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7 bizarre conspiracy theories that the GOP takes seriously

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:04:00 +0000

Once upon a time, the most outlandish fantasies of fringe political fabulists were confined to a narrow spectrum on the AM radio dial. They concocted delusional narratives that ranged from murderous first ladies to galactic alliances with Martians. It was an entertaining world of fiction and a guilty pleasure for some, even as the true believers were convinced of the frightening fate that was unfolding.

Today, however, the boundaries between rational political discourse and raving madness have been erased. The extremist peddlers of nightmare scenarios who were once thought to be charmingly eccentric at 1am are now advising elected representatives of the people to initiate investigations and draft bills addressing these non-existent threats. Here are just a few of the urban legends that are circulating in the halls of state and federal legislative bodies courtesy of the whack job broadcasting set.

Syrian government resists chemical weapons probe

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:56:00 +0000

Both Syrian rebels and the government have accused each other of using chemical weapons, prompting international ire -- the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime has long been a purported "red line" for U.S. intervention in the civil war. However, as the Guardian reports Tuesday, the Syrian government is resisting full cooperation with a United Nations probe into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Aleppo:

The Syrian government claims that the UN has attempted to widen the remit of its mission, which it says was originally intended to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack in Khan al-Assal in Aleppo last month. It says the UN now wants "additional investigations which might allow the UN mission to spread all over the Syrian territories, and this contradicts the Syrian request from the UN and indicates to the presence of hidden intentions at the states which have sought to add those investigations as this constitutes a violation of the Syrian sovereignty".

Syrian state media reported that the government would not allow such "manoeuvres" but would still allow the mission to visit Khan al-Assal in keeping with its original intention

U.N. adopts arms treaty

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:08:00 +0000

On Tuesday, 153 U.N. member states agreed to adopt an arms treaty aimed at ensuring tighter regulations on the international arms trade. The treaty requires signed-on states to create internal mechanisms to ensure that exported arms don't end up in the hands of states or militias that are likely to use them in violation of humanitarian law.

Despite the fact that the treaty has no impact on the Second Amendment as it in no way relates to gun sales or ownership domestically, the U.S. gun lobby fought the treaty. As the Hill noted, "In one of the amendments to the Senate Budget last month, lawmakers voted 53 to 46 to stop the United States from joining the treaty."

The treaty had three unsurprising dissenters (Syria, Iran, North Korea) and 23 abstentions. As the AP noted, "what impact the treaty will have in reining in the estimated $60 billion global arms trade, however, remains to be seen":

Talks begin to free U.N. peacekeepers in Syria

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:35:00 +0000

Syrian rebels who on Wednesday seized 21 U.N. peacekeepers in the Golan Heights as hostages have told negotiators they will not harm their captives, but demand that Bashar al-Assad's forces pull back from the region before they will let them free.

The peacekeepers, who were stationed in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, were all from the Philippines. However, as the Jerusalem Post reported,"the Philippines does not expect any concrete action by Israel to help free [the peacekeepers], in order to avoid dragging Israel into Syria's conflict, the country's ambassador said Thursday." However, Israel has warned that it will not “stand idle” as Syria’s civil war breaches its contested borders -- Israel has already admitted to launching a number of airstrikes across the Syrian border and near Damascus over the past months.

Peacekeepers of the U.N. Disengagement Force mission have been monitoring a cease-fire line between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, for nearly four decades.

Syrian rebels seize U.N. peacekeepers in Golan Heights

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:55:00 +0000

Syria's civil war continues to spill violently into neighboring borders, ensnaring U.N. peacekeepers operating in the Golan Heights. On Wednesday Syrian rebels reportedly seized 20 peacekeepers in the disputed area between Israel and Syria, heightening tensions further between the two nations.

As the New York Times noted, "it was the first time that members of the Golan peacekeeping mission, officially known as the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, had been detained by any of the combatants in the Syrian conflict, although the Golan region has been periodically affected by armed clashes and occasional artillery or mortar bombardments that have become a source of concern to Israel."

As Reuters reported, Israel has warned that it will not "stand idle" as Syria's civil war spills over into the Golan region. Israel has already admitted launching a number of airstrikes across the Syrian border and near Damascus over the past months.

U.S. called on to release report on CIA torture

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:29:00 +0000

The U.N. human rights advocate who monitors counterterrorism has joined the chorus of voices demanding the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee's 6,000 report on the CIA's rendition program. British attorney Ben Emmerson Q.C. delivered a report to the Human Rights Council Tuesday, demanding both the British and American governments release classified documents about the the kidnapping and torture of terror suspects, known to have been aided by 54 governments worldwide.

“The special rapporteur calls on the United States to release the full Senate Select Committee report as soon as possible, subject to the specific redaction of such particulars as are considered by the Select committee itself to be strictly necessary to safeguard legitimate national security interests or the physical safety of persons identified,” Emmerson's report states, according to the Washington Post.

Today’s news in pictures

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:43:00 +0000

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Ahmadinejad wants to undo most of history

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:17:00 +0000

Addressing the United Nations Wednesday (or at least the delegates who did not leave in protest) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized pretty much the entirety of history -- going back as far as Adam in the Garden of Eden, with a few gaps for brevity's sake.

He decried U.S. geopolitical hegemony, "uncivilized Zionism," environmental destruction (ironic given Iran's role as a major oil exporter) and capitalism. He pondered what the world would be like had the First World War, Second World War, Vietnam War and his nation's war with Iraq not happened. He delivered aphorisms on divine peace. And, in line with what he told the media earlier, he invoked the idea of a "new world order."

It was Ahmadinejad's eighth U.N. appearance and, as in previous years, it drew high-profile protests and walkouts. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, alongside Newt Gingrich, Patrick Kennedy and others, joined protests outside the U.N. Wednesday. The U.S. United Nations delegation decided not to attend Ahmadinejad's speech.