via @faz_net

Ich weiß, dass er seinen Mitgefangenen eine Quelle der Zuversicht war. Ich weiß, dass er dort gesungen hat. Ich weiß dass sie ihne zusammengeschlagen haben. Ich weiß, dass sie ihm die Finger und die Handgelenke gebrochen haben. Ich weiß, dass sie ihm befohlen haben zu singen – Canta! – und ihm danach die Zunge herausgeschnitten haben.“ Dann hängten ihn die Schergen des Militärregimes an den Händen auf, „bis die Hoffnung Südamerikas gestorben und erlöst war“, wie die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung zehn Jahre später in einem bewegenden Nachruf anlässlich eines Gedenkkonzertes für Victor Jara in der Frankfurter Alten Oper schrieb.

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Now, as the Senate Intelligence Committee prepares to make public some of the findings of its investigation into CIA torture after 9/11, let‘s hope we can start a much needed public reckoning over a tragic mistake that has undermined the very principles I and many others felt we stood for.

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress on Tuesday that he would recommend deploying United States combat forces against Islamic extremists in specific operations if the current strategy of airstrikes was not successful, raising the possibility of the kind of escalation that President Obama has flatly ruled out.

President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday received Faleh al-Fayyad, the Iraqi National Security Advisor and envoy of the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Al-Fayyad briefed President al-Assad on the latest developments in Iraq and the efforts exerted by the Iraqi government and people to confront terrorists, with emphasis during the meeting on the need to bolster cooperation and coordination between the two countries in the field of combating the terrorism which is affecting Syria and Iraq and which poses a threat to the region and the world.

Italy is supplying arms to Iraqi Kurdish fighters and aid to Iraq and Syria.

The U.S. Congress appeared poised on Tuesday to quickly approve President Barack Obama‘s plan to arm and train Syrian rebels, a major part of the effort he announced this week to fight Islamic State militants.

Since Operation Protective Edge began in Gaza in early July, Israel has strengthened economic relationships with its closest allies. Within days of the air campaign starting, the U.S. and Israel penned a mutual recognition customs agreement which will lift screening barriers and tariffs. Then on Monday Israel cinched a similar Declaration of Intent from Canada, while focusing on the threat of ISIS, Hamas and Hezbollah.

Azerbaijani capital of Baku is hosting NATO training courses on psychological operations.

Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend Sept. 16 that the NATO Brunssum Joint Mobile Training Team launched its training courses titled “NATO Psychological Operations”.

Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the United States, said Samad Seyidov, MP and rector of the Azerbaijan University of Languages at a joint event with the U.S. embassy, dedicated to the opening of the Baku American Center after an overhaul.

“Thanks to its position and policy, Azerbaijan can be an example for the countries in the region, as well as other countries,” he added.

Barbara Lee was the lone dissenter in the post-9/11 vote authorizing military force. Many called her a traitor. But her constituents shared her concerns—and history has vindicated them.

Section 1 – Short Title

This joint resolution may be cited as the ‚Authorization for Use of Military Force Against ISIL‘.

Section 2 – Authorization for Use of United States Armed Forces

(a) IN GENERAL- That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against ISIL.

a) GEOGRAPHICAL LIMITATION – The authorization in this section shall be confined to the territory of the Republic of Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic.

b) NO AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF ROTATIONAL GROUND FORCES.-Except for special operations forces and other forces that may be deployed in atraining and advisory role, the authorization in this section does not include authorization for the use of rotational ground forces.

(b) TERMINATION: – The authority of subsection (a) shall terminate eighteen months from the enactment of this joint resolution.

Section 3 – Repeal of Prior Authorization For Use of United States Armed Forces

(a) The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243; 50 U.S.C. 26 1541 note) is hereby repealed.

(b) Effective eighteen months from the date of enactment of this joint resolution, the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) is hereby repealed.

While running for President in 2007, then-Senator Barack Obama sponsored a resolution to require President George W. Bush to get explicit authorization from Congress before waging war against Iran. Today, the Obama White House says the war on ISIS is legally permissible without explicit authorization from Congress, because it‘s covered by the 2001 Authorization of Use of Military Force (AUMF) — which Obama wanted to repeal as recently as last year.

(10. September) CBS News has learned that Obama plans to expand U.S. airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq, and eventually Syria. But the Pentagon is still working to develop targets there.

The president will also ask Congress to authorize $500 million to support moderate Syrian opposition forces fighting the militants.

Watch below via the Senate Armed Services Committee:

– Hagel says he has approved strikes inside Syria
– Saudi Arabia will host training ground for Syrian opposition
– Pentagon: ‘This won’t look like a shock-and-awe campaign’

Stewart, somehow, thought “we’re all gonna die” was maybe a bit of an overstatement, and showed clip after clip of Graham “sustain[ing] this level of panic for 13 years.”