TRNS News Notes is brought to you by Victoria Jones. Victoria Jones is the Chief White House correspondent and global analyst of the Washington DC based Talk Radio News Service, where her insight and analysis are made available to over 400 news talk radio stations around the country and internationally.

In the News

  • Ottawa shootings: Canada not intimidated – Harper
  • U.S. to train Syrians only in defensive role – really?
  • Obama “cautiously more optimistic” on Ebola
  • U.S. to monitor travelers from Ebola-hit nations
  • Takata airbags recall: Pressure builds
  • Former Blackwater guards convicted: Iraq massacre
  • Iraqi witness: “World went dark for me”
  • Ferguson: Black witnesses support officer’s account
  • WH: “Crazy” to guess Obama’s immigration plans

 

Ottawa Shootings: Canada Not Intimidated – Harper
• “We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated,” Canadian PM Stephen Harper said Wednesday night in an address to the nation after a deadly attack near the national parliament in the capital Ottawa. He pledged to “redouble our efforts” in fighting “terrorist” groups (WaPo, Globe and Mail, BBC, NYT, TRNS, Hill, TRNS, me)

• Earlier, a sudden spasm of violence jolted the govt center, as a gunman killed an honor guard solider at a war memorial and then opened fire inside the nearly parliament building, triggering a lockdown and hours of confusion in Ottawa

• This came hours after Canada raised its threat level. Monday, another soldier was killed in a hit-and-run attack by a Muslim convert in Quebec. Canadian security sources later identified the gunman in Wednesday’s shootings as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a Muslim convert in this early 30s

• He was recently designated as a “high-risk traveler” and had his passport taken away because of suspected jihadist sympathies. Earlier this month, Canada announced plans to join the U.S.-led campaign of air strikes against ISIS. No official confirmation that any of this week’s attacks are linked (but foolish not to suspect a link)

• Raw vid: Shooting inside parliament building in Ottawa (Globe and Mail)
ISIS: “Kill Him In Any Manner”
• President Obama spoke by phone with Harper Wednesday afternoon. Later, the president said, “Obviously, we’re all shaken by it.” It is “very important for us, I think, to recognize when it comes to dealing with terrorist activity, Canada and the U.S. have to be entirely in sync.” In the call to Harper, Obama offered any assistance Canada needed

• Harper was addressing MPs in the parliament building at the time of the shooting but was safely evacuated. Two soldiers guarding the memorial came under fire from a man dressed in black, his face covered in a scarf. One soldier, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, died of his injuries. Three other people were treated in the hospital and released

• Minutes after the attack at the memorial, dozens of shots were fired inside the parliament building. The gunman was shot dead by Sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers, 58. Zehaf-Bibeau is known to have a police record for petty crime. Police told those in central Ottawa to stay away from windows and roofs for several hours as they searched for additional suspects

• In an audio message this month, an ISIS spox urged revenge killings: “If you can kill a disbelieving American or European – especially the spiteful and filthy French – or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war … then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way, however it may be.”
• Raw vid: Dominic Adesanya, 23, apprehended by Secret Service after jumping WH fence Wed night – attack dogs run over and and bite him – man punches, kicks dogs. (ba$tard) Adesanya’s father said his son had wanted to tell Obama about “his feelings that everyone was out to get him.” Well, they were and they did (WaPo, me)
U.S. to Train Syrians Only in Defensive Role
• What? Although moderate Syrian fighters are deemed essential to defeating ISIS under the Obama admin’s strategy, officials don’t believe the newly assembled units will be capable of capturing key towns from militants without the help of forward-deployed U.S. combat teams, which President Obama has so far ruled out (WaPo, me)

• The Syrian rebel force will be tasked instead with trying to prevent ISIS from extending its reach beyond the large stretches of territory it already controls. Obama’s unwillingness to deploy ground combat forces is rooted in concern that American troops would be drawn into a long, bloody war in the Middle East

• The admin has made little secret of the fact that reversing ISIS gains in Iraq is the primary goal of its military strategy in the region. Airstrikes in Syria, senior admin officials have said, are not designed to push out the militants but to destroy the infrastructure, sources of revenue and command structure that have enabled them to operate successfully in Iraq

• Skeptics of the admin’s policy in the Pentagon and in Congress worry that the recruitment effort will be hindered by a lack of a clear U.S. commitment to assist the new force. They also argue that the Obama admin’s unwillingness to commit to toppling Assad will lead many moderate opponents to sit on the sidelines

• Some officials say they could use covert operatives and private contractors (uh oh) reporting to the CIA, not the Pentagon, who could provide combat advice to Syrian forces and summon air support. Or ask Arab nations who have helped to send some special ops units. But a senior Arab official said that’s unlikely without a U.S. troop commitment, also (#fail)
• State Dept spox Leah Schwarting said Wed that even though some of the weapons meant for Kurdish fighters in Kobane might have made it into the hands of ISIS, “the alternative of doing nothing … we don’t think is a viable option.” (TRNS)
Obama “Cautiously More Optimistic” on Ebola
• President Obama said Wednesday he’s “cautiously more optimistic” about stopping Ebola in the U.S. as his new czar, Ron Klain, began his first day of work. Obama said Americans should have “confidence that we’re going to be in a position to deal with any additional cases of Ebola that might crop up without it turning into an outbreak.” (Hill, Reuters, me)

• Obama made the remarks after meeting with Klain for more than an hour in the Oval Office with other senior admin officials to discuss the Ebola response

• Rep Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) complained Wednesday that Klain has declined to testify before the House Oversight Committee this Friday, after being on the job for two days. “We have questions as to whether or not he should be in that spot, but what about the budget, what about the response, what about all these other agencies set up to deal with this?”

• At least 4,877 people have died in the world’s worst recorded outbreak of Ebola, WHO said on Wednesday, but the true toll may be almost 15,000. Real numbers may be higher by a factor of 1.5 in Guinea, 2 in Sierra Leone and 2.5 in Liberia

• In happier news, Bentley, the year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel owned by Ebola-infected Texas nurse Nina Pham, has tested negative for Ebola, Dallas officials said Wednesday. He’ll be tested again before the end of his 21-day quarantine period

• Family members of nurse Amber Vinson said Wednesday they’d been told that her body was clear of the virus and that she was being moved out of isolation. Nurse Nina Pham had her condition upgraded to good from fair on Tuesday (NYT)

U.S. to Monitor Travelers from Ebola-Hit Nations

• Beginning next Monday, under new rules from the CDC, all travelers who have visited Guinea, Sierra Leona or Liberia – and, presumably any other country in which Ebola outbreaks might occur – will be required to provide home and email addresses, phone numbers and other contact details for themselves and at least one friend or relative (NYT, TRNS, me)

• Once a day for the next 21 days, they will have to check in with their state or local health dept and report their morning and evening temperatures and list any other symptoms, such as nausea or diarrhea

• State and local health officials will be required to have plans for finding and potentially detaining anyone who fails to check in (Ebola police)

• Each visitor in these categories will be given a packet with a thermometer, instructions, a card describing Ebola symptoms, and a card to be given to a doctor or nurse if the visitor develops symptoms and is ordered to go to an emergency room or other health care facility

• The new restrictions apply to citizens of every country, including the U.S. “They include CDC employees, journalists, everyone,” said Dr Thomas Frieden, executive director of the CDC

• Who knew? I’m a “complex case!” As a naturalized American citizen, I’m not allowed to use healthcare.gov’s EZ application for coverage – because I was born overseas. Apparently that would be too difficult for them to figure out. Well, I get my coverage direct from my insurance company, so the heck with discriminatory U.S. govt
Takata Airbags Recall: Pressure Intensifies
• Sens Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Edward Markey (D-MA) scolded the National Highway Traffic Safety Assn for its handling for the defective Takata airbag recalls in a sternly worded letter expected to be sent today (NYT, WSJ, me)

• “NHTSA should immediately issue a nationwide safety recall on all the affected cars, regardless of where the car is registered. All states experiences seasons of heat and humidity.” In June, about 900,000 cars from nine automakers were recalled in Florida and Hawaii, Puerto and the Virgin Islands – high humidity

• Honda then expanded the recall to to an additional 2.4 million vehicles in AL, CA, GA, LA, MS, SC and TX, Humidity, regulators said, could cause the propellant to erupt, sending shrapnel into the cabin At least three (hideous – metal in eyes and neck) deaths and more than 100 injuries have been attributed to the rupturing airbags made by Takata

• NHTSA urges owners of certain Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors vehicles to replace defective airbags
• The senators also ripped the safety agency: “We have become increasingly troubled and alarmed by the confusing and conflicting advice being issued by NHTSA and the glacial pace of the agency’s response to this public safety threat.” Monday, the safety agency urged car owners to act “immediately” to have their vehicles fixed

• But a shortage of replacement parts has meant that drivers face wait times of months or longer. Toyota even said it could disable passenger-side airbags and instruct owners not to use the seat. (sit on roof) Blumenthal and Markey told the NHTSA they were “alarmed and astonished”  by its endorsement of a “troubling and potentially dangerous” policy that could be illegal

• Instead, they said that the owners of cars deserved access to free loaner cars while they waited for repairs to their vehicles. No automakers have committed to free loaner cars, however (surprise, surprise). Rep Fred Upton (R-MI) and Sen Claire McCaskill (D-MI) said they wanted briefings from the NHTSA. Meanwhile, U.S. prosecutors are probing Takata over some statements
• Did Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) open the door to a 2016 prez run in an interview with People? Asked if she was mulling a bid: “I don’t think so. If there’s any lesson I’ve learned in the last five years, it’s don’t be so sure about what lies ahead. There are amazing doors that could open.” (People, Hill, me)
Former Blackwater Guards Convicted in Iraq Massacre
• A federal jury on Wednesday convicted four former Blackwater private security guards on nearly every count of 33 for the shooting deaths of 14 Iraqis in a Baghdad traffic circle in 2007. (Blackwater later became Xe then became Academi) (NYT, Guardian, WSJ, me)

• Nicholas Slatten, a sniper who prosecutors said started the shooting, was convicted of murder, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were convicted on charges of voluntary manslaughter, attempting to commit voluntary manslaughter and weapons charges

• Defense lawyers in the case argued the guards fired in self-defense, saying they were being fired on by insurgents and suggesting Iraqi police may have removed evidence proving the guards were responding to a threat. Prosecutors argued there was no fire directed at the men

• Attempts to prosecute the men have previously foundered because of a series of legal mistakes by U.S. officials. The first attempt to bring the case to trial was thrown out by a court after it emerged that State Dept investigators had promised the defendants that statements made after the attack and leaked to media wouldn’t be used against them in court

• Prosecutors were later forced to drop manslaughter charges against Slatten because they had mistakenly exceeded the statute of limitations during wrangling over witness interviews

“World Went Dark For Me”
• Prosecutors told the jury that Slatten triggered the incident by shooting the occupants of a civilian car during a traffic jam at a busy traffic circle in Baghdad. As the car rolled forward, other members of the convoy of armored vehicles opened fire indiscriminately claiming they thought they were under attack from an attempted car bombing

• The case hinged on whether or not the defendants’ belief that their convoy was under attack could be justified by limited evidence apparent to them at the time. Witnesses were flown from Iraq to testify

• During the trial’s emotional closing argument, federal prosecutor Anthony Asuncion said, “It must have seemed like the apocalypse was here,” as he described how many were shot in the back, at long range, or blown up by powerful grenades used by the U.S. contractors

• At one point, Asuncion’s voice was shaking and he was asked to repeat a key line for the court stenographer to hear. “
[The witness] opened the door and his son’s brains fell out at his feet,” Asuncion shouted the second time. “As [the witness] put it, ‘the world went dark for me.'”

Ferguson: Black Witnesses Support Officer’s Account
• More than a half-dozen unnamed black witnesses have provided testimony to a St Louis County grand jury that largely supports Ferguson MO police officer Darren Wilson’s account of events that led to the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown on 9 August, according to several people familiar with the investigation (WaPo)

• The St Louis Post Dispatch late Tuesday night published Brown’s official county autopsy report, an analysis of which also suggests the 18-year-old may not have had his hands raised when he was fatally shot, as has been the contention of protesters as well as some witnesses

• Experts told the newspaper Brown was first shot at close range and may have been reaching for Wilson’s weapon while the officer was still in his vehicle and Brown was standing at the driver’s side window. The autopsy found material “consistent with products that are discharged from the barrel of a firearm” in a wound on Brown’s thumb, the autopsy says

&&&

• Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for the Brown family, said, “The family has not believed anything the police or this medical examiner has said. They have their witnesses. We have seven witnesses that we know about that say the opposite.”

• The Post Dispatch, in a story published early Wednesday, cited a “single source with knowledge” of Wilson’s statements. According to Wilson’s testimony, the Post-Dispatch said, Brown was running toward Wilson when he was fatally shot and that his hands were not up

• In interviews with WaPo, sources said blood spatter evidence shows that Brown was heading toward Wilson during their face-off, but analysis of the evidence didn’t reveal how fast Brown was moving.
• Super cute bear cub meanders into Rite Aid store in Oregon, wanders through the aisles. Later, police scoop him up in a shopping basket and take him to safety where he will be cared for
WH: “Crazy” to Guess Obama’s Immigration Plans
• WH spox Josh Earnest said Wednesday, “I mean, this is crazy,” of attempts to figure out President Obama’s post-election plans for an immigration executive order based on a procurement request issued by the Dept of Homeland Security (Hill, me)

• The proposal, unveiled earlier this week by Breitbart News (sic), asks potential contractors to prepare for the possibility of producing up to 34 million green cards and work permits over the next five years (really? he’s going to legalize five million a year?)

• If fully filled, that would far surpass the current levels processed by the dept. The U.S. issues a maximum of 480,000 green cards per year, and processed 862,000 work permits over the first six months of this year

• That’s led many conservatives to speculate the order was made in preparation of a sweeping executive order by Obama that could legalize millions of new or illegal immigrants. (panic at the disco) Earnest said some people were “a little too cleverly trying to divine” the president’s intention and that Obama hadn’t even made final determinations yet

• A spox for U.S. ICE also downplayed the significance of the purchase order. “Solicitations of this nature are frequent practice for all USCIS contracts and allow the agency to be prepared for fluctuations in the number of immigration applications received, which can arise for any number of reasons.”
• Vid: Deinocheirus dinosaur walking! He’s so gangly and goofy and bumpy – Barney meets Jar Jar Binks

 

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Victoria Jones

TRNS’ William McDonald, Nicholas Salazar and Leah Schwarting contributed to this report

 

The Talk Radio News Service is the only information, news booking and host service dedicated to serving the talk radio community. TRNS maintains a Washington office that includes White House, Capitol Hill and Pentagon staffed bureaus, and a New York office with a United Nations staffed bureau. Talk Radio News Service has permanent access to every breaking newsevent in the Washington, D.C. area and beyond.