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| June 27, 2012 |
State Department Purges Religious Freedom Section from Its Human Rights Reports
(AP photo)
(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. State Department removed the sections covering religious freedom from the Country Reports on Human Rights that it released on May 24, three months past the statutory deadline Congress set for the release of these reports.
The new human rights reports--purged of the sections that discuss the status of religious freedom in each of the countries covered--are also the human rights reports that include the period that covered the Arab Spring and its aftermath.
Thus, the reports do not provide in-depth coverage of what has happened to Christians and other religious minorities in predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East that saw the rise of revolutionary movements in 2011 in which Islamist forces played an instrumental role.
For the first time ever, the State Department simply eliminated the section of religious freedom in its reports covering 2011 and instead referred the public to the 2010 International Religious Freedom Report – a full two years behind the times – or to the annual report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which was released last September and covers events in 2010 but not 2011.
Leonard Leo, who recently completed a term as chairman of the USCIRF, says that removing the sections on religious freedom from the State Department's Country Reports on Human Roghts is a bad idea.
Since 1998, when Congress created USCIRF, the State Department has been required to issue a separate yearly report specifically on International Religious Freedom.
But a section reporting on religious freedom has also always been included in the State Department's legally required annual country-by-country reports on human rights--that is, until now.
And this is the first year the State Department would have needed to report on the effect the Arab Spring has had on religious freedom in the Middle East--had its reports, as always before, included a section on religious freedom.
“The commission that I served on has some real concerns about that bifurcation, because the human rights reports receive a lot of attention, and to have pulled religious freedom out of it means that fewer people will obtain information about what’s going on with that particular freedom or right. So you don’t have the whole picture because they split it up now,” Leo told CNSNews.com.
Former U.S. diplomat Thomas Farr says it’s possible that the move to totally separate religious freedom from the human rights reports could simply be a bureaucratic maneuver.
But another possibility is much more likely.
“The other possibility is the Obama administration is downplaying international religious freedom,” Farr said.
Farr, who served in the State Department under both Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, was the first director of the Office of International Religious Freedom.
“I mean, it is important to note here that I do not know--I have no personal knowledge of the logic that went into removing religious freedom from the broader human rights report; but I also have observed during the three-and-a-half years of the Obama administration that the issue of religious freedom has been distinctly downplayed,” Farr said
Currently a visiting associate professor of religion and world affairs in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Farr directs the program on Religion and U.S. Foreign Policy and the Project on Religious Freedom at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown.
He told CNSNews.com that far more resources have been allocated by the Obama administration to other human rights issues than have been directed toward religious freedom.
“(T)he ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, for example, who is the official charged by the law to lead U.S. religious freedom policy, did not even step foot into her office until two-and-a-half years were gone of a four-year administration,” he said.
“Whereas other human rights priorities of the administration, such as the ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues, were in place within months. So that tells you something.
“It tells me that this has never been a priority for the Obama administration, and it’s not now,” he said.
“So it seems to me plausible to at least question the removal of religious freedom from the human rights report, although, as I say, there could be other explanations, less insidious, if you will.”
Missing: Murdered Christians and the Aftermath of the Arab Spring
The 2010 International Religious Freedom Report is notably missing
some important information--the two-year old report contains no mention
of the violence, murder and mayhem directed at Christians and other
minorities in Muslim nations in Africa and the Middle East since the
Arab Spring uprisings of 2011.However, the less well-known 2012 report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom does take note of the Arab Spring.
-- In 2011, in Egypt, Coptic Christians were among 25 people massacred during a demonstration over an Islamist attack on a church.
-- In the month of January 2012 alone, the Islamist group Boko Haram was responsible for 54 deaths in Nigeria – 42 of them Catholics killed at church on Christmas Day. In 2011, it killed more than 500 people and burned down or destroyed more than 350 churches in 10 northern states of Nigeria.
Former USCIRF Chairman Leo says the fact is the administration no longer makes the proper distinction between freedom of religion and freedom of worship.
“Going all the way back to the president’s speech in Cairo, they seem to be satisfied with Arab Spring countries and Middle Eastern countries providing freedom of worship, but not pressuring them on the broader freedom of religion.
“In Saudi Arabia, and in some of these countries, you may be able to draw curtains in your home and pray--but don’t take it outside your house. And certainly don’t imbue other aspects of your life with your religious sentiments,” Leo said.
He added: “We see in a lot of countries around the world, but particularly in the Middle East and in Pakistan and Afghanistan, that it’s not just those small non-Muslim minorities that are affected adversely by repressive policies, it’s majority Muslims as well. Muslims who don’t necessarily want to subscribe to every jot and tittle of what the state feels is the appropriate form of Islam.”
Former diplomat Farr agreed the administration hasn’t been focused on the freedom of religion in terms of foreign relations.
“As far as I know, the administration has paid very little attention to the religion-state issues, in terms of policy effort, in terms of programs on the ground,” Farr said.
“I’m not speaking of speeches, or ‘raising the issue’--which are typical State Department platitudes for trying to change the subject--but in terms of actual programs on the ground, whether we’re talking about Libya, or Tunisia, or the most important of all, Egypt, the programs on the ground designed to advance religious freedom, as far as I know, are nonexistent.”
The State Department, meanwhile, has given no indication of when -- or if -- the next International Religious Freedom Report will be released.
OBAMA DECLARES NATIONAL EMERGENCY
I SUGGEST ALL CITIZENS FLOOD THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THE HOUSE AND SENATE
WITH COMMUNICATIONS WHICH LET THEM KNOW WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF THIS
ACTION AND DO NOT BUY IT ONE IOTA. WE WILL DEFEND OURSELVES AND OUR
COUNTRY FROM ANY GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO EFFECT MARTIAL LAW AND A TAKE
OVER.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
June 25, 2012
Letter--Russian Highly Enriched Uranium
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
June 25, 2012
Pursuant to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 1703(b), I hereby report that I have exercised my authority to declare a national emergency to deal with the threat posed to the United States by the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation in the Russian Federation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material.
In Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000, the President found that this same risk constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States and declared a national emergency to deal with that threat. The United States and the Russian Federation had entered into a series of agreements that provide for the conversion of highly enriched uranium (HEU) extracted from Russian nuclear weapons into low enriched uranium (LEU) for use in commercial nuclear reactors. There were concerns that payments due to the Russian Federation under these agreements may be subject to attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process, in the United States, which could put implementation of such agreements at risk. In Executive Order 13159, the President therefore ordered blocked all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements so that it would be protected from the threat of attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process.
In the Executive Order I have issued today, I find that the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation in the Russian Federation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material continues to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. I therefore declared a national emergency to address this threat and to continue the blocking of all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements.
A major national security goal of the United States is to ensure that fissile material removed from Russian nuclear weapons pursuant to various arms control and disarmament agreements is dedicated to peaceful uses, subject to transparency measures, and protected from diversion to activities of proliferation concern. The United States and the Russian Federation entered into an international agreement in February 1993 to deal with these issues as they relate to the disposition of HEU extracted from Russian nuclear weapons (the "HEU Agreement"). The HEU Agreement provides for 500 metric tons of HEU to be converted to LEU over a 20-year period. This is the equivalent of 20,000 nuclear warheads.
Additional agreements were put in place to effectuate the HEU Agreement, including agreements and contracts on transparency, on the appointment of executive agents to assist in implementing the agreements, and on the disposition of LEU delivered to the United States (collectively, the "HEU Agreements"). Under the HEU Agreements, the Russian Federation extracts HEU metal from nuclear weapons. That HEU is oxidized and blended down to LEU in the Russian Federation. The resulting LEU is shipped to the United States for fabrication into fuel for commercial reactors.
The HEU Agreements provide for the Russian Federation to receive money and uranium hexafluoride in payment for each shipment of LEU converted from the Russian nuclear weapons. The money and uranium hexafluoride are transferred to the Russian Federation executive agent in the United States.
The executive branch and the Congress have previously recognized and continue to recognize the threat posed to the United States national security from the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation of weapons-usable fissile material in the Russian Federation. This threat is the basis for significant programs aimed at Cooperative Threat Reduction and at controlling excess fissile material. The HEU Agreements are essential tools to accomplish these overall national security goals. The Congress has repeatedly demonstrated support for these agreements.
Payments made to the Russian Federation pursuant to the HEU Agreements are integral to the operation of this key national security program. Uncertainty surrounding litigation and the possible attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process that could impede these payments could lead to a long term suspension of the HEU Agreements, which creates the risk of nuclear proliferation. This is an unacceptable threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Accordingly, I have concluded that all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements should remain protected from the threat of attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process. I have, therefore, exercised my authority and issued an Executive Order that provides:
except to the extent provided in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to the order, or that were issued pursuant to Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000, all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States persons, including any foreign branch, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in;
unless licensed or authorized pursuant to the order, any attachment, judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial process is null and void with respect to any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to the order; and
that all heads of departments and agencies of the United States Government shall continue to take all appropriate measures within their authority to further the full implementation of the HEU Agreements.
The effect of this Executive Order is limited to property that is directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements. Such property will be clearly defined by the regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that will be issued pursuant to this Executive Order. I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the authority to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the order. All agencies of the United States Government are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of the order.
I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/25/letter-russian-highly-enriched-uranium
As we may already know, Putin is at the forefront of the fight against the Dark Cabal. So far, his reforms are towards a more participative Open Russian government which the western countries trumpeted but never do. Overall, Putin’s government is set to uplift the life of everyone in that country. This is in stark contrast compared to the West where the current buzzword is “Austerity”.
Whatever the case may be, the war against the Dark Cabal has entered a new dimension.
Full text of Executive Order…
One of the significant sources of funds for the Cabal is the healthcare industry which registered a whopping $2.7 trillion in 2011, and is projected to soar to $3.6 trillion in 2016, in the US alone. We believe that this is just a conservative figure.
You can join the fight against the Dark Cabal and accelerate its demise just by boycotting Big Pharma. You can effectively do this by downloading “Towards Healthcare Emancipation“, a fully illustrated do-it-yourself instructional eBook that will help you in implementing all eClinik methods that would negate the use of expensive medicine, avoid radioactive diagnostics and treatments in completely defeating cancer, AIDS and all other parasitic diseases. These methods, when faithfully followed, work 100% all the time. Find out more about this here.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/25/letter-russian-highly-enriched-uranium
Obama Declares National Emergency
In an unprecedented move to avoid the complete collapse of the Dark Cabal, Obama declares a national emergency and issued EO against Russian interests on all US controlled territories. This could be interpreted as an act of war against the Russians if they choose to.As we may already know, Putin is at the forefront of the fight against the Dark Cabal. So far, his reforms are towards a more participative Open Russian government which the western countries trumpeted but never do. Overall, Putin’s government is set to uplift the life of everyone in that country. This is in stark contrast compared to the West where the current buzzword is “Austerity”.
Whatever the case may be, the war against the Dark Cabal has entered a new dimension.
Full text of Executive Order…
The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release
June 25, 2012
Letter–Russian Highly Enriched Uranium
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
June 25, 2012
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Pursuant
to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 1703(b), I hereby report that I have exercised my
authority to declare a national emergency to deal with the threat posed
to the United States by the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the
accumulation in the Russian Federation of a large volume of
weapons-usable fissile material.
In
Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000, the President found that this
same risk constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the
national security and foreign policy of the United States and declared a
national emergency to deal with that threat. The United States and the
Russian Federation had entered into a series of agreements that provide
for the conversion of highly enriched uranium (HEU) extracted from
Russian nuclear weapons into low enriched uranium (LEU) for use in
commercial nuclear reactors. There were concerns that payments due to
the Russian Federation under these agreements may be subject to
attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process, in the United
States, which could put implementation of such agreements at risk. In
Executive Order 13159, the President therefore ordered blocked all
property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian
Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements
so that it would be protected from the threat of attachment,
garnishment, or other judicial process.
In
the Executive Order I have issued today, I find that the risk of
nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation in the Russian
Federation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material
continues to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the
national security and foreign policy of the United States. I therefore
declared a national emergency to address this threat and to continue the
blocking of all property and interests in property of the Government of
the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the
HEU Agreements.
A
major national security goal of the United States is to ensure that
fissile material removed from Russian nuclear weapons pursuant to
various arms control and disarmament agreements is dedicated to peaceful
uses, subject to transparency measures, and protected from diversion to
activities of proliferation concern. The United States and the Russian
Federation entered into an international agreement in February 1993 to
deal with these issues as they relate to the disposition of HEU
extracted from Russian nuclear weapons (the “HEU Agreement”). The HEU
Agreement provides for 500 metric tons of HEU to be converted to LEU
over a 20-year period. This is the equivalent of 20,000 nuclear
warheads.
Additional
agreements were put in place to effectuate the HEU Agreement, including
agreements and contracts on transparency, on the appointment of
executive agents to assist in implementing the agreements, and on the
disposition of LEU delivered to the United States (collectively, the
“HEU Agreements”). Under the HEU Agreements, the Russian Federation
extracts HEU metal from nuclear weapons. That HEU is oxidized and
blended down to LEU in the Russian Federation. The resulting LEU is
shipped to the United States for fabrication into fuel for commercial
reactors.
The
HEU Agreements provide for the Russian Federation to receive money and
uranium hexafluoride in payment for each shipment of LEU converted from
the Russian nuclear weapons. The money and uranium hexafluoride are
transferred to the Russian Federation executive agent in the United
States.
The
executive branch and the Congress have previously recognized and
continue to recognize the threat posed to the United States national
security from the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the
accumulation of weapons-usable fissile material in the Russian
Federation. This threat is the basis for significant programs aimed at
Cooperative Threat Reduction and at controlling excess fissile
material. The HEU Agreements are essential tools to accomplish these
overall national security goals. The Congress has repeatedly
demonstrated support for these agreements.
Payments
made to the Russian Federation pursuant to the HEU Agreements are
integral to the operation of this key national security program.
Uncertainty surrounding litigation and the possible attachment,
garnishment, or other judicial process that could impede these payments
could lead to a long term suspension of the HEU Agreements, which
creates the risk of nuclear proliferation. This is an unacceptable
threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Accordingly,
I have concluded that all property and interests in property of the
Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the
implementation of the HEU Agreements should remain protected from the
threat of attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process. I have,
therefore, exercised my authority and issued an Executive Order that
provides:
except
to the extent provided in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses
that may be issued pursuant to the order, or that were issued pursuant
to Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000, all property and interests in
property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related
to the implementation of the HEU Agreements that are in the United
States, that hereafter come within the United States, or hereafter come
within the possession or control of any United States persons, including
any foreign branch, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid,
exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in;
unless
licensed or authorized pursuant to the order, any attachment, judgment,
decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial process is null
and void with respect to any property or interest in property blocked
pursuant to the order; and
that
all heads of departments and agencies of the United States Government
shall continue to take all appropriate measures within their authority
to further the full implementation of the HEU Agreements.
The
effect of this Executive Order is limited to property that is directly
related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements. Such property will
be clearly defined by the regulations, orders, directives, or licenses
that will be issued pursuant to this Executive Order. I have delegated
to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of
State, the authority to take such actions, including the promulgation of
rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the
President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the
order. All agencies of the United States Government are directed to
take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the
provisions of the order.
I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/25/letter-russian-highly-enriched-uraniumOne of the significant sources of funds for the Cabal is the healthcare industry which registered a whopping $2.7 trillion in 2011, and is projected to soar to $3.6 trillion in 2016, in the US alone. We believe that this is just a conservative figure.
You can join the fight against the Dark Cabal and accelerate its demise just by boycotting Big Pharma. You can effectively do this by downloading “Towards Healthcare Emancipation“, a fully illustrated do-it-yourself instructional eBook that will help you in implementing all eClinik methods that would negate the use of expensive medicine, avoid radioactive diagnostics and treatments in completely defeating cancer, AIDS and all other parasitic diseases. These methods, when faithfully followed, work 100% all the time. Find out more about this here.
The Cowboy Byte
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| June 24, 2012 News and Thoughts for the day |
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| June 25, 2012 |
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