Insanity In Boston

Ken AshfordCrime, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

As I write this, the drama is still unfolding… but it has been a crazy night in Boston. In a nutshell: Yesterday at 5;15 pm, the FBI released photos of 2 men, believed to be responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing.  Last night, these two men — who we now know to be brothers — robbed a 7-11 near MIT … Read More

Boston Marathon Explosions

Ken AshfordBreaking News, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

It's hard to know what to say about what happened yesterday.  Obviously a terrorist attack.  Is it domestic or foreign?  You automatically assume foreign, but given the event (Patriot's Day, Tax Day), you just can't be sure. 3 dead, including an 8 year old boy, pictured below. 144 injured (although that latter number still varies).  Many amputees. Typically, major praise … Read More

Shalom

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Obama OppositionLeave a Comment

President Obama has been taking a lot of hits on the right for not having visited Israel (despite the fact that he did visit Israel during the 2008 campaign).  "Anti-semite!" they cried.  And so on.  Even Romney raised it during the 2012 presidential campaign. I was never sure what the fuss was about.  Reagan never visited Israel.  Bush Sr. didn't either. … Read More

Rand Gets His Answer

Ken AshfordCongress, Constitution, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

You have to appreciate the opening line: "It has come to my attention….." So here's the breakdown: Rand Paul asks “whether the president has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a US citizen on US soil.” Holder responds "It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary … Read More

The Memo

Ken AshfordConstitution, Obama Opposition, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

NBC got a hold of a white paper which provides the legal justification for assassination of an American not on American soil, without the constitutional protections of due process.  You can read the original here (as a PDF), or read the wiki transcription. The nub of the white paper is this: [t]he Department of Justice concludes only that where the following three conditions … Read More

GOP Gets Its Scapegoat

Ken AshfordMiddle EastLeave a Comment

Susan Rice is now the latest victim of the baying hyenas in the modern Republican Party: U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name from the list of candidates for secretary of state Thursday afternoon, ending a weeks-long fight with Republicans over statements she made on television talk shows shortly after the attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. … Read More

Worse Than Watergate Even If We Don’t Know The Facts

Ken AshfordMiddle EastLeave a Comment

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has no idea what happened in Benghazi but he does know that it’s worse than Watergate and the Iran-Contra scandal times 10. Here’s King from a Washington Times article published on Wednesday: “I believe that it’s a lot bigger than Watergate, and if you link Watergate and Iran-Contra together and multiply it times maybe 10 or so, you’re going to … Read More

The Benghazi-gate Thing

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Obama OppositionLeave a Comment

It's not that I haven't been paying attention.  I really have.  But I still don't get what the hell Susan Rice did wrong. As UN Ambassador, she went on television to answer questions about Benghazi.  Of course, being UN Ambassador, she wasn't exactly at the forefront of the intelligence gathering apparatus, so she relied on information told to her by the … Read More

Breaking: Israel-Hamas Agree To Cease Fire

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Middle EastLeave a Comment

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire, the Egyptian foreign minister said Wednesday, ending eight days of fighting that killed more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis. The cease-fire is set to start at 9 p.m. Cairo time (2 p.m. ET), Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr announced in a news conference alongside visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary … Read More

Scandal Envy

Ken AshfordMiddle EastLeave a Comment

I outsource to Paul Waldman at The American Prospect, because he nails it oh so rightly: If you're looking at the Republican harumphing over Benghazi and asking yourself, "Why are we supposed to be so mad about this again?" you're not alone. Let's review: There was an attack on our consulate that killed four Americans, including our ambassador. Amid confusing … Read More