Arizona vs. United States & United Nations?

Last week, we noted that the U.S. State Department had submitted its "Report of the United States of America" to the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights. This report was compiled as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) organized by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC).  The U.S. report is revealing of the Obama Administration's dissatisfaction with the American people and the Administration's vision for America's role in the world. Steven Groves and Brett Schaefer have now outlined basic flaws in the UPR process including the poor human rights records of the HRC's members.

Arizona Governor Janice Brewer has also noticed objectionable information in the U.S. report – namely, that the U.S. State Department included Arizona's recent immigration law (S.B. 1070) in the report as an example of a human rights "issue" that is "being addressed" by the federal government through court action.

Governor Brewer has written a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which Brewer expresses her "concern and indignation" at the "offensive" and "hypocritical" treatment of Arizona in the U.S. UPR report:

The purpose of this letter is [to] express my concern and indignation to you about the "Universal Periodic Review" report ("Report") submitted on August 20, 2010, by the United States Department of State to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The State Department describes the Report as a "partial snapshot of the current human rights situation in the United States, including some of the areas where problems persist in our society." In particular, I am protesting the inclusion of Paragraph 95 of the Report that highlights Arizona's recently enacted immigration laws and asking that you amend the Report to remove it.

Simply put, it is downright offensive that the U.S. State Department included the State of Arizona and S.B. 1070 in a report to the United Nations Council on Human Rights, whose members include such renowned human rights "champions" as Cuba and Libya. Apparently, the federal government is trying to make an international human rights case out of S.B. 1070 on the heels of already filing a federal court case against the State of Arizona. The idea of our own American government submitting the duly enacted laws of a State of the United States to "review" by the United Nations is internationalism run amok and unconstitutional. Human rights as guaranteed by the United States and Arizona Constitutions are expressly protected in S.B. 1070 and defended vigorously by my Administration. In fact, the Department of Justice has correctly not included these so-called "human rights" issues in the current litigation against the State of Arizona.

Furthermore, it is hypocritical for the State Department to include S.B. 1070 in the Report, while taking credit for the "sophistication and breadth of [the United States'] anti-trafficking efforts" in Paragraph 99 of the Report. The federal government's failure to secure the entire border has resulted in life-and-death consequences. The flow of illegal immigrant trafficking to a large degree across the harsh Arizona desert is a result of the federal policy to secure the border in San Diego and El Paso and leave the Tucson (Arizona) Sector less secured. For example, this federal policy has resulted in the deaths of untold numbers of illegal immigrants – 170 bodies found in the desert so far this year according to the Pima County (Arizona) Medical Examiner. And this does not include the kidnappings and other acts of violence many times associated with illegal immigrant trafficking. Moreover, the Obama Administration has stated that its official policy is to not enforce major portions of our federal immigration laws, which encourages only more illegal immigration. If the federal government secured the entire border and enforced our immigration laws, these human rights problems would not be occurring for citizens, legal residents and illegal immigrants.

I understand that the next step is for the Report to be reviewed by some members of the United Nations Human Rights Council later this year. I again respectfully request that you amend the Report to remove Paragraph 95 relating to the State of Arizona and S.B. 1070. If you choose not to do so, the State of Arizona will monitor the proceedings and assert any rights it has in this process. Be assured that the State of Arizona will fight any attempt by the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations to interfere with the duly enacted laws of the State of Arizona in accordance with the U.S. Constitution.

In closing, I encourage the State Department to compare the immigration laws and records of any United Nations Human Rights Council member commenting on S.B. 1070 in this process to those of the United States and then publish that comparison. I am confident that the generous immigration tradition of the United States and Arizona will win in any such comparison.

Governor Brewer is correct to vigorously protect the integrity of her state's laws and the safety of its citizens within the United States' federal system of government. Sadly, the State Department now views such actions as worthy of international criticism. Arizona's S.B. 1070 is in fact very similar to the types of immigration enforcement practiced around the country and is hardly worthy of being singled out as discriminatory. Increasingly, however, it appears that objections against Arizona's immigration law are part of a larger campaign against immigration enforcement all together. How ironic that a state governor is arguing the merits of federal border enforcement while being criticized by a sitting Secretary of State before an international audience. What ever happened to E Pluribus Unum?

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/08/31/arizona-vs-united-states-united-nations/

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Obama to Take Credit For Withdrawing Troops Despite Fact That Agreement Was Signed Under Bush

Barack Obama will take credit tonight for withdrawing US combat troops from Iraq. This is despite the fact that he opposed the successful Bush surge and he even commented that genocide would be better than keeping troops in Iraq.

It will also be interesting to see if President Obama mentions that the agreement to withdraw combat troops was signed under Bush.

The Sunday Times reported this news on November 17, 2008.

All US troops will leave Iraq within three years, and soldiers will withdraw from major towns and cities by next summer, under a landmark deal approved by the Iraqi Cabinet. The last British troops are expected to leave Iraq by the end of next year.

The agreement would draw a line under the campaign launched by President Bush in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein in which 4,201 US and 176 British military personnel have died.

The pact, which also restricts US operations in the country beyond the end of this year, will be submitted to parliament for a final vote shortly…

…Main points of the agreement

– All US forces to leave Iraq by the end of 2011
– US forces to pull out of towns by summer 2009
– Iraq can try US troops for serious crimes off-duty and off-base
– Baghdad's green zone to be handed to the Iraqi Government
– Iraqi airspace will be handed over to Iraq
– US forces need Iraqi judge's order before they raid houses
– Iraq has the right to search shipments of US military material
– Iraqi territory cannot be used for assaults on neighbouring countries
– Either side may end the accord by serving notice of one year

The Guardian also reported on the 2008 agreement.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/08/obama-to-take-credit-for-withdrawing-troops-despite-fact-that-agreement-was-signed-under-bush/

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Fox and Friends SMACKDOWN: Must Watch Gretchen Carleson vs Robert Gibbs Video

In what might the start of another self-imposed Fox News exile, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs appeared on Fox and Friends this morning to explain what the President was going to say tonight in his prime time address on the Iraq War.

When Carlson asked Gibbs if tonight the President will admit that the surge worked, the Press secretary replied that Obama always said that putting 20,000 more troops would work.  Unfortunately for Gibbs, just before the interview, Carlson showed the audience a video where Candidate Obama said that adding the troops would not work.  Caught in a "misstatement"  Gibbs went on the defensive and the fun ensued, including Carlson asking if President Obama was going credit President Bush tonight during his speech for the success in Iraq--five times. Instead of answering the question, Gibbs counted the number of times Carlson asked.  "That's the second time you asked the question...third...etc."

This is a MUST watch.

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Unreal. Obama Administration Funding Pro-Palestinian Billboard Campaign in Israel

The aim of the ad campaign is to persuade Israelis that peace partners on the Palestinian side truly exist.

A scene from a peaceful Fatah rally in the Palestinian territories. (CBC)

Unreal. The Obama Administration is funding a pro-Palestinian ad campaign in Israel.
The UPI reported, via FOX Nation:

The campaign launched Sunday includes the faces of senior Palestinian Authority officials Saeb Erekat, Jibril Rajoub and Yasser Abed Rabo, and Riad Malki, Palestinian foreign affairs minister, Yedioth Aharonoth said.

The aim of the campaign is to persuade Israelis that peace partners on the Palestinian side truly exist, and calls for support of a two-state solution, the Tel Aviv newspaper said.

The U.S. government was approached to fund the campaign by the Geneva Initiative founders, who drew up an agreement in 2003 to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the newspaper said.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, invested close to $250,000 toward the creation of the billboards, the newspaper said.

Israel Matsav has more.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/08/obama-administration-funding-pro-palestinian-billboard-campaign-in-israel/

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“It was certainly a dry run”: Two Muslims arrested in Amsterdam after flight from Chicago

What's shocking about this is that before he even got to Chicago he was stopped in Alabama for "further screening" because of "bulky clothing" and then upon further investigation of his checked baggage, they found all sorts of shady things including 7 grand in cash,  a cell phone taped to a Pepto-Bismol bottle, three cell phones taped together, several watches taped together, a box cutter and three large knives.

ABC News reported:

Two men taken off a Chicago-to-Amsterdam United Airlines flight in the Netherlands have been charged by Dutch police with "preparation of a terrorist attack," U.S. law enforcement officials tell ABC News.

U.S. officials said the two appeared to be traveling with what were termed "mock bombs" in their luggage. "This was almost certainly a dry run, a test," said one senior law enforcement official.

A spokesman for the Dutch public prosecutor, Ernst Koelman, confirmed the two men were arrested this morning and said "the investigation is ongoing." He said the arrests were made "at the request of American authorities."

The two were allowed to board the flight at O'Hare airport last night despite security concerns surrounding one of them, the officials said.

The men were identified as Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi, of Detroit, MI, and Hezem al Murisi, the officials said. A neighbor of al Soofi told ABC News he is from Yemen.

Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi, left, and Hezem al Murisi, were taken off a United Airlines flight in the Netherlands and have been charged by Dutch police with "preparation of a terrorist attack," according to a U.S. law enforcement official. (ABC News)

And the details of why he was stopped by screeners in Birmingham:

Airport security screeners in Birmingham, Alabama first stopped al Soofi and referred him to additional screening because of what officials said was his "bulky clothing."

In addition, officials said, al Soofi was found to be carrying $7,000 in cash and a check of his luggage found a cell phone taped to a Pepto-Bismol bottle, three cell phones taped together, several watches taped together, a box cutter and three large knives. Officials said there was no indication of explosives and he and his luggage were cleared for the flight from Birmingham to Chicago O'Hare.

Once in Chicago, officials say they learned al Soofi checked his luggage on a flight to Washington's Dulles airport for connections on flights to Dubai and then Yemen, even though he did not board the flight himself.

Instead, officials say, al Soofi was joined by the second man, Al Murisi, and boarded the United flight from Chicago to Amsterdam.

When Customs and Border officials learned al Soofi was not on the flight from Dulles to Dubai, the plane was ordered to return to the gate so his luggage could be removed. Officials said additional screening found no evidence of explosives.

The two men were detained by Dutch authorities when the United flight landed in Amsterdam, according to the officials.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/08/it-was-certainly-a-dry-run-two-muslims-arrested-in-amsterdam-after-flight-from-chicago/

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Two men arrested on flight from Chicago to Amsterdam, one fingered in Birmingham

Two men were arrested from a flight from Chicago to Amsterdam, and apparently, they were up to no good.

They had stuff that you and I would look at and say, "that's either a bomb, or it's stuff that's gonna be a bomb if we don't stop'em."

But TSA in Birmingham… didn't stop'em:

 

---

U.S. officials said the two appeared to be travelling with what were termed "mock bombs" in their luggage. "This was almost certainly a dry run, a test," said one senior law enforcement official.

A spokesman for the Dutch public prosecutor, Ernst Koelman, confirmed the two men were arrested this morning and said "the investigation is ongoing." He said the arrests were made "at the request of American authorities."

Airport security screeners in Birmingham, Alabama first stopped al Soofi and referred him to additional screening because of what officials said was his "bulky clothing." In addition, officials said, al Soofi was found to be carrying $7,000 in cash and a check of his luggage found a cell phone taped to a Pepto-Bismol bottle, three cell phones taped together, several watches taped together, a box cutter and three large knives. Officials said there was no indication of explosives and he and his luggage were cleared for the flight from Birmingham to Chicago O'Hare.

---

It boggles the mind why someone carrying such suspicious luggage was cleared for anything except a trip to the Jefferson County lockup.

Officials believe this was a "dry run," designed to test TSA security to see if they could board a US airliner with highly suspicious materials.  Sadly, the Birmingham airport security personnel kicked the can up the road to Chicago.  And Chicago then kicked the can up the road to…  Amsterdam?

This is why if I can get to my destination with a one-day drive, I'm on the road.  Houston.  Atlanta.  Jacksonville.  Even Charlotte or Savannah.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ibleedcrimsonred/OvJu/~3/gG5b7G3js8Q/two-men-arrested-on-flight-from-chicago.html

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Obama Climate Czar Carol Browner Is Causing The Bedbug Epidemic

Ther has been much news on the bedbug epidemic that is seemingly washing over the entire country.

But why now? The Daily Caller had this today as to the root cause (via Instapundit): Is the EPA to blame for the bed bug 'epidemic'?

Though they've been sucking humans' blood since at least ancient Greece, bed bugs became virtually extinct in America following the invention of pesticide DDT.

There were almost no bed bugs in the United States between World War II and the mid-1990s.

Around when bed bugs started their resurgence, Congress passed a major pesticides law in 1996 and the Clinton EPA banned several classes of chemicals that had been effective bed bug killers.

...in the pre-1996 regime, experts say, bed bugs were "collateral damage" from broader and more aggressive use of now-banned pesticides like Malathion and Propoxur.

The article also indicates that research at the University of Kentucky show the pesticides now banned by the EPA are still deadly effective at eradicating bed bugs. The EPA is in no mood to rescind the ban either. But there is one aspect of the article that the Daily Caller didn't pick up on. Fortunately, we have Henry Payne over at the Michigan View who had this flashback:

This is a direct result, as predicted ten years ago by The Detroit News' Diane Katz, of the EPA's zealous, anti-science ban on Dursban - a common household pesticide - under Clinton appointee Carol Browner -- now Obama Climate Czar - in 2000. The bed bugs have come home to roost.

Carol Browner, Obama's "Climate Czar" is a self-described socialist that has demanded the breaking of federal law. (Obama Climate Czar Carol Browner: Put NOTHING In Writing! Breaks Federal Law!)You have to wonder what research she buried to push her agenda through back then. Recall this about Obama's czars:

Want one person to blame for your beg bug nightmares? Blame Carol Browner.

Previously: 

What to do as unemployment inches up towards 10%? Climate czar Carol Browner thinks it's time to push cap-and-trade and tax each household at $1,700 

Obama Climate Czar Carol Browner: Put NOTHING In Writing! Breaks Federal Law! 

Video: Has **anyone** read the cap-and-trade bill???

http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2010/08/obama-climate-czar-carol-browner-is.html

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FOX News: CBO: Iraq War Cost Less Than Stimulus Act

I thought you might be interested in this article: CBO: Iraq War Cost Less Than Stimulus Act.

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Once Again… Obama Bashes Bush Over Flailing Economy (Video)

Last year Barack Obama took ownership of the economy but today President Obama once again bashed George Bush for the dismal economic climate he created in the United States.

Click on Deficit Chart for Video–

Of course, not a word of that was true.

Three weeks ago the Obama Administration announced that the July deficit totaled $165 billion…
That's more than the Bush deficit for the entire year of 2007.

During the Bush years, despite the 2000 Recession, the attacks on 9-11, the stock market scandals, Hurricane Katrina, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush Administration was able to reduce the budget deficit from 412 billion dollars in 2004 to 162 billion dollars in 2007, a sixty percent drop.

In 2004 the federal budget deficit was 412 billion dollars. In 2005 it dropped to 318 billion dollars. In 2006 the deficit dipped to 248 billion dollars. And, in 2007 it fell below 200 billion to 162 billion dollars. During the Bush years the average unemployment rate was 5.2 percent, the economy saw the strongest productivity growth in four decades and there was robust GDP growth.

After an unheard of record deficit last year of $1.4 Trillion the economy is on track to experience a $1.47 Trillion deficit this year.

The stock market is currently down 130 points on the day.

Related… Here's more proof that democrats are to blame for current recession.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/08/once-again-obama-smears-bush-for-his-failed-economic-policies-video/

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World Governance--Obama Administration Reports to U.N. on Arizona 'Human Rights'

The globalists who run the government now want a U.N. review of Arizona's immigration law concerning possible 'human rights violations.'

And that is the subject of today's column at Conservative Examiner.


Needless to say Governor Jan Brewer is livid, and you should be too.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLibertySphere/~3/KEpA8_dl5Eg/world-governance-obama-administration.html

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