AL SHABAB LEADER LIVED IN UK

Al-Shabaab leader Ikrima 'lived in UK for a year'

Abdukadir Mohammed Abdukadir, alias Ikrima, who was targeted in an abortive US raid in Somalia, is believed to have spent time in Britain after a failed asylum request in Norway

Members of Somalia's Al Shabaab militant group parade during a demonstration to announce their integration with al Qaeda, in Elasha, south of the capital Mogadishu, last year Photo: AP

By Mike Pflanz, Nairobi

6:25PM BST 25 Oct 2013

A key al-Shabaab commander, who was the target of a failed raid by US special forces in Somalia, spent time in Britain after failing to win asylum in Norway, it emerged on Friday.

Abdukadir Mohammed Abdukadir, also known as Ikrima, has been named by Kenyan intelligence as the alleged leader of three terrorist plots, including one involving Samantha Lewthwaite, the British widow of a July 7 suicide bomber.

The pair allegedly planned to bomb “multiple” targets in Kenya, including hotels, shopping centres, United Nations offices and an army barracks. They would have acted with at least four accomplices, including another Briton, Jermaine Grant.

Ikrima, a Kenyan Somali, grew up in the Eastleigh area of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. He travelled to Norway in 2004 and requested political asylum, before moving to Britain in 2007 when that application was rejected. He is believed to have spent about a year in the UK, living in London for part of that time, friends told the BBC. He then travelled back to Somalia in late 2007 or early 2008 where he joined a jihadist militia that later became al-Shabaab.

Security sources said they were trying to establish whether Ikrima had been in contact with known radical Islamists during his time in Britain.

The Norwegian authorities are also checking if he knew Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, a Norwegian citizen of Somali origin, who is believed to have led the gang which attacked Westgate shopping centre in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, last month.
Ikrima, who is believed to be in his early 30s, was the target of a raid by the US Navy Seals on the Somali town of Barawe on Oct 5. The soldiers attacked the house where he was believed to be staying, but they withdrew after encountering fierce resistance without killing or arresting their quarry.
Ikrima is understood to be a senior commander of al-Shabaab’s “secret service” unit, known as “the Amniyat”, which has been named in connection with the Westgate siege, which left 67 dead, including six Britons.
Whether he played any part in that attack is unclear. He is known to be related to another al-Qaeda operative, Musa Dheere, who was killed at a roadblock in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in 2011 alongside Fazul Abdullah, the suspected mastermind of the bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998.
A leaked Kenyan intelligence report claimed that Ikrima planned in April to attack Mandera airport in north-eastern Kenya, which is used by the armed forces as a base for operations against al-Shabaab in Somalia. But this plot was foiled successfully.
Kenyan soldiers are fighting in southern Somalia along with troops from Uganda, Burundi and Sierra Leone. This African force, totalling 18,000 personnel, has managed to expel al-Shabaab from both Mogadishu and Kismayo, a crucial port.
Today, the group no longer controls any large population centres, although it still holds sway over a large area of southern Somalia.
Al-Shabaab announced its merger with al-Qaeda last year and its fighters have adopted the goals of international jihad partly to disguise their reverses in Somalia. Kenya is regarded as a key target because of its decision to send soldiers to fight al-Shabaab in its heartland. African governments want Western funding to deploy another 6,000 troops in Somalia

Picture of JUSTICES.....

African nations dominate corruption top 10

27 September 2013 | Will Green

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia have been ranked the most corrupt countries in the world.

The Maplecroft Corruption Risk Index places both African states as joint number one, followed by Burma in south east Asia and Sudan equal third.

African countries make up six of the top 10 most corrupt countries, though several African nations are also among the most improved.

Mozambique has seen the most improvement of the 197 countries in the index, moving from 51 – an “extreme risk” – to 71 – a “high risk” – over the course of a year, following a new anti-corruption law and subsequent convictions, according to Maplecroft.

Senegal has risen from 34 to 48, due to efforts by president Macky Sall to tackle corruption, while Burkina Faso has climbed 14 places to 54 and Papua New Guinea 18 places to 60. Botswana, at 154, remains the African country with the least corruption.

China’s position in the ranking has worsened, dropping from 88 to 75 in the “high risk” category.

The UK is placed at number 181, along with Germany, ahead of the US at 173. Andorra is the least corrupt country at 197. 
The World Economic Forum estimates corruption adds up to 10 per cent to the cost of doing business globally and up to 25 per cent of the cost of procurement contracts in developing countries.

Trevor Slack, senior corruption analyst at Maplecroft, said: “Scandals continue to arise in all of the key growth markets and corruption remains one of the most prominent compliance risks that businesses face. Where corruption is widespread, it also impedes democracy, the rule of law, protection of human rights and economic development.”

The top 10 most corrupt countries in 2014

1=. Democratic Republic of Congo

1=. Somalia

3=. Burma

3=. Sudan

5. Zimbabwe

6. Equatorial Guinea

7. Guinea

8. North Korea

9=. Cambodia

9=. Venezuela

Is it possible to do business in Africa without engaging in corruption?

Is it possible to do business in Africa without engaging in corruption? – asks ETK’s Kevin Korgba

Posted on October 16, 2013 by AfricanArgumentsEditor

The number of British businesses looking to expand into Africa is on the rise. We know that enterprise on the continent is growing – the IMF forecasts that African countries could take up to seven of the top ten places for economic growth over the next five years – and this means the door is open for ambitious entrepreneurs brave (and smart) enough to take the plunge into the unique opportunities the continent affords.
However, doing business in Africa is not without its own challenges. As an African business consultant, one of the very first questions I often get from individuals as well as companies is about corruption.  The widespread perception is that Africa is corrupt, Africans are corrupt, and that you cannot do business in Africa without bribery. But these statements are sweeping generalisations – it’s a bit like saying every Englishman cannot dance.
I am a firm believer that it is possible to do business in Africa without corruption, but the key is to be strategic and well-informed about cultural and business nuances which may differ from country to country, and even region to region. Economic growth will no doubt be the driving development force in Africa’s future. Keeping this in mind, it has never been more important to change people’s perceptions and move away from an aid-dependent stereotype towards that of a trade-robust landscape.
Let’s be honest, Africa does have its fair share of corruption – but it is not alone. You only have to look at recent newspaper headlines to see that countries such as China, Russia, and many others are mentioned frequently when it comes to bribery, extortion and other unscrupulous tactics. So why does Africa have such a bad reputation?
Anyone working in Africa will have witnessed corrupt business practices first hand – whether it is the market trader who must pay off local authorities or the bribes taken along a supply chain to ensure smoother transactions. Is there anything we can do to fight this kind of endemic corruption? I believe the answer is yes and the solution lies in the response from government, the public and the business community. Many countries, including African countries such as Rwanda, have successfully dealt with dishonest practices by concerted effort of one kind or another and the rest of Africa can learn from these countries. The key is in the adaptation, because a cut and paste approach will never work.
We need to have a balanced, honest and realistic conversation that takes into consideration the cultural dimension of corruption, and how greatly this affects the way business is done in different regions.
An act that may be termed corrupt in one culture may be perfectly normal in another, so it’s very important to define exactly what a ‘corrupt act’ is. A perfect example of this is the traditional importance of gift-giving in many cultures. Depending on when, how, and what kind of gift you give, this can bring us into a grey area.
At a recent event on this very issue, organised by my company ETK Consulting and hosted by international law firm Clyde & Co, Sir Steward Eldon of The Ambassador Partnership (and former UK Permanent Representative to NATO), told us that corruption can be both unsophisticated and highly complex. Political linkages, family relationships, ethnic factors and pure financial greed, poverty or desperation can all play a part. The key for businesses is to develop local knowledge, understanding and sympathies. As Sir Eldon put it: “Do your research” and understand what you can do to steer clear of corruption and its legal pitfalls.
It may sound straightforward, yet increasingly we are seeing examples of well-known companies falling foul of the UK Bribery Act – which holds British companies to account for corrupt acts incurred abroad – because they didn’t keep an eye on their agents overseas. Only last year Oxford University Press was ordered to pay £1.9 million after two subsidiary companies bribed government officials for contracts to supply school textbooks in east Africa. In 2010, the World Bank excluded the British publishers Macmillan from contracts it financed for six years after the company admitted bribery payments relating to an education project in Sudan.
So what can companies do to ensure that they avoid the risks while still maximising the great opportunities that exist in Africa?

• First, ensure your own business integrity policies are strong. What sort of processes do you have in place and are you confident that they are sturdy?

• Networking is crucial to your success in Africa. This can include targeting politicians, business leaders and key members of the civil service. You need to identify the decision-makers and implementers.

• Trusted indirect contacts can often be as good as face-to-face ones. Try and use local networks that already exist rather than those imposed from the outside.

• Choose wisely when it comes to local agents, as it will probably be the most important business decision you make. Take advantage of their local knowledge but ensure you keep control and have an overview of their activities.

• Pay only for legally acceptable goods and services and ensure that you have knowledge of, and respect for local customs and other laws.

Corruption may be a challenge, but it will always be sound business practices and honest, meaningful hard work that allows your company to thrive in any area. As Sir Eldon said:  “People should talk to you because you are interesting and valuable, not because you pay.”
Kevin Korgba is Managing Director of ETK Consulting, a capacity builder for individuals and businesses wishing to engage in Africa. ETK Consulting run worldwide courses in African Business Management. Kevin has worked and done business in Africa, Europe and South America; and has sat on various education and entrepreneurship development panels in Nigeria and the UK

TANZANITE FROM THE COUNTRY which is POOR TANZANIA

Tanzanite | Gemopedia

TANZANITE JEWELRY       TANZANITE GEMSTONES       KUTAMANI TANZANITE      

		Tanzanite is a relatively new gemstone in the world of gemology and jewelry, and though its history is brief, it is no less illustrious than many ancient gems. Since its discovery, tanzanite has sold for as little as $20 per carat and as much as $1,000 per carat or more, for gem-quality, finely colored stones. That price may seem like a bargain in a few years, as tanzanite is a single-source gemstone and that source is expected to be mined out within the next 20 to 30 years based on the latest mining information. SHOP ALL TANZANITE

Care	Somewhat softer than quartz, tanzanite may be safely mounted in any form of jewelry, but when it is set in rings, gentle wear is recommended. Tanzanite should never be subjected to high heat such as that from a jeweler's torch. The best way to clean tanzanite is with warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
Color	Tanzanites are typically blue or violet-blue, but they can also be rare greenish and greenish-blue shades. Tanzanite is a highly pleochroic gem, meaning it can appear blue from one angle and violet or violetish-blue from another. Vanadium is the main coloring agent required to produce the rich blue-violet colors that are so highly prized in tanzanite.
Shape	Trillion Heart Marquise Oval Pear Round Square Rectangular Octagonal Rectangular Cushion
Value	Tanzanite's color may be manipulated by cutting the crystal on one of two axes. Bluer stones are cut on the shorter axis and generally do not provide as high a yield. Consequently, intense blue tanzanite is more rare and costs slightly more than violet-blue tanzanite.

 

more about tanzanite

Discovery Tanzanite was discovered around 1967 in Tanzania, near Arusha. According to legend, tanzanite was discovered when a Masai tribesman found the sparkling stones in the remnants of a lightning fire, which had evidently heated the brown stones to a vivid blue. This led to the realization that heating zoisite--an opaque, usually brownish mineral--turns it beautifully transparent and blue. History Tiffany & Co. introduced tanzanite to the world in the late 1960s. Having one of the most famous jewelry companies in the world recognize tanzanite's potential was definitely serendipitous. But because the supply was not stable, the marketing and promotion of tanzanite came to a halt, sending tanzanite back into obscurity. Recognizing the potential for tanzanite, the Tanzanian government intervened in 1971 and attempted to bring tanzanite back to popularity. The mining and control of tanzanite was turned over to the state around 1976. Production decreased dramatically, taking with it what little market share tanzanite had regained. By the 1980s, conditions had not improved, production was irregular at best, and thousands of illegal miners had saturated the Merelani Hills. The government again took control of the area in 1991 and issued licenses to mine, mostly to native Tanzanians. Soon a temporarily sufficient tanzanite supply came to the market, allowing for tanzanite's tremendous growth. Read more.
		Tanzanite is found in what geologists call "boudins," or sausage-shaped formations. Not every boudin will produce tanzanite, and many that do contain low-grade material that is not useful for jewelry. These boudins make straight, horizontal shafts within the earth that are impractical for mining. A bi-product of tanzanite mining is another very beautiful gemstone called tsavorite, a form of grossular garnet. As more tsavorite is found, the likelihood of finding jewelry-grade tanzanite lessens. Rhodolite and kyanite are also associated with tanzanite formations.

BOTSWANA'S NATURAL RESOURCES....

Botswana - Natural Capital as a Diversification Tool

Botswana is rich in natural resources. A combination of minerals, energy, protected areas, and crop, pastureland and non-timber forest products make the country’s natural capital worth a third of its total wealth.

This natural capital already plays a huge role in supporting Botswana’s economy—providing food, fuel, shelter and a livelihood to thousands of people while underpinning key activities, such as diamond mining which has dominated Botswana’s economy for more than 30 years.
But if this natural wealth is important now, it looks set to be even more critical in the future. The country’s government has identified several areas for growth — including nature-based tourism, mining and agriculture — which it hopes will simultaneously help diversify the economy and reduce poverty. To meet all three development goals, the government will need to optimize use of natural resources.
But the economic information needed to do that is often incomplete or missing. Moving beyond GDP—which does not explicitly incorporate the value of natural resources—as an indicator of economic growth is a priority. So too is finding ways to account for the broad mix of natural capital and better answer questions such as what role does Botswana’s huge coal reserves have to play, or how can local communities benefit from tourism?

Making WAVES in Botswana

The WAVES project in Botswana will help the country fill key information gaps to support policy dialogue and improve economic decision making.

Four priority areas for natural capital accounting have been identified, with water accounts being the top priority:

• Water Accounts: Water accounts help the government better assess the availability, uses, and economic contribution of this scarce resource.
• Land and Ecosystem Accounts, with a particular focus on tourism: Protected areas account for 40 percent of Botswana’s land area. Accounts can help influence the benefits of tourism reaching local communities and can balance land usage. National and ecosystem-based tourism accounts can be used to inform management of eco-tourism in four key ecosystems: Okavango, Chobe, Makgadikgadi Pans, and Central Kalahari.
• Mineral and Energy Accounts: In addition to diamonds, Botswana possesses other mineral deposits, particularly coal, that could be developed for export or to alleviate regional energy shortages. Energy accounts can help determine the optimal energy mix for the future and examine the role of Botswana’s coal in a green economy.
• Macroeconomic Indicators of Sustainable Development: Using the methodology approved in 2012 by the U.N. Statistics Division, Botswana will develop indicators for natural capital and changes to natural capital (depletion/additions), including adjusted net national income, adjusted savings, and national wealth accounts with natural capital to assess the prospects for long-term, sustainable growth.

Botswana has a long history of economic planning for development and since 1966 has prepared 10 National Development Plans. Their long-term Vision 2016 strategy also highlights the need for new sources of economic growth while ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources. The WAVES project is expected to strengthen the planning process by ensuring a true consideration of natural resources and ecosystems; and so enable better decisions.

JUSTICE IS NEEDED FOR THE RAPED GIRL.....CUTTING GRASS SENTENCE??????

Kenyans protest after suspects in teen's gang rape sentenced to cut grass

By Faith Karimi and Sandra Muhwezi, CNN

November 1, 2013 -- Updated 0936 GMT (1736 HKT)

Kenyans marched through Nairobi on Thursday, October 31, to demand justice for a teen who was allegedly gang-raped, and the suspects ordered to cut grass as punishment.

 

 

Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- Hundreds of Kenyans marched through Nairobi on Thursday to demand justice for a teenage girl who was allegedly gang raped, and the suspects ordered to cut grass as punishment.

The 16-year-old was allegedly dumped in a sewage ditch after the attack, local human rights groups said.

She later identified three of six suspects, who cut grass at a police station and were freed afterward, according to the groups.

Protesters made their way through downtown to the police chief's office to deliver a global petition demanding the arrest of the suspects. They chanted "justice for Liz" and carried placards with the same words.

Men and women waved underwear, and stuck other underwear on the gates of the police chief's office.

 

Rape protester: Inaction is not an option

 

Kenyans take to streets to protest rape

Some danced, beat drums and cried.

Liz is the nickname given to the teen by the local media. CNN does not identify alleged victims of sexual abuse.

Cries for help

Liz was walking home from her grandfather's funeral in the northwestern town of Busia when the alleged attack occurred.

Hours later, neighbors heard her cries for help and pulled her out of a latrine, bloody with broken bones, rights groups said.

She identified three of her alleged attackers, and an angry mob of neighbors hauled the suspects to the local police station.

But what followed added to the outrage.

Police ordered the suspects to cut grass in the yard, then released them shortly after, said Milanoi Koiyiet, a representative for Kenya's Coalition on Violence Against Women, which is providing the teen with free legal help.

Outcry grows after rape suspects are ordered to cut grass as punishment

The suspects' whereabouts are unknown after they left the police station. But a top aide for the Kenyan police chief said an investigation is under way.

"We are going to make sure that her case is attended to with the seriousness that is deserved and that we are making all efforts to make sure that the culprits are arrested wherever they are," said William Thwere, chief of staff for Kenya police.

Reports that the suspects have crossed the border to neighboring Uganda will not hamper the investigation, he said.

"We have put mechanisms in place to make sure that they are located even across the border where it is being alleged that they are," Thwere said.

She has to use a wheelchair

Word of the attack got out in October -- three months later --- when one of her doctors, outraged by the incident, called a journalist at the Daily Nation newspaper. The newspaper broke the story and is spearheading a fundraiser to pay for her medical bills.

By then, Liz had been hospitalized several times and had to use a wheelchair. She also suffered from a condition that makes her unable to control her bowels as a result of the rape, the Coalition on Violence Against Women said in a statement.

She's been in and out of the hospital since June. Her mother, a small-scale farmer, leased her land to make extra money to send her to a bigger hospital in the nearby major city of Kakamega, according to Koiyiet.

Outrage on social media

Outraged Kenyans took to social media to demand the arrest of the suspects and the officers who ordered them to cut grass. The six suspects are between the ages of 16 and 20, Koiyiet said.

Global campaigning network Avaaz launched an online petition demanding justice. It had more than 1.3 million signatures by the time protesters delivered it to the police chief's office Thursday.

More protests planned

Local rights groups have teamed up to demand justice in the case and are planning more protests until arrests are made.

At least 32% of Kenyan girls younger than 18 experience some form of sexual violence, according to a report released last year by the government and the United Nations.

The numbers may be higher because many rapes go unreported for fear of stigma.

If found guilty of gang defilement, the suspects face 15 years to life in prison, Koiyiet said.

Video shows Toronto mayor smoking cocaine - Americas - Al Jazeera English

Toronto police have obtained a video that appears to show Mayor Rob Ford smoking a crack pipe, a video Ford had said did not exist and that has been at the core of a scandal that has embarrassed and gripped Canada for months. Police Chief Bill Blair said on Thursday that the video, recovered after being deleted from a computer hard drive, did not provide grounds to press charges. Speaking outside the door to his office, Ford, a populist mayor who has repeatedly made headlines for his odd behaviour, said he has "no reason to resign". Toronto police discovered the video while conducting a huge surveillance operation into a friend and sometimes driver suspected of providing Ford with drugs. As a citizen of Toronto I'm disappointed. This is a traumatic issue for citizens of this city and the reputation of this city. Bill Blair, Toronto police chief Ford faced allegations in May that he had been caught on video puffing from a glass crack pipe. Two reporters with the Toronto Star newspaper said that they had seen the video, but it has not been released publicly. Ford maintained he does not smoke the drug and that the video does not exist. He was elected mayor three years ago on a wave of discontent simmering in the city's outlying suburbs. Since then he has survived an attempt to remove him from office on conflict-of-interest charges and has appeared in the news for various scandals. Previous controversies include being asked to leave an event for wounded war vets because he appeared intoxicated, according to the Toronto Star, and making rude gestures at Torontonians from his car. He was forced to admit he was busted for marijuana possession in Florida in 1999, after repeated denials. Through it all, the mayor has repeatedly refused to resign and pledged to run for re-election next year. But the pressure ramped up on Thursday with all four major dailies in the city calling on Ford to resign. Cheri DiNovo, a member of Ontario's parliament, tweeted, "Ford video nothing to celebrate Addiction is illness. Mayor please step down and get help". 'Traumatic issue' On Thursday, Blair said the video of the mayor "depicts images that are consistent with those previously reported in the press". "As a citizen of Toronto I'm disappointed," Blair said. "This is a traumatic issue for citizens of this city and the reputation of this city." Blair said the video will come out when Ford's associate and occasional driver, Alexander Lisi, goes to trial on drug charges. Lisi now also faces extortion charges for trying to retrieve the recording from an unidentified person. Blair did not say who owned the computer containing the video. Blair said authorities believed the video is linked to a home in Toronto, referred to by a confidential informant as a "crack house" in court documents in Lisi's drug case. The prosecutor in the Lisi case released documents on Thursday showing they had rummaged through Ford's garbage in search of evidence of drug use. They show that they conducted a massive surveillance operation monitoring the mayor and Lisi following drug use allegations. Toronto Councillor Joe Mihevc said he continues to be shocked by the "depth and revelations that are coming out". "The mayor has to come clean and do it as soon as possible," Mihevc said. "He needs to talk honestly about his use of illicit drugs."

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Video shows Toronto mayor smoking cocaine - Americas - Al Jazeera English

BREAKING NEEEWWWZZ:Kenyan WARPLANES BOMB AL SHABAB CAMP

Kenyan warplanes bomb al-Shabab camp

Military says camp with about 300 fighters bombed in Somalia's Dinsoor region, but al-Shabab denies attack. Last Modified: 01 Nov 2013 06:49

The Kenyan military has said its warplanes bombed targets held by al-Qaeda-linked armed group al-Shabab in Somalia, in retaliation for an attack on a Nairobi mall that killed at least 67 people. The Kenya Defence Forces said on Thursday that they had destroyed a training camp used by the members of the al-Shabab group who attacked the Westgate Mall on September 21. "This was part of a broader mission by the AMISOM [the UN-backed African peacekeeping mission in Somalia], targeting where the Shabab were training," Colonel Cyrus Oguna, a spokesman for the Kenyan military, told Reuters. “Those attackers at the Westgate did their training there. We have been monitoring this particular area over a period of time, and we moved in when we got the green light." The camp had more than 300 fighters, many of whom are believed to have been killed or injured, the KDF said in a statement. Oguna said raids on the rebel strongholds would be sustained. Kenya's military said the "major aerial offensive" in the Dinsoor region completely destroyed the training camp at Hurguun and at least four "technicals" - improvised fighting vehicles - and a weapons store. Two leading members of al-Shabab were killed on Monday in a Kenyan drone strike. However, al-Shabab denied there had been any attack. "We do not know where they [Kenyan army] are getting that from. No attack happened in our area. Not in Dinsoor, not anywhere else," an al-Shabab spokesman told Al Jazeera, adding that the group's fighters had attacked Badhaadhe and Kismayo in the Jubba regions in the south. Meanwhile, a top UN official has said that the war against al-Shabab fighters in Somalia has “ground to a halt” and needed a surge of almost 4,400 more African Union troops and massive UN assistance to break the stalemate and avoid failure. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the Security Council on Wednesday that the UN-endorsed African Union force now in Somalia, and the Somali military, lack “the capacity to push beyond areas already recovered” from al-Shabab in the last 18 months.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Exclusive: Syria peace talks face delay as big powers split

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

AMMAN | Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:27pm EDT

(Reuters) - International powers are unlikely to meet their goal of convening peace talks on Syria in Geneva next month as differences emerge between Washington and Moscow over opposition representation, Arab and Western officials said.
Failure of the main Syrian National Coalition to take a clear stance over the talks, which aim to find a political solution to Syria's 2-1/2 year civil war, are also expected to contribute to a delay of up to one month, the officials told Reuters.
"A clearer picture will emerge when the United States and Russia meet next week, but all indications show that the November 23 goal will be difficult to meet," said one of the officials involved in preparing for the talks.
U.S., Russian and U.N envoys are due to meet in Geneva next Tuesday as part of the preparation for the long-delayed peace conference, which was first proposed back in May.
A main point of contention, the official said, is the role of the Western-backed opposition coalition - an issue which has flared up since a meeting in London last week of Western and Gulf Arab countries opposed to Assad.
They announced that the Geneva negotiations should be between a "single delegation of the Syrian regime and a single delegation of the opposition, of which the Syrian National Coalition should be the heart and lead, as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people."
Russia sees the coalition as just one part of the opposition and has suggested that several delegations, including Damascus-based figures tolerated by the government, could represent President Bashar al-Assad's foes.
That position was echoed by Hassan Abdul Azim, head of the opposition National Coordination Body, who said after meeting international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus that delegates should attend not under the banner of the coalition but as part of a united "Syrian National Opposition".
A communique at the end of the London meeting also said Geneva would aim to establish a transitional government by which time "Assad and his close associates with blood on their hands will have no role in Syria".
"The Russians are furious at the strong stance taken in London and that the communiqué went a long way towards satisfying the demands of the coalition," a Western official said.
MINISTER SACKED
Preparations for the Geneva talks were thrown into further confusion on Tuesday by the dismissal of Syria's Deputy Prime Minister, Qadri Jamil, after he met senior U.S. diplomat Robert Ford in Geneva on Saturday.
Jamil, a member of what Assad describes as the "patriotic opposition", was sacked for leaving the country without permission and holding unauthorized meetings, state media said.
"He saw Ford after meeting Russian officials in Moscow. The meeting was long but useless," a Middle East official said, asking not to be named.
"Jamil put forward what Ford apparently regarded as unworkable proposals regarding the Geneva talks. He also unsuccessfully tried to win U.S. backing to include him on the opposition side in the Geneva talks," he said.
Another diplomatic source said Russia had backed the idea, but that the coalition would not have agreed to sit on the same side of the table as Jamil in any negotiations.
"It will take time between Russia and the United States to resolve their differences. We are looking now at Geneva between November 23 and Christmas," he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov acknowledged the Geneva meeting faced objections from both sides in Syria.
But he added during a visit to Greece: "There are contacts between Russia and the U.S. and we should not allow these efforts to fizzle out."
OPPOSITION UNDECIDED
Differences between Moscow and Washington are not the only obstacles to the peace talks going ahead.
Ahmad Jarba, president of the opposition coalition, has publicly resisted calls to commit to attending the so-called Geneva 2 conference, saying the coalition will not take part if there is any chance Assad might cling to power.
"He was speaking to his constituency and his public stance differs from what he told us privately," one delegate at last week's London meeting said, trying to play down the significance of Jarba's stance.
"We assured Jarba that an understanding had been reached with the Russians for Geneva to produce a transitional governing body with full powers over the army and security apparatus and that Assad would not be allowed to retain power under any special clauses. But his fate will not be specifically discussed at Geneva," the delegate said.
Even if Jarba were to attend, he has no authority over the rebel brigades battling to overthrow Assad. Many have rejected any negotiations not centered around Assad's removal and said they would charge anyone who attended them with treason.
Opposition sources said Jarba, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, travelled there in recent days to meet King Abdullah. Jarba will preside over a coalition meeting in Istanbul on November 9 to discuss taking a position on Geneva.
"The meeting will likely stretch for up to a week as usual. What is required is for the coalition to forget rhetoric and come up with a strategy, road map and a detailed policy," one envoy said.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington was still planning for a November conference but "no date or details is set or final until the United Nations announces it."
U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told reporters on Wednesday: "We'll continue to work diligently for a conference in Geneva and we're working intensely."
U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky added: "We continue to work towards the holding of Geneva 2 and there will be a meeting next week in Geneva to see where those prospects stand and to continue preparations."
Several officials, including Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby, have said they expect the Geneva 2 conference to convene on November 23, though the United States, Russia and the United Nations have all said no date has been officially set.
"A date has not been officially set because no one wants it to be officially postponed," a Western diplomat said. "But it has been clear all along the aim was Nov 23. It looks now that it will be de facto postponed."

THINGS YOU NEVER KNOW ABOUT MOUNT KILIMANJARO

Mount Kilimanjaro History
 

Mount Kilimanjaro lies on the border of Tanzania and Kenya, just south of the Equator. To the west lies the Great African Rift Valley, created by tremendous tectonic forces which also gave birth to a string of other volcanoes. One of these, Mount Kenya, was originally much higher than Kilimanjaro.
The three summits of Mount Kilimanjaro, Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi are all of very recent origin. Shira and Mawenzi both have suffered considerable erosion and only jagged peaks remain. Kibo, the central, youngest and highest peak has survived as an almost perfect cone.
Although East Africa and nearby Olduvai Gorge is thought to be the cradle of mankind it is unlikely that early man would have been attracted to the steep and cold slopes of Kilimanjaro at a time when it was probably very active and dangerous. A Wachagga legend talks of Mawenzi receiving fire for its pipe from his younger brother Kibo. The Wachagga who live on the fertile volcanic soils around the base of the mountain probably only came to the area about 300 years ago thus this legend suggests very recent activity. Another of their legends talks of demons and evil spirits living on the mountain and guarding immense treasures. Stories are told of a king who decided to go to the top, few of his party survived and those who did had damaged arms and legs.
Arab and Chinese traders and historians make mention of a giant mountain lying inland from Mombasa or Zanzibar but few early traders ventured into the interior of the continent. Slave traders passed below it and sometimes raided the villages of the Wachagga but it was not till the middle of the 19th century that a more serious interest was taken in the mountain and attempts were made to scale it.
In 1848 Johann Rebmann a missionary from Gerlingen in Germany while crossing the plains of Tsavo saw Mount Kilimanjaro. His guide talked of baridi - cold, and of tales how a group of porters were sent up the mountain to bring back the silver or other treasures from the summit.They came back only with water. Rebmann's report stimulated great interest in Germany and in the following years several expeditions were organised; first by Baron von Decken then later by Dr. Hans Meyer who finally stood on the highest point on the 5th of October 1889.

Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, now attracts many thousands of walkers each year. On the 1st of January 2000 over 1000 people reached the summit to see the sun rise over a new Millennium.

CORRUPTION vs MORAL DECAY in TANZANIA

Is Corruption a result of moral Decay or Moral Willingness?

 









As the debate on what has been the root cause of corruption in Tanzania roars on, there have been various opinions on whether corruption in Tanzania is a result of moral decadence or just a moral willing people behind the shadow of moral decay to perpetrate their ill intended motives. Mr Jenerali Ulimwengu, a seasonist journalist, media entrepreneur, social commentator and longtime activists and former public servant shares his perspectives in what describes as an anthology of how we slowly by slowly got where we are

According to Mr Ulimwengu, Tanzania is stuck, socially, politically and economically and unless something is urgently done addressing the root causes of corruption, the nation is headed for disaster.

Speaking at an Anti-Corruption public dialogue organized by Agenda Participation 2000 at the Blue Pearl Hotel, Ubungo Plaza in Dar es Salaam, Mr Ulimwengu said: “I’m not worried about  the bribing act, especially that which takes place between two people, the giver and the receiver. What worries me most is the level of moral decay one sees today in Tanzania and amongst Tanzanians. It is catastrophic. We will sooner than later head for a down fall,” Mr Ulimwengu says.


He said the moral decay was such that even religious leaders who used to serve as our saviours and moral custodians in the past are presently incapable of playing that role!
In the past, he said, there was always hope that religious leaders could be approached to help solve the problem, starting with their own followers in churches and mosques.

However, things have changed quite considerably. “Religious leaders whom we have always looked up to for assistance are equally affected! They are riding in the same bandwagon of moral decay,” said Ulimwengu.
In 2011 many people died, and many continue to, due to their mass decision to travel to Loliondo in quest for cure for a variety of their illnesses. They were all provided medicine, served through a plastic cup by one, Reverend Ambilikile.
“This belief in solving all medical problems through ‘ONE CUP FITS ALL’ is not only strange but very dangerous! But the government is responsible for the mess,” he said.
Ulimwengu argued that it was through government leaders in the form of ministers who encouraged the people to travel to Loliondo. “We all saw, through the media, their pictures as they drank from the famous plastic cup. We can all recall how they explained the government’s plans to ensure that the people travelled to Loliondo with ease; how they were dealing with the problem of congestions…”
How Moral Decay started at Family level
He said the moral decay started at family level, with the child who would say, without batting an eyelid that two times two was 15, and adults, of all the people, would believe him without question!
In a replica of sorts, the parents would play their own corruption game.  The father stole money at his place of work, placed it in a box on top of the cupboard back home, and the mother would steal it from the box and hide it somewhere in the house.
“In a word, she repackaged the loot! And down the academic road, the boy would remind his mother that the mathematic exams were around the corner and that his teacher had actually reminded him about that sum of 200,000/- for ‘facilitating his successes in the exams and the mother will promptly provide him with the required money without raising questions!” Ulimwengu said sending the audience into laughter.
“This is not a laughing matter. It is a very serious situation. That is where we have reached, morally, as a nation and we ought to feel ashamed for this!  “We have reached a situation which is described by the British as “the tragedy of the commons,” he said.
He said Tanzanians had reached a point where they no longer trusted one another, adding that the petty traders or mobile street hawkers were the most intelligent people because they placed their faith in the wares they carried around on their hands, and if you wanted it as customer, you had to pay for it, and the man would give you the product!
Ulimwengu explained that our moral decay had reduced us into believers of free things. “We no longer believe in earning our living through our own sweat  and as a consequence we are inclined towards stealing from the ‘common man’ and looting public money through corrupt under dealings.  Mr Ulimwengu suggests that Tanzanians have become ill minded and focusing on quick shortcuts to make money.

“We believe that in order to get money, one should simply buy a coke, and he will get rich!  We are using discoveries by Bill Gates and Steve Job, through their computers and Ipad products respectively in searching for the best witchdoctor in the world and not for educational purposes!
Our mental faculties have been destroyed in the same way HIV/aids does to a human being’s body, namely reduction of the body’s ability to defend itself against opportunistic diseases.
Consider the following. If you go to the DRC (the Democratic Republic of Congo), there is at least one thing you know and that is soldiers and policemen in that country will demand money from you for any service rendered.
If you go to Rwanda, they don’t want your money, but papers. Your papers must be in order; there is no beating about the bush.
But what happens in Tanzania? It is very funny! They don’t know what they want. It is confusion. That is why Tanzanians are susceptible to any gullibility under the sun.  It is really not clear whether this has got anything to do with our kind of education or a result of poor socialization and lack of adherence to social morals!” Ulimwengu said.
But one thing is clear. We were once a nation of people who loved one another and pursued the policy of Ujamaa and Self-Reliance. But we have since abandoned the policy and our children in schools are sitting on the floor!
And any act of forgetting one’s mobile phone is done so at one’s own peril. What is more, we have become a nation, known the world over, for killing albinos…why? Because we link their bodies to wealth! Therefore we are killing them because we can get rich.
We no longer collect taxes for the government, but for ourselves. And those who don’t pay taxes are considered very intelligent people!
All this is happening because we have privatized the state! In a word, we are not different from Greece which is now a begging nation which is now bankrupt. In my view Greece is bankrupt because the people in that country started helping themselves on the state’s property a long time ago in the same way we have been doing in Tanzania. The result is that people in Greece are richer than their government for the simple reason that they have not been paying their taxes!
Our public servants don’t view themselves as public servants of the people but ‘public bosses’ intimidating citizens and paying less consideration to social service needs of the citizens who pay them.
Some of us look back with nostalgia in those days when almost everybody in the world wanted to hear what a Tanzanian would say about something that had just taken place.
We were then very much sought after for comments because of what we were then, an upright people. Whatever we said in international arena during those days was nothing but spot-on, solid to be emulated by rest in the world.
And that is how we had become political liberators of others in the continent and the world over. We set the agenda for the continent. Unfortunately that is no longer the case. We are currently a source of shame in the circles of international arena and all because of the moral decay we have plunged ourselves into, Mr Ulimwengu says.
Mr Ulimwengus’s views are echoed by a combo of members of the clergy and moral theology like Bishop Dr Methodius Kilain who at one point suggested that issues of morality and morals should be now considered as a matter of national interest and engrained in the new national constitution. The minimum standards of which should be the basis for defining what being a Tanzanian means and determining who our leaders should be in the future.
Others however think corruption is a matter of personal choice and those using the rubric of moral decay to loot public funds are just making an ‘informed deliberate choice’,  hiding behind the cover of morality and to advance their personal ego. So the debate goes on and on!

NO WHERE TO HIDE TANZANIA'S STOLEN MINERAL WEALTH...

No where to hide Tanzania’s stolen mineral wealth,

Corrupt officials and mining companies have no where in the US to hide their corrupt and ill gotten mineral wealth as a new key legislation takes effect

Tanzania’s mining laws which keep whatever goes on in the industry so secret to the extent of depriving its own citizens of such vital information may sooner than later become obsolete as a new US legislation comes into effect.

This follows legal development that took place recently, and what is more interesting, completely outside Tanzania’s sphere of influence! The key US law takes the lid off secrecy in Tanzania’s mining sector

Before the emergence of the legal development, Tanzania’s 2010 Mining Act, Section 25, criminalized (and unfortunately, continues to) disclosure to the general public of any information obtained from mining companies.

The implication of this is that whatever knowledge Tanzanians have on minerals mined in their country is solely dependent on what they are told by their government and with all the attendant problem of lack of verification.
And because of this, they (Tanzanians) don’t know adequately, for instance, how many tons of gold are mined by foreign mining companies.

Since they don’t how many tons of gold are mined, say per annum, it goes without saying that they don’t know adequately how much their country earns, through taxes/loyalty, from such companies!
And because the people are starved of such vital information pertaining to their own mining industry which is supposed to be a major contributor to their country’s economy, they are not in a position to challenge their own government!

However, as already noted, this problem will now become history. The good news that is set to completely change the way things have been going on in Tanzania’s mining industry took place in July this year (2010) when the US President, Barrack Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Under the act, all energy and mining companies registered with the US Stock Exchanges are required to disclose not only what they pay to the US government, but also to foreign oil, gas and mineral producing countries like Tanzania.

Therefore only foreign mining companies in Tanzania that are not registered with the US Stock Exchange will be able to continue to cheat both Tanzanians and their own government.
What this means is that from now onwards, Tanzanians, through their media, individual and collective efforts, would be able to know exactly how much tons, say of gold, was mined in a given year.
Such information would, in the long run, help them in knowing how much money their country earned from mineral proceeds.

The introduction of the US legislation is a major fillip for Tanzanians, as far as the country’s mining industry is concerned since most of the foreign mining companies in Tanzania have links in the US, hence their registration in that country’s Stock Exchange is more or less assured.
Lack of transparency in laws governing Tanzania’s mining industry has been in existence for a very long time despite being repeatedly criticized by local and international civil societies.

For instance, even an old mining law under Section 21, criminalizes the disclosure of information obtained from a mining licensed holder.
The new US law which came into force in July this year (2010), can rightly be described as having rescued African governments, as far as misuse of money accruing from mining industry is concerned, in two ways:

One, from now onwards, it would not be easy for foreign mining companies that are registered with US Stock Exchanges to cheat both the people and governments where they operate from when it comes to how many tons, say of gold, they have produced per annum.

As long as such figures become available through the US Stock Exchange, it would be quite easy for countries like Tanzania to work out how much money was earned in taxes/loyalties.
Secondly, knowledge on the part of say Tanzanian government that such important mining figures and earnings are no longer secret, would force it to become more transparent in its dealings with the country’s lucrative mining industry.

For instance, it is very disturbing to note that although Tanzania is presently the second leading gold mining country in Africa the expensive minerals have, not in any way, helped in extricating the country from its present telling poverty.

And the main reason behind this is very simply, the crafting of poor mining policies/laws which so much benefit foreign mining companies that the country is left with nothing but gaping holes to the detriment of its environment.

It is therefore no wonder that one of the country’s most respected retired appellate court judges, Mr Lameck Mfalila, recently described such mining laws as the most badly crafted laws that had ever graced the land.
The retired judge made the comments when he was launching the Non-State Actors Charter on the Tanzania We Want Before and After the General Elections at the Blue Pearl Hotel, Ubungo Plaza, on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam on September 20th this year (2010).

Explaining the seriousness of Tanzania’s mining policy/laws, the retired judge said last year (2009), one of the foreign mining companies in Tanzania (there are presently five major gold mines) produced tons of gold at a time when one ounce of gold at the world market was selling at 2420 British sterling pounds.

Apart from challenging the audience to tell him how much the foreign mining company earned from its large volumes of tons of gold, the retired judge said even if Tanzania had demanded from foreign mining gold companies one kilogramme of gold from every 100 kilogrammes, the country would have been well off from its gold proceeds.

“The Bank of Tanzania, BoT, could have collected the kilos from foreign mining companies, deposited it in foreign banks where it could have served us as collateral for loans which could have helped us in financing our economy,” he said.

He gave the example of the former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Augustine Lyatonga Mrema who had, during his short tenure, ordered the BoT to buy gold from small scale miners in order to stop the sale of the precious metals to neighboring countries.

“In just one year, the BoT was able to collect 16 tons of gold which it proceeded to deposit with one Swiss bank…One international financial institution became worried that if Tanzania was allowed to continue with what it was doing, it would sooner than later become economically strong and independent…the international financial institutions did not want that to happen! As expected, they flexed their muscles, questioning the Tanzanian government why it was involving itself in business. Unfortunately, we bowed to their pressure and that was that,” he said visibly disappointed.

Political observers strongly believe that the kind of mining policies/laws currently in existence in Tanzania are inclined towards secrecy and perpetuate loopholes for corruption. The secrecy that sorounds the mining laws also provides grounds for suscipcion that those who crafted such laws did so after being paid or being promised kick backs by foreign mining companies.

Tanzania’s mining laws are such that it is extremely difficult to undo them! The fourth phase administration of President Jakaya Kikwete tried to undo them but failed.
However, the good news is that all five gold mines represent just four percent of Tanzania’s potential gold deposits.

The implication of this is that the government could leave the present mining laws to catter for the five gold mines and come up with new laws that would control the remaining 96 percent of the country’s gold deposits along with other mines.

Apparently the foregoing scenario is well known by the present government. But the million dollar question is why is it not acting having failed to deal with the already existing mining laws?
The existence of the new US law was first made public to 23 African Heads of States during the African Union conference held at Munyonyo, in Uganda mid this year (2010).

Announcement of the new law was made to the august AU conference by President Barrack Obama’s Secretary General, Eric Holder.
Mr Holder said his country had finally decided to stop ‘safe haven’ for corrupt politicians’ dirt money.
The warning that US will not provide safe haven to money stolen from Africa is a clear statement that US is now ready and will work hand in hand with African institutions that are entrusted with the difficult task of curbing corruption and money laundering.

In a statement that appears to be aimed at somewhat assuring Africa, Mr Holder said his government will not only act within, but also without, across its borders.
He said: “Washington would seize money stolen by corrupt leaders and hidden in America and the West.”

Holder said: “…the efforts would target large-scale corruption perpetrated by foreign nationals……I have assembled a team of prosecutors (to deal exclusively with this)”.
He said his government also willing to support development of African judiciaries so that it can deal with what he described as corruption monsters.

The fact that US will act beyond its borders brings light what has been going on in Tanzania where some of its leaders are known to have stashed ill-gotten money in offshore accounts.

What the TRUTH BEHIND NSA INTELLIGENCE

Intelligence Operatives Call Obama a Liar

Published Wed, Oct 30th, 2013   Floyd Brown, Chief Political Analyst

Ever since the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001, the NSA has used fear to build unstoppable political support. It has coupled this support with powerful technology to unlock the secrets of the world.
There’s no denying it: The system has been very good at uncovering and preventing terrorist plots. And as long as nobody knew how invasive and unconstitutional the NSA’s monitoring programs were, Capitol Hill was happy to ignore it. The blogs that talked about the threats to civil liberties and privacy were labeled conspiracy websites.

Then along came Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor-turned-leaker. Snowden was able to garner immense information about the system, too much information to be labeled a crank or a paranoid conspiracy theorist.

Since Snowden broke his silence, revelations from behind the wall of secrecy have poured out almost daily. Outrage about the system has turned from a small blaze into a four-alarm political crisis. And now the outrage has jumped the pond to Europe, where the NSA’s cellphone-monitoring dragnet has been spying on our NATO allies.

Most notoriously, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was targeted, while France and Spain also had phone data combed. Now, each of these countries has lodged formal diplomatic protests with the United States.
And this is where the story gets interesting. You see, the White House moved almost immediately to deny any knowledge of the spying. The no-knowledge story first leaked to The Wall Street Journal and soon after to CNN. But since then, the White House has gone silent, and Spokesman Jay Carney has refused to answer questions.
When asked about it on Fusion TV, Obama played lawyer, saying, “I’m not here to talk about classified information. What I am confirming is the fact that we’re undergoing a complete review of how our intelligence operates outside of the country.”
Then Senator Diane Feinstein, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, repeated the denial. She definitively stated that President Obama didn’t know America was spying on its allies – and she added her own intelligence committee to the list of the uninformed.
Furious Kickback
As you can imagine, the backlash from the very powerful and permanent intelligence class has been brutal. They’re furious with the dissembler-in-chief, and they’ve been spinning the story that Obama did know, but is fibbing to protect himself.
The Los Angeles Times is reporting, “Professional staff members at the National Security Agency and other U.S. intelligence agencies are angry, these officials say, believing the president has cast them adrift as he tries to distance himself from the disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden that have strained ties with close allies.”
And Republicans want in on the action. “Obviously, we’re going to want to know exactly what the president knew and when he knew it,” John McCain told the media. “We have always eavesdropped on people around the world. But the advance of technology has given us enormous capabilities, and I think you might make an argument that some of this capability has been very offensive both to us and to our allies.”
A Change in the Air
I urge you: Don’t be naïve and think the NSA is some rogue agency that didn’t tell Obama or Congress what it was doing. I’m sure everyone involved enjoyed the secrets until they were finally exposed. And to be fair, some of the secrets we garnered may have even kept us more secure. But, the spying is unconstitutional and too invasive to continue.
There’s no way around it… The way the NSA does business is about to change. The public outcry has been so loud that Republicans and Democrats are coming together to sponsor what has been dubbed the “USA Freedom Act.”
It’s authored by liberal Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Rep. James Sensenbrenner Jr., a conservative from Wisconsin famous for being the original author of the USA Patriot Act in 2001. There are more than 70 co-sponsors in the House.
The bill will stop the NSA’s bulk collection of U.S. phone records and install barriers that prevent the NSA from collecting the communications of Americans. It will require the government to delete unintentionally collected information and will also create a special advocate’s office tasked with strengthening safeguards for all the collected data.
The NSA finds itself in a tough spot. It will be nearly impossible for the organization to keep its current powers, particularly since Capitol Hill supporters are suddenly nowhere to be found. Between international outrage and public outcry, it seems change is inevitable.
Your eyes on the Hill,
Floyd Brown

Why Do They Spy on Us and Not The Terrorists?

Published Wed, Jun 12th, 2013   Floyd Brown, Chief Political Analyst

In less than a week since it became public, the Obama administration’s NSA spying scandal has progressed far beyond the accumulation of Verizon (VZ)’s phone records.
We now know the NSA and its friends at Eric Holder’s Department of Justice are also utilizing Google (GOOG), Facebook (FB), Yahoo! (YHOO) and almost every other large tech firm to spy on us.
Of all the recent scandals, the NSA spying scandal is particularly frightening. Between our phone records, emails, text messages and our whereabouts – which are provided courtesy of our cellphones – the government has admitted to knowing all our secrets.
Now, the justification for granting the regime this unconstitutional spying power is based on the idea that the snooping makes us safer. But does it really make us more secure? Ben Franklin said, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Broadly speaking, Americans agree that politicos are slippery folk. So why would we trust them with such untold power? The record shows that, up to now, Obama and his team aren’t worthy of unlimited access to our most personal and intimate information.
Our Fears Are Justified
Based on their statements and actions, America’s leaders believe we‘re all potential threats to the Federal government. And now Obama is learning that trust (or a lack of trust) is a two-way street.
You see, everything comes down to trust. And the American people have lost theirs in this administration. Following the string of recent scandals, it’s impossible to ignore that there’s a distinct pattern of abuse of power in Obama’s administration. Let’s face it…

• It’s abuse of power when the IRS and other federal agencies are used to target political opponents.
• It’s abuse of power when the DOJ is digging into the phone records of journalists.
• It’s abuse of power when Kathleen Sebelius shakes down the same insurance companies that she regulates to pay for Obamacare.
• It’s abuse of power when the government blames a YouTube video for what happened at the Benghazi compound.
• It’s abuse of power to order the summary execution of an American citizen without a trial via drone strike… even if the execution takes place in Yemen, or some other far-off land.

So here’s the bottom line… why would we trust the Obama administration to not abuse the NSA’s spying powers, too?
The Sad Truth
All this spying on innocent Americans didn’t collar the Tsarnaev brothers ahead of the Boston Marathon bombing. And it’s clear they made abundant use of smartphones and the internet. Heck, we even had a warning from Russian security officials that the older Tsarnaev brother was a threat, and we couldn’t catch them.
The spying on innocent Americans didn’t collar Major Nidal Hasan before he massacred soldiers at Fort Hood, and he regularly surfed to jihadi websites.
Instead of focusing on the real problem characters, the Obama administration wants to know who you and I talk to. As Senator Diane Feinstein, who was supposed to be providing congressional oversight, stated this last week, the authorities need this information in case someone might become a terrorist in the future.
But only the most compliant of citizen sheep would believe Obama and his team won’t abuse this spying power.
Let’s hope Congress will have the fortitude to put this frightening episode of domestic spying in the history books and make clear the government only has the power to collect data on suspects of a crime.
Your eyes on the Hill,

Floyd Brown