Gitmo Cartoon

10 Yemeni detainees sent from Gitmo to Oman, in 'troubling' transfer

The Obama administration on Thursday quietly transferred 10 Yemeni detainees from the prison at Guantanamo Bay to neighboring Oman – so quietly, in fact, that the news was first reported by state-run Middle East news agencies. And once the news got to Capitol Hill, it set off alarm bells given the host country’s proximity to Al Qaeda’s most active branch.
The transfer is the largest batch of detainees shipped out of the Cuba prison camp so far this year. It is part of a wave of transfers as the administration steps up efforts to shrink the prison population, with the ultimate goal of closing the facility despite congressional resistance.
Fox News reported earlier this week that the 10 detainees were slated for transfer, but the destination at the time was not known. The state-run Oman News Agency published a brief statement Thursday morning saying the detainees had arrived in Oman.
The Omani Foreign Ministry reportedly described the move as a “temporary stay.”

The Defense Department subsequently announced the transfer, and identified the detainees, late Thursday morning, saying the administration coordinated with Oman to ensure the move was conducted with “appropriate security and humane treatment measures.”

According to a statement, Defense Secretary Ash Carter notified Congress in advance. The Pentagon said the individuals “were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force,” and said the government is “grateful” to Oman for its “humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention
facility.”Ahead of the announcement, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., slammed the transfer as a “thinly veiled attempt to undercut the will of Congress and would further endanger the American people.”
The administration is banned by law from transferring Guantanamo detainees to Yemen, given the risk in that country. Yemen is not only racked by civil war, but is the home of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. At least three previously released Guantanamo detainees have gone on to become leaders with AQAP in Yemen after leaving the camp.
Given that Oman neighbors Yemen, Ayotte described the move as a potential attempt to “circumvent” the congressional ban on sending prisoners to Yemen.
“This potential transfer is all the more troubling in light of the fact that Ibrahim al Qosi, who was released from Gitmo by the Obama administration in 2012, is now reportedly a leader and spokesman for AQAP,” Ayotte said. “… The administration has not been forthright with the American people about the terrorist affiliations and activities of these detainees, or provided sufficient assurances that they will not return to the battlefield, particularly given their possible proximity to Yemen.”

The transfer also coincides with a recent weapons deal. The terms are classified, but the State Department a week ago approved the proposed sale of TOW 2B missiles and supporting equipment to the government of Oman – valued at about $51 millionThe department said the sale would help an ally build its ground defenses and bolster the country's national security and defensive capabilities.A State Department official told Fox News, though, that the deal and the detainee transfer are unrelThe transfer brings the number of remaining detainees to 93The transfers are part of an administration effort to bring down the prison camp’s population as much as possible. Fifty-nine prisoners, however, currently are not eligible for transfer abroad, and the administration is trying to figure out what to do with them. Though Congress has blocked transfers to the United States, the Pentagon nevertheless has conducted a series of site surveys of prisons in the U.S. in the past few months. President Obama reiterated his goal of closing the camp in his State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Planned Parenthood to endorse Hillary Clinton

Planned Parenthood announced Thursday that it will endorse Hillary Clinton for president -- the controversial group’s first political endorsement in its history.
The group, which has been under fire from Republicans after a number of controversies over its abortion practices, will formally endorse Clinton at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Sunday, Fox News confirmed.
The group announced the endorsement on Twitter, calling Clinton the “only candidate to speak up for Planned Parenthood at the debates” and cited her legislative record of “expanding and protecting access to reproductive health care.”
Clinton said in a statement she was "honored" to receive the endorsement. "There has never been a more important election when it comes to women's health and reproductive rights-and Planned Parenthood's patients, providers, and advocates across the country are a crucial line of defense against the dangerous agenda being advanced by every Republican candidate for president," she said.

Planned Parenthood files federal lawsuit over undercover videos

Only in America!

Planned Parenthood filed a federal court lawsuit Thursday alleging extensive criminal misconduct by the anti-abortion activists who produced undercover videos targeting the handling of fetal tissue at some Planned Parenthood clinics.
"The people behind this fraud lied and broke the law in order to spread malicious lies about Planned Parenthood," said Dawn Laguens, the organization's executive vice president. "This lawsuit exposes the elaborate, illegal conspiracy designed to block women's access to safe and legal abortion."
The anti-abortion activists, who named their group the Center for Medical Progress, began releasing a series of covertly recorded videos in July alleging that Planned Parenthood sold fetal tissue to researchers for a profit in violation of federal law.
Planned Parenthood has denied any wrongdoing, saying a handful of its clinics provided fetal tissue for research while receiving only permissible reimbursement for costs. The lawsuit says the videos were the result of numerous illegalities, including making recordings without consent, registering false identities with state agencies and violating non-disclosure agreements.
The civil lawsuit was filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. It seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as legal fees. A Planned Parenthood lawyer, Beth Parker, declined to estimate how much money would be sought, but it said the amount would include extra money spent since the videos' release on additional security for Planned Parenthood clinics.
David Daleiden, a founder of the Center for Medical Progress who oversaw the video operation, said he looked forward to confronting Planned Parenthood officials in court.
"My response is: Game on," he said in an email. "I look forward to deposing all the CEOs, medical directors, and their co-conspirators who participated in Planned Parenthood's illegal baby body parts racket."
The lawsuit alleges that Daleiden and several collaborators, including longtime anti-abortion activist Troy Newman, "engaged in a complex criminal enterprise to defraud Planned Parenthood." The suit contends that the Center for Medical Progress violated the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organization Act (known as the RICO Act), engaging in wire fraud, mail fraud, invasion of privacy, illegal secret recording and trespassing.
According to the suit, Daleiden, Newman and other defendants used aliases, obtained fake government IDs and formed a fake tissue procurement company, Biomax, in order to gain access to private medical conferences and health care centers, and to tape private professional conversations of medical providers.
The videos provoked an outcry from the anti-abortion movement, and prompted numerous investigations of Planned Parenthood by Republican-led committees in Congress and by GOP-led state governments. Thus far, none of the investigations has turned up wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood in regard to fetal tissue research, but Republicans in Congress and in several states are seeking to cut off government funding to the organization.
The videos created a "poisonous environment" in which Planned Parenthood staffers were targeted with hate mail and death threats, said Parker, the organization's lawyer. She cited the attack in November on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado in which three people were killed; the man arrested in the shooting depicted himself in court as a "warrior for the babies."

Trump, Cruz clash over eligibility, ‘New York values’ at GOP debate

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump clashed in a spectacular way at the Republican presidential debate Thursday, engaging in a rapid-fire and quick-witted exchange over Cruz’ eligibility for office – and later, a dispute in which Trump cited 9/11 to put down his rival’s jokes about “New York values.”
The tension between the two men, who until now have maintained a certain peace on the debate stage, was palpable. Trump essentially admitted he’s now getting tougher on Cruz because he’s rising in the polls in Iowa – and gave no ground over the course of more than two hours.
While all seven candidates on the prime-time Fox Business Network debate stage spent much of their time attacking President Obama and Hillary Clinton, the Trump-Cruz battle on display could set the tone for the final run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire.
In perhaps his most withering retort, Trump slammed Cruz for questioning “New York values.” Recalling memories from after 9/11, Trump described the “horrific” clean up and the “smell of death” in the city.
“It was with us for months, the smell,” Trump said. “And everybody in the world loved New York, loved New Yorkers -- and I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement.”
On the question of Cruz’ eligibility, however, the Texas senator arrived well-prepared to rebut the GOP front-runner’s claims that his Canadian birth might make him unable to run for office.
He noted Trump ignored the questions last year, and alleged he was only going after the issue because of the polls.
“The Constitution hasn’t changed, but the poll numbers changed,” Cruz said.
Then, in a retort reminiscent of Reagan’s famous “youth and inexperience” quip, Cruz tried to flip the script by noting some “birther theories” also say a candidate must have two parents born on U.S. soil to be eligible to run.
Pointing out Trump’s mother was born in Scotland, Cruz said: “On the issue of citizenship, I’m not going to use your mother’s birth against you.”
Trump said, “But I was born here … big difference.”
This touched off a heated exchange, punctuated by frequent, thunderous boos and applause from the audience.
Trump argued that Cruz is exaggerating his poll numbers – “he’s doing better, he’s got probably a 4 or 5 percent chance,” he said -- but maintained that Democrats could use the questions to file suit against him.
And if he won, Trump said, “Who the hell knows if you can even serve in office?”
He called the issue a “big overhang” and said, “You can’t do that to the party.”
Trump also toyed with the idea of naming Cruz his running mate, and Cruz extended the same offer – but Trump said he’d probably “go back to building buildings” if he lost.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio then interjected to talk about other issues.
“I hate to interrupt this episode of court TV,” Rubio said.
The moment of levity was fleeting, with the two later tangling over Cruz’ “New York values” comments. Before Trump offered his somber memory of 9/11, Cruz said, “Not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan. I’m just saying.”.
The exchanges, at times, seemed to relegate the other five candidates to a debate among themselves, though most on stage put on an energetic performance.
Rubio and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie -- who are battling with Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for the No. 2 position in New Hampshire – tangled at one point over Christie’s conservative credentials. Christie fired back by suggesting Rubio was just playing politics.
At another point, the New Jersey governor cut off Rubio when he tried to elaborate on entitlements, saying, “You had your chance” and “blew it.”
Cruz and Rubio also tangled over immigration, with Rubio claiming Cruz has reversed course on several fronts. “That is not consistent conservatism, that is political calculation,” he said.
“I appreciate you dumping your oppo research folder on the debate stage,” Cruz countered, maintaining that he opposes “amnesty” while Rubio backs citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Bush chimed in to mock the debate between the “back-bench senators.”
Meanwhile, Cruz took aim at one of his favorite targets, the media – criticizing The New York Times for a critical report about a campaign finance disclosure mistake. He said if that’s the best the Times has, “they better go back to the well.”
Despite the intra-party battles, the candidates tried to focus their attention on Obama and Clinton.
Bush ripped the Democratic front-runner for being at the heart of an FBI probe over her email set-up, saying if elected, “she might be going back and forth between the White House and the courthouse.”
Rubio added that Clinton would actually be “disqualified.”
At the opening of the debate, the candidates slammed the president’s “rosy” State of the Union address earlier in the week.
“I watched story-time with Barack Obama, and I gotta tell you, it sounded like everything in the world was going amazing,” Christie said.
Cruz also ripped Obama for omitting any mention of the U.S. sailors detained by Iran in his State of the Union. “It was heartbreaking,” he said. Those sailors were later released.
Cruz also slammed Obama for saying in the same address that anyone knocking the economy is “peddling fiction.”
“The president tried to paint a rosy picture of jobs,” Cruz said.
The debate Thursday was among the last before the kick-off nominating contests of 2016.
The only other debate before the Iowa and New Hampshire contests will be held Jan. 28. The tight calendar has fueled the new tensions in the GOP race, particularly as Cruz challenges Trump for the lead in Iowa.
The Republican front-runner also has been engaged in an unusual battle on the sidelines with South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was tapped to give the official GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday. Haley urged Americans to ignore the “angriest voices,” and later acknowledged she was referring to Trump and others.
Trump, asked about the remarks at the debate, seemed to brush off the challenge.
“I’m very angry… and I will gladly accept the mantle of anger,” he said.
Trump also stood by his controversial call to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the country – to which Bush repeated his charge that the plan is “unhinged.”
Kasich, as before, cast himself as a practical problem-solver with fiscal conservative credentials. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was also asked about whether Bill Clinton’s past indiscretions are a fair topic.
“Here’s the real issue, is this America anymore? Do we still have standards? Do we still have values and principles?” he said, pointing to divisiveness in the country. “We need to start once again recognizing that there is such a thing as right and wrong. And let's not let the secular progressives drive that out of us.”
An earlier evening debate featured three lower-polling candidates -- former HP CEO Carly Fiorina; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul qualified but did not attend. Hours later at the prime-time debate, a very brief protest broke out when some started chanting, “We want Rand.”
The debates were held at the North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center in North Charleston, S.C.

Al Jazeera Cartoon

State Department discovers 'thousands' of previously undisclosed Clinton documents

The Department of State recently discovered “thousands” of previously unreviewed documents that relate to Hillary Clinton and the Benghazi attack, according to a watchdog group that has been suing the department to release public records from Clinton’s tenure.
The State Department disclosed the existence of the additional records in a court filing on Friday and asked the judge for further time to search and review the documents.
The watchdog group Judicial Watch has been suing the State Department for years to turn over public records related to Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, the Clinton Foundation, the employment arrangements of Clinton’s top aides, and her response to the Benghazi attack.
According to the State Department, the newly found records are likely to include information relevant to Judicial Watch’s requests. Officials said they would need until at least Feb. 1 to review the documents.
“After State filed its motion for summary judgment in this case [on November 11, 2015], State located additional sources of documents that originated within the Office of the Secretary that are reasonably likely to contain records responsive to Plaintiff’s request,” said the State Department’s attorneys in a court filing.
A judge ordered the State Department to turn over public records after Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the department in September 2013. The case was reopened last year after it was reported that Clinton’s emails, which were sent over a personal email server, had not been searched.

Al Jazeera America to shut down in April

Al Jazeera English bans terms 'terrorist,' 'Islamist'

Al Jazeera America, which went on the air in 2013 -- and is partly funded by the ruling family of Qatar -- announced Wednesday it is shutting down at the end of April, citing the "economic landscape of the media environment."
The network said in a statement that "Al Jazeera America will cease operation by April 30, 2016," explaining that "while Al Jazeera America built a loyal audience across the U.S. and increasingly was recognized as an important new voice in television news, the economic landscape of the media environment has driven its strategic decision to wind down its operations and conclude its service."
Ray Suarez, a Washington, D.C.-based host at the channel, said in an email to Fox News Latino: “We put a good product on the air, with strong content from around the world that you can't see anywhere else. But ... being good isn't enough on its own in 2016.”
Al Anstey, Al Jazeera America’s chief executive, reportedly wrote in a memo to staffers. “I know the closure of AJAM will be a massive disappointment for everyone here who has worked tirelessly for our long-term future. The decision that has been made is in no way because AJAM has done anything but a great job.”
Al Jazeera's prime-time ratings recently ranged from 20,000 to 30,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data. Upon taking over the network in May 2015, Anstey downplayed the network's ratings woes, saying it would “take time to build viewership.”

More on this...

• Pan-Arab news channel Al-Jazeera buys Al Gore's Current TV

• Kurtz: Inside the chaos at Al Jazeera America

The network also said it will be ramping up its digital offerings in the U.S. as it shuts down its news channel.