Author: andrewemett

US General Killed in Afghan Insider Attack

Originally published on August 8, 2014, at NationofChange.org

During a routine inspection at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul, a lone gunman killed an American two-star general and wounded at least 15 other coalition troops. Hiding in the bathroom with his NATO-issued assault rifle, Mohammad Rafiqullah waited until the delegation came into sight before indiscriminately firing through a window.

Deputy commanding general of the Combined Security Transition Command—Afghanistan (CSTC-A), Maj. Gen. Harold Greene was responsible for advising and training the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). While routinely visiting the Afghanistan National Military Academy, Greene had been shot three times in the back and one to the back of the head. A German one-star general named Brig. Gen. Michael Bartscher and Gen. Ghulam Sakhi, the Afghan officer running the university, were among the wounded in the attack.

Assigned to the military police, 27-year-old Mohammad Rafiqullah had joined the academy over two years ago. After returning from a patrol on Tuesday, Rafiqullah went to the bathroom instead of returning his NATO-issued assault rifle. With no known motivation, Rafiqullah hid inside the bathroom until the coalition forces came into view. He emptied two clips into the delegation before International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops returned fire, shooting him twice in the face.

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Stop Cruel Primate Testing and Experiments

Originally published on August 6, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Goal: Ban the horrific methods used to test chimpanzees and other primates

Because chimpanzees are 99% genetically compatible to humans, scientists in the United States use them as experiments in traumatic and extremely invasive tests. Many of the chimps are mistreated physically and psychologically in order to compare their reactions to ours, but the majority of tested primates end up traumatized, debilitated, or dead. Do not allow brutal lab tests to continue against innocent chimps in America.

Since scientists are not allowed to perform experiments on living human brains, they capture primates in the wild and conduct invasive procedures on their brains. By cutting open the skull and applying electric currents to different parts of the brain, scientists have induced various physical reactions and emotional responses from primates. Unnecessary brain surgery on chimps is equivalent to animal cruelty and must be stopped immediately.

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LinkedIn Pays Nearly $6 Million in Labor Violations and Damages

Originally published on August 6, 2014, at NationofChange.org

In violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, LinkedIn Corp. has paid $3,346,195 in back wages and $2,509,646 in damages to 359 former and current employees. An investigation led by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division exposed LinkedIn’s failure to record, account, and pay all hours worked including overtime wages. LinkedIn agreed to pay the back wages and liquidated damages in order to prevent repeat violations.

“Off-the-clock hours are all too common for the American worker. This practice harms workers, denies them the wages they have rightfully earned, and takes away time with families,” said Susana Blanco, district director for the Wage and Hour Division in San Francisco. “The department is committed to protecting the rights of workers and leveling the playing field for all law-abiding employers.”

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Stop the Poaching of Critically Endangered Pangolins

Originally published on August 4, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Xi Jinping, President of China, and Truong Tan Sang, President of Vietnam

Goal: End the illegal poaching of critically endangered pangolins for their scales and meat

Poachers continue to illegally hunt pangolins even though they have been listed as a critically endangered species. As the world’s only mammal with scales, the pangolin’s meat and scales can be found on the black market. In Vietnam and China, pangolin meat is sold as an expensive delicacy in restaurants and as an ingredient in Asian medicine.

Placed on the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, pangolins could face extinction if this rampant poaching continues. As pangolin populations steadily decrease throughout Southeast Asia, illegal poaching has spread to Africa to meet China and Vietnam’s demand for the rare animal.

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Protect Children from Escalating Sexual Abuse

Originally published on August 4, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

Goal: Stop the rampant child sexual abuse and rape that is taking place in India

In the midst of India’s horrendous rape crisis, sexual abuse against children is rapidly spreading throughout the country. Although India’s government wrote into law the 2012 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, local authorities have been extremely lax in enforcing its provisions. Preferring to ignore the issue, the authorities have exposed these children to increasing acts of rape, torture, and murder.

Recently, an Indian teacher was arrested for raping a 6-year-old student. The school had failed to verify a background check on the accused teacher, who had been fired from another school for inappropriately touching his female students. The school’s chairman was arrested for attempting to destroy evidence, while two of the police officers who mocked the victim’s parents were transferred to another district.

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CIA Director Caught Lying and Hacking Senate Computers

Originally published on August 3, 2014, at NationofChange.org

U.S. Senators are calling for the resignation of CIA Director John Brennan after the Inspector General reported the CIA hacked computers belonging to members of the Senate Intelligence Committee. After hacking into classified files regarding their Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation (RDI) program, CIA Director Brennan denied his agents committed the cyber attack while accusing the Senate Intelligence Committee of breaching CIA firewalls.

In 2009, former CIA Director Leon Panetta authorized access to millions of documents to the intelligence committee’s chairwoman, Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Documenting the RDI program between the years 2001—2006, the reports gave a damning account of kidnapping, torture, and murder committed by CIA operatives. At the same time, Panetta ordered the CIA to conduct its own investigation into the documents, now referred to as the Panetta Review.

The documents reveal CIA officials had lied to intelligence committees regarding the effectiveness of using enhanced interrogation techniques to extract valuable information. CIA operatives and contractors had exceeded their authority in numerous instances by torturing detainees to death.

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Repair Failing Water Infrastructure

Originally published on August 2, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: United States Senate

Goal: Repair the U.S. water infrastructure before the rapidly deteriorating pipes cause a catastrophe

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, approximately 240,000 water main breaks occur each year across the United States. With our pipes growing too old and not being replaced, broken water mains have been responsible for numerous mudslides, floods, and droughts. Engineers believe the number of broken water mains will only increase with each year until we improve our rapidly deteriorating system.

With most of California’s reservoirs less than half full, the state cannot afford to lose any more water. The increasing risk of broken water mains places states like California on the precarious edge of a drought. Failing pipes have caused mudslides in California, sinkholes in Florida, and multiple floods across the U.S.

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Six Cops Arrested for Corruption in Philadelphia

Originally published on August 2, 2014, at NationofChange.org

The FBI arrested 6 Philadelphia narcotics officers on charges of extortion, racketeering, kidnapping, conspiracy, robbery, and drug dealing. The indictment includes over 20 separate incidents in which the narcotics unit broke the law. Abusing their authority, these police officers allegedly beat suspects, falsified reports, and stole over $500,000 worth of cash, drugs, and merchandise.

The 6 accused officers, Thomas Liciardello, Perry Betts, Michael Spicer, Brian Reynolds, John Speiser, and Linwood Norman, came under investigation after the FBI arrested Philadelphia narcotics officer Jeffrey Walker in May 2013. Officer Walker asked a confidential informant to help him rip off a drug dealer. Instead, the informant tipped off the FBI and participated in the sting against Walker.

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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.

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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.

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