Snowden keynote speaker at NH Liberty Forum

Edward Snowden To Appear At New Hampshire Convention: NSA Whistleblower To Be Keynote Speaker Via Video Link - Aaron Homer, Inquisitr:

December 21, 2015 - "Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower who exposed the government’s bulk phone data collection and other surveillance practices, will be the keynote speaker at a New Hampshire convention of libertarians, The Valley News is reporting.

"Snowden will speak to the New Hampshire Liberty Forum via a video conference from Russia, where he’s been granted political asylum while he faces federal charges here in the United States. The New Hampshire Liberty Forum is an annual conference held in Manchester, New Hampshire (population: 109,000). The 2016 Liberty Forum will take place February 18-21."

"The Liberty Forum is sponsored by the Free State Project, a political advocacy group with the stated goal of moving 20,000 libertarians – or, as the Free State Project describes their audience, 'liberty lovers' – to New Hampshire. Once there, the 'liberty lovers' can affect change through local activism and, if they chose, through voting. The movement is not officially associated with the Libertarian Party, although the Free State Project is founded on libertarian ideals, such as smaller government and individual rights....

"[T]he Free State Project has been courting Snowden for a convention appearance for some time, but wasn’t able to make it happen until this year. They got help from other privacy activists, including Thomas Drake, another NSA whistleblower.

"Edward Snowden became a household name in June 2013, when the self-described “computer wizard,” at the time working for National Security Agency (NSA) subcontractor Booz Hamilton, illegally copied and then released tens of thousands of pages of classified information to journalist Glenn Greenwald, who then released them to the public.

"Snowden’s files revealed surveillance systems within both the United States (via the NSA) and Europe (via the British government’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)) that, among other activities, collected bulk so-called “metadata” on Americans’ telephone communications records, as well as some of their internet activities. Those data collection programs were carried out without warrants, in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

"After releasing his files, Snowden was charged with espionage, theft of government property, and similar charges, He fled the country, eventually making his way to Moscow, where he was granted asylum and where he remains to this day....

"Snowden will host a 30-minute presentation and Q & A session at the Liberty Forum convention."

Read more: http://www.inquisitr.com/2649633/edward-snowden-to-appear-at-new-hampshire-convention-nsa-whistleblower-to-be-keynote-speaker-via-video-link/
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Documents shed new light on origin of ISIS

ISIS, Al Qaeda And The CIA: The Documented Connection | Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden:

December 17, 2015 - "The Middle East is fertile ground for conspiracy theories, and one growing to towering heights these days says the US created the Islamic State.  But while the US may well have aided ISIS in its formative days with covert supplies of weapons and CIA funding (directly or indirectly, via Turkey leading political families) the one nation most responsible for iteration after iteration of 'terrorist organizations' is Saudi Arabia which 'created' not only the Islamic State, but al-Qaeda, al-Nusra, and many other Sunni Jihadist groups.

"The US has long been aware of this, of course, and it has provided material support to some of them in the distant past, for example to the Taliban in the war against Russia. But the more reasonable among us have questioned recent claims that the US intentionally created the Islamic State, a group of the same lineage as the Saudi terrorists responsible for 9/11....

"Thanks to the resurrection of 'J Pierpont Morgan', these doubts and questions are no longer reasonable.... Yesterday ['Morgan'] tweeted three public source documents that conclusively show a Senior CIA Spy - a major figure in operations from South America to the Middle East - is lobbying the US Government to destroy Iraq and formally create an independent Sunnistan on behalf of a Sunni terrorist.

"That terrorist joined the Iraq insurgency in 2004 under the Al-Qaeda Iraq banner, and was given hundreds of millions of dollars by the CIA and CENTCOM to defect, joining the US-led coalition in the now famous 'Surge.' Known as H.E. Shaykh Abdalrazzaq Hatem al-Sulayman, this self-described prince is the head of a 4 million strong (mostly Sunni) tribe in Anbar, and lived the high life on US taxpayer money - that is until Obama declared AQ and AQI dead, bolted from Iraq and pivoted toward Asia....

"His Eminence [then] created an insurgency called The Anbar Tribes Revolutionary Council in 2013, and solicited funds from Sunni Monarchs and individuals throughout the GCC [Gulf Co-operation Council]. The goal: destroy Baghdad and restore the Sunni to power in Iraq. His allies: the Ba’ath and ISIS.

"In late 2014 Sulayman connected with Jonathan Greenhill, 'former' Senior Operations Officer at the CIA who set up shop in DC as a lobbyist. Makes sense. CIA Spy since the early 1980s, probably living oversees under non-official-cover, comes home to lobby Congress. Anyway, Mr. Greenhill incorporated the Greenhill Group, and Sulayman retained him....

"[O]ne of the most important spies in the CIA, one with a major role in the Near East (probably Iraq), definitely was retained as a lobbyist by Sulayman. And Sulayman retained him to 'create an autonomous Sunni region in Iraq or an independent Sunni State.' In other words, destroy Iraq by formally creating and recognizing Sunni-Jihadi-stan. Or a safe-zone for Sunni terrorists. Or what it actually is, a caliphate."

Read more: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-12-17/missing-link-islamic-state-iraq-and-now-documented-cia-connection
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GOP sells out on omnibus spending bill

Articles: RIP Republican Party - Brian C. Joondeph, The American Thinker:

December 19, 2015 - "If there was any question about the relevance of the Republican Party, this week’s budget deal removes all doubt. The Republican Party might as well close up shop and merge with the Democrats. Not as a merger of equals, but more of a capitulation, a surrender, a sellout. There is no need for two parties in Washington DC as only one party is relevant in terms of advancing an agenda. The irony is that the agenda driving party is in the minority and despite losing badly in two midterm elections, the Democrats are still running Congress.

"Another 2000-plus page bill passed by Congress with little transparency or discussion. You mean ObamaCare? No: Paul Ryan’s $1.1 trillion spending bill, his first major legislative 'achievement' as House Speaker.

"The deal suspends the debt limit until 2017, well after the presidential election, effectively taking unsustainable debt off the table as a campaign issue. Obama doubled the national debt? So what? Republicans are helping him. Don’t worry though, the spending cuts will take place in 2025....

"What has this latest budget deal done to thwart the Obama agenda? Very little. The omnibus bill fully funds Obama’s executive amnesty program. Sanctuary cities are funded.... The student and fiancée visa programs are funded, along with green card and other refugee programs.... Illegal aliens coming across the southern border? Ryan’s bill funds their resettlement.... Illegals even have their tax credits funded by Ryan’s bill.... Any funds allocated to complete the southern border fence promised in 2006? No. Somehow Congress ran out of money for that. But not for a tall security fence around Paul Ryan’s own home....

"Planned Parenthood is fully funded.... No funding cuts to ObamaCare either, kicking down the road some of the onerous ObamaCare taxes. Even Obama’s global warming climate change bill receives funding without any restriction.

"Instead of opposition to the Obama/Democrat agenda, Republicans have not only surrendered, but are also advancing this agenda.... Impeachment is off the table. So is Republicans' 'power of the purse' because the leadership has ruled out any government shutdown....

"Republican establishment types wonder why Donald Trump is leading in the polls.... The smart set at Fox News can’t understand why 'we the people' aren’t flocking to Jeb or Marco, and instead supporting racist/fascist Donald Trump or Ted Cruz.

"These two may be the last and only hope of maintaining a two-party system. If the establishment manages to destroy Trump and Cruz, then it’s lights out for the Republican party. The base will stay home and the Founding Fathers will roll over in their graves. As for any future support for the GOP, my answer be a Mrs. Clinton refrain, 'What difference does it make?' The Republican Party will be six feet under and we will have one-party rule in Washington, DC."

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/12/rip_republican_party_.html
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U.S. LP reaching out to Muslim Republicans

Inside the Beltway: Libertarian Party woos Muslim Republicans - Washington Times - Jennifer Harper:

December 15, 2015 - "The Libertarian Party is out to win over some new fans, fueled by Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that Muslims be temporarily banned from immigrating to the U.S.

"'Republicans like to talk a good game about our Constitution, but clearly, many are making an exception when it comes to religious liberty,' Libertarian National Committee Chairman Nicholas Sarwark said in an open letter to Muslims who identify as Republicans. 'If you have not previously considered the Libertarian Party, I encourage you to do so now. We are an extremely diverse group of people who are passionate about liberty — about all rights, of all people, all the time.'

"Mr. Sarwark said libertarians will stand by Muslims, concluding, 'Friend, if you find that the Republican Party continues to disparage you, please consider a home in the Libertarian Party where we respect all rights, of all people, all the time'....

"While Muslim voters may be a small portion of the American population, they are concentrated in some of the states that could play a decisive role in 2016, including Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Those states can be decided by razor-thin margins. 'At that point, every constituency matters,' noted reporter Clark Mindock in a recent International Business Times analysis."

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/dec/15/inside-the-beltway-libertarian-party-woos-muslim-r/
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1.5M Muslims back fatwa against ISIS terrorism

70,000 clerics issue fatwa against terrorism, 15 lakh Muslims support it - Times of India - Priyangi Agwaral:

December 9, 2015 - "On the last day of Urs-e-Razvi of Dargah Aala Hazrat [the annual memorial festival for Ahmed Raza Khan (1856-1921), held at his tomb / shrine in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India - ed.],  nearly 70,000 clerics came together and passed a fatwa against terrorist organizations, including IS, Taliban and al-Qaida. These are 'not Islamic organizations,' the clerics said to a sea of followers, adding that the members of these outfits were 'not Muslims'. Around 15 lakh [1.5 million - ed.] followers who visited the Urs put their signatures to a document circulated at the Urs, protesting terrorist strikes.

"Mufti Mohammed Saleem Noori, one of the clerics who passed the fatwa told TOI on Tuesday, 'From Sunday onwards, when the annual Urs began, members of Dargah Aala Hazrat have been distributing forms among followers seeking signatures to show that those signing stand against terrorism. Nearly 15 lakh Muslims have recorded their protest. Around 70,000 clerics from across the world, who were part of the event, passed the fatwa'....

"Hazrat Subhan Raza Khan, chairperson of the influential Dargah Aala Hazrat, said that following the Paris attacks, it was decided that a fatwa should be passed at the Urs this year, so the message went out loud and clear that the Muslim community condemns terrorism.

"'It is written in the Quran that killing one innocent person is equivalent to killing all humanity,' said Mohammed Ehsan Raza Khan, Sajjadanasheen (hereditary head) of [Khan's] shrine.

"Mohammad Farogh-ul Quadri, secretary-general, World Islamic Mission, UK, said, 'I condemn the barbaric terrorist attack in Paris on innocent civilians and call for an international ban on the radical extremist IS and its counterparts with different names across the world'....

"Clerics also opposed the move by France and other countries to bomb Syria, saying innocent people, including women and children, have died in such strikes. They said the powerful western nations should focus on stopping terrorists, but not at the cost of taking the lives of innocent people.

"Dargah Aala Hazrat has been campaigning against terrorism for the last one year. On Eid this year, clerics here announced that if a man involved in terrorism is killed, 'namaz-e-janaza' would not be read during his funeral services. This prayer is an important part of the last rites in Islam."

Read more; http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/70000-clerics-issue-fatwa-against-terrorism-15-lakh-Muslims-support-it/articleshow/50100656.cms
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Paul confronts warmongering in 5th GOP debate

How Rand Paul Proved His Usefulness | New Republic - Jamil Smith:

"While the other Republicans spent debate night measuring their manhood, the senator from Kentucky provided the lone voice of reason."

December 16, 2015 - "Rand Paul should not have been on the Las Vegas stage Tuesday night for the fifth Republican presidential debate.... But  ... it is inarguable the senator from Kentucky emerged as a key figure during the debate....

"Nearly all the GOP candidates and CNN moderator Wolf Blitzer discussed on Tuesday night was the kind of terrorism associated with radicals espousing Islam. But that gave Paul a chance to shine during the discussions about military force and surveillance — which, not coincidentally, are virtually the only policy areas where he remains an actual libertarian. Paul stood out in a debate lacking in viable ideas for avoiding another endless cycle of war and the continued infringement of personal liberty.

"After warning that regime change in Syria would only exacerbate the challenge presented by ISIS, Paul confronted the reckless and alarming suggestions Republican frontrunner Donald Trump made earlier in the debate that bombing the families of terrorists and closing parts of the Internet might be necessary to alleviate the terrorist threat. 'That entails getting rid of the First Amendment, okay? No small feat,' Paul said. 'If you are going to kill the families of terrorists, realize that there’s something called the Geneva Convention we’re going to have to pull out of. It would defy every norm that is America.'

"He called out [Marco] Rubio for supporting increased surveillance by law enforcement — an issue that Rubio was using to paint Ted Cruz as insufficiently tough on terror. But the exchange Paul had with fellow also-ran candidate Chris Christie about Russian planes was a pivotal moment in the debate....

"In an October interview with The Washington Post, Paul had deemed the idea of a no-fly zone over Syria a terrible one.... On Tuesday night, Blitzer asked Christie whether he would shoot down Russian aircraft if one or more encroached over such a no-fly zone. 'Not only would I be prepared to do it, I would do it. A no-fly zone means a no-fly zone, Wolf. That’s what it means'.... Christie added, ... 'Yes, we would shoot down the planes of Russian pilots if in fact they were stupid enough to think that this president was the same feckless weakling that the president we have in the Oval Office is right now'....

"'Well, I think if you’re in favor of World War III, you have your candidate,' Paul said, earning applause. 'My goodness, what we want in a leader is someone with judgment, not someone who is so reckless as to stand on the stage and say, "Yes, I’m jumping up and down; I’m going to shoot down Russian planes." Russia already flies in that airspace. It may not be something we’re in love with, the fact that they’re there, but they were invited by Iraq and by Syria to fly in that airspace.' Paul added that Hillary Clinton also supports a Syria no-fly zone — she called for one in October — but he circled back to criticizing the kind of leadership that GOP candidates like Christie are demonstrating during this long job interview process.

"'We need to confront Russia from a position of strength, but we don’t need to confront Russia from a point of recklessness that would lead to war,' Paul said, before dropping a zinger about the Bridgegate scandal. 'I mean, I think when we think about the judgment of someone who might want World War III, we might think about someone who might shut down a bridge because they don’t like their friends.' Christie shrugged off the dis, but the damage was done.

"I don’t want Rand Paul anywhere near the White House, except perhaps to visit the next Democratic president.... But his presence in the race is serving a key purpose.... Republican candidates, Donald Trump and Christie in particular, have a politics fed by the tough-guy act that their passionate audiences crave, without betraying any understanding of the consequences of unfettered warmongering.... Trump and others in the field are proving that you just need to talk bold to win conservative hearts; it’s irrelevant how many people you talk about casually spying on or murdering to pacify overblown fears of terrorist attacks here in the United States.

"Polling as low as he is, Paul may not prove to be an antidote to all this talk. But it was still heartening to see him — to see someone — inject some sensibility into a debate that seemed more a measurement of manhood than of presidential qualifications."

Read more: https://newrepublic.com/article/125967/rand-paul-proved-usefulness
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New York City's unscientific war on salt

Salt is New York City’s new public-health enemy - MarketWatch - Marie LaMagna:

December 2, 2015 - "Starting on Dec. 1, diners in New York City are seeing a new symbol on menus ... a salt shaker inside a black triangle — next to individual menu items that contain more than the total daily recommended limit of sodium, which is 2,300 milligrams, or about one teaspoon.

"The new labeling applies to restaurants with 15 or more locations nationwide and was passed unanimously by the New York City Board of Health on Sept. 9. About 10% of menu items in these restaurants will require the salt-shaker labeling, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Restaurants that don’t comply with the new policy will start to be penalized starting March 1, 2016.

"Jim O’Hara, the director of health-promotion policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based nonprofit and consumer advocacy group, said he is hopeful the labeling will lead to a reduced-sodium diet for those purchasing food in New York. 'We’re encouraging health departments from Boston to San Francisco and everywhere in between to follow New York City’s lead, he said."

Read more: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-york-city-targets-a-new-health-enemy-salt-2015-12-01
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It's Time to End the War on Salt - Scientific American - Melinda Wenner Moyer:

July 8. 2011 - "For decades, policy makers have tried and failed to get Americans to eat less salt.... But if the U.S. does conquer salt, what will we gain?...

"[A] meta-analysis of seven studies involving a total of 6,250 subjects in the American Journal of Hypertension found no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk for heart attacks, strokes or death in people with normal or high blood pressure. In May European researchers publishing in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that the less sodium that study subjects excreted in their urine — an excellent measure of prior consumption — the greater their risk was of dying from heart disease. These findings call into question the common wisdom that excess salt is bad for you, but the evidence linking salt to heart disease has always been tenuous....

"Intersalt, a large study published in 1988, compared sodium intake with blood pressure in subjects from 52 international research centers and found no relationship between sodium intake and the prevalence of hypertension. In fact, the population that ate the most salt, about 14 grams a day, had a lower median blood pressure than the population that ate the least, about 7.2 grams a day. In 2004 the Cochrane Collaboration, an international, independent, not-for-profit health care research organization funded in part by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, published a review of 11 salt-reduction trials....  The review concluded that 'intensive interventions, unsuited to primary care or population prevention programs, provide only minimal reductions in blood pressure during long-term trials.' A 2003 Cochrane review of 57 shorter-term trials similarly concluded that 'there is little evidence for long-term benefit from reducing salt intake.'

"Studies that have explored the direct relationship between salt and heart disease have not fared much better. Among them, a 2006 American Journal of Medicine study compared the reported daily sodium intakes of 78 million Americans to their risk of dying from heart disease over the course of 14 years. It found that the more sodium people ate, the less likely they were to die from heart disease. And a 2007 study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology followed 1,500 older people for five years and found no association between urinary sodium levels and the risk of coronary vascular disease or death. For every study that suggests that salt is unhealthy, another does not."

Read more: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/ 'via Blog this'