White House Girds for Battle With Congress on Syria

With the recent developments in Syria and the US ability to intervene in international affairs, it looks increasingly slim that they will not take action. An attack in Syria left the international community concerned as traces of Sarin were said to be found. Below is a snippet from the Wall Street Journal on the latest developments.

By JAY SOLOMON and JANET HOOK CONNECT

http://on.wsj.com/14gR9df

President Obama says that while he has decided that it is necessary for the U.S. to undertake a military strike on Syria, he will seek the support of Congress before doing so. WASHINGTON—The White House is girding for more than a week of battle with Congress over President Barack Obama's plan to launch limited military strikes against the Syrian regime for its alleged use of chemical weapons last month.

To back the administration's position, Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that the U.S. had obtained new blood and hair samples from inside Syria that confirmed President Bashar al-Assad's regime used sarin, a powerful nerve agent, against civilians in an Aug. 21 attack on an eastern Damascus suburb.

Mr. Kerry said he believed this new evidence will help the White House build more support on Capitol Hill and among allies in Europe and the Middle East to take military action aimed at degrading Mr. Assad's ability to conduct chemical warfare. The leaders of the House and Senate said they would hold votes on the need for military action in Syria during the week of Sept. 9.

"If the United States is unwilling to lead a coalition of people who are prepared to stand up for the international norm with respect to chemical weapons that's been in place since 1925, if we are unwilling to do that, we will be granting a blanket license to Assad to continue to gas," Mr. Kerry said on ABC's "This Week." "We will send a terrible message to the North Koreans, Iranians and others who might be trying to read how serious is America." Mr. Obama said on Saturday that he has decided he should order a limited military strike against Syria, but in an about-face he said he would ask Congress to authorize the mission.

Leading Republican and Democratic lawmakers said over the weekend that Mr. Obama is going to face a major political fight to gain Congress's approval, which requires the majority of both the House and Senate to vote in favor of military action. Mr. Assad's regime, meanwhile, mocked Mr. Obama's decision to seek congressional approval for military action, claiming the U.S. had lost its nerve and was fading as a global superpower.

Full article below

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323932604579048821158553250.html

Edward Snowden granted temporary Assylum in Russia

Well it's finally done folks. Edward Snowden, the renowned NSA leaker has finally been granted asylum in Russia. Check out the post below and the link for some additional info.

MOSCOW -- Fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden slipped quietly out of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport this morning after Russia granted him temporary asylum, ending more than a month in limbo in the transit area.

A Russian lawyer who has been assisting Snowden said the American, who is wanted in the United States for leaking details of secret government intelligence programs, had gone to a secure location which would remain secret.

After weeks staying out of sight from hordes of reporters desperate for a glimpse of him, Snowdenmanaged to slip away in a taxi without being spotted. Grainy images of his passport showed he had been granted asylum for a year from July 31.

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"He is the most wanted man on planet Earth. What do you think he is going to do? He has to think about his personal security. I cannot tell you where he is going," his lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, told Reuters.

"I put him in a taxi 15 to 20 minutes ago and gave him his certificate on getting refugee status in the Russian Federation," he said. "He can live wherever he wants in Russia. It's his personal choice."

He said Snowden was not going to stay at any embassy in Moscow, although three Latin American countries have offered to shelter him. Snowden was well, he added.

Snowden was accompanied by Sarah Harrison, a representative of the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, which confirmed he had left the airport.

"We would like to thank the Russian people and all those others who have helped to protect Mr.Snowden. We have won the battle - now the war," WikiLeaks said on Twitter.

Snowden, 30, arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23. Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela have offered him refuge but there are no direct commercial flights to Latin America and he was concerned theUnited States would intercept his flight to prevent him reaching his destination.

Snowden's case has caused new strains in relations between Russia and the United States which wants him extradited to face espionage charges.

The White House has signaled that President Barack Obama could consider boycotting a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in early September.

But a senior Kremlin official said ties between Russia and the United States would not suffer because of what he said was a "relatively insignificant" case.

"Our president has ... expressed hope many times that this will not affect the character of our relations," Yuri Ushakov, Putin's top foreign policy adviser, told reporters.

He said there was no sign that U.S. President Barack Obama would cancel the planned visit in September.

 

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-snowden-leaves-moscow-airport-20130801,0,687692.story

The Latest on the Edward Snowden Saga

The father of the National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden says his son has been so vilified by the Obama administration and members of Congress that he is now better off staying in Russia.

Lon Snowden had been working behind the scenes with lawyers to try to find a way his son could get a fair trial in the US. Edward Snowden has been charged in federal court with violating the Espionage Act by leaking details of NSA surveillance.

But in a telephone interview with the Associated Press, the elder Snowden said he had lost faith in recent weeks that his son would be treated fairly by the justice department. He now thinks his 30-year-old son is better off avoiding the US if possible until an administration that respects the constitution comes into office.

"If it were me, knowing what I know now, and listening to advice of sage people like [Pentagon Papers leaker] Daniel Ellsberg ... I would attempt to find a safe haven," Snowden said.

As a military analyst more than four decades ago, Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers, a secret study of America's involvement in Vietnam, to newspapers.

 

Continue reading the full article from the source here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/27/nsa-snowden-father-justice-Russia

 

Video Resume - Dileon Saint-Jean

Hey ya'll, here's a copy of my video resume. Check it out on youtube and let me know what you guys think.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSFjkYTgDHs

 Cheers!!!

REBTEL - For All Your International Calls!

Hey all, got another really good offer for you, especially those international students who have family back home that you haven't contacted in a while. It's called rebtel, a phone app similar to skype, but much more ecnomical. below is a link to it. Check it out, as they give you your first call free. I'm sure you'll love it. Cheers!!!

Free Trial - Online Voice System

Hi all, got a brand new offer that I found online. It seems like a really good one as well. It's to evoice, an online auto attendant that can be used to replace a manual system. Check out the link below for more details.

Send SMS for Free!

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