The Media Freedom Foundation » Obama

U.S. Counter-Terrorism Policies Under Obama Are Intensifying Overseas Conflict

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:56:27 +0000

The United States’ National Strategy for Counterterrorism (NSC) is intended to disrupt and defeat the Al Qaeda terrorist network and its affiliates. Yet this policy is likely increasing the incidence and severity of terrorist attacks on US forces abroad. The NSC is basically an outline for summary executions, which includes assassination of would-be terrorist via unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. The NSC is presently operational in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. Actions carried out under NSC have increasingly caused a majority of Pakistanis to regard US armed forces as a foe. Since implementation of the counterterrorism strategy there has been increases in suicide bombings, the number of those deemed US enemies by the US, and the broader threat of nuclear proliferation. Indeed, since the “counterterror surge” began, violence has increased by 51 percent in Afghanistan and by over 400 percent in Pakistan. Such increases have gone unreported in US news media as military officials publicly maintain the strategy constitutes a more “cost-effective” form of counterterrorism.

Source:

Article Title: Obama’s Secret Wars: How Our Shady Counter-Terrorism Policies are More Dangerous than Terrorism, AlterNet, July 11, 2011
Author: Fred Branfman

URL: http://www.alternet.org/world/151596/obama%27s_secret_wars%3A_how_our_shady_counter-terrorism_policies_are_more_dangerous_than_terrorism

Student Researcher: Jasmine Lang, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

Obama: Cut Domestic, Increase Military

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:24:12 +0000

Researcher: Molly Lipinski

Faculty Evaluator: Julie Andrzejewski- St Cloud State University

Obama plans to “freeze” federal programs and increase military spending. This “freeze” is really a cut, which will cause severe cuts in nutrition, education, energy, and transportation, which is already only 17% of the total federal spending. The proposal spending will be $447 billion for each of the next three fiscal years. In this time, inflation will wash away the purchasing power of that total, meaning cuts in the programs listed above. Military spending is roughly 55% of the discretionary spending, in the current fiscal year, and will go up even more next year. According to the Office of Management and Budgets project, over the next decade, the military budget should go up an additional $522 billion. It costs about $1 million a year for a U.S. Soldier to go to Afghanistan, money that could be used to stop war and actually help people.

Title: Obama: Cut Domestic, Increase Military

Source: Institute of Public Accuracy, January 26, 2010

URL: http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/01/26-14

Author: Sam Husseini and David Zupan

Researcher: Molly Lipinski

Faculty Evaluator: Julie Andrzejewski

St Cloud State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Nuclear Power: Dirty and Dangerous, not Clean or Green

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:22:22 +0000

President Barack Obama announced more than $8 billion in federal loan guarantees for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in the United States in nearly three decades. Despite Wall Street openly saying that they will not back this loan because of a 50% chance of it defaulting, our government is pushing it through without flinching, spending billions of dollars on energy that is incredibly dangerous. If there was a meltdown at one of these plants there would be a 30 kilometer radius for radiation inhalation, injuring and killing tens of thousands of people. Obama’s budget proposal for 2011 would add $36 billion in new federal loan guarantees to $18.5 billion already budgeted but not spent – for a total of $54.5 billion. In a world where renewable energy can produce six times more than the global demand we really do not need to be investing billions of dollars in dangerous nuclear energy.

Title: Nuclear Power: A Dirty and Dangerous Distraction

Author/News Source: Greenpeace, : February 17th, 2010

URL: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/nuclear-power-a-dirty-and-dan

Author: Robert Visser

Researcher: Jordan Markwardt,

Faculty Evaluator: Julie Andrzejewski

St. Cloud State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Obama Executive Order Expands US Military Control over State National Guards

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:35:03 +0000

President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13528 on January 11. The Executive Order (EO) established a Council of Governors chosen by the President that will rubber-stamp long-sought-after Pentagon contingency plans to seize control of state National Guard forces in the event of a “national emergency.”

The ten member, bipartisan Council was created “to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government and State Governments to protect our Nation against all types of hazards.” The Council will be reviewing such matters as involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities.”

Clearly designed to weaken the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which bars the use of the military for civilian law enforcement, EO 13528 is the latest in a series of maneuvers by Obama and previous administrations to wrest control of armed forces historically under the democratic control of elected state officials.

National Guard units would be to placed under the effective control of United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), created in 2002.

When news first broke in the summer of 2009 of Obama’s proposal to expand the military’s authority to respond to domestic disasters it was opposed by the National Governors Association (NGA).

Title: Obama Executive Order Seeks to “Synchronize and Integrate” State and Federal Military Forces

Source: Dissident Voice, January 16th, 2010

http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/01/obama-executive-order-seeks-to-synchronize-and-integrate-state-and-federal-military-forces/

Author: Tom Burghardt

Faculty Evaluator: Peter Phillips

Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Obama Staffer Wants ‘Cognitive Infiltration’ Of 9/11 Conspiracy Groups

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:29:19 +0000

Harvard law Professor, Cass Sunstein, is President Barack Obama’s appointee to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. In a published report from Harvard Sunstein claims that the United States government should infiltrate and discredit activists he calls conspiracy groups. Sunstein acknowledges that the US government has been involved in conspiracies in that past but believes that this is no longer a problem. He claims that groups that question the Kennedy assassination, Paul Wellstone’s death and the events of September 11^th are dangerous and could lead some people to violence.

Sustein’s perspective on the government’s ability to infiltrate “conspiracy theory” groups is in conflict with his appointment to the head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. According to the White House web site this position entails “overseeing policies relating to privacy, information quality, and statistical programs,”

Sustein’s justification for disregarding the rights of those he is appointed to protect is his belief that they suffer from “crippled epistemology,” meaning conspiracy groups become internally amplified with a limited number of sources of information that they trust.

Sunstein believes refuting these groups in public is nonproductive, and the primarily effective method is to infiltrate and cogitatively discredit their internal sources. Sunstein is essentially calling for a return of COINTELPRO from the Cold War days when agents of the US government covertly infiltrated anti-war and civil rights groups with the intent to disrupt and discredit their activities.

Title: Obama staffer wants ‘cognitive infiltration’ of 9/11 conspiracy groups.”

Source; Raw Story, 1/13/2010URL: http://rawstory.com/2010/01/obama-staffer-infiltration-911-groups/

Author: Daniel Tencer

Student Researcher: Nolan HigonFaculty

Evaluator: Peter Phillips

Sonoma State university and Diablo Valley CollegeSimilar Posts:

America’s Secret Afghan Prisons: Investigation Unearths New US Torture Site, Abuse Allegations in Afghanistan

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:07:03 +0000

US secret prisons in Afghanistan continue to exist, under the Obama administrations. Andan Gopal interviewed Afghans who were detained and abused at several disclosed and undisclosed sites at US and Afghan military bases across the country. He also reveals the existence of another secret prison on Bagram Air Base that even the Red Cross does not have access to. It is dubbed the Black Jail and is reportedly run by US Special Forces.

While the military claims that abuse has lessened in the past three or four years, the torture reported today takes place in the smaller secret prisons and less in the Bagram Air Base main prison. Acts of waterboarding or swallowing large amounts of water, being hung from chains, being bitten and attacked by dogs, being slapped, kicked and punched, having to kneel on a metal bar as it is rolled across the shin, sleep deprivation, and being naked in public or outside in cold weather have been reported.

The question of accountability emerges around this issue. Because the Special Operations Forces are not under NATO rules of command and separate from the conventional military, little is reported and has been said concerning the night raids and secret detention centers. In its attempt to stamp out the growing Taliban insurgency and Al Qaeda, the US military has been arresting suspects and sending them to one of a number of secret detention areas on military bases, often on the slightest suspicion and without the knowledge of their families. These night raids have become even more feared and hated in Afghanistan than coalition airstrikes. The raids and detentions, little known or understood outside the Pashtun villages, have been turning Afghans against the very forces many of them greeted as liberators just a few years ago.

Source: “America’s Secret Afghan Prisons”: Investigation Unearths New US Torture Site, Abuse Allegations in Afghanistan, Democracy Now, Amy Goodman, February 2, 2010

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/2/americas_secret_afghan_prisons_investigation_unearths

America’s Secret Afghan Prisons, The Nation, Andan Gopal, January 28, 2010

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100215/gopal

Student Researcher: Alma Maciel

Instructor/Evaluator: Peter Phillips

Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:24:16 +0000

Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the policy in a June 2009 case, President Obama is still committed to his campaign promise to repeal the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Since its establishment by the Clinton administration in 1993, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has removed thousands of well-qualified military officers solely because of sexual orientation. Expulsion rates that had been falling before the policy was put in place increased between 1993 and 2001. Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” could end some of the anti-gay feeling in this country as well as increase troop numbers. In the meantime, Obama has the option of suspending all “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” related expulsion cases.

Sources:

“The Battle Over Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Paul Waldman, Prospect.org, 2/2/2010 http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_battle_over_dont_ask_dont_tell

“Supreme Court Keeps ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Alive” Jeralyn, TalkLeft.com, 6/8/2009 http://www.talkleft.com/story/2009/6/8/124436/2120

Student Researcher: Colleen Werner

Faculty Advisor and Instructor: Teresa Henning, Ph.D.

Southwest Minnesota State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Personal Computers [“PC’s]- are they becoming no longer personal?

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:23:39 +0000

The Obama administration is currently working with a group of UN nations on the development of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade agreement, ACTA. The new law is being developed in secrecy from the public and might allow government access to personal content on hard drives thought to be a breach of copyright. Copyright infringements have been a civil matter, but thus far Obama’s administration now wants to criminalize it, labeling these infringements as a development of “national security”. Richard Stallman, an American software freedom activist criticizes the government’s secret act as a “war on sharing.” ACTA Copyright issues have been a problem for years, but have never been viewed as a threat to national security. The new amendment will grant access to the government so that they have the ability to seize personal information found on certain items such as laptops. For example, border guards might be granted unlimited power to search travelers’ computers without warning. Essentially, the government will be able to search, copy, and confiscate any material that resides on someone’s computer. This amendment will allow government access to citizens’ computers thought to be breaching the copyright law, promoting the amendment as a security issue to advance their control of the public and break down remaining barriers for citizens and their personal freedom.

Student Researcher(s): Claire Apatoff, Erin Kielty, Tom Rich

Faculty Evaluator: Dave Berque, Professor of Computer Science, DePauw University

Faculty Instructor: Professor Kevin Howley

Sources:

“A not-so-private PC.” RussiaToday.com. 26 Mar. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. <http://www.russiatoday.com/Sci_Tech/2009-03-26/A_not-so-private_PC.html>.

“Obama passing new law to allow searching of PC’s, Laptops, and media devices.” Video blog post. RussiaToday.Com. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnQXLEtD5Do>.

“Canada and the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).” Web log post. The Canada’s World Blog. 30 Oct. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. <http://canadasworld.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/canada-and-the-anti-counterfeiting-trade-agreement-acta/>.

Pegoraro, Rob. “Copyright overreach goes on world tour.” Washington Post 15 Nov. 2009, Financial sec.: G01. WashingtonPost.com. Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2009.Similar Posts:

President Obama’s Signing Statement Ignores IMF and World Bank Abuse

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:41:26 +0000

President Obama used his sixth signing statement to negate provisions of US legislation that would have compelled the World Bank to strengthen labor and environmental standards. Obama also refused to require the Treasury department to report to congress on the activities of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). One section negated would have compelled US World Bank representatives to pressure that institution to use metrics that “fairly represent the value of internationally recognized workers’ rights.” Another section Obama rejected would have pushed the World Bank to account for the cost of greenhouse gas in pricing projects and to more fully disclose operating budgets and contract recipients. Obama said in the statement that “Provisions of this bill…would interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiating or discussions with international organizations and foreign governments.” Obama has issued five other signing statements since taking office, according to the University of California Santa Barbara’s “American Presidency Project.”

Title: Obama issues signing statement on $106B war bill”

Author: Michael O’Brien,

Source: The Hill, 06/26/2009http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/48019-obama-issues-signing-statement-on-106b-war-bill

Student Researcher: Marissa WarfieldFaculty Evaluator: Ben Frymer

Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Obama Sells Ambassadorships

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:23:47 +0000

President Barack Obama has picked three of his major campaign donors to fill diplomatic posts to Spain, Norway and the European Union. The three new ambassadors bundled more than $1 million combined toward Obama’s election efforts. Overall, they have contributed nearly $2 million to general candidates since 1989. Alan D. Solomont, nursing home industry entrepreneur and former lobbyist is slated to become the newest U.S. ambassador to Spain. Barry B. White, a partner at the law firm Foley Hoag, will be the new ambassador to Norway. William E. Kennard, Carlyle Group executive and former Federal Communications Commission chairman is Obama’s choice to be U.S. representative to the European Union, a position that carries the rank of ambassador. Solomont along with his family has donated about $1.8 million since 1989 all of which has gone to Democrats. White has contributed about $103,000 since 1989, of which 98 percent has gone toward Democrats. Kennard has contributed about $67,000 to Democrats since 1989. The president’s ambassadorial announcements come after a relative lull in news of ambassador picks with money-in-politics connections.
Title: Obama Elevates Three More Bundlers & Big Donors in Latest Ambassador Picks

Author: Michael Beckel,Source: Center for Responsive Politics at OpenSecrets.org, August 7, 2009http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/08/obamas-elevates-three-more-big.html

Student Researcher: Jenna Stiver

Faculty Evaluator: Rick LuttmannSonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts: