State Dept. Official Tells 'Morning Joe' She Won't 'Take A Mulligan' On ISIL (VIDEO)

ByCATHERINE THOMPSONPublishedFEBRUARY 18, 2015, 10:30 AM EST
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday that she was standing by her argument that the U.S. can't just "kill its way out" of war with the Islamic State terror group without also tackling economic disparities in the Middle East.

Harf first made those comments Monday to Chris Matthews on MSNBC's "Hardball." After Fox News and conservative news websites mocked her as having argued that simply giving jobs to young men in the Middle East would prevent them from radicalizing, Harf pointed out on CNNthat even former President George W. Bush had cited poverty as a contributing factor to violent extremism.

Former National Security Agency director Gen. Michael Hayden, whom Harf previously worked for as a spokesperson with the CIA, said Wednesday morning on "Morning Joe" that he thought Harf would "want to take a mulligan" for how she phrased the disputed comments on "Hardball."
Harf herself came on the program soon after and refused to back down.

"Well, I'm not sure I would take a mulligan on this one," Harf said. "But I think [Hayden] went on to say something I would agree with. In the short term -- and I said this on 'Hardball' the other night -- we are killing them and we will continue killing ISIS terrorists that pose a threat to us. We're very good at that."

"But in the longer term -- and this isn't specific to ISIL -- military commanders, politicians of both parties and counterterrorism experts all agree that if you're going to prevent terror groups from spreading to other places and getting more recruits, you have to look at root causes that lead people to extremism," she said. "You have to do all of it. You have to take them on militarily, but you have to look at things like governance, like opportunity so these groups aren't able to get more people to their cause."
Watch below via MSNBC:

​Watch From Inside a Russian Bomber as Western Jets Intercept It

BY ELIAS GROLL-FEBRUARY 19, 2015

In recent months, Russian bomber and fighter jets have repeatedly tested the air defenses of their European neighbors. These encounters haveoccasionally been captured on film — but almost always from the perspective of Western jets. But now, the blog the Aviationist has surfaced footage from inside a Russian strategic bomber as it is intercepted by European fighter planes.

The fascinating footage provides not only a great view of the intercepting jets — British Typhoons and French Mirage 2000s — but also a look at the quirky contra-rotating turboprop engines of the Russian TU-95 strategic bomber, perhaps better known as the Bear.

It is unclear when the encounter took place, but incidents of this nature have become regular occurrences on Europe’s borders. Most recently, British jets scrambled to intercept two TU-95s flying off the coast of Cornwall on Wednesday. It is unlikely the video above is from that encounter.

Western defense officials say that they have not seen such a frequency of aggressive Russian air patrols since the Cold War, when Soviet jets would regularly fly similar missions near the airspace of European countries.

YouTube/tvZvezda

FactCheck: have pro-Russian separatists broken the ceasefire?

FactCheck: have pro-Russian separatists broken the ceasefire?

“The actual ceasefire line is beyond Debaltseve, because that line is controlled by the rebels.”
Sergei Lavrov, 18 February 2015-February 19, 2015

The analysis

Is the latest ceasefire deal between pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine and the Kiev government in tatters?

The guns were supposed to fall silent at 0000 hours on 15 February, but fighting has continued, most obviously in and around the town of Debaltseve.

FactCheck Have Pro-Russian Separatists Broken the Ceasefire by Thavam Ratna

This is Japan’s Best Strategy to Defeat China at Sea

In order to win, Japan should give China a dose of its own medicine.

By Franz-Stefan Gady-February 20, 2015

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is a highly capable navy, although it is the smallest of Japan’s military branches. It is technologically more advanced, more experienced, and more highly trained than its main competitor – the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Yet, in the long-run, the JMSDF and the Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) – Tokyo’s principle enforcer of maritime law – are at a relative disadvantage if one looks at the bourgeoning naval rearmament program of China, which is gradually shifting the regional maritime balance in Beijing’s favor.
This is Japan’s Best Strategy to Defeat China at Sea by Thavam Ratna

China protests Modi's visit to disputed border region

A signboard is seen from the Indian side of the Indo-China border at Bumla, in Arunachal Pradesh, November 11, 2009.

SHANGHAI Fri Feb 20, 2015

(Reuters) - China said on Friday it had lodged an official protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to a border region claimed by both countries.

China disputes the entire territory of Arunachal Pradesh, calling it south Tibet. Its historic town Tawang, a key site for Tibetan Buddhism, was briefly occupied by Chinese forces during a 1962 war.

"The Chinese government has never recognized the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh'," a statement on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website said on Friday.

It said Modi's visit was "not conducive to the overall development of bilateral relations".

Modi visited Arunachal Pradesh on Friday to inaugurate the opening of a train line and power station.

In January, China objected to statements by Japan's foreign ministry supporting India's claim to the region.

A visit by U.S. president Barack Obama to India in January was widely seen as a sign Modi is moving closer to the United States to offset rising Chinese influence in Asia and in particular intensifying activity by the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean.

(Reporting by Pete Sweeney; editing by Andrew Roche)

Venezuela on edge after Caracas mayor arrested on ‘coup plot’ claims

On the first anniversary of protests in Venezuela, police arrested Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, an opposition leader. (AP)

By Nick Miroff February 20 at 8:53 AM

Venezuela braced for anti-government protests Friday after intelligence agents arrested Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma on allegations of taking part in a coup plot backed by the United States.
Venezuela on Edge After Caracas Mayor Arrested on ‘Coup Plot’ Claims by Thavam Ratna

Eurozone ministers gather in Brussels for make-or-break talks with Greece

Outcome of meeting remains clouded in uncertainty after Germany rejected Greek compromise proposal

 Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said the country would remain under supervision of the troika. Photograph: Eric Lalmand/AFP/Getty Images

Jennifer Rankin and Helena Smith-Friday 20 February 2015

Eurozone finance ministers are gathering in Brussels for make-or-break talks that could determine Greece’s future in the eurozone.

For ministers of the 19-member currency union, it will be their third attempt in 10 days to resolve a standoff that has sent jitters across the continent at the prospect of a messy Greek exit from the single currency.

But the outcome of the meeting, which is due to start at 4.30pm (3.30pm GMT) onFriday, is clouded in uncertainty after Germany’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, rejected a Greek compromise proposal.

Hopes of a deal have since risen, however, as it was reported that the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, was taking a more conciliatory stance. Greece’s €240bn bailout – orchestrated by the EU, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund – expires next Friday. Without an imminent deal the country faces the real prospect of running out of cash in early March because it is effectively locked out of the international lending markets.

In an effort to break the deadlock - which is centred on the Syriza-led government’s determination to relax austerity measures attached to the current bailout programme – Merkel discussed the crisis for almost an hour on Thursday evening with Greece’s prime minister, Alexis Tsipras.

Officials in Athens described the talks, which were interpreted by official translators and not conducted in English, as “constructive”, saying both had conveyed the desire to find a solution.

Merkel, they added, had assumed a more conciliatory stance than Schäuble. The German chancellor has repeatedly said she wants Greece to remain in the single currency.

This morning, Germany’s EU commissioner Güenther Oettinger said Greece and its creditors should be able to reach a deal but may need another meeting of eurozone leaders next week.

“We are working so that Greece stays in the eurozone,” Oettinger told German radio Deutschlandfunk. “On this basis I think an agreement will still be possible in the next eight days - if necessary via a further meeting of government leaders,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Tsipras spoke with the French and Italian leaders. The French president, François Hollande, was also quoted in the Greek media as saying he was willing to support Athens.

A Greek government spokesman said that conditions for a deal had “matured at last”, but maintained that Athens would not be pushed into extending its bailout programme.

“The Greek government has done all it should at every level in an effort to find a mutually beneficial solution,” government spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis told a Greek TV station.

“We are not discussing the continuation of the (bailout) programme,” Sakellaridis said. “The Greek government will maintain this stance today, although conditions have matured for a solution to be found at last.”

In Brussels, home of the last-minute, patched-together deal, there are expectations a compromise can be found. “Probably the Greeks will move but there is going to be more negotiation needed to find an agreement,” said one source.

Officials were meeting late Thursday night in an attempt to find common ground, after Greece made a formal request for an extension of its loans.

The Greek government, which is under fire from radical ultra-leftists for making the loan application, described the latest proposal as a way to deal with the country’s “humanitarian crisis” and kickstart the economy. But the request was widely viewed as a climbdown.

In a letter to Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the eurozone finance ministers’ group, obtained by Reuters, Greece’s finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, conceded that the Greek authorities would “refrain from unilateral action that would undermine the fiscal targets, economic recovery and financial stability”.

Crucially, he said Greece would remain under the supervision of the European commission, the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund – the unpopular troika that the Syriza-led government had insisted it would throw off.

Popular sleep remedies and hayfever pills 'increase risk of Alzheimer's by more than 50%'

Sleep remedies, hayfever pills and anti-depressants are linked to dementia

The risk is greatest when high doses are taken over several years

Risk was 54 per cent higher for people taking the highest doses 

Found a link between dementia and antihistamines Piriton and Benadryl

Link was found with sleep remedy Nytol and anti-depressant Doxepin

Also found with Nytol and Ditropan - treatment for an overactive bladder

By JENNY HOPE FOR THE DAILY MAI- 26 January 2015 

Common over-the-counter hayfever pills could raise your risk of Alzheimer’s, warn researchers.

They found a link between dementia in older people and anticholinergic drugs, which include the antihistamines Benadryl and Piriton, as well as sleep remedy Nytol and some older antidepressants.

These medications affect the brain by blocking a key chemical messenger called acetylcholine, which has a range of functions in the body. 

Popular hayfever pills such as Benadryl and Piriton, sleep remedy Nytol, Ditropan - which is used to treat an overactive bladder, and the antidepressant doxepin have all been linked to dementia 

The dementia risk is greatest when high doses are taken over several years, the US study found.

Many of the drugs are more commonly taken by older people, with up to half of the UK’s elderly population being prescribed at least one anticholinergic medication.

Study leader Professor Shelly Gray, of the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, said no one should simply stop taking the drugs without speaking to their doctor. 

WHICH MEDICINES ARE LINKED TO ALZHEIMER'S? 

Researchers found a link between anticholinergic medications and dementia. 

Anticholinergic medications affect the brain by blocking a key chemical messenger called acetycholine, which has a range of functions in the body.

People taking the following drugs for more than three years have an increased risk of dementia:

• At least 10 milligrams(mg) per day of the antidepressant doxepin, 
• Four mg per day of diphenhydramine (Nytol, Benadryl) or 
• Five mg per day of oxybutynin (Ditropan) for overactive bladder 

For those taking the highest doses of these drugs, the risk of dementia was increased by 54 per cent after seven years, compared with no use.

The risk of Alzheimer's - the most common form of dementia - was increased by 63 per cent. 

But she said: ‘Healthcare providers should regularly review their older patients’ drug regimens, including over-the-counter medications, to look for chances to use fewer anticholinergic medications at lower doses.’

Research last year linked the use of anticholinergic drugs with mental impairment in the elderly. But the new study, in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, is the first to show that the higher the dose, the higher the risk of dementia.

Researchers tracked 3,434 men and women aged 65 and over for around seven years while monitoring their use of anticholinergic drugs. Of the total, 637 developed Alzheimer’s and 160 were affected by other forms of dementia.

For those taking the biggest doses of anticholinergic drugs, the risk of dementia was 54 per cent higher than those using none. The risk of Alzheimer’s was 63 per cent higher.

Of the drugs named in the study, an increased risk of dementia was seen in people taking at least 10mg a day of the antidepressant doxepin, 4mg a day of diphenhydramine (which is in Nytol and Benadryl) or 5mg a day of oxybutynin (Ditropan) for an overactive bladder for at least three years.

Many newer drugs to treat these conditions do not have anticholinergic effects, such as the antidepressant Prozac and antihistamines such as loratadine (Claritin).

Anticholinergic drugs block a chemical transmitter called acetylcholine, leading to side effects such as drowsiness and poor memory. People with Alzheimer’s disease are known to lack acetylcholine.

Dr Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said more research was needed, adding: ‘This large study adds to some existing evidence linking anticholinergic drugs to a small increased risk of dementia, but the results don’t tell us that these drugs cause the condition.’

For people who took the highest doses of these drugs for the seven-year study period, the risk of dementia was increased by a statistically significant 54 per cent compared with no use. The risk of Alzheimer's was raised by 63 per cent

No Fire Zone screened across US, director calls for international pressure on Sri Lanka


Pulitzer Center

19 February 2015

The ‘No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka’ documentary has completed its tour of the United States with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis. The documentary, which was updated with new evidence and commentary on the recent Presidential elections in Sri Lanka, toured the US to raise awareness about the need to keep international pressure on Sri Lanka to secure justice and address the grievances of Tamils on the island. 

The director of the film, Callum Macrae, whilst on tour addressed, senior policy makers from the State Department and a round table discussion organised by the Congressional Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka, to stress the importance of not taking the international pressure off Sri Lanka to ensure that there was a long standing political solutions addressing injustices against Tamils.
The distribution and further screenings of the documentary can be supported using the 2015 No Fire Zone Impact Distribution Project page on Kickstarter.com. The tour began with screenings of the film at New York’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism whilst traveling through the American University, University of Pennsylvania, Washington University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale and ending at the University of San Diego.

The BAFTA nominated documentary documents how thousands of Tamil civilians were systematically shelled and deliberately denied adequate food and medicines during Sri Lanka’s final war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The distribution of the documentary can be supported using the 2015 No Fire Zone Impact Distribution Project page on Kickstarter.com.

Speaking to Tamil Guardian, Callum Macrae, said,

"We’ve got just three days left to run in the No Fire Zone Kickstarter funding campaign.

When we launched this appeal we said we needed a minimum of £10,000 to launch the new updated version of the film.  Already we have reached £18,000. I am so grateful for this incredible generosity.

 But the delay in the UN report makes our job of bringing the truth about what happened to the attention of the world is more important than ever.  We need to keep up the pressure and every penny we are given allows us to campaign more effectively - and for longer.

Lets see if we can at least double the total  - and perhaps raise even more."

100 Day Plan For Ethnic Reconciliation

By S. Sivathasan -February 19, 2015

S. Sivathasan

A Plan, What For?

What is mystical about 100 days? Everything about it is mystical. Listing out of items shows a clear selection of priorities from a well thought out process. Publicity induces sharp focus, energy purposefully directed and sustained mental stress for achievement. Prescription of timelines imposes a moral compulsion. Besides them all, it proclaims earnestness, commitment, a will to realise and the verve to honour one’s word. The 100 Day Plan, the first ever in this country is showing results. Fair progress is recorded in the first 40 days. It shows the way for the next 100 Day Plan of great national consequence towards ethnic reconciliation if it is so deemed.

President’s Earnestness

Three weeks after the change of regime, Wall Street Journal wrote about Sri Lanka’s readiness to take centre stage. President Srisena in his Independence Day address showed that Ethnic Relations had already taken centre stage in his consciousness. He said he would “Unite the hearts of the people of the North and South through a national reconciliation process for co-existence”. This message was straight off his heart, not from a script.

The foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera in his visit to Washington on 12, February said that PresidentMaithripala Srisena is deeply committed to “Ensuring that all communities in Sri Lanka enjoy the dividend of peace”.

The Minister himself asserted “We are reaching out to minority communities and ensuring that they are included and heard in all national processes”. He also added that Sri Lanka had drawn up a road map to implement election pledges.Read More

Seven Measures To Move Towards Good Governance – Rajiva Wijesinha

By Rajiva Wijesinha –19/02/2015

After Rev Sobitha’s very inspired remarks about the need to fulfil our promises rather than think about elections, I had a searching interview with ARTV, which helped my ideas to crystallize. I was also a bit upset, because I gathered that the UNP hierarchy was meeting at Temple Trees to discuss election strategy all day, and this meant that Ministers involved were not working in their offices.

I believe we need to strategize sensibly, not about elections, but about how to fulfil our promises. I believe that these would be easy to fulfil if we worked with commitment. It is also important not to try to reinvent 

the wheel.

There are seven measures that I believe are essential if we are to at least begin to move towards good governance. In the absene of commitment on the part of my colleagues to some of these, I have already taken steps to initiate action, and I hope young Ministers and Parliamentarians who wish to change the current culture will help me.

1. The system of election should be changed – I will table a constitutional amendment, which was surprisingly easy to draft, to replace the current system with a mixed system. This will have 100 seats for which there will be individual MPs, and another 100 seats which will be allocated so that Parliament as a whole will be proportionate to the votes cast for each party. There will be one vote for the constituency, and one vote for the party, since otherwise small parties are not likely to gain votes in the individual contest for each constituency.

2. The law to restrict the Cabinet to 30 should be introduced immediately. The amendment should also divide responsibilities in a scientific fashion. The amendment already proposed by Vasantha Senanayake should be tabled, and passed after amendment. The suggestion that we might have up to 100 Ministers after the next election is disgusting, and a betrayal of the people and what we stood for.

3. Parliament should be strengthened by amendment of Standing Orders. The proposal I made eighteen months ago was put to Parliament earlier this month, and seconded, so it will now go to the Standing Order Committee. I objected to efforts to postpone this, and it will now meet on the 20th.

4. The Right to Information is essential, and I hope the Bill will be presented soon. However I think we should also work towards improving the Rights enshrined in the Constitution, and to this end I have proposed a Constitutional Amendment to incorporate the Bill of Rights that was prepared by a Committee chaired by Jayampathy Wickremaratne when I was Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights. I tried to persuade him to make this part of our manifesto and though he demurred, I see no reason not to at least put a draft before Parliament and the people.

5. The excessive powers of the Presidency must be got rid of. This should be done immediately, instead of tying it to abolishing the Presidency. That is a contentious issue now, given that none of the possible candidates for the post of Prime Minister is a statesman who can rise above party politics.

6. The new Audit Bill must be introduced, and financial controls strengthened, with mandatory provisions for legal action in the case of abuse.

7. A Code of Conduct for politicians and public officials needs to be introduced soon. Since there seems to be no concern about this, I hope those who are concerned will prepare a draft that can be fine tuned and presented soon to Parliament and the Cabinet.

These seven measures are vital, and I think we should devote all our energies to pursuing them. I hope those who read this will embark on a movement to persuade those in authority in such areas, in particular Karu Jayasuriya who is I believe dedicated to Good Governance, to start pushing for change.

Giving Sri Lanka more time ‘encourages genocide’ NPC member tells US

Photograph: Uthayan

18 February 2015

The deferral of the United Nations investigation on Sri Lanka’s mass atrocities will only encourage the Sri Lankan government to further its genocide of the Tamil people, said Northern Provincial Council member Thurairasa Ravikaran in a meeting with US officials.

Meeting with US Embassy Political Officer Joseph Scholar and USAID officer Jason Ablan, Mr Ravikaran stated that little has changed for the Tamil people since Sri Lanka’s new president, Maithripala Sirisena, took office earlier this year.

“The army has not been removed yet,” Mr Ravikaran told the US officials “Instead the situation has worsened, so much so that they search my house for military equipment.”Sri Lanka's Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had summoned the NPC member for questioning last week and attempted to search his house earlier this month.

Discussing livelihood issues affecting the people of the North-East, Mr Ravikaran added that land was still being occupied by the Sri Lankan military and the current government was no different in its policy of “imposing a religious identity” on the Tamil people.

“It has become clear that what happened in the [presidential] election is just a change of person,” said Mr Ravikaran. “In this situation, giving Sri Lanka more time without releasing the OISL report will only be used to encourage Genocide against Tamils.”

Genocide In Sri Lanka: It’s A Question That Certainly Needs To Be Litigated

By Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah –February 19, 2015

Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

“…it is a question that needs to be litigated because, the (Sri Lankan) government certainly behaved as though its intention was to wipe out at least a part of the Tamil community and to produce conditions in the North which made it difficult for them and their culture to survive” – Geoffrey Robertson QC

There are two related issues currently of critical consequence to Tamils:

• The deferment of the release of the OISL report (the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka report) initially fixed for March 25, 2015
• and the question of whether or not it was Genocide and the Dire need for it to be litigated.

These questions encapsulate the critical debate that is raging among the protagonists in the Sinhala Tamil ethnic conflict with so called arbitrators on the side. The debate has moved since 2009 from the battle field which according to the UN’s final admission of sorts culminated in 70,000 Tamil civilians left dead[1] ; to triumphalism at its worst displayed by the Rajapaksa government side.

Gradually then it advanced to the political and diplomatic arena with expectations rife that it could possibly finally shift to high gear to the legal arena. But lately what with the Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera of the new regime in Sri Lanka making the rounds, crisscrossing the world and writing to the OHCHR Chief, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein to postpone the release of the OISL with the assurance that Sri Lanka is ready to conduct its own investigation, there is no end to speculation, uncertainty and a feeling of another betrayal for the Tamils.

All this going on whilst major international players like US and India, it is thought, is involved in steering things by, the developments that is. The only redeeming feature of this development on “deferral”, which is a cause for comfort is the High Commissioner’s undertaking[2] that it would only be a “one time deferral” and that report won’t be “shelved” with a subtle hint, “the request was made [3] (Mangala Samaraweera to him) based on the ‘changing context in Sri Lanka’ and the possibility of new information becoming available for the report..” Which makes one speculate whether it means the High Commissioner is expecting OISL investigators to be permitted in to Sri Lanka or if it means Sri Lanka’s proposed domestic mechanism, that is still to be commissioned would shed more light on the truth of what happened in Mullivaikkal.

The article on the question of ‘Deferment of the OISL report and where is the justice in that Deferment’ will be a sequel to this article, here the focus would primarily be on the second question:

Read More