investigation into one of the most notorious night raids conducted by special operations forces in Afghanistan — in which seven civilians were killed, including two pregnant women — determined that all the U.S. soldiers involved had followed the rules of engagement. As a result, the soldiers faced no disciplinary measures, according to hundreds of pages of Defense Departmentdocuments obtained by The Intercept through the Freedom of Information Act. In the aftermath of the raid, Adm. William McRaven, at the time the commander of the elite Joint Special Operations Command, took responsibility for the operation. The documents made no unredacted mention of JSOC.
Category: PENTAGON
PENTAGON: SPECIAL OPS KILLING OF PREGNANT AFGHAN WOMEN WAS “APPROPRIATE” USE OF FORCE
Although two children were shot during the raid and multiple witnesses and Afghan investigators alleged that U.S. soldiers dug bullets out of the body of at least one of the dead pregnant women, Defense Department investigators concluded that “the amount of force utilized was necessary, proportional and applied at appropriate time.” The investigation did acknowledge that “tactical mistakes” were made.
The Defense Department’s conclusions bear a resemblance to U.S. Central Command’s findings in the aftermath of the horrifying attack on a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, last October in which 42 patients and medical workers were killed in a sustained barrage of strikes by an AC-130. The Pentagon has announced that no criminal charges will be brought against any members of the military for the Kunduz strike. CENTCOM’s Kunduz investigation concluded that “the incident resulted from a combination of unintentional human errors, process errors, and equipment failures.” CENTCOM denied the attack constituted a war crime, a claim challenged by international law experts and MSF.
Donald Trump backs Brexit and risks a new fight with David Cameron as he reveals plans to turn his controversial White House run into a Hollywood movie
Mr Cameron has insisted he will not comment further on the US election despite his earlier intervention while Mr Trump was a rank outsider in the race.
Mr Trump previously said he would be tempted by Brexit if he was a British voter but today went further in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Asked whether he would back Brexit, Mr Trump appeared confused by the term before adding: ‘Oh yeah, I think they should leave.’
The tycoon also announced he would be visiting Britain later this month – the day after the referendum to open his new golf course in Scotland.
ROLLING THUNDER: THOUSANDS OF BIKERS CONVERGE ON D.C.
Joe Biggs prepares for a motorcycle rally honoring veterans starting at the Pentagon and ending at the Lincoln Memorial!
http://www.infowars.com/rolling-thunder-thousands-of-bikers-converge-on-d-c/
Putin’s Russia defies simple interpretation
Russian President Vladimir Putin has become the focus of global attention again Thursday by holding his annual live call-in session. Just one day before, the Pentagon released a video of Russian warplanes flying close to a US guided missile destroyer, an act described as a “simulated attack” by the US.
According to the Pentagon, Russian aircraft buzzed the USS Donald Cook as the guided missile destroyer was conducting flight operations with a Polish helicopter in the Baltic Sea Monday and Tuesday. At one point the jets were as close as nine meters. The US has accused the Russian military of being unprofessional.
The Russian pilots have demonstrated high professional skills to conduct such extremely dangerous maneuvers. The US military, which intends to provoke Russia in the Baltic Sea, was humiliated by its Russian counterpart instead. The US must feel furious.
To some extent, the fighter jets that flew over the US destroyer are an embodiment of Putin, who for many years has repeatedly posed challenges to Washington adeptly. His response to the arrogant US pressure has helped reach an asymmetric strategic balance between Russia and the US.
But toughness is not enough for Putin to fulfill his presidential role. Russians submitted more than 3 million questions to his call-in, which ranged from consumer prices, housing, corruption to transportation. The Russian economy and public livelihood are more daunting tests for Putin. They have cast a shadow notwithstanding the Kremlin scoring diplomatic point
In Syria, militias armed by the Pentagon fight those armed by the CIA
Syrian militias armed by different parts of the U.S. war machine have begun to fight each other on the plains between the besieged city of Aleppo and the Turkish border, highlighting how little control U.S. intelligence officers and military planners have over the groups they have financed and trained in the bitter five-year-old civil war.
The fighting has intensified over the last two months, as CIA-armed units and Pentagon-armed ones have repeatedly shot at each other while maneuvering through contested territory on the northern outskirts of Aleppo, U.S. officials and rebel leaders have confirmed.
In mid-February, a CIA-armed militia called Fursan al Haq, or Knights of Righteousness, was run out of the town of Marea, about 20 miles north of Aleppo, by Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces moving in from Kurdish-controlled areas to the east.
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-cia-pentagon-isis-20160327-story.html
IN SYRIA, MILITIAS ARMED BY THE PENTAGON FIGHT THOSE ARMED BY THE CIA
The fighting has intensified over the last two months, as CIA-armed units and Pentagon-armed ones have repeatedly shot at each other while maneuvering through contested territory on the northern outskirts of Aleppo, U.S. officials and rebel leaders have confirmed.
In mid-February, a CIA-armed militia called Fursan al Haq, or Knights of Righteousness, was run out of the town of Marea, about 20 miles north of Aleppo, by Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces moving in from Kurdish-controlled areas to the east.
http://www.infowars.com/in-syria-militias-armed-by-the-pentagon-fight-those-armed-by-the-cia/
Pentagon criticizes Obama’s plan to open Atlantic coast to drilling
The Obama administration is reworking its plan to open the southern Atlantic coast to offshore oil exploration because of strong opposition from the Pentagon, which says the activity could hurt military maneuvers and interfere with missile tests the Navy relies on to protect the coast.
Early this week, Interior Department officials from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management expect to release an update of its draft proposal to lease federal waters to oil and gas companies off the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. That update will reflect the military’s concerns, officials say.
The Pentagon confirmed Sunday that it provided an assessment of Interior’s map for oil exploration on the coastal outer shelf “that identifies locations . . . areas where the [Defense’s] offshore readiness activities are not compatible, partially compatible or minimally impacted by oil and gas activities,” according to spokesman Matthew Allen.
Architect of Pentagon’s Personnel Reform Plan Resigns
Carson is expected to leave the post on April 8. He is reportedly resigning along with his senior adviser Morgan Plummer.
Carson cited “low likelihood of confirmation” and “reduced time left in the administration” as reasons for his decision to resign.
The Force of the Future personnel reform includes such widely-debated decisions as opening combat positions to women.
http://sputniknews.com/us/20160315/1036287227/pentagon-brad-carson-resignation.html
Key Pentagon personnel official stepping down
The architect of controversial Pentagon personnel policies, including the proposed acceptance of transgender troops, will leave his post in April, the Pentagon announced late Monday.
Brad Carson, the Pentagon’s top civilian for personnel policies, had pushed forward a string of initiatives that include opening combat jobs to women and expanded maternity leave.
“Brad Carson has developed some of the most important and groundbreaking work in years to modernize our personnel policies,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement. “At my direction, he charted a path forward for the Department and our people that will leave a lasting legacy, and will improve the mission effectiveness, readiness and the quality of life for our civilian workforce, uniformed service members and families.
Carson had a rocky confirmation hearing last month before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He had been named to fill the spot as undersecretary for personnel on an acting basis. But a federal court determined that in performing the job before confirmation, he had violated federal law, namely the Vacancies Act.
In a statement, Carson said the Senate’s concerns about the Vacancies Act and the implementation of several key policies prompted his decision to step down. He plans to leave office in April.
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