Saturday, June 24, 2017

Oh, Loretta!

Let's note this press release from Senator Charles Grassley:

Judiciary Committee Probes Reported Lynch Assurances to Stifle Clinton Email Investigation

Jun 23, 2017
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, Crime and Terrorism Subcommittee Chairman Lindsey Graham and Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse sought information about alleged political interference by then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch during the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. The bipartisan inquiry comes as the Judiciary Committee is examining the circumstances surrounding the removal of James Comey as FBI Director.
 
In April, The New York Times reported that the FBI came into possession of a batch of hacked documents, one of which was said to be authored by a “Democratic operative who expressed confidence that Ms. Lynch would keep the Clinton investigation from going too far.”  Chairman Grassley then requested a copy of the document from the Justice Department, which has failed to respond.  A month later, The Washington Post reported similar facts and provided further details about individuals involved in these communications.  The Post reported that the email in question, sent by then-chair of the Democratic National Committee Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Leonard Benardo of the Open Society Foundations, indicated that Lynch had privately assured Clinton campaign staffer Amanda Renteria that the FBI’s investigation wouldn’t “go too far.”
 
Comey was reportedly concerned that the communication would raise doubts about the investigation’s independence and began discussing plans to announce the end of the Clinton email investigation rather than simply referring it to the Department for a prosecutorial decision. Comey’s extraordinary action to announce the end of the investigation was a break from Justice Department protocol, and was later cited as justification for his removal from the FBI.
 
In their letters to Benardo, Open Society Foundations’ General Counsel Gail Scovell, Renteria and former Attorney General Lynch, the Senators seek details about the reported communication, copies of any related documents and whether the FBI contacted them to investigate the alleged communication.
 
The reports come amidst numerous allegations of political inference in controversial and high-profile investigations spanning the current and previous administrations. The Senate Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over the FBI and Justice Department and is obliged to oversee any potential misconduct or inappropriate political influence at these agencies.
 
Full text of the letters can be found at the following links.
 
 

And this comes as THE HILL reports, "A majority of voters say former Attorney General Loretta Lynch should be investigated for an election-year meeting with former President Bill Clinton that took place while the FBI was investigating Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server from her time as Secretary of State."

Oh, Loretta.

I stood up for you and defended you here.

I thought you took your oath of office seriously.

Turns out, you may have been just another partisan.

I hope not.

Closing with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Friday, June 23, 2017.  Chaos and violence continue, a judge weighs in on Iraqi Christian refugees in the US, The Mosul Slog continues and much more.



Starting with the topic of refugees . . .


Replying to 
From Syria to Libya to Iraq and beyond, millions of refugees wouldn't have fled if the US, the UK and co. didn't destabilize their homelands




They didn't create themselves.

Before the start of this decade, the Iraq War had already created the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East since 1948.

And that's only continued through this day.

Some of the displaced stay in other parts of Iraq.

Some leave for other countries.

Those who turn to other countries arrive hoping they've found a place where they can create a home.


For a number of Iraqi Christians, the US may not be that place as they've been informed that they are being deported.

Some hope emerged yesterday.


BREAKING: Detroit judge temporarily halts deportation of more than 100 Iraqi Christians who fear torture if sent back.



A Detroit judge has temporarily halted deportation of 100+ Iraqi Christians who fear persecution if returned. ICYMI:




US judge halts deportation of more than 100 Iraqi Christians





Federal judge temporarily blocks Iraqi Christians’ deportation








Meanwhile, it's day 247 of The Mosul Slog.




Mosul to be liberated in a few days as [the Islamic State] on the verge of defeat says Iraqi PM
Thousands of civilians trapped in Mosul as fighting continues
Mosul's Old City is being reduced to rubble. More than 100 thousand people are believed to be trapped as the battles continues. Iraqi PM says forces will retake Mosul within days.





Of course, prime minister Hayder al-Abadi has been making the "within days" claim for 247 days, over eight months.

247 days.

And the operation only kicked off after Mosul had been occupied by the Islamic State for over two years.


The Islamic State seized control in June of 2014.


The liberation has resulted in increasing the refugee population and civilians being targeted.




This is what, the Iraqi army, U.S and France allies in the region is doing...








Iraq's late for provincial elections.  They were supposed to be held in April.

National elections are to be held next year -- or supposed to be.

Protests are taking place over the Independent High Electoral Commission.

Which is a good thing.

It's impacted each election negatively.

And usually the complaints are on hold until after the election is days away.



What's happening? ماذا حدث؟






These protests could make a difference.

Meanwhile, the violence continues.


XINHUA reports, "Six civilians were killed and 11 wounded on Friday when four suicide bombers attacked the town of al-Baghdadi in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial police source told Xinhua."  AFP notes that the death toll has now increased to nine.














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