Official: Intelligence community warned about 'growing' ISIS threat in Iraq

The U.S. intelligence community warned about the "growing threat" from Sunni militants in Iraq since the beginning of the year, a senior intelligence official said Tuesday -- a claim that challenges assertions by top administration officials that they were caught off guard by the capture of key Iraqi cities.
Earlier Tuesday, in an interview with Fox News, Secretary of State John Kerry said "nobody expected" Iraqi security forces to be decisively driven out by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, as they were earlier this month in Mosul.
But in a separate briefing with reporters Tuesday afternoon, the senior intelligence official said the intelligence community had warned about the ISIS threat.
“During the past year, the intelligence community has provided strategic warning of Iraq’s deteriorating security situation," the official said. "We routinely highlighted (ISIS') growing threat in Iraq, the increasing difficulties Iraq’s security forced faced in combating (ISIS), and the political strains that were contributing to Iraq’s declining stability.”
Asked who failed to act, the official did not explain.
Offering a grave warning about the current strength of the group -- which is a State Department-designated terror organization -- the official also said that barring a major counteroffensive, the intelligence community assesses that ISIS is "well-positioned to keep the territory it has gained."The official said the ISIS "strike force" now has between 3,000 and 5,000 members.
Further, the official said ISIS, as a former Al Qaeda affiliate, has the "aspiration and intent" to target U.S. interests. Asked if Americans have joined, the intelligence official said it "stands to reason that Americans have joined."
The information from the intelligence community adds to the picture of what is known about the ISIS threat, and what might have been known in the weeks and months before its militants seized Mosul and other northern cities and towns.
Kerry, speaking with Fox News on Tuesday in the middle of a multi-country swing through the Middle East and Europe as he tries to calm the sectarian crisis in Iraq, pushed back on the notion that more could have been done from a Washington perspective to prevent the takeovers. Pressed on whether the fall of Mosul and other cities to Sunni militants marks an intelligence failure, Kerry said nobody could have predicted Iraqi security forces would have deserted.
"We don't have people embedded in those units, and so obviously nobody knew that. I think everybody in Iraq was surprised. People were surprised everywhere," he said.
The secretary noted that the U.S. and Iraq did not sign a formal agreement allowing troops to stay in the country past 2011, so "we didn't have eyes in there."
"But the Iraqis didn't even have a sense of what was happening," Kerry said.
When asked what the U.S. did to shore up Mosul, after seeing other Iraqi cities fall earlier this year, Kerry added: "In the end, the Iraqis are responsible for their defense, and nobody expected wholesale desertion and wholesale betrayal, in a sense, by some leaders who literally either signed up with the guys who came in or walked away from their posts and put on their civilian clothes.
"No, nobody expected that."
But aside from the apparent warnings from the U.S. intelligence community, reports in The Telegraph and Daily Beast claim that Kurdish sources did warn American and British officials that ISIS was gaining strength and ready to advance, but it "fell on deaf ears."
A senior lieutenant to Lahur Talabani, head of Kurdish intelligence, reportedly told The Daily Beast that the Kurds passed on warnings about a possible takeover of Mosul to British and U.S. government officials.
"We knew exactly what strategy they were going to use, we knew the military planners," the official said.
The Telegraph reported that Washington and London got warnings months ago about Sunni militant plans to try and take over the northwestern region of Iraq. The Kurds reportedly had been monitoring developments on their own.
At this stage, though, the question for Kerry and the Obama administration is how far they are willing to go to shore up the embattled Iraqi government. Kerry, in Baghdad a day earlier, pressed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to proceed with the formation of a new government -- Iraq's parliament is set to begin this process next week.
In the meantime, President Obama has committed up to 300 U.S. military advisers to help Iraq's government fend off ISIS forces. The administration continues to weigh whether to authorize airstrikes.

Cochran defeats McDaniel in tight Mississippi GOP Senate runoff race

WASHINGTON –  Battling for his political survival, six-term Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran narrowly edged out challenger state Sen. Chris McDaniel for the win in a tight Republican runoff race that was too close to call for much of the night.
Neither candidate won the GOP nomination outright in the state's June 3 primary. The runoff was to be a test of whether the Senate veteran Cochran could win over voters with his Washington seniority and clout. 
“It’s been a real pleasure working with so many of you and making appearances in towns all across Mississippi,” Cochran said during his brief victory speech late Tuesday night, in which he thanked those who had helped him secure what he called a "great victory. ... It's a group effort. It's not a solo. And so we all have a right to be proud of our state tonight."
The Associated Press reported that unofficial returns showed Cochran, a 76-year-old first elected to Congress in 1972, with a lead of just over 6,000 votes, holding 50.8 percent of the vote to McDaniel's 49.2 percent with 99.9 percent of precincts reporting.
A defiant McDaniel offered no explicit concession when he spoke to his supporters in Hattiesburg, but instead complained of "dozens of irregularities" that he implied were due to Cochran courting Democrats and independents.
"We are not prone to surrender, we Mississippians," McDaniel told his backers. "Before this race is over we have to be absolutely certain the Republican primary was won by Republican voters."
McDaniel later told his supporters there was “nothing dangerous or extreme about wanting to balance a budget, about defending the constitution and the civil liberties therein or for standing as people of faith for a country we built, that we believe in," he said.
Following the shocking ouster of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in Virginia June 10, Tea Party groups focused their energy on the Mississippi race - backing McDaniel - as the next test of their own influence.
The race attracted about $12 million in spending from outside groups. Former Green Bay Packers quarterback — and Gulfport, Mississippi, native — Brett Favre called the 76-year-old Cochran a "proven and respected leader" in one ad paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Cochran and his allies, notably former Gov. Haley Barbour, promoted his Washington establishment credentials, focusing on the billions he funneled to his home state, one of the poorest in the nation. In a last-ditch effort, Cochran reached out to traditionally Democratic voters — blacks and union members — who could cast ballots in the runoff. That possible factor in Cochran's victory is sure to be cited by critics in days and weeks to come.
In predominantly black neighborhoods of Hattiesburg's south side, an organized effort for Cochran was evident. Ronnie Wilson, a 50-year-old unemployed Hattiesburg man, said he had been encouraged by his pastor to vote for Cochran.
"They say the other guy is trying to cut food stamps and all that," Wilson said. "I'm trying to look after the majority of people not working."
McDaniel had railed against the federal "spending sprees" by Cochran, but his calls to slash the budget unnerved some voters.
Frank McCain, a 71-year-old retired tax administrator from Mendenhall, voted for Cochran.
"I believe he is doing a good job," McCain said. "But mostly I'm more scared of the other candidate. He wants to do things like not taking school funding when everyone else is."
Kellie Phipps, a 42-year-old public school teacher from Taylorsville, voted for McDaniel. "I think we need some new blood," Phipps said.
In November, Cochran will face Democrat Travis Childers, a former congressman, in the heavily Republican state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Clinton: I’m not ‘truly well off’

Hillary Clinton, who has a net worth upwards of $50 million, said in an interview that she is "unlike a lot of people who are truly well off." 
Clinton was derided for comments made last week that her family was "dead broke" when it left the White House in 2000 although they were far from the poverty line. Bill and Hillary Clinton have reportedly made more than $100 million since leaving the White House. 
But Hillary, who charges a six figure speaking fee, says with a burst of laughter that she is not "truly well off" and that her wealth is the result of "hard work," according to The Guardian: 

"America's glaring income inequality is certain to be a central bone of contention in the 2016 presidential election. But with her huge personal wealth, how could Clinton possibly hope to be credible on this issue when people see her as part of the problem, not its solution? 

"'But they don't see me as part of the problem,' she protests, 'because we pay ordinary income tax, unlike a lot of people who are truly well off, not to name names; and we've done it through dint of hard work,' she says, letting off another burst of laughter. If past form is any guide, she must be finding my question painful."

'You have a problem with credibility': IRS chief comes under fire at House hearing

A fiery exchange erupted Monday night between IRS head John Koskinen and House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, who told him, “we have a problem with you and you have a problem with credibility.”
Koskinen appeared at a rare evening hearing on Capitol Hill to answer questions about the missing emails of ex-IRS official Lois Lerner, a key figure in the committee’s probe into the agency’s targeting of conservative groups. The agency claims the emails were lost in a 2011 computer crash.
In a heated back-and-forth with Issa, Koskinen said he had fulfilled his promise to the committee to provide it with all of Lerner’s emails and that there was no way to recover ones the agency said were lost in 2011.
“If you have a magical way for me to do that, I’d be happy to hear about it,” Koskinen sarcastically told Issa. 
“I’ve lost my patience with you,” Issa, R-Calif., shot back.
In his opening statement, Issa showed a long series of clips from mostly Republican members at a March hearing, where lawmakers repeatedly asked Koskinen for Lerner’s emails. Issa said Koskinen promised he would provide all of Lerner’s emails, and gave no indication he would not be able to do so.
Koskinen said he first learned there was a problem with Lerner's computer in February, but didn't learn that the emails had been lost until April. The IRS notified Congress about the lost emails on June 13. 
“We are just questioning what your word is worth....do we have to grill you (for) days or weeks or months?” Issa asked.
Koskinen said that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the watchdog that uncovered the IRS targeting scandal, has launched an investigation into the missing emails. 
"It is not unusual for computers anywhere to fail, especially at the IRS in light of the aged equipment IRS employees often have to use in light of the continual cuts in its budget these past four years," Koskinen said. "Since Jan. 1 of this year, for example, over 2,000 employees have suffered hard drive crashes.
"So it should be clear that no one has been keeping this information from Congress," he added.
The IRS was able to generate 24,000 Lerner emails from the 2009 to 2011 period because she had copied in other IRS employees. Overall, the IRS said it is producing a total of 67,000 emails to and from Lerner, covering the period from 2009 to 2013.
Lerner is the former head of the division that processes applications for tax-exempt status. The Oversight Committee is investigating the handling of applications from Tea Party and other political groups.
Since the IRS revealed that the cache of Lerner's emails was missing, Issa has suggested that Lerner had intentionally destroyed her emails with the help of the agency. The committee’s ranking member, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said in his prepared opening remarks that it was clear Issa’s claims were inaccurate, and the situation simply a failure of electronic record-keeping at a federal agency.
“Republicans have been trying desperately—and unsuccessfully—for more than a year to link this scandal to the White House,” Cummings said. “Rather than continuing on this path, I sincerely hope we will turn to constructive legislation with concrete solutions to help federal agencies run more effectively and efficiently.”
Koskinen said there was no evidence that Lerner intentionally destroyed the emails. To the contrary, he claimed, the IRS went to great lengths trying to retrieve lost documents on Lerner's computer, even sending it to the agency's forensic lab.
Koskinen had a long record of government service before taking over as head of the IRS at the start of the year. He served in different positions under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and worked for the District of Columbia.
Lerner, who is now retired from the IRS, has refused to testify at two Oversight Committee hearings, invoking her constitutional right against self-incrimination.
Late Monday, the White House said that Jennifer O'Connor, a former IRS employee who is currently employed in the White House counsel's office, would appear before the committee Tuesday morning. O'Connor, who worked at the IRS from May to November 2013, helping the agency gather documents related to congressional investigations, had been subpoenaed earlier Monday evening by Issa, who said he wanted to ask her about the missing emails. 
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ISIS joins forces with Saddam loyalists in bid to take Baghdad

 Bailey: "We tried to help these people with the blood of our young soldiers. But they don't want any help, so let em kill each other off!"

For 10 years, members of Saddam Hussein's Baathist party -- including many of the dead dictator's top generals -- have hidden in the shadows of Iraq, persecuted by government in Baghdad and plotting, praying and preparing for the chance to reclaim their country. 
Now they are back, paired in a bloodthirsty alliance with the brutal jihadis of the Islamic States of Iraq and Syria/Levant. These vicious Islamic radicals fighting alongside top officials from Hussein's dictatorship, are working to seize control of the battle-scarred nation. For now, their objectives converge.
 "[We are] unified by the same goal, which is getting rid of this sectarian government, ending this corrupt army and negotiating to form a Sunni Region,” a senior Baathist leader told FoxNews.com.

"[We are] unified by the same goal, which is getting rid of this sectarian government, ending this corrupt army and negotiating to form a Sunni Region.”- Baathist leader in northern Iraq

After the invasion of Iraq, thousands of Baathist’s lost their jobs: teachers, doctors, professors, soldiers. Banished from holding any public-sector positions, many found themselves unable to support and feed their families, and their anger grew. This purge is considered one of the major blunders of the invasion, and although it was partly overturned in 2008, the damage had been done.
For a decade, tensions in the Sunni regions simmered under these conditions, as Maliki’s Shia government sought retribution for decades of Saddam's brutal rule. Many who once were part of the regime found it hard to put food on the table, their anger building as their communities suffered. That the Maliki government continues to shell rebel held cities today, despite the fact many within are innocent civilians, further isolates Sunni communities and pushes them into the sphere of Sunni rebels.
Ultimately it was the failure of Maliki’s government to reach out to these elements that created the ISIS alliance in Iraq. It has drawn comparisons to Syria, where ISIS forces joined with the Free Syrian Army with the intention of toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime; but in Syria the alliance imploded. The patriotic group fighting to liberate Syria, eventually faced off against the violent jihadists seeking to carve out an extreme fundamentalist state, and today they are at war.
Much has been written about ISIS's blitzkrieg across northern Iraq, but it is unlikely the fighters would have been as successful without the Baathists. Three of Saddam's former generals led the takeover of Mosul, and eight of the top 10 generals in the ISIS army are believed to be Baathists. Izzat Douri, a former military commander who Saddam considered to be like a brother, is widely rumored to be in Mosul, overseeing the conflict after hiding out in Qatar and Syria for a decade.
In addition to their military training, the Baathists have been able to tap strong tribal ties in the region to command countless followers. That's helped to keep the conquered territory in ISIS hands while the army of terrorists and freed soldiers moves forward toward the prize: Baghdad and the holy Shia cities of Karbala and Najaf.
“As an effective fighting force alone, ISIS would never have been able to hold such large territories, a Kurdish intelligence officer told FoxNews.com but with the help of Baathists [united under the banner of the Naqshbandi army], they have been able to keep the momentum going.”
The ISIS fighters, their ranks swollen with foreign jihadists hardened from conflicts in Syria, Chechnya, Afghanistan and others locations, lead the charge. Under the direction of former Iraqi generals and the ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi, they rely on the strong network of Sunni tribes and Baathists behind them, many nostalgic for the security of Saddam's era.
Hussein's image has again become popular in the north and west, and soldiers call out “Father, father,” while they watch video tributes to him. His image is found in many a home from Fallujah to Mosul. The Kurdish judge who sentenced Hussein to death in 2006, Raouf Abdul Rahman, was reportedly captured and executed on Sunday, although his death cannot yet be confirmed.
And this remains a family cause. Raghad Hussein, who now lives in Jordan, gave an interview a few days ago.
“I am happy to see all these victories,” she said. “Someday, I will return to Iraq and visit my father’s grave. Maybe it won’t happen very soon, but it will certainly happen.” 
In the meantime she has been indicted by Interpol, for “inciting terrorism in Iraq.”
The alliance between ISIS and the Baathists may be their greatest strength at the moment, but the rifts are growing. In the last week, there have been internal clashes, as the more moderate Sunni fighters struggle with the brutality of ISIS. Many within the Baathist party are unsure they can control ISIS, and fear that once they have secured territory, they will try to impose strict Sharia law on towns under Baathist rule.
In a petty rift, ISIS troops fought Naqshbandi soldiers over an armored vehicle, with five men killed. In another battle on Sunday, 17 fighters were killed as the groups clashed again. As one Sunni fighters put it "unlike ISIS, we are not playing football with people's heads"
With the U.S. already considering the strange prospect of working with Iran to curb the ISIS advance, it is possible that down the road, America's allies could be the very Baathists and Sunni fighters it once ousted from power.

Over & Over Again

Kerry arrives in Iraq amid threat of widening sectarian war

Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Iraq Monday to try and prevent the country from descending into sectarian civil war fewer than three years after the departure of American forces. 
Kerry was scheduled to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as well as senior Kurdish and Sunni leaders. Kerry was expected to personally urge the Shiite al-Maliki to give more power to political opponents in an attempt to defuse a Sunni insurgency that has captured large amounts of territory in the north and west of the country, including several key border crossings between Iraq and Syria. 
"This is a critical moment where, together, we must urge Iraq's leaders to rise above sectarian motivations and form a government that is united in its determination to meet the needs and speak to the demands of all of their people," Kerry had said a day earlier in Cairo.
The meeting between Kerry and al-Maliki was not expected to be friendly, given that officials in Washington have floated suggestions that the Iraqi premier should resign as a necessary first step toward quelling the vicious uprising. 
However, a senior State Department official said that Kerry would not ask al-Maliki to resign Monday because "it's not up to us."
Currently, Baghdad is operating under a lame-duck government, as a new parliament that was elected in April has not yet selected its Cabinet ministers. It took more than nine months to seat a new government the last time Iraq underwent the process, in 2010. This time around, the State Department official said, al-Maliki and other Iraqi officials cannot risk exacerbating the political instability, and further inflaming the insurgency, by stalling a new and more inclusive government.
Both President Barack Obama and Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, also have urged al-Maliki to quickly form an inclusive government that promotes the interests of all of Iraq's ethnic and religious groups.
The senior State Department official said the insurgents' recent march on Baghdad has been slowed, although concerns remain that ISIS will attack the golden-domed Shiite shrine to the Imam al-Askari in Samarra. That city, in Sunni territory in north-central Iraq, was the site of a 2006 bombing that triggered the worst of the war's sectarian fighting. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared that Iraq is currently in a civil war.
Adding to the country's fragmentation is the role of Kurdish fighters, who seized the strategic oil city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq earlier this month. Control of the city has long been a point of contention between leaders of the autonomous Kurdish region and the government in Baghdad.
The senior State Department official acknowledged Monday that the Kurds may hold Kirkuk for the foreseeable future, saying, "I mean, if you just look at where the [Kurdish forces are] now compared to where they were two weeks ago, not so much out of a deliberate move but out of just the exigency of the situation. Some facts on the ground can be created that might not be reversed."  
The official briefed reporters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be named in discussing the negotiations. He described al-Maliki and other Iraqi officials as anxious about what, if any, additional help the U.S. might provide to help curb ISIL after Obama this week said he would send about 300 special forces troops to Baghdad to advise and train local security forces.
Obama did not rule out the possibility of also launching airstrikes against the insurgents, but that is not expected anytime soon, if ever, and he has adamantly said he will not send combat forces back to Iraq.

Iraqi insurgents capture fourth town since Friday

Sunni Muslim insurgents in Iraq captured their fourth town in a little more than 24 hours late Saturday, hours before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in the Middle East to try to shore up Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's faltering government. 

Iraqi officials told the Associated Press that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) captured the town of Rutba in the western province of Anbar, about 90 miles east of Iraq's border with Jordan. However, AP reported that residents were trying to negotiate with the militants to leave due to the presence of an army unit that threatened to begin shelling. 

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Rutba is the fourth Anbar town to fall to ISIS fighters and allied Sunni militants since Friday, dealing a serious blow to Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government.

The other three are Qaim, Rawah and Anah, as well as a border crossing with Syria. The towns are the first territory seized in the predominantly Sunni province west of Baghdad since ISIS overran the city of Fallujah and parts of the provincial capital of Ramadi earlier this year.

Sunni militants have carved out a large fiefdom along the Iraqi-Syrian border and have long traveled back and forth with ease, but control over crossings like that one in Qaim allows them to more easily move weapons and heavy equipment to different battlefields. Syrian rebels already have seized the facilities on the Syrian side of the border and several other posts in areas under their control.

Chief military spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi acknowledged Qaim's fall, telling journalists that troops aided by local tribesmen sought to clear the city of "terrorists."

Sunni militants also captured the Euphrates River town of Rawah, ransacking government offices and forcing local army and police forces to pull out, Mayor Hussein Ali al-Aujail said. The town, which had remained under government control since nearby Fallujah fell, also lies dangerously close to an important dam near the city of Haditha.

The vast Anbar province stretches from the western edges of Baghdad all the way to Jordan and Syria to the northwest. The fighting in Anbar has greatly disrupted use of the highway linking Baghdad to the Jordanian border, a key artery for goods and passengers.

Al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government has struggled to push back against Islamic extremists and allied Sunni militants who have seized large swaths of the country's north since taking control of the second-largest city of Mosul on June 10 as Iraqi government forces melted away.

The prime minister, who has led the country since 2006 and has not yet secured a third term after recent parliamentary elections, also has increasingly turned to Iranian-backed Shiite militias and Shiite volunteers to bolster his beleaguered security forces. 

Al-Maliki has come under growing pressure to reach out to disaffected Kurds and Sunnis, with many blaming his failure to promote reconciliation led to the country's worst crisis since the U.S. military withdrew its forces nearly three years ago.

In Baghdad, about 20,000 militiamen loyal to anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, many in military fatigues and even some wearing red berets, white gloves and combat helmets, marched through the sprawling Shiite Sadr City district, which saw some of the worst fighting between Shiite militias and U.S. soldiers before a cease-fire was reached in 2008 that helped stem the sectarian bloodshed that was pushing the country to the brink of civil war.

Similar parades took place in the southern cities of Amarah and Basra, both strongholds of al-Sadr supporters.

Al-Maliki's State of Law bloc won the most seats in the April vote, but his hopes to retain his job have been thrown into doubt, with rivals challenging him from within the broader Shiite alliance. In order to govern, his bloc, which won 92 seats, must first form a majority coalition in the new 328-seat legislature, which must meet by June 30.

If al-Maliki were to relinquish his post now, according to the constitution, the president, Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, would assume the job until a new prime minister is elected. But the ailing Talabani has been in Germany for treatment since 2012, so his deputy, Khudeir al-Khuzaie, a Shiite, would step in for him.

The U.S., meanwhile, has been drawn back into the conflict with so much at stake. Obama announced Thursday he was deploying up to 300 military advisers to help quell the insurgency. They join some 275 troops in and around Iraq to provide security and support for the U.S. Embassy and other American interests.

Obama has been adamant that U.S. troops would not be returning to combat, but has said he could approve "targeted and precise" strikes requested by Baghdad.

Manned and unmanned U.S. aircraft are now flying over Iraq 24 hours a day on intelligence missions, U.S. officials say.

Meanwhile, on Saturday four separate explosions killed 10 people, including two policemen, and wounded 22 in Baghdad, according to police and hospital officials. And in an incident harkening back to the peak days of sectarian killings in 2006 and 2007, two bodies, presumably of Sunnis, were found riddled with bullets in Baghdad's Shiite district of Zafaraniyah, police and morgue officials said.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

Louisiana Gov. Jindal claims 'rebellion brewing' against Washington

WASHINGTON –  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Saturday night accused President Barack Obama and other Democrats of waging wars against religious liberty and education and said that a rebellion is brewing in the U.S. with people ready for "a hostile takeover" of the nation's capital.

Jindal spoke at the annual conference hosted by the Faith and Freedom Coalition, a group led by longtime Christian activist Ralph Reed. Organizers said more than 1,000 evangelical leaders attended the three-day gathering. Republican officials across the political spectrum concede that evangelical voters continue to play a critical role in GOP politics.

"I can sense right now a rebellion brewing amongst these United States," Jindal said, "where people are ready for a hostile takeover of Washington, D.C., to preserve the American Dream for our children and grandchildren."

The governor said there was a "silent war" on religious liberty being fought in the U.S. -- a country that he said was built on that liberty.

"I am tired of the left. They say they're for tolerance, they say they respect diversity. The reality is this: They respect everybody unless you happen to disagree with them," he said. "The left is trying to silence us and I'm tired of it, I won't take it anymore."

Earlier this week, Jindal signed an executive order to block the use of tests tied to Common Core education standards in his state, a position favored by tea party supporters and conservatives. He said he would continue to fight against the administration's attempts to implement Common Core.

"The federal government has no role, no right and no place dictating standards in our local schools across these 50 states of the United States of America," Jindal said.

Jindal used humor in criticizing the Obama administration on several fronts, referencing the Bergdahl prisoner exchange and the deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

"Are we witnessing right now the most radically, extremely liberal, ideological president of our entire lifetime right here in the United States of America, or are we witnessing the most incompetent president of the United States of America in the history of our lifetimes? You know, it is a difficult question," he said. "I've thought long and hard about it. Here's the only answer I've come up with, and I'm going to quote Secretary Clinton: `What difference does it make?"'

The conference featured most of the well-known Republicans considering a 2016 presidential run, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. Jindal is expected to announce after the November midterm elections whether or not he will launch a presidential bid.

GOP fury after report claims IRS 'recycled' Lerner hard drive

The top Republican on one of the House committees investigating the IRS targeting scandal reacted furiously late Wednesday to a report that ex-IRS official Lois Lerner's hard drive had been recycled, making it likely that many emails sent to and from Lerner prior to the summer of 2011 will never be recovered. 

The Politico report cited two anonymous sources, as well as Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who confirmed that the Senate Finance Committee had been told that the hard drive had been discarded.

"If the IRS truly got rid of evidence in a way that violated the Federal Records Act and ensured the FBI never got a crack at recovering files from an official claiming a Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, this is proof their whole line about 'losing' e-mails in the targeting scandal was just one more attempted deception," House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said in a statement. "Official records, like the e-mails of a prominent official, don't just disappear without a trace unless that was the intention."

Lerner headed the IRS division that processed applications for tax-exempt status. The IRS acknowledged last year that agents had improperly scrutinized applications for tax-exempt status by Tea Party and other conservative groups.

Congressional investigators have been probing the agency for more than a year. However, IRS officials did not inform Congress of the lost emails until June 13.

Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee have charged that the agency knew as early as February that the emails were missing. They have also said that email records of six IRS employees believed to be involved in the scandal in addition to Lerner have not been found. 

The missing emails are mainly messages to and from people outside the IRS, including the White House and other major offices and departments.

The IRS was able to recover 24,000 Lerner emails from 2009 to 2011 because Lerner had copied in other IRS employees. The agency said it pieced together the emails from the computers of 83 other IRS employees.

Poll finds faith in Congress at historic single-digit low

Americans' confidence in Congress has never been so low. 

A new Gallup survey finds just 7 percent of Americans have a high level of confidence in Capitol Hill -- that's low even by congressional standards. 

Not only is the figure the lowest since Gallup started asking the question in 1973, but it's the lowest for any U.S. institution on record. 

About a third of Americans reported having "some" confidence in Congress. But just 7 percent reported having a "great deal" and "quite a lot." 

Compare that with public sentiment toward the military (three in four Americans have high confidence) or small business (62 percent have high confidence). 

Faith in Congress is taking a body blow after a stretch where the public has perceived the institution as doing very little, gripped by partisan gridlock and struggling to pass even routine measures. 

The poll of 1,027 adults was conducted June 5-8, and had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Sources: Benghazi attack suspect captured, en route to US

EXCLUSIVE: A suspected terrorist linked to the 2012 Benghazi terror attack that killed four Americans has been captured inside Libya by U.S. forces and currently is en route to the United States, Fox News has learned. 

Sources told Fox News that the suspect, Ansar al-Sharia commander Ahmed Abu Khattala, was captured Sunday during a joint U.S. military and law enforcement operation, and will face prosecution in the United States. 

President Obama signed off on the mission on Friday night, Fox News is told. Khattala was captured south of Benghazi by U.S. special operators and is on his way to the U.S. aboard a Navy ship. 

Khattala was long thought to be one of the ringleaders of the deadly attack, in which U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died. He had openly granted media interviews since the 2012 attack, but until now evaded capture. 

The capture marks the first time the United States has caught one of the suspects in the 2012 assault. 

"He didn't know what hit him," one source told Fox News of the capture. According to sources, there was no firefight -- a small Special Forces team with one FBI agent took part in the mission. 

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby confirmed the capture in a brief statement late Tuesday morning, calling Khattala a "key figure in the attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi." 

Kirby said: "There were no civilian casualties related to this operation, and all U.S. personnel involved in the operation have safely departed Libya." 

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney called the development an "important milestone." 

The administration has faced sustained criticism from some in Congress and the families of the victims over the fact that no one had been brought to justice since that day in 2012. 

State Department official Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were also killed during the attack. 

ISIS moving seized US tanks, Humvees to Syria

Syrian and Iraqi terrorist forces obtained significant numbers of tanks, trucks, and U.S.-origin Humvees in recent military operations in Iraq and those arms are being shipped to al Qaeda rebels in Syria, according to U.S. officials.

U.S. intelligence agencies reported this week that photos of the equipment transfers were posted online by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS, the ultra-violent terror group that broke away from al Qaeda but shares its goals and philosophy.

Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Bill Speaks confirmed the weapons transfers and expressed concerns about the captured arms.

“We’re aware of reports of some equipment—namely Humvees—and the pictures that have been posted online,” Speaks said in an email. “We are certainly concerned about these reports and are consulting with the Iraqi government to obtain solid confirmation on what assets may have fallen into ISIL’s hands.”

Speaks added that the loss of the equipment to the terrorist group is “really a matter for the Iraqi government to speak to publicly” because “it is their equipment.”

Exact numbers of captured arms and equipment are not known. The insurgents raided all the arms depots and vehicles belonging to Iraq’s Second Division, based in Mosul, which included a motorized brigade and several infantry brigades.

A defense official warned that ISIL claims that they have captured advanced weaponry, such as Blackhawk helicopters, are suspect.

“We do know that they made false claims last week, particularly with Blackhawk helicopters, which have never been sold to Iraq,” the official said.

Cantor upset in Virginia GOP primary by Tea Party backed challenger

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his GOP Virginia primary race to Tea Party-backed challenger Dave Brat Tuesday night in a stunning upset.
Brat, an economics professor and political novice, latched onto the hot-button issue of immigration, accusing Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the GOP-led House, of supporting immigration legislation that would give “amnesty” to millions of people living illegally in the United States.

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“If you go knocking door to door, you’ll know the American people think they’re in trouble,” Brat told Fox News. “It was a miracle. God gave us this win.”
Brat, a Princeton graduate and seminar student who teaches at Randolph-Macon College, a small liberal arts school north of Richmond, attempted to downplay the Tea Party vs. Washington establishment narrative about the race.
He said he enjoyed Tea Party support but was a candidate focused on Republican principles including free markets and “adherence to the Constitution.”
Cantor conceded defeat about an hour after the race was called, confirming the biggest upset victory of this year's election cycle and a major blow to the core of the GOP.
“It’s disappointing,” he told a small crowd in Richmond. “But I believe in this country. I believe there is opportunity around the next corner.”
Cantor also thanked volunteers, supporters and campaign staffers. And he called serving as the state’s 7th District congressman and as majority leader one of the highest honors of his life.
Brat won 56 percent of the vote, compared to 44 percent for Cantor, with all precincts reporting. Approximately 18,000 more votes were cast in Tuesday's primary than in 2012, when Cantor easily defeated another Tea Party-backed challenger, Floyd Bayne.
In the closing weeks of the race, Brat tried to tie the seven-term congressman’s support for legal status for children who have illegally entered the country to the situation of hundreds of children from Central America pouring illegally across the southern U.S. border, creating a humanitarian crisis.
Cantor, once considered next in line to take over for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, fought back in part by pointing out that he helped block Senate plans "to give illegal aliens amnesty."
Cantor and other House Republican leaders had advocated a more step-by-step approach to immigration reform that would in part begin with tighter border security, instead of the comprehensive bill backed by the Senate.
Brat also said Cantor, who was first elected in 2000 and has ties to Tea Party-backed lawmakers in Congress, had spent too much time in Washington and lost touch with the conservative base in his Richmond-area district.
Despite the attacks, Cantor had appeared well positioned for reelection.
The most recent campaign finance reports showed he spent more than $1 million in April and May but still has more than $1.5 million in the bank.
Brat, by contrast, raised just more than $200,000 for his campaign, according to the reports.
"Dollars don't vote, people do," he told Fox News.
Large corporations and other groups donated heavily to the incumbent.
The American Chemistry Council, whose members include many blue chip companies, spent more than $300,000 on TV ads promoting Cantor. And the political arms of the American College of Radiology, the National Rifle Association and the National Association of Realtors had five-figure independent spending to promote him.
Brat helped offset the cash disadvantage with endorsements from conservative activists, like radio host Laura Ingraham, and with help from Tea Party activists angry at Cantor.
The upset sent shock waves across Capitol Hill with speculation about whether Cantor would resign his leadership post and if any Republican incumbent would now dare to support immigration reform. Cantor aides did not respond Tuesday when asked if the 51-year-old would launch a write-in campaign in November.

“Eric Cantor and I have been through a lot together," Boehner said. "He’s a good friend and a great leader, and someone I’ve come to rely upon on a daily basis as we make the tough choices that come with governing. My thoughts are with him and (wife) Diana and their kids tonight.”

Soon after Cantor conceded, questions also began to arise about what the result means for Boehner's future as Speaker. The conventional wisdom is that Boehner has been strengthened by Cantor's defeat, as his strongest potential challenger for the Speaker's gavel has been removed. 

One former senior House Republican close to Boehner described Cantor's loss as "devastating to the party," before adding that it may not be to Boehner "as there is no one else now."
"We need Boehner now more than ever," said the former member. "Can Boehner step up?"

Democrats reveled in the loss.

"From Day One of (President) Obama’s presidency, Eric Cantor has used every dirty trick to block the Democratic agenda," the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a fundraising e-mail.

"Eric Cantor has long been the face of House Republicans' extreme policies, debilitating dysfunction and manufactured crises.  Tonight is a major victory for the tea party as they yet again pull the Republican Party further to the radical right," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "As far as the midterm elections are concerned, it's a whole new ballgame."

Cantor, a former Virginia state legislator, was elected to Congress in 2000. He became majority leader in 2011.

The Brat victory was by far the biggest of the 2014 campaign season for Tea Party forces, though last week they forced veteran Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran into a June 24 runoff with state Sen. Chris McDaniel.
"Thad Cochran, Eric Cantor. They were playing with fire," a source familiar with both campaigns told Fox News. "It will force the Republicans to move further to the right. ... You have what could be chaos for leadership. They could get caught up in the politics of this and that gets them away from any legislative agenda."
Cantor's defeat appears to be the first ever suffered in a primary by a sitting House majority leader. Former House Speaker Thomas Foley, D-Wash. and Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota both lost their seats at the polls in 1994 and 2004, respectively, but they fell to Republicans, not to challengers from within their own parties.
Jay S. Poole, a Cantor volunteer, said Brat tapped into widespread frustration among voters about the gridlock in Washington and issues such as immigration.
"I can't tell you how amazing this is to me," Poole said.
In the fall, Brat will face Democrat Jack Trammel, also a professor at Randolph-Macon, in the solidly Republican district.

Hillary Clinton says family 'dead broke' after White House

Intelligence officials predicted two detainees in Bergdahl swap would return to senior Taliban positions, report claims

U.S. intelligence officials predicted that two of the detainees freed from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from Taliban captivity would return to senior positions in the militant group, according to a published report. 
The Wall Street Journal reports that analysis was contained in a classified assessment prepared by spy agencies during deliberations about whether to agree to the prisoner exchange. The analysis also said that two others were likely to assume active roles within the Taliban. 
The intelligence assessment was reportedly described to select lawmakers during classified briefings about the prisoner swap given by the administration last week. The existence of the assessment is being revealed as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel prepares to testify before the House Armed Services Committee about the prisoner exchange Wednesday. 
The five detainees are Mohammed Fazl, a former Taliban army chief of staff; Noorullah Noori, a former commander in northern Afghanistan; Khairullah Khairkhwa, a former interior minister; Mohammed Nabi Omari, another Taliban official; and Abdul Haq Wasiq, the deputy intelligence chief.
Of those five, a senior U.S. official tells the Journal that Fazl and Khairkhwa are likely to resume senior leadership roles, while Noori and Omari are expected to resume active roles. Wasiq is considered unlikely to resume an active role with the Taliban. According to documents obtained and released by the website Wikileaks, Wasiq had arranged to meet with U.S. forces to provide information about Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar that could be used in attempting to capture him prior to Wasiq's detention in 2001.  
The Journal reports that one U.S. document says Wasiq was "resentful" that he was imprisoned while cooperating with the U.S. 
The Obama administration has defended the prisoner exchange on the grounds that Qatar, which took in the detainees, would allow the U.S. to monitor and track them. The Journal reports that Qatar has also agreed to offer a  "re-education program" designed to draw the five away from militancy. 
If that doesn't work, U.S. officials say, the administration would not hesitate to target the men should they attempt to return to the battlefield. 
As Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby put it, "They re-enter the fight at their own peril."

China billionaire eyes US market after snatching up taxpayer-backed Fisker

 Bailey: "Get use to it because this is just the beginning. The American Government started selling us out a long time ago!"


Fisker Automotive -- the U.S. electric car company that failed to repay roughly $139 million in federal loans before going bankrupt -- is now owned by a Chinese company eager to unleash its cut-rate acquisition on the American auto industry.
The company’s assets were acquired earlier this year by China's biggest auto parts supplier, Wanxiang Group, for $149.2 million in a U.S. bankruptcy auction.
The company reportedly could start selling Fisker’s ill-fated Karma plug-in car later this year in the United States and Europe.
Billionaire company founder and Chairman Lu Guanqiu has aspired to get into the auto industry since the 1980s and the electric-car business for roughly the past 15 years.
And the acquisition of Fisker and its battery supplier, A123 Systems, which each came with key patents, should make Guanqiu's company well positioned to compete.
Wanxiang acquired A123 Systems in a 2012 bankruptcy sale, after the company failed to repay millions to the same federal loan program that helped Fisker.
"I'll put every cent that Wanxiang earns into making electric vehicles,” Guanqiu, who outbid at least one other Chinese investor, told Bloomberg Businessweek this spring. "I'll burn as much cash as it takes to succeed, or until Wanxiang goes bust."
The remark reflects the opinion of industry experts who think Guanqiu’s determination and record of success could indeed make him a player in the market along with Toyota, whose Prius is the most popular hybrid sold in America.
Fisker received the taxpayer-funded millions through the Energy Department’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, which has provided $8.4 billion in funding since 2009.
The program came under scrutiny after the department lost the roughly $139 million on Fisker, which filed for bankruptcy in 2013. Fisker received $192 million from the program before funding was pulled.
The situation resulted in criticism about the Obama administration’s eagerness to back “green-energy” projects like Fisker and failed solar panel company Solyndra, despite indications they could not compete in the marketplace.
The Energy Department also lost about $42 million on a loan to a shuttered Michigan company that made vans for the disabled. However, the loan program had success with electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc., which reportedly repaid its $452 million loan in 2013.
Critics have also complained that Guanqiu didn’t step in to save Fisker and U.S. taxpayers, instead waiting for the bankruptcy sale.
An Energy Department spokeswoman later told reporters: “While the outcome is not what we hoped for, the [agency] explored every option available and closely followed federal legal processes in an effort to get the best possible recovery for the taxpayer.”
Fisker in its five-year run also reportedly burned through roughly $1 billion in private investment money.
The Karma comes with a small gasoline engine that kicks in when the battery runs out of power. Fisker sold about 1,800 models from 2011 and 2012, at about $100,000 each, before a series of problems halted production.
Wanxiang also is reportedly considering completely the development of a second Fisker model -- a more affordable mid-sized, gas-electric hybrid named the Atlantic.
Right now, the new owner plans to produce the vehicles in Finland but reportedly is considering the potential for U.S. manufacturing.

Milwaukee Catholic school parents blast Archdiocese's blessing of Common Core

A group of Milwaukee-area Catholic school parents are fuming over the Archdiocese's decision to implement Common Core at its 110 parochial schools, and some are turning to home-schooling their children.
More than 1,000 parents have banded together and launched a campaign and online petition calling for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to reverse Archbishop Jerome Listecki’s move at the beginning of the year to implement the controversial, Washington-backed educational standards. Some told FoxNews.com that they send their children to private schools precisely to avoid a secular curriculum they believe is infused with politics and dubiously researched lessons.  
“If I wanted my children to have a public school curriculum I would have sent them to a public school,” Heather Schweitzer, of Kenosha, who recently pulled her daughters Mia, 9, and Chloe, 7, out of All Saints Catholic School and is now teaching them at home, told FoxNews.com. “A Catholic school’s priority is to prepare children for Heaven, not for college.”

“A Catholic school’s priority is to prepare children for Heaven, not for college.”- Heather Schweitzer, Catholic school parent-turned home-schooler

The Common Core State Standards Initiative, an educational testing program begun by the nation's governors with the goal of making public education more uniform from state to state, has become increasingly polarizing this year. Critics say the standardized testing drives curriculum, and the entire program is undermining local control of what kids are taught. Some 45 states initially signed on, but Indiana and Oklahoma have since opted out and opposition to Common Core has increased as it is being rolled out around the nation.
Of the five parishes in the state of Wisconsin, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is the only one to adopt Common Core. The unusual move has led to speculation from some. Listecki insists that standards at the schools he oversees will not be changed by participating in Common Core.
“Our approach in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is no different than the approach of other bishops in the State of Wisconsin, namely, that each of us has a strong commitment to Catholic identity, and that commitment shines through boldly in our Catholic schools,” the Archbishop said in a statement provided to FoxNews.com. “Common Core standards are a reference, not a replacement for Catholic school standards. We are not “adopting” Common Core, but rather utilizing those standards, along with our own Catholic school standards, as a way of measuring the success of our students.”
The diocese addresses the controversy on its website, with a letter to parents, sample Common Core-aligned essays and questions and a list of what it calls Common Core "myths."
The parents, who have formed a loose coalition called “Milwaukee Catholic Parents Against Common Core,” and put together a petition that has garnered more than 1,000 signatures, according to education blog EAG news.
The coalition claims Common Core standards represent "untested, experimental standards that are threatening the independence of Catholic schools,” according to a statement. The group points out that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has said Common Core was developed for a public school audience and is "of its nature incomplete as it pertains to Catholic schools.”
Steve Becker, whose two children attend St. Alphonsus in Greendale, Wis., said Catholic schools have a track record of success and should not follow educational trends that have not been proven. 
“It’s too much of a risky endeavor,” Becker told FoxNews.com. "Personally, I don’t understand why a Catholic school would go with secular standards designed for public schools.”
A meeting Becker had been promised this week with the Archdiocese’s superintendent of schools, Kathleen Cepelka, was canceled last Friday amid concerns the parents had taken their complaints public.
“[She] canceled the meeting because she felt that Mr. Becker had preempted the discussion and engaged the media on a story without giving her/us an opportunity to have a respectful dialogue concerning the implementation of Common Core Standards,” said a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Becker said he is disappointed the Catholic hierarchy would follow the public school trend.
“I would guess that they are doing it because it’s the next thing,” Becker said. “They are just aligning themselves with a trend in education.”

White House reportedly let Bergdahl parents take part in secure video conferences

The White House allowed the parents of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to take part in a series of secure video conferences with State Department and intelligence officials and senior military commanders, according to a published report. 
The Washington Times reports that Bob and Jani Bergdahl were allowed to join the conferences remotely from the Idaho National Guard headquarters in Boise soon after their son was captured by the Taliban in June 2009. 
A spokesman for the Idaho National Guard told the paper that the Bergdahls participated in up to 20 video conferences per year. 
"Mr. and Mrs. Bergdahl were regularly informed about what was happening throughout the duration using video teleconferencing [with] various military and other government agencies," said Air Force Col. Anthony Marsano. "There was a great effort to keep Mr. and Mrs. Bergdahl updated on developments."
Larry Johnson, a former State Department official who worked on the cases of American citizens taken hostage in Lebanon during the 1980s, told the Times that granting such access to the family of a missing person was "wrong."
"The Bergdahls shouldn't have been part of that for no other reason than on the off chance they may inadvertently divulge some tactic," Johnson told the paper. "I mean, it's one thing for government officials to interview the family, get insights from the family about what’s going on."But to put them in the middle of what is essentially a classified secure video conference is ridiculous."
Col. Marsano told The Times that he was not aware that the Bergdahls had exposed any sensitive information and would not discuss whether the couple had a security clearance or if any classified matters were brought up in the briefings.
Bob Bergdahl has been criticized for expressing sympathy for Al Qaeda and Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. Five detainees were released from captivity in exchange for the release of Sgt. Bergdahl May 31. 

Cleveland Clinic leader Cosgrove drops from competition to run Veterans Affairs

 Bailey: "Could you blame the guy, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole!"

A top Obama administration prospect to run the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs withdrew his name for the job Saturday.
Cleveland Clinic chief executive Dr. Toby Cosgrove acknowledged he had been contacted by the administration but said he wants to remain at his current job to complete his work.
“This has been an extraordinarily difficult decision, but I have decided to withdraw from consideration …  due to the commitment I have made to the organization, our patients and the work that still needs to be done here," said Cosgrove, a decorated Vietnam veteran.
President Obama has been looking for a replacement for department Secretary Eric Shinseki since accepting his May 30 resignation, which followed an inspector general’s report concluding widespread problems with providing veterans prompt medical care and "systemic" problems with clinics misrepresenting patient wait times. 
Cosgrove's decision is a signal of the difficulties the Obama administration may face in finding someone willing and able to tackle the VA's entrenched problems.
The report came weeks after allegations surfaced about “secret” waiting lists at a VA medical clinic in Phoenix, which resulted in a growing chorus of Democratic and Republican lawmakers calling for Shinseki’s resignation.
"I am humbled and honored to have been considered for the opportunity to help veterans across the United States,” Cosgrove also said. “This is an enormous responsibility and one that deserved careful thought and consideration.”
Considered one of the country’s premiere medical-research facilities and health-care providers, the Cleveland Clinic has been a favorite for Obama.
The announcement comes just days after President Obama's choice to be the top health official at the VA withdrew his nomination Thursday, saying he feared his confirmation could spark a prolonged political battle. 
Jeffrey Murawsky, health care chief for the VA's Chicago-based regional office, was nominated last month to be the department's new undersecretary for health care, replacing Robert Petzel, who resigned under pressure. Petzel had been scheduled to retire later this year but was asked to leave early amid a firestorm over delays in patient care and preventable deaths at veterans hospitals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukraine energy firm hiring Biden’s son raises ethical concerns

 (Bailey) "Good old Democratic Party, has more crooks then a dog has fleas on it's a**."


Vice President Joe Biden’s visit Saturday to Ukraine in support of the country's new democratic government is renewing concerns about his youngest son being hired by a Ukraine company promoting energy independence from Moscow.
Hunter Biden will be working for the company while his father and others in the Obama administration attempt to influence energy policies and other issues of the new government, which is gripped in a struggle with Russia and pro-Russian separatists to control the county.
The company, Burisma Holdings Limited, says it wants to reduce Ukraine's dependence on Russian gas and oil, a goal that parallels U.S. efforts to aid Ukraine's energy industry.
The other major issues are Hunter Biden’s new employer leases natural gas fields in Crimea, an eastern Ukraine peninsula being controlled by Russia in the country’s months-long political upheaval. And the company is owned by a former Ukraine government minister, Nikolai Zlochevskyi, who has ties to the country's ousted pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych.
The 44-year-old Biden was hired in April and will be a director and lawyer for the company.
American conflict-of-interest laws and federal ethics rules essentially do not regulate the business activities of adult relatives of those who work in the White House, and there’s no indication that the situation crosses legal or ethical lines.
But ethics experts appear divided over the implications.
"The primary problem here is the fact that Hunter Biden has set up a financial arrangement with someone who might have business pending before this administration," said Craig Holman, an ethics expert with Public Citizen, a Washington-based government reform organization.
Joe Biden led the U.S. delegation at Saturday's inauguration of Ukraine's new president, Petro Poroshenko, and announced $48 million in additional aid for the Kiev government. Biden met Poroshenko and said "there is a window for peace and you know as well as anyone that it will not stay open indefinitely ... America is with you."



The Office of the Vice President said some of the money will help Ukraine “enhance its energy security.” 
Ukraine is an important natural-gas and petroleum-liquids transit country. Two major pipeline systems carry Russian gas through Ukraine to Western Europe.
At least two oil and natural gas fields leased by subsidiaries of Burisma are in Ukrainian territories where pro-Russian sentiments remain strong, according to government and media releases, independent energy maps and Burisma's website.
One is in the breakaway Russian-backed state of Crimea. The other is in the eastern Ukrainian Kharkiv region. Instability there could force the younger Biden's new company to coordinate with pro-Russian separatists whom the U.S. considers illegitimate.
White House officials declined to comment on Hunter Biden's association with Burisma and the company's holdings in Crimea and east Ukraine.
The vice president's spokeswoman, Kendra Barkoff, previously said that Biden's son is a private citizen and a lawyer, and that Joe Biden "does not endorse any particular company and has no involvement with this company."
Presidents and vice presidents have long been vexed by relatives rewarded for family ties.
Political loan troubles shadowed Vice President Richard Nixon's brother, Donald, during the 1960 election, and President Jimmy Carter's brother, Billy, who accepted a $220,000 stipend in 1981 from Libya's Moammar Gadhafi.
In recent years, several Bush and Clinton relatives were caught in a string of murky financial and political dealings.
But "unless there's solid evidence that Hunter Biden got his job to influence American foreign policy, there's no clear line that's been crossed," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
A former Washington lobbyist, the vice president's son is effectively exempt from most rules that would require him to describe publicly the legal work he does on behalf of Burisma.
Zlochevskyi's name is missing from Burisma's web site, but financial documents in Cyprus as well as U.S. Securities and Exchange records show that he owns the bulk of Burisma's shares. Zlochevskyi's Cyprus-based Brociti Investments Limited controls Burisma.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.