https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/10/01/corker-menendez-scuttle-rand-paul-efforts-to-block-billions-in-u-s-funding-for-afghan-forces-sexually-abusing-boys/ https://archive.fo/1Mzvi
"Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) last week tried to block billions in U.S. taxpayer funds from going to the Afghan military and police forces unless its units stopped sexually abusing young boys, but he was opposed by Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders.
During a committee business meeting last Wednesday considering the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, Paul proposed an amendment to withhold all U.S. funding for all Afghan security forces unless the U.S. government’s watchdog in Afghanistan could verify those forces were not using children as child soldiers or sex slaves.
The U.S. is slated to provide Afghan security forces — military and police — with $4.92 billion in 2019 for equipment, training, supplies, services, infrastructure repair and other funding.
Paul told other members, according to a transcript of the business meeting first obtained by Breitbart News: “I think that the committee is right to be gravely concerned with sexual trafficking and abuse of young people around the world in a variety of countries. I think we shouldn’t turn a blind eye towards when our allies are responsible for this, as well.”
Specifically, Paul referred to the common Afghan practice of “bacha bazi” — or using boys as young as 10 years old for sex. Some U.S. troops who have deployed to Afghanistan have tried to stop instances of sexual abuse when they have come across it, but have been punished for doing so, according to reports.
He brought up the case of former Army Special Forces Capt. Dan Quinn, who beat up an Afghan commander for keeping an approximately 10-year-old boy chained to his bed as a sex slave and beating up his mother when she tried to rescue him. Quinn was relieved of command as a result.
“His complaint was we’re putting people into power who could do things even far worse than things the Taliban did, and that these views were expressed to him as he traveled throughout Afghanistan,” Paul said during the committee meeting.
“My amendment would say that no Afghan entity is allowed to receive funds from the U.S. until the Special Inspector General (SIGAR) verifies that there are no child soldiers or sex slaves, commonly known as bacha bazi, being utilized by any individual or unit within the department,” he said.
However, Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) and Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-NJ) backed a counter-amendment to require the Departments of Defense and State to report on implementation of recommendations made by SIGAR on ending the practice.
Corker said he had “major concerns” with Paul’s approach, calling it unachievable.
“While I enthusiastically support the spirit of Senator Paul’s amendment, and understand what he’s trying to do, I have major concerns with the approach his amendment takes. It would guarantee the withdraw of U.S. support for Afghanistan by setting an unachievable standard requiring the SIGAR verification that there are zero cases of sexual slavery or the utilization of child soldiers by any unit or even individual within the Afghan military or police forces,” he said.
Corker added that such a withdrawal of U.S. support would be problematic from a “broad U.S. national security standpoint,” but eliminate the U.S.’s ability to try to end the practice.
Paul argued that blocking U.S. funds would provide some punishment for the practice and have some effect, whereas requiring a report would have “no effect.”
“Having a report on this will have no effect, and I think essentially turns a blind eye to a horrific practice that’s going on there,” he said. “I think many of us here would say we should have zero tolerance for having sex slaves.”
“We can’t have zero tolerance for sex slaves? Sure, we should, and if there’s evidence of it, they shouldn’t be getting any of our money. And so I absolutely think that we need a stronger version of it, and that the second degree would gut it and make it meaningless and in essence show tacit support for allowing the practice to continue,” he added.
Paul’s amendment failed, while Corker’s passed.
The current Leahy Law already requires U.S. military aid to be cut off to any foreign military unit implicated in gross human rights violations, which includes bacha bazi. But another U.S. law states that military aid should be provided to Afghanistan “notwithstanding any other provision of law,” which has been used to evade cutting off that aid.
Quinn is not the only former service member who had been punished for trying to stop instances of bachi bazi they encountered. His fellow Army Green Beret Sgt. First Class Charles Martland was nearly discharged for participating in the beating up of the commander.
A 2015 New York Times article told the story of Marine Lance Corporal Gregory Buckley Jr., who told his father he was instructed to look the other way on bacha bazi. He was later killed by one of a group of boys living in barracks with an Afghan police commander, one floor below where the Marines slept.
Another Marine, Maj. Jason Brezler, who had known of the Afghan commander from a previous deployment was punished and nearly discharged for trying to warn a Marine unit about the same Afghan police commander, by emailing a classified report on the Afghan commander to fellow Marines over his personal email to fellow Marines who were deployed.
SIGAR earlier this year said in a report that there was no formal policy instructing troops to ignore the practice, but said the U.S.’s continuing to provide assistance to Afghan units for which there is credible information of a gross violation of human rights “undermines efforts by U.S. government officials to engage with the Afghan government on the importance of respect for human rights and rule of law.” "
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Kahlypso79 ago
MENENEDEZ needs to burn :
SFRC MEGRAHI HEARING POSTPONED Date: 2010-07-26 12:13 (https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/2248)
Menendez just called Date: 2010-08-23 02:00 https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/30773 (Weird text about Menendez wanting to talk with Hillary followed by a bunch of Q type stuff..)
COMPREHENSIVE CALLS UPDATE Date: 2010-08-25 07:57 https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/21252
Interestingly enough.. Tony Blair wanting to talk with H, and Menendez at the same time... Interesting because.. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi dead: a timeline of the Lockerbie case Sunday 20 May 2012 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/abdelbaset-al-megrahi-dead-a-timeline-of-the-lockerbie-case-7769494.html
1988 - December 21 - 270 die as Pan Am flight 103 explodes over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. 2001 - January 31 - Following a trial at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi is found guilty of mass murder and jailed for life 2003 - August 19 - Libya accepts the blame for the Lockerbie bombing and agrees to compensate the victims' families 2004 - March - Prime Minister Tony Blair offers Colonel Muammar Gaddafi “the hand of friendship” following talks with the Libyan leader in a tent outside Tripoli. 2007 - May - An exploration and production sharing agreement between oil giant BP and the Libyan government is signed. 2009 - August 14 - US secretary of state Hillary Clinton urges Mr MacAskill not to release Megrahi. 2009 - August 22 - Libyan television shows pictures of Col Gaddafi meeting Megrahi and praising Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the UK Government for their part in securing his freedom 2010 - July 15 - Mrs Clinton says she will look into claims by a group of senators that BP lobbied the Government to release Megrahi in order to smooth an oil deal with Libya 2010 - July 29 - Senator Robert Menendez says the committee will send members to the UK to question witnesses. 2010 - September 29 - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hears that a review of US government records found no information about BP attempting to influence the release of the Lockerbie bomber. 2011 - July 26 - Megrahi appears in a televised pro-government rally in Libya and says his conviction was the result of a “conspiracy”. 2011 - October 10: Megrahi says “new facts” surrounding the tragedy would be announced in the coming months. 2011 - October 20: Deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is killed by rebels in Sirte.
Subject: LOCKERBIE REPORT TOMORROW Date: 2010-12-20 09:42 https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/812
Lockerbie Report 2010-12-21 https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-report-lockerbie-bombers-release-from-prison-not-medically-justified-was-influenced-by-threat-of-commercial-warfare
https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-report-lockerbie-bombers-release-from-prison-not-medically-justified-was-influenced-by-threat-of-commercial-warfare
Senator Bob Menendez only ‘likes the youngest and newest girls’ says Dominican prostitute who 'attended alleged sex parties with him' Published: 18:25 BST, 31 January 2013 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2271454/Senator-Bob-Menendez-likes-youngest-girls-says-Dominican-prostitute.html
"How Senator Bob Menendez tried to pass a law that would have helped donor whose jet he repeatedly used for trips to the Dominican Republic" Published: 13:52 BST, 4 March 2013 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287878/How-Senator-Bob-Menendez-tried-pass-law-helped-donor-jet-repeatedly-used.html
"Menendez, Kirk introduce new Iran sanctions bill" 01/27/15 10:42 PM EST http://thehill.com/policy/defense/230961-menendez-kirk-introduce-new-iran-sanctions-bill
"Sens. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on Tuesday evening unveiled their bill to impose new sanctions on Iran if international negotiators fail to reach a deal by June 30 on Tehran's nuclear program.
Fourteen other senators co-sponsored the the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015 — eight Republicans and six Democrats: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). ...The bill allows the president to continuously waive sanctions for a 30 days at a time, if a deal is near. ...It also requires the administration to formally submit the text of any new nuclear agreement or extension of talks to Congress within five days." (so it can be checked and redacted?)
Cruz: Menendez probe politically motivated 03/07/15 02:13 PM EST http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/234966-cruz-menendez-probe-politically-motivated
“The announcement this week by the Justice Department that they were bringing charges against Bob Menendez — I will point out that the timing seems awfully coincidental that … in the very week that Bob Menendez showed incredible courage to speak out and call out President Obama for the damage that his policy is doing to our national security … the Justice Department announces they’re moving forward with the criminal prosecution,” Cruz said.
“It raises the suggestion to other Democrats that if you dare part from the Obama White House, that criminal prosecutions will be used potentially as a political weapon against you as well,” he added.
"Defiant Democratic Senator Bob Menendez is 'outraged' and 'angry' after 14-count corruption indictment charges him with bribery, fraud and helping donor's THREE girlfriends get travel visas" Published: 20:54 BST, 1 April 2015 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3022045/New-Jersey-Sen-Bob-Menendez-indicted-corruption-charges.html
***********************************************************************Interesting......
"Secret Service hotel bill hits $104,000 as Bill and Hillary vacationed at luxury Dominican resort where senator accused of corruption previously stayed with wealthy donor" Published: 18:34 BST, 2 April 2015
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3023369/Secret-Service-hotel-bill-hits-104-000-Bill-Hillary-vacationed-luxury-Dominican-resort-senator-accused-corruption-previously-stayed-wealthy-donor.html
"Model at center of Robert Menendez's corruption trial reveals that she was introduced to Democratic Senator as the 'man who helped get your visa'" 13 September 2017 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4879560/Models-center-Robert-Menendez-bribery-trail-testify.html
"Melgen introduced him as the person who helped her get the visa, but she believed he was joking"
Menendez rips characterization of Pompeo as 'nation's top diplomat' 04/18/18 02:56 PM EDT http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/383792-menendez-rips-characterization-of-pompeo-as-nations-top-diplomat https://twitter.com/SenatorMenendez/status/986676719523418112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Democrats Set to Re-Nominate Sen. Bob Menendez After Preventing Challengers, Showing How Calcified the Party Is June 4 2018 https://theintercept.com/2018/06/04/democrats-set-to-re-nominate-sen-bob-menendez-after-preventing-challengers-showing-how-calcified-the-party-is/
"Every major Democratic power broker in the state quickly endorsed Mr. Menendez for re-election in 2018: Philip D. Murphy, the governor-elect; Senator Cory Booker; Stephen M. Sweeney, the senate president; Craig Coughlin, the incoming speaker of the State Assembly; George E. Norcross, an influential political leader in southern New Jersey; and the county chairs in northern Democratic strongholds such as Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, Essex and Middlesex"
Senators introduce bill to set 'stringent' oversight of North Korea talks 06/27/18 http://thehill.com/policy/defense/394378-senators-introduce-bill-to-set-stringent-oversight-of-north-korea-diplomacy
"Under the bill from Menendez and Gardner, who serves as chairman of the Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia, any agreement with North Korea would have to be submitted to Congress within five days after it is reached." (so it can be checked and redacted?)
Factfinder2 ago
Nice rundown.
From previous Voat thread comment re: the Dominican port deal: "Check out the dates on this deal and tell me the smell of rotten fish doesn’t permeate this relationship."
https://voat.co/v/pizzagate/2044814/10086895