| NBC's 'Nightly News' pledges to earn viewers' trust after Williams' suspension Posted: 11 Feb 2015 05:24 PM PST  Acknowledging it was "an enormously difficult story" to report, "NBC Nightly News" aired a segment on its broadcast on Wednesday about the six-month suspension of its anchor Brian Williams and pledged to make itself worthy of viewers' trust. Lester Holt, who is filling in for Williams, opened the report by saying: "And now to the story many of you are talking about tonight and one that for us not only hits close to home but in our home." NBC on Tuesday suspended Williams without pay after he acknowledged last week that a story he told about coming under fire on a helicopter during the Iraq war was not true. The suspension of Williams, 55, a star anchor who has led the top-rated "Nightly News" since 2004, came after he voluntarily took himself off the air on Saturday and five days after NBC News launched an inquiry into his story of the event. Holt quoted from statements announcing the suspension by NBC News President Deborah Turness and NBC Universal Chief Executive Officer Steve Burke, in which they described Williams' actions as "wrong and completely inappropriate," and which jeopardized "the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News." Holt then added: "Now if I may on a personal note say it is an enormously difficult story to report.
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| EU leaders to urge stricter border checks in counter-terror drive Posted: 11 Feb 2015 04:43 PM PST  By Barbara Lewis and Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders are set to call on Thursday for stricter checks on travelers entering the passport-free Schengen area and increased information-sharing as part of a revamped counter-terrorism strategy following the Paris attacks. Spain had suggested that the agreement governing the 26-nation Schengen zone might have to be amended to permit more border checks on people suspected of terrorist links after 17 people were killed in a wave of violence in France last month that began with an attack on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. EU leaders meeting in Brussels later on Thursday will say that more can be done under the existing rules to strengthen checks on travelers entering or leaving the Schengen zone without changing the agreement or undermining the right to free movement within the passport-free area, which covers western Europe. Concern has risen since a Frenchman believed to have returned recently from fighting with rebels in Syria was arrested in May over the killing of four people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels.
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| Bosnian immigrants plead not guilty in terror financing case Posted: 11 Feb 2015 04:23 PM PST  ST. LOUIS (AP) — An immigrant couple from Bosnia pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal charges of funneling money and military supplies to extremist groups in Iraq and Syria.
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| Obama asks fresh war powers, says IS group 'going to lose' Posted: 11 Feb 2015 04:08 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama urged Congress on Wednesday to authorize military action against the Islamic State militants who are cutting a swath across the Middle East, vowing their forces "are going to lose." Yet he ruled out large-scale U.S. ground combat operations reminiscent of Iraq and Afghanistan.
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| Beyond Jon Stewart: Can 'Daily Show' survive host's departure? Posted: 11 Feb 2015 04:08 PM PST Will the show survive without Mr. Stewart at the helm? Dr. Thompson says that when "Daily Show" veteran writer John Oliver took over for Stewart this past summer, he demonstrated that it was possible to replace the 16-year veteran. Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless acknowledged that Stewart's "brilliance is second to none," in a statement published by The Wrap, but also recognized his ability to cultivate a pool of talent. "Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera," Ms. Ganeless said. |
| Lawyer: 'American Sniper' said ex-Marine 'straight-up nuts' Posted: 11 Feb 2015 03:46 PM PST  STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — Shortly before he was shot to death by a troubled former Marine at a Texas gun range, legendary Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle texted a buddy, "This dude is straight-up nuts," a defense attorney told jurors Wednesday.
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| Threat of American ISIS Fighters 'Not Even Close to Being Under Control,' Top FBI Official Says Posted: 11 Feb 2015 03:45 PM PST  "It's not even close to being under control," FBI Deputy Assistant Director Michael Steinbach told House members today. Over nearly three hours of testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee, Steinbach laid out the evolving threats facing the U.S. homeland and the efforts underway to stop them. All three agreed that because of few intelligence assets on the ground in the region, particularly in Syria, the U.S. government has little insight into who's joining terrorist groups there, and who's then leaving with what NCTC director Nicholas Rasmussen described as "training in weapons and explosives" and "access to terror networks that may be ultimately planning attacks" against the West. "In many cases the information we have on foreign fighters traveling to the conflict zone stops when they get there," Rasmussen warned.
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| VA secretary asks Iraq war veteran: 'What have you done?' Posted: 11 Feb 2015 03:32 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Wednesday asked a Republican lawmaker who served in both Iraq wars, "What have you done?" as the two men sparred over huge cost overruns at a troubled Denver VA hospital.
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| No end to Middle East strife without Iran: Rouhani Posted: 11 Feb 2015 03:26 PM PST  Iran's president said Wednesday that the world needs its help to stabilise a troubled Middle East, in remarks pointing to the wider ramifications of a deal over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme. In a live televised speech marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Hassan Rouhani implicitly linked ongoing nuclear talks with world powers to resolving bloody conflicts in Iraq and Syria. Significant gaps remain between Iran and the United States and other leading nations on specific measures to end a 12-year standoff on the nuclear issue, but both sides are pushing for a deal. "If there is going to be peace and stability in the region, and terrorism is to be uprooted, there is no other way than with the presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Rouhani said.
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| 'American Sniper' Kyle called Texas murder defendant 'nuts' Posted: 11 Feb 2015 03:26 PM PST  By Jon Herskovitz STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Reuters) - Shortly before being slain, Chris Kyle, the Navy SEAL whose autobiography was turned into the hit movie "American Sniper," texted a friend next to him in a pickup truck that the man who moments later would shoot them both was "nuts," a defense lawyer said on Wednesday. A Texas jury heard opening statements and the first witness in the trial of former U.S. Marine Eddie Ray Routh, 27. He is charged with murdering Kyle and Chad Littlefield, Kyle's friend and neighbor, in February 2013 at a shooting range about 70 miles (110 km) southwest of Fort Worth. As the three men sped over Texas country roads, Kyle, who was credited with the most kills of any U.S. sniper, sent a text to Littlefield that read: "This dude is straight up nuts," defense attorney Tim Moore told jurors.
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| Canada 'inclined' to extend mandate of forces in Iraq: minister Posted: 11 Feb 2015 03:18 PM PST  Canada is inclined to extend the six-month mandate of its military mission in Iraq, which comprises special forces on the ground as well as fighter bombers, Defence Minister Jason Kenney said on Wednesday. Kenney said the right-of-center Conservative government had not yet taken a formal decision to keep the forces in Iraq beyond the end of March. "Our government believes that Canada has a role in fighting the so-called Islamic State terrorists, stopping their campaign of genocide, and we are inclined to continue with that fight," he told CTV television. Canada has six fighter bombers taking part in U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State attacks as well as around 70 special forces members in northern Iraq.
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| War against Islamic State: 5 questions Obama will have to address Posted: 11 Feb 2015 03:09 PM PST President Obama on Wednesday sent draft legislation to Congress seeking lawmakers' authorization for use of military force to fight the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. While the legislation allows the United States to use force against the Islamic State or "associated persons or forces," it limits that authorization to three years and does not allow US military forces for any "enduring offensive ground combat operations." The wording is meant to give the president wiggle room for targeted use of troops, such as rescuing a downed pilot, the White House says. Members of Congress were glad to see the White House finally send them draft legislation (the US started airstrikes against the Islamic State in August). |
| The always amusing Brian Williams Posted: 11 Feb 2015 02:53 PM PST  What resonates in the case of Brian Williams, who was suspended by NBC for six months, is the collision of celebrity, politics and media that first occurred with Gary Hart in 1987. Nearly three decades later, TV news and entertainment are almost impossible to separate, and probably no one has embodied that cultural shift more comfortably than Williams.
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| Obama says special forces could target IS leaders Posted: 11 Feb 2015 02:34 PM PST  President Barack Obama said he would not flinch from sending US special forces to kill Islamic State leaders, as he called for Congress to authorize military operations that stop short of a full-scale invasion. Tantamount to a declaration of war, Obama on Wednesday asked lawmakers for formal authority to take the fight to the Islamic State group, beyond their current footholds in Syria and Iraq if necessary. Since August 2014, the US military -- along with allies -- has been conducting a campaign of air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
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| Paris launches lawsuit over Fox News 'no-go zones' Posted: 11 Feb 2015 02:32 PM PST  Paris City Hall on Wednesday decided to launch a lawsuit over reports by US news channel Fox News that there were "no-go zones" in the French capital that police and non-Muslims avoid. In the wake of last month's attacks on Paris, Fox News aired reports, later widely derided, that suggested parts of the French capital and Britain's second city of Birmingham were run under Islamic Sharia law. In a statement emailed to AFP, Dori Ann Hanswirth, a lawyer representing Fox News, said: "The decision by the City of Paris to bring legal proceedings against a United States news organisation is antithetical to free speech.
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| 'American Sniper' killer mentally ill, US court hears Posted: 11 Feb 2015 02:31 PM PST  A former Marine on trial for killing the US Navy Seal whose story inspired Oscar-nominated blockbuster "American Sniper" was so mentally ill he did not know what he was doing, a Texas court heard Wednesday. Eddie Ray Routh, 27, could face the rest of his life behind bars if convicted of murdering famed US sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield at a Texas shooting range in February 2013. Kyle, officially credited with killing 160 people during four military tours in Iraq, has been lionized in Clint Eastwood's controversial movie starring Bradley Cooper as the soldier. "Routh thought Kyle and Littlefield wanted to take his life," Moore told the court in the town around 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Dallas.
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| Obama asks Congress to authorize U.S. war on Islamic State Posted: 11 Feb 2015 02:17 PM PST  By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday sent Congress his long-awaited formal request to authorize military force against Islamic State, meeting swift resistance from Republicans as well as his fellow Democrats wary of another war in the Middle East. Republicans, who control Congress and say Obama's foreign policy is too passive, want stronger measures against the militants than outlined in the plan, which bars any large-scale invasion by U.S. ground troops and covers the next three years. Obama acknowledged that the military campaign is difficult and will remain so. ISIL is on the defensive, and ISIL is going to lose," he said in a televised statement from the White House.
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| Will NBC's Williams get promised second chance? Posted: 11 Feb 2015 02:07 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — In handing Brian Williams a six-month suspension for misleading viewers, NBC Universal chief Steve Burke says his chief anchor deserves a second chance. Whether he actually gets one is an open question.
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| Stewart's satire, news took genre to new level Posted: 11 Feb 2015 01:45 PM PST  More than comedy, more than news: Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" took the genre of satirical journalism to new heights, becoming an important element in American political discourse. The 52-year-old Stewart, who announced this week he is leaving the Comedy Central show this year after 16 years, created a widely acclaimed program that gave many viewers, especially young ones, a reason to care about the news. Stewart and the show "made the news more relevant for a lot of young people," said Ken Paulson, president of the Newseum's First Amendment Center and former editor in chief at USA Today. While the genre of satirical news is not new, "Stewart did it better than anyone else," said Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern University.
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| UN: At least 300 migrants unaccounted-for in new sea tragedy Posted: 11 Feb 2015 01:40 PM PST ROME (AP) — The U.N. refugee agency says as many as 300 people are now unaccounted-for in the latest tragedy among migrants crossing the frigid Mediterranean. |
| Region feels ripples from Yemen's turmoil as embassies close Posted: 11 Feb 2015 01:30 PM PST  SANAA, Yemen (AP) — As Western diplomats and staff fled Yemen on Wednesday, concern widened over the increasing turmoil in the impoverished nation, with Saudi Arabia arming loyal tribesmen across its southern border and Egypt readying a military unit to intervene if needed.
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| Will America Declare the War It's Already Fighting? Posted: 11 Feb 2015 01:11 PM PST  On Wednesday, just over six months after bombs started falling again in Iraq, the White House sent to Capitol Hill the three-page document that Republicans and Democrats had long been clamoring for: a proposed resolution formally authorizing the use of military force against the Islamic State. Speaker John Boehner, who had personally and repeatedly demanded that the president submit his proposal, complained that the text's limitation on ground troops constrained the military. Representative Chris Van Hollen, one of Obama's closest allies in the House, said it was "too broad in scope." Senator Tim Kaine, who was the president's hand-picked Democratic Party chairman in 2009, cited concerns about its "vagueness." And on, and on. The White House proposal could set off the most significant congressional war debate in more than a decade.
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| Iraq says Jordan offers all military means in IS fight Posted: 11 Feb 2015 12:56 PM PST  Jordan is ready to offer all military means at its disposal to help Iraq fight the Islamic State group, Iraq's defence minister said Wednesday after meeting Amman's army chief. "The king of Jordan has requested that all means of the Jordanian armed forces be made available to the Iraqi army," said Khaled al-Obaidi. "This was confirmed by the joint chief of staff" of Jordan's armed forces, the minister said of General Mohammed al-Zaben Meshaal, who was at his side during a news conference in the Iraqi capital.
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| Jon Stewart: How the Funny Man Made a Serious Difference Posted: 11 Feb 2015 12:45 PM PST It was for my college paper in 1997 (The Kentucky Kernel…go Cats!), and it was with a hot young stand-up comedian named Jon Stewart. The Daily Show was still in its infancy under Craig Kilborn, South Park was still more than a year away and most of the network's content was still recycled HBO stand-up specials. |
| One Little Word That Could Kill Obama’s War Powers Request Posted: 11 Feb 2015 12:20 PM PST Since the summer, some lawmakers have wanted the administration to seek formal congressional approval of ongoing military actions against ISIS in Iraq and Syria – actions thathave cost the country $1.86 billion so far, and will likely get even more expensive in the future, according to the National Priorities Project,. |
| GAO: Veterans' health care costs a 'high risk' for taxpayers Posted: 11 Feb 2015 11:57 AM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Veterans' health care is a "high risk" budget issue that threatens to cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars unless longstanding problems are addressed, government auditors warned Wednesday.
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| Kayla Mueller, kidnappings, and doubts about news blackouts Posted: 11 Feb 2015 11:47 AM PST Dan Murphy covered the Iraq war from 2003-2008, and the kidnapping in Baghdad of Monitor correspondent Jill Carroll. Kayla Mueller's extended ordeal as a captive in Syria, which began with her abduction outside a hospital in Aleppo on Aug. 4, 2013, was hidden from public sight. In May 2014, her parents were directly contacted by the Islamic State in a long and ultimately fruitless attempt to extract money from them in exchange for promises of her safety and freedom. The extended news blackout, long urged on families of kidnapping victims by the FBI, has evolved into standard practice over the past decade or so, and is rarely examined. |
| Brian Williams Suspended From 'Nightly News' For Six Months Posted: 11 Feb 2015 11:34 AM PST "The suspension will be without pay and is effective immediately," NBC News president Deborah Turness said in a memo. |
| President Obama asks Congress to approve war against ISIL Posted: 11 Feb 2015 11:10 AM PST On Wednesday, the White House presented to Congress a new Authorization for the Use of Military Force against the Islamic State. Here's what you need to know. |
| IRS apologizes for seizing bank accounts of small businesses Posted: 11 Feb 2015 10:59 AM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Pressured by Congress, the IRS said Wednesday it is changing its policies and apologizing for seizing banks accounts from otherwise law-abiding business owners simply because they structured bank transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements.
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| Vast Challenges Ahead for Ash Carter: ISIS, Russia, Iran Posted: 11 Feb 2015 10:50 AM PST President Obama's nomination of Ashton Carter to succeed Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense is sailing through the Senate. The former deputy secretary and nuclear weapons authority is likely to be confirmed by the end of Wednesday. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the nomination 25-0 yesterday after Carter deftly handled hours of testimony last week. Committee Chair John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat, and other key lawmakers appreciate Carter's straight-from-the-shoulder style and vast experience in defense strategy, procurement and budgeting. |
| Iraq: Clashes, attacks kill at least 31 people Posted: 11 Feb 2015 10:35 AM PST  BAGHDAD (AP) — Clashes between Iraqi government forces and militants along with attacks in the capital Baghdad killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens on Wednesday, officials said.
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| Obama asks Congress for Islamic State war powers Posted: 11 Feb 2015 09:50 AM PST  President Barack Obama on Wednesday asked Congress to back a global war against the Islamic State group, albeit with curbs on his ability to send in US ground forces. Tantamount to a declaration of war, the authority would provide Obama political cover at home and a firmer legal basis on which to prosecute the fight. In a letter to lawmakers, Obama said granting him war authority "would show the world we are united in our resolve" to defeat jihadist militants who now control swaths of Syria and Iraq. Since the mid-2014, the US military has been conducting a campaign of airstrikes against IS in Iraq and Syria.
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| US intel: IS militants drawing steady stream of recruits Posted: 11 Feb 2015 09:35 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria has failed to slow the pace of foreign fighters flocking to join the Islamic State and other extremist groups, including at least 3,400 from Western nations among 20,000 from around the world, U.S. intelligence officials say in an updated estimate of a top terrorism concern. |
| Bosnian cleric on trial for recruiting Islamic State fighters Posted: 11 Feb 2015 09:04 AM PST A Bosnian Muslim cleric accused of recruiting fighters for Islamic State in Syria and Iraq went on trial on Wednesday under a new law that is designed to stop people joining militants in the Middle East. Husein Bosnic, known as an unofficial leader of the ultra-conservative Salafi movement in Bosnia, was arrested in September along with four other men who were later released due to a lack of evidence. The prosecution accuses Bosnic, also known as Bilal, of publicly inciting and recruiting people to commit a terrorist act and organizing a terrorist group during 2013 and 2014, "consciously and from a position of religious authority". His trial is the first launched under a law adopted last April which sets jail terms of up to 10 years for financing terrorist activities and recruiting and fighting abroad. |
| NBC Suspends Brian Williams for Six Months Without Pay Posted: 11 Feb 2015 09:02 AM PST  Things went from bad to worse for Brian Williams on Tuesday. NBC has suspended the Nightly News anchor for six months without pay following the revelation that he misrepresented events that occurred during the Iraq War. "We have decided today to suspend Brian Williams as Managing Editor and Anchor of NBC Nightly News for six months. The suspension will be without pay and is effective immediately," NBC News president Deborah Turness said in a staff memo obtained by TV.com. "This was a very hard decision," she continued. "Certainly there will be those who disagree. But we believe this suspension is the appropriate and proportionate action." Williams, who has anchored Nightly News for more than a decade, voluntarily stepped down from his position on February 7 after NBC launched an internal investigation into a claim that his helicopter came under fire during the Iraq War in 2003. Williams made the claim during the January 30 broadcast of NBC Nightly News. His on-air apology on February 4 drew even more criticism. "I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago," Williams said during the broadcast. "I want to apologize. I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire; I was instead in a following aircraft. We all landed after the ground fire incident and spent two harrowing nights in a sandstorm in the Iraq desert." Lester Holt, who's been filling in for Williams since February 9, will continue to serve as interim anchor of NBC Nightly News. Turness's full memo, which was issued late Tuesday, is below: We have decided today to suspend Brian Williams as Managing Editor and Anchor of NBC Nightly News for six months. The suspension will be without pay and is effective immediately. We let Brian know of our decision earlier today. Lester Holt will continue to substitute Anchor the NBC Nightly News . Our review, which is being led by Richard Esposito working closely with NBCUniversal General Counsel Kim Harris, is ongoing, but I think it is important to take you through our thought process in coming to this decision. While on Nightly News on Friday, January 30, 2015, Brian misrepresented events which occurred while he was covering the Iraq War in 2003. It then became clear that on other occasions Brian had done the same while telling that story in other venues. This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian's position. In addition, we have concerns about comments that occurred outside NBC News while Brian was talking about his experiences in the field. As Managing Editor and Anchor of Nightly News , Brian has a responsibility to be truthful and to uphold the high standards of the news division at all times. Steve Burke, Pat Fili, and I came to this decision together. We felt it would have been wrong to disregard the good work Brian has done and the special relationship he has forged with our viewers over 22 years. Millions of Americans have turned to him every day, and he has been an important and well-respected part of our organization. As I'm sure you understand, this was a very hard decision. Certainly there will be those who disagree. But we believe this suspension is the appropriate and proportionate action. This has been a difficult time. But NBC News is bigger than this moment. You work so hard and dedicate yourselves each and every day to the important work of bringing trusted, credible news to our audience. Because of you, your loyalty, your dedication, NBC News is an organization we can—and should—all be proud of. We will get through this together. Steve Burke asked me to share the following message. "This has been a painful period for all concerned and we appreciate your patience while we gathered the available facts. By his actions, Brian has jeopardized the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News. His actions are inexcusable and this suspension is severe and appropriate. Brian's life's work is delivering the news. I know Brian loves his country, NBC News, and his colleagues. He deserves a second chance and we are rooting for him. Brian has shared his deep remorse with me and he is committed to winning back everyone's trust." Do you think NBC did the right thing?
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| Police: 2 men planned 'imminent' terror attack in Australia Posted: 11 Feb 2015 08:10 AM PST SYDNEY (AP) — Two men were charged on Wednesday with planning to launch an imminent terrorist attack in Australia, after police seized a homemade flag associated with the Islamic State group, a machete and a hunting knife in a counterterrorism raid. |
| British spies did not censor U.S. torture report - MPs Posted: 11 Feb 2015 07:50 AM PST  By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - British spies asked for material to be redacted in a U.S. Senate report about the CIA's mistreatment of terrorism suspects but were not trying to hide any complicity in wrongdoing, a senior parliamentary committee concluded on Wednesday. The U.S. Senate report, published in December, found the CIA had misled the White House and public about its harsh interrogation of detainees after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and acted more brutally and pervasively than it had acknowledged. Britain said at the time that intelligence officials had asked for parts of the summary in the report to be redacted, but only on the grounds of national security.
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| Turkey detains 14 on border seeking to join IS Posted: 11 Feb 2015 07:21 AM PST  Security forces in Turkey detained 13 foreigners and a Turkish citizen attempting to cross into Syria to join the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, the armed forces said on Wednesday. The army said that the group was detained on January 9 as they sought to cross the border into Syria from a village in the southeastern province of Gaziantep. The foreigners were handed over to the police to be deported after questioning while the Turkish citizen was released, the army said in a statement on its website. It appears to be the largest group of suspected militants that Turkey has said it has detained for attempting to join IS.
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