture Report

John Choon Yoo, aka John Yoo, authored the Torture Memos used to justify torture of human beings by the Bush Administration.

(SAN FRANCISCO) - Professor John Yoo stepped away from his lectern at the UC Berkeley School of Law to send an e-mail to the San Francisco Chronicle criticizing the forthcoming Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) torture report saying that if "torture was used and it didn't work, she [Senator Dianne Feinstein] is flat wrong." Yoo claimed the report failed to maintain "bipartisanship" that "will undermine its conclusions."

I suspect that this is a preemptive attack by Yoo as the release of the Senate torture report will probably place Yoo on the hotseat again. The SSCI Torture report has been approved for public release. However, the SSCI and the CIA are fighting over the CIA's substantial redactions to the torture report summary.

Thailand: Continued intimidation of human rights defender Mr Surapan Rujichaiway

Two civil lawsuits against local villagers are being heard 19-22 August 2014.

(LONDON) - Surapan Rujichaiwat has been actively involved in opposing the opening of a gold mining project in Loei Province. He has regularly attended and given talks at environmental meetings. Surapan Rujichaiwat helped persuade many local villagers of the likely negative impact of the mining operation on their health and livelihood.

On 16 August 2014, the wife of Wang Saphung community leader Mr Surapan Rujichaiwat received a phone call during which an unidentified individual threatened him for his campaign work on behalf of the Wang Saphung community in relation to its dispute with the gold-mining company, Tung Kha Limited Company (TKLC).

Oregon Man Files to Run for President in 2016

If elected, Baker said he will work hard for all 1,461 days of his term as President.

(PORTLAND, Ore. ) - Ed Baker of Portland, Oregon has filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission to run for President of the United States in the 2016 election.

Baker said he isn't a member of any political party, secret society, or the CIA. He said he will work with everyone and that he would like to see America again at it's best. He added that he will be in touch with, represent, and work for the people of America. He said he knows what it's like to go without, as he was homeless for 18-months.

Human Rights Worker`s Detention Extended for Sixth Time

Egyptian authorities are urged to end the needless detention of this peaceful man.

(LONDON) - On 5 August 2014, the Investigative Judge of the Criminal Division of South Giza court extended the detention of human rights defender Mr El Hussieny Hassan for the sixth time.

Police officers initially arrested El Hussieny Hassan on 21 February 2014 while he was monitoring demonstrations in the Haram district of Cairo. During interrogations, the human rights defender informed the police of his human rights work and presented documentation signed and stamped by the organisation.

Human Rights Defenders Beaten and Detained by Bangladesh Police

Police violently attacked human rights protesters participating in a hunger strike.

(LONDON) - At least 1,200 workers from five factories under the Tuba Group have been on a hunger strike at Hossain Market since 28 July 2014 demanding three months of unpaid wages and festival bonuses.

Early on 6 August 2014, the main gate of Hossain Market was locked by an unknown individual. It is believed that this was done to stop human rights defenders from providing medical supplies to the hunger strikers.