FORMER U.S. DIPLOMATS DECRY THE U.S.-BACKED SAUDI WAR IN YEMEN

The United States has forcefully backed the Saudi-led war. In addition tosharing intelligence, the U.S. has sold tens of billions of dollars in munitionsto the Saudis since the war began. The kingdom has used U.S.-produced aircraft, laser-guided bombs, and internationally-banned cluster bombs to target and destroy schools, markets, power plants, and a hospital, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths.

Despite all that, U.S. officials have done little to explain this support, have failed to explain the U.S. interests in the campaign, and have made scant mention of the humanitarian toll. In the absence of an official response, The Intercept raised those concerns with half a dozen former senior diplomatic officials, including U.S. ambassadors to Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

http://www.infowars.com/former-u-s-diplomats-decry-the-u-s-backed-saudi-war-in-yemen/

 

UK: Thousands join anti-nuclear rally

Thousands have gathered in central London at a rally against the renewal of the U.K.’s Trident nuclear weapons system.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also attended the protest organized by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) Saturday.

Thousands carried placards reading “NHS not Trident”, “Cut War Not Welfare” and “Homes not Trident” marched from Marble Arch to Trafalgar Square. They also chanted slogans against renewal of the weapons system.

Sturgeon told Anadolu Agency that this was an opportunity to make their voices heard. “Trident should not be renewed, Trident should be scraped,” she said.

CND Vice President Bruce Kent said there is “no argument” for the project.

“Public opinion is actually against spending 150 billion pounds [$208 billion] or more in nuclear weapons,” Kent added.

Roger McKenzie, assistant general-secretary at UNISON, emphasized that government spending had other priorities like the NHS and public services.

Trident is the U.K.’s sea-based nuclear weapons system comprised of three parts: submarines, missiles and warheads. There are four trident submarines.

http://muslimnews.co.uk/news/uk/uk-thousands-join-anti-nuclear-rally/

UK Gov’t Must Clarify Its Position On End-To-End Encryption, Says Parliamentary Committee

t’s not just TechCrunch saying it, a UK parliamentary science and technology committee has now warned the government needs to clarify the legal position around end-to-end encryption in its draft Investigatory Powers Bill (IP bill).

The government is hoping to pass the legislation, which expands intelligence and law enforcement agencies’ surveillance capabilities, by the end of this year. Critics have dubbed it a new ‘Snooper’s charter’ and there have been specific concerns about the implications for encryption — so the committee is just the latest to call for more clarity on the latter point.

Writing with recommendations in its report on the draft bill, the committee notes: “There is some confusion about how the draft Bill would affect end-to-end encrypted communications, where decryption might not be possible by a communications provider that had not added the original encryption.”

Home Secretary Theresa May was specifically queried on this point last month, by a joint select committee also scrutinizing the proposed legislation. That committee, which has held multiple evidence hearings and also accepted written submissions, is due to publish its report later this month.

http://techcrunch.com/2016/02/01/uk-govt-must-clarify-its-position-on-end-to-end-encryption-says-parliamentary-committee/

UK Gov't Must Clarify Its Position On End-To-End Encryption, Says Parliamentary Committee https://t.co/yIFNwjrqfm by @riptari

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) February 1, 2016