Vladimir Putin supports the decision by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on ceasefire in east Ukraine as well as his intent to take a number of specific measures to reach a peaceful settlement.

At the same time, the President of Russia notes that the proposed plan will not be viable or realistic if no practical steps are taken to commence negotiation process.

Mr Putin considers it unacceptable when after a ceasefire has been ordered, the confrontation continues and shells from the Ukrainian side land and explode on the Russian territory, causing material damage and threatening life and health of Russian citizens.

The peace plan proposed by President Poroshenko should not take the form of an ultimatum to militia groups. The opportunity that opens up with the end of hostilities should be used to start constructive negotiations and to reach a political compromise between the parties to the conflict in southeast Ukraine.

The President of Russia calls on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities and sit down at the negotiating table.

Putin “urges all warring parties to stop all hostilities and begin talks”, the press service said. He believes, however, that Poroshenko’s peace plan “will not be viable and realistic without practical steps towards negotiations”.

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On September 14, 2001, in the fog of 9/11, Congress voted to give the President expanded war powers. These powers made it much easier for any President to engage in acts of war. Since that fateful day, thousands of American troops and many innocent civilians have lost their lives based on the overly broad authorization for force which functions as a blank check for war without end.

If you’re outraged by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, drone strikes and warrantless wiretapping, we can help stop them if we repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF).

Barbara Lee and other members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, have introduced the War Authorization Review and Determination Act. Our goal is to obtain 150,000 citizen co-sponsors. Sign the petition now.

Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Ms.
Slaughter, Mr. Massie, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Stockman, Mr. Yoho, Mr. Jones, Mr. Amash, Mr. Posey, Mr. Conyers, and Mr. Ellison) introduced the following bill; (…)

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the „War Authorization Review and
Determination Act“ or „WARD Act“.

SEC. 2. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

(a) In General.–Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress, in writing, a report setting forth each operation or other action that is being carried out pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) as of the date of the submission of the report.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) issues statement following final passage of the 2015 Department of Defense Appropriations bill (H.R. 4870). All four of Congresswoman Lee’s amendments were voted down. H.R. 4870 has passed with a final vote count of 340 no yes votes and 73 no votes. Congresswoman Lee against the final bill.

“Despite support from the American people to end our nation’s perpetual state of war, Congress has not repealed the multiple Authorizations for Use of Military Force that have created the quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan and amounts to blank check for endless war,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

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Armed tribesmen and not militants from the radical Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have seized two cities in Anbar, Al Arabiya News Channel reported the governor of the Sunni-majority province as saying on Saturday.

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Mohammed Dudin is second Palestinian killed as Israeli military pursues Islamist militants amid search for missing teenagers

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Across the country, a total of 94 people were arrested based on accusations of being Muslim Brotherhood members, inciting violence, and holding illegal demonstrations, according to a statement by the Ministry of the Interior.

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Egypt‘s anti-Coup coalition vows to continue peaceful protest until the will of the sovereign people is respected and legitimacy restored.

An Egyptian court confirmed on Saturday death sentences against the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and 182 supporters, a strong sign that the crackdown on the group will continue under new President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Reuters reported.

)14. Mai) She said:

„The United States is very actively involved. We have a team of now up to 30 people on the ground… Our team consists of diplomats, military advisers, intelligence experts, law enforcement experts and even development experts, all coordinating closely with the Nigerian government and now increasingly with representatives from the British government, the French government and the Israeli government, all of whom are there in search of the girls….“

(20. Mai) The US military is already flying manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft over Nigeria to look for the girls, whose abduction triggered a worldwide outcry and piled pressure on Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to deal with the rebels.

Suspected Islamist militants stormed a village in northeast Nigeria on Saturday, killing several people and torching houses close to where more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped two months ago, a witness said.

Pro-Russian separatists attacked Ukrainian posts on the border with Russia and a military base, and tried to storm an airforce base overnight into Saturday, government forces said, putting a Ukrainian unilateral ceasefire under pressure.

For five long years I had kept up this pose as a militant jihadist. In reality I was a spy, working undercover for Western intelligence agencies.

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After September 11, 2001, our government told us to fear foreign terrorists, so we did. To protect our national security, we submitted to unreasonable searches without protest; we surrendered our freedom of speech and association. At a staggering cost, we financed a permanent, mercenary military to patrol the world.

In September 2008, when the economy froze, the stock exchanges plunged and private firms began shedding jobs by the hundreds of thousands each week. The Treasury Department stepped in and transferred hundreds of billions of dollars in public assets to failing private financial institutions. The subsequent congressional inquiry determined that we were all responsible. We were guilty of irrational exuberance.

But now, taking stock years later, we have to recognize that no foreign terrorist shredded the Constitution. Nor did we, as citizens, bankrupt the nation. Powerful forces inside the country did. And worse than that: they intend to keep doing it. They have yet to be stopped.

„Alle waren auf der Hut. Das war nicht die Zeit, Risiken einzugehen […] Manche Autoren, die nicht auf der schwarzen Liste standen, machten, wie soll ich sagen, ‚Pionierarbeit‘, aber nichts Politisches […] Sie hielten sich von der Politik fern […] Ich denke, es herrschte allgemein das Gefühl, sich bloß nicht zu weit aus dem Fenster zu lehnen. Das ist kein Klima, das der Kreativität förderlich ist oder der Phantasie freien Lauf lässt. Man befindet sich in ständiger Gefahr, Selbstzensur zu üben, zu sagen: ‚Nein, das mache ich nicht; ich weiß, das geht nicht, oder es wird die Regierung ärgern‘ oder Ähnliches.“

Cooperation between Germany‘s foreign intelligence service, the BND, and America‘s NSA is deeper than previously believed. German agents appear to have crossed into constitutionally questionable territory.

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The reasons for these two to argue against the amendment are clear. Goodlatte was the guy who negotiated the „deal“ with the White House and the House Intelligence Committee to completely water down the USA Freedom Act, and he knows that this amendment puts some of the substance that he stripped out right back in. Ruppersberger, of course, represents the district where the NSA is headquartered, and is the ranking member for the House Intelligence Committee. His loyalty to the NSA over the American public has always been clear. But to have them basically admit that the NSA does warrantless spying on Americans is quite impressive. Here are both of them arguing against the amendment: