Month: August 2014

Stop Sexual Assault in the Military

Originally published on August 1, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Goal: Reform the military’s broken system of punishing sexual assault victims for reporting heinous crimes

Sexual assault victims within the military are speaking out against the abusive treatment they have received immediately after reporting their rape. Many of their attackers receive light sentences or honorable discharges without a criminal record of the offense. Victims also accuse superior officers of interfering with investigations in order to lower their sexual assault statistics.

The military’s chain of command has failed to implement congressional and statutory mandates designed to reduce sexual assault. After reporting the assault, many victims receive verbal abuse and further unwanted sexual advances. Their attackers are often convicted for adultery instead of rape.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Liberia Closes Borders as 3rd American is Infected with Ebola

Originally published on July 31, 2014, at NationofChange.org

In a desperate attempt to reduce the spread of Ebola, Liberia has closed its borders, declared public gatherings illegal, and placed entire communities under quarantine. While the death toll escalates across West Africa, an increasing number of medical workers have also contracted the highly contagious virus including 2 Americans. A third American died of the disease in Nigeria last week.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has closed all but 3 of her country’s borders to halt the outbreak from spreading to other countries. Border crossings into Guinea and Sierra Leone remain open. The first reports of the West Africa Ebola outbreak appeared in Guinea back in February before spreading to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Guinea’s neighbor, Senegal immediately closed its land border to protect its people from the contagion.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Save Critically Endangered Amur Leopards

Originally published on July 28, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Vladimir Putin, President of Russia; Xi Jinping, President of China

Goal: Stop the poaching and logging practices that are driving Amur leopards into extinction

Only a couple dozen Amur leopards survive in the wildernesses of China and Russia. Illegal poaching and forest logging are threatening to kill the last remaining Amur leopards. Without help from the Chinese and Russian governments, these rare and beautiful creatures will rapidly become extinct.

Poachers primarily hunt Amur leopards for their spotted pelts. They also poach animals that the leopards need to hunt as prey. By killing off their food supply, the Amur leopards will eventually starve to death.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

NSA Colluding with Abusive Saudi Arabian Secret Police

Originally published on July 27, 2014, at NationofChange.org

While the U.S. State Department denounces human rights abuse in Saudi Arabia, the NSA is secretly helping the oppressive state police to capture and torture political activists. A 2013 NSA memo exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden reveals the NSA has been providing surveillance assistance to the Saudi Ministry of Interior (MOI) in exchange for signals intelligence on terrorists and “Maritime Force targets of mutual interest.”

According to the NSA memo, relations between the US and Saudi intelligence communities had become strained after the first Gulf War in 1991. The NSA experienced years of stagnation while attempting to work with the Saudi Ministry of Defense, Radio Reconnaissance Department. But in December 2012, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper authorized sharing SIGINT with MOI’s Technical Affairs Directorate.

Influenced by the CIA’s successful relationship with the MOI’s General Directorate for Investigations, Mabahith (equivalent to the FBI), Clapper strengthened the NSA’s faltering relations with the Saudi state police. By providing technical assistance and decryption tools to the MOI, Clapper gave the Saudi government the ability to improve their surveillance systems and spyware against political dissidents, bloggers, and human rights activists.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment