Man With Concealed Carry Saved Many Lives at Barber Shop

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PoliceePolice say a man likely saved the lives of several people when he shot and killed a gunman inside a West Philadelphia barbershop.

A 40-year-old man was inside Falah Barber Shop Inc. on the 600 block of Preston Street shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday when police say he began fighting with another person inside.

“They were arguing,” said 16-year-old Yusaf Mack who was a customer inside the shop at the time. “They were taking it too far and one of the barbers said, ‘chill out.'”

The fight quickly escalated and the 40-year-old man took out his gun and opened fire on customers and barbers, police said . . .

As he was shooting, another man outside heard the gunfire, ran into the shop and took out his own gun, according to investigators. He then opened fire, striking the 40-year-old man once in the chest. (Read more from “Man With Concealed Carry Possibly Saved Many Lives at Barber Shop” HERE)

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Now Booted Out of Yemen, U.S. Is Hobbled in Terror Fight

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US YemenBy Eric Schmitt. The evacuation of 125 United States Special Operations advisers from Yemen in the past two days is the latest blow to the Obama administration’s counterterrorism campaign, which is already struggling with significant setbacks in Syria, Libya and elsewhere in the volatile region, American officials said Sunday.

The loss of Yemen as a base for American counterterrorism training, advising and intelligence-gathering carries major implications not just there, but throughout a region that officials say poses the most grievous threat to United States global interests and to the country itself.

The rapid rise of the Islamic State has commanded the immediate attention of President Obama and other Western leaders in the past year. But American officials say that Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, which includes the most potent bomb maker in the terrorist world, still poses the most direct threat to Americans at home, abroad or aboard commercial aircraft. Since 2009, the United States has thwarted at least three plots by the group to bring down airliners.

Even after the withdrawal of American troops, the Central Intelligence Agency will still maintain some covert Yemeni agents in the country. Armed drones will carry out some airstrikes from bases in nearby Saudi Arabia or Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, as was done most recently on Feb. 20. Spy satellites will still lurk overhead and eavesdropping planes will try to suck up electronic communications.

But the loss of American personnel on the ground makes any counterterrorism mission far more difficult. (Read more from “Out of Yemen, U.S. Is Hobbled in Terror Fight” HERE)


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Yemen Rebel Leader Vows to Take Fight to Embattled President

By Jane Onyanga-Omara. Yemen’s Shiite rebel leader escalated his attack Sunday against the country’s embattled President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi, calling him a “puppet” of the United States and regional powers.

Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the rebel leader backed by supporters of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, vowed to send fighters into the southern part of the country where Hadi has taken refuge against the rebels, the Associated Press reported.

Al-Houthi said the move is aimed at fighting al-Qaeda and other militant groups, as well as forces loyal to Hadi in the south.

His one-hour fiery speech came hours after his militia seized the country’s third largest city of Taiz, an important station in its advance. He called Hadi a “puppet” to international and regional powers who want to “import the Libyan model” to Yemen. He named the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as conspirators against Yemen. (Read more from this story HERE)

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In Clinton Emails on Benghazi, a Rare Glimpse at Her Concerns

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Clinton AdressingIt was a grueling hearing. A month after the September 2012 attack on the United States diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, House Republicans grilled a top State Department official about security lapses at the outpost.

Later that day, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tapped out an email to a close adviser: “Did we survive the day?” she wrote.

“Survive, yes,” the adviser emailed back, adding that he would continue to gauge reaction the next morning.

The roughly 300 emails from Mrs. Clinton’s private account that were turned over last month to a House committee investigating the attack showed the secretary and her aides closely monitoring the fallout from the tragedy, which threatened to damage her image and reflect poorly on the State Department.

They provided no evidence that Mrs. Clinton, as the most incendiary Republican attacks have suggested, issued a “stand down” order to halt American forces responding to the violence in Benghazi, or took part in a broad cover-up of the administration’s response, according to senior American officials. (Read more from “In Clinton Emails on Benghazi, a Rare Glimpse at Her Concerns” HERE)

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Increasingly Aggressive Russia Threatens to Aim Nuclear Missiles at Denmark Ships

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Photo Credit: Reuters

Photo Credit: Reuters

By Reuters. Russia threatened to aim nuclear missiles at Danish warships if Denmark joins NATO’s missile defense system, in comments Copenhagen called unacceptable and NATO said would not contribute to peace.

Denmark said in August it would contribute radar capacity on some of its warships to the missile shield, which the Western alliance says is designed to protect members from missile launches from countries like Iran.

Moscow opposes the system, arguing that it could reduce the effectiveness of its own nuclear arsenal, leading to a new Cold War-style arms race.

In an interview in the newspaper Jyllands-Posten, the Russian ambassador to Denmark, Mikhail Vanin, said he did not think Danes fully understood the consequences of joining the program . . .

Tensions between Moscow and the West have grown since the imposition of economic sanctions on Russia over a pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine. NATO has recorded increased activity by the Russian navy and air force in the Nordic region. (Read more from “Russia Threatens to Aim Nuclear Missiles at Denmark Ships If It Joins NATO Shield” HERE)


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EU Pledges to Extend Russian Sanctions, Vote to Come Later

By James G. Neuger and Daryna Krasnolutska. The European Union pledged Friday to prolong sanctions against Russia, pressuring President Vladimir Putin to support a cease-fire in Ukraine that’s straining under violation complaints from both sides.

The commitment to extend the penalties until year-end stopped short of the actual approval sought by hard liners in eastern Europe and left open the possibility that the trade and investment curbs might not be renewed when they expire in July. It followed a call from Ukraine and Germany for new talks on the Feb. 12 cease-fire signed in Minsk, Belarus after Russia accused its neighbor of putting the deal at risk.

“There will be an assessment in June,” French President Francois Hollande told reporters early Friday after the first session of an EU summit in Brussels. “We decided not to rush. We decided not to prejudge.” (Read more from this story HERE)

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Several Military Service Members on Purported ISIS ‘Hit List’ Unfazed by Threat

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Photo Credit: ABC News

Photo Credit: ABC News

Several of the military service members whose personal information appears on a purported ISIS “hit list” said today they are unfazed by the online threat, as military officials continued the process of notifying individuals named on the list.

The personal information of 100 service members was posted on a website by a previously unknown group calling itself the “Islamic State Hacking Division” that urged “lone wolf” sympathizers to kill those named on the list . . .

“I wouldn’t say I’m scared,” said one of the service members. “It’s just part of this ‘new war’ against an enemy with a different, more developed capability than what we’ve faced in the past. We have to make the adjustments in order to continue to win the battles.”

A defense official told ABC News it does not appear that the information on the list was gained through a data breach. Instead, the official said it all appears to have come from publicly available information on social media and Internet sites.

Some of the service members acknowledged that information on the Internet can make such a threat possible. (Read more from “Several Military Service Members on Purported ISIS ‘Hit List’ Unfazed by Threat” HERE)

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Nine “Brainwashed” British Medics Enter ISIS Stronghold to Work in Hospitals

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ISBy Marga Zambrana, Hazar Aydemir in Istanbul and Emma Graham-Harrison. Nine young British medical students have travelled illegally to Syria and are believed to be working in hospitals in Islamic State-controlled areas, the Observer can reveal. Their families were mounting a desperate effort on Saturday at the Turkish-Syrian border to persuade them to come home.

The group of four women and five men crossed the border last week, apparently keeping their plans secret from relatives until just before entering Syria, when one woman sent her sister a brief message and a smiling selfie.

“We all assume that they are in Tel Abyad now, which is under Isis control. The conflict out there is fierce, so medical help must be needed,” Turkish opposition politician Mehmet Ali Ediboglu told the Observer, shortly after meeting the families.

Photo Credit: The Guardian

Photo Credit: The Guardian

“They have been cheated, brainwashed. That is what I, and their relatives, think.”

Both he and the students’ parents were convinced that the young medics wanted to work with Isis, Ediboglu said, but they were also certain that the group did not plan to take up arms. “Let’s not forget about the fact that they are doctors; they went there to help, not to fight. So this case is a little bit different.” (Read more from “Nine British Medics Enter Isis Stronghold to Work in Hospitals” HERE)


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Nine British Medics Feared to Have Crossed into Syria

By BBC. The group, all in their late teens or early 20s, had been studying medicine in Sudan.

Some of their relatives, who have travelled to the Turkish-Syrian border, told the BBC they were gravely concerned about their welfare.

The medics are believed to have entered Syria more than a week ago.

They have been named as Ismail Hamadoun, Tamer Ahmed Ebu Sebah, Mohammed Osama Bedir, Hisham Muhammed Fadlallah, Sami Ahmed Khader, Nada Sami Khader, Lena Maumoon Abdul Qadir, Rowan Kamal Zine El Abidine and Tasneem Suleyman Huseyin. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Ted Cruz’s Dad: Pastors Must Teach Their Congregations to hold Government Accountable and stay true to the US Constitution [+video]

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Recently, Pastor Rafael Cruz, the father of Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), was a guest on The Joe Miller Show (KOAN 1080 AM, 95.1 FM) and shared his thoughts on the role that Christian pastors have and should be fulfilling. Specifically, Rev. Cruz maintained that pastors should teach their congregations to hold government accountable and stay true to the US Constitution.

Joe and Pastor Cruz also discussed current events including protection of traditional marriage and the nuclear family, the dangers of Common Core in our schools, and other developments across our nation. Pastor Cruz even offered a sneak peak and prayer request regarding the 2016 Presidential race. Listen to the interview here:

Rafael Cruz is a powerful example of the American Dream. Born in Cuba, Rafael lived and suffered under a cruel, oppressive dictator. He began fighting Batista’s regime as a teenager and was imprisoned and tortured. In 1957 Rafael was able to leave Cuba and arrived in Texas with nothing but the clothes on his back and one hundred dollars hidden on his person. He got a job as a dishwasher, worked his way through the University of Texas, while learning English. Later, he built a small business.

Rafael Cruz became active in conservative politics as a grassroots activist during the 1980 Presidential Campaign of Ronald Reagan. He is an ordained minister, sharing the Word of God in churches and pastors’ conferences throughout the United States. Pastor Cruz has a real gift of teaching and has been concentrating his talents on informing and educating pastors, church leaders, and the public about our civil duty to know, support, and defend US Constitutional rule of law.

When his son Ted was a child growing up in Houston, Rafael would tell him, “When we faced oppression in Cuba, I had a place to flee to. If we lose our freedom here, where do we go?” It was because of his father’s inspiration that Ted Cruz ran and has become a champion for freedom in the US Senate.

Australia a Puzzling Hotbed of Islamic State Recruiting

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PoliciaA nightclub bouncer who reportedly became a terror group leader. A man who tweeted a photo of his young son clutching a severed head. A teenager who is believed to have turned suicide bomber, and others suspected of attempting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State movement. All of them, Australian.

The London-based International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence reports that between 100 and 250 Australians have joined Sunni militants in Iraq and Syria. Given Australia’s vast distance from the region and its population of just 24 million, it is a remarkable number. The center estimates that about 100 fighters came from the United States, which has more than 13 times as many people as Australia.

Experts disagree about why the Islamic State group has been so effective recruiting in Australia, which is widely regarded as a multicultural success story, with an economy in an enviable 24th year of continuous growth.

Possible explanations include that some Australian Muslims are poorly integrated with the rest of the country, and that Islamic State recruiters have given Australia particular attention. In addition, the Australian government failed to keep tabs on some citizens who had been radicalized, and moderate Muslims have been put off by some of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s comments about their community.

Greg Barton, a global terrorism expert at Monash University in Melbourne, said Australia and some other countries underestimated Islamic State’s “pull factor.” (Read more from “Australia a Puzzling Hotbed of Islamic State Recruiting” HERE)

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Search for Missing Alaska Family of 4 Comes to Grim End

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Photo Credit: Chicago Tribune

Photo Credit: Chicago Tribune

A nearly year long search for a missing Alaska family has come to a grim end with the discovery of four bodies, a dead dog and a handgun just off a trail in a rural area near the family’s home.

Authorities said Monday they could not comment on the circumstances surrounding the deaths but there’s no reason to believe anyone else was involved.

Rebecca Adams, 23; her boyfriend, Brandon Jividen, 38; and her children, Michelle Hundley, 6, and Jaracca Hundley, 3, lived on a quiet street on the outskirts of Kenai, a fishing community of 7,100 about 65 miles southwest of Anchorage . . .

At the time, relatives said it appeared the family left without packing. The couple’s two vehicles were parked outside their duplex, and their rent for June had not been paid. The family’s dog — an English springer spaniel named Sparks — also was gone . . .

A gun found with the bodies matched the serial number from a box found in the family’s home, he said. Officers also discovered other items reported missing from the residence, and a dog was found dead at the scene. (Read more from “Search for Missing Alaska Family of 4 Comes to Grim End” HERE)

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Why Worry About UN Troops on US Soil When We’re Already Giving Local Law Enforcement Over to Foreign Mercenaries? [+video]

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police immigrantsBy David Codrea. “Police departments hiring immigrants as officers,” USA Today reported Sunday. “[S]ome [departments] are allowing immigrants who are legally in the country to wear the badge. From Hawaii to Vermont, agencies are allowing green-card holders and legal immigrants with work permits to join their ranks.”

To paraphrase Bill Clinton, that depends on what the meaning of the term “legal” is.

“Some, like the Chicago and Hawaii police departments, allow any immigrant with a work authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become an officer,” the story explains. “That means people in the country on temporary visas or are applying for green cards can join.”

While some apologist for the policy, like Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, which advocates for “a pathway to citizenship for those who are here illegally,” dismiss security concerns as a “straw man” argument, Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, warns that standards for ensuring that are far from assured. And while he is unconcerned “with green-card holders … because they’ve made a long-term commitment to the country and have undergone extensive background checks … he worries about the security risks associated with allowing any immigrant with a work permit to become an officer, especially considering that the Obama administration has given hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants work permits.”

It’s more than that, which Krikorian’s own organization has documented. A lot more, if a CIS study published in February is accurate. (Read more from “Why Worry About UN Troops on US Soil When We’re Already Giving Law Enforcement Over to Foreign Mercenaries?” HERE)

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Police Departments Hiring Immigrants as Officers

By Alan Gomez. Law enforcement agencies struggling to fill their ranks or connect with their increasingly diverse populations are turning to immigrants to fill the gap.


Most agencies in the country require officers or deputies to be U.S. citizens, but some are allowing immigrants who are legally in the country to wear the badge. From Hawaii to Vermont, agencies are allowing green-card holders and legal immigrants with work permits to join their ranks.

At a time when 25,000 non-U.S. citizens are serving in the U.S. military, some feel it’s time for more police and sheriff departments to do the same. That’s why the Nashville Police Department is joining other departments to push the state legislature to change a law that bars non-citizens from becoming law enforcement officers.

Department spokesman Don Aaron said they want immigrants who have been honorably discharged from the military to be eligible for service. (Read more from this story HERE)

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