PRES OBAMA TO ADDRESS NAVAL ACADEMY GRADUATES *

IT MARKS THE SECOND TIME PRES OBAMA HAS ATTENDED THE COMMISSIONING CEREMONY IN ANNAPOLIS, MD *

THE SPEECH COMES A DAY AFTER THE PRES DEFENDED HIS CONTROVERSIAL DRONE PROGRAM AND RENEWED HIS PUSH TO CLOSE GUANTANAMO BAY *

SECY OF STATE JOHN KERRY SAYS ISRAEL'S GOVT SHOULD PREVENT FURTHER SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION WHERE POSSIBLE TO HELP REVITALIZE MIDEAST PEACE TALKS *

BUT KERRY ISN'T CALLING FOR A COMPLETE SETTLEMENT FREEZE *

HE SAYS THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON RESTARTING DIRECT ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH COULD SET BORDERS FOR A TWO-STATE DEAL AND RESOLVE THE SETTLEMENT ISSUE *

KERRY MADE THE REMARKS TO REPORTERS IN ISRAEL *

SECY OF STATE JOHN KERRY BLASTS IRAN'S GUARDIAN COUNCIL FOR ELIMINATING HUNDREDS OF PRES CANDIDATES FROM THE JUNE 14 ELECTION *

KERRY SAYS VOTE CAN'T BE FREE, FAIR AND TRANSPARENT WHEN AN UNELECTED BODY CHOOSES CANDIDATES BASED "SOLELY ON WHO REPRESENTS THE REGIME'S INTERESTS" *

IRAN'S GUARDIAN COUNCIL HAS DISQUALIFIED SCORES OF CANDIDATES, INCLUDING FMR PRES AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI *

KERRY ALSO NOTED THERE ARE "TROUBLE SIGNS" THAT TEHRAN IS MEDDLING WITH IRAN'S INTERNET *

SPOX FOR NIGER'S GOVT SAYS TERRORISTS WHO ATTACKED A MILITARY INSTALLATION IN THE TOWN OF AGADEZ YESTERDAY DID NOT TAKE HOSTAGES, DESPITE EARLIER STATEMENTS *

SPOX SAYS GOVT MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THE HOMICIDE BOMBERS KIDNAPPED SOLDIERS BECAUSE ATTACKERS WHO SURVIVED THE INITIAL EXPLOSION RAN AWAY AND HID INSIDE A DORMITORY ON THE BASE *

ATTACK KILLED 20 SOLDIERS *

N KOREAN ENVOY DELIVERS A LETTER FROM LEADER KIM JONG UN TO CHINESE PRES XI JINPING, SAYING PYONGYANG WILL TAKE STEPS TO REJOIN STALLED SIX-NATION NUKE TALKS *

VISIT BY THE ENVOY IS PART OF N KOREA'S EFFORT TO REPAIR TIES WITH ITS ONLY ALLY *

PYONGYANG HAD ANGERED BEIJING OVER RECENT SNUBS AND ONGOING EFFORTS TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS *

MEANWHILE, SIX-PARTY TALKS ON N KOREA'S NUKE PROGRAM HAVE BEEN STALLED SINCE 2009 *

WA STATE OFFICIAL SAYS LAST NIGHT'S I-5 BRIDGE COLLAPSE INTO THE SKAGIT RIVER WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERSIZED TRUCK *

STATE PATROL CHIEF JOHN BATISTE SAYS THE TRUCK HIT AN OVERHEAD SPAN *

TWO OTHER VEHICLES WENT INTO THE WATER... THREE PEOPLE WERE RESCUED AND ARE RECOVERING *

FIVE CLIMBERS ARE MISSING AND FEARED DEAD ON THE WORLD'S THIRD-LARGEST MOUNTAIN *

THE FIVE DISAPPEARED MON ON NEPAL'S MOUNT KANCHENJUNGA *

BAD WEATHER HAS PREVENTED RESCUE EFFORTS *

THE CLIMBERS WERE LAST SEEN DESCENDING FROM THE SUMMIT AT AROUND 25,900 FT... KANCHENJUNGA IS 28,162 FEET HIGH *

LARGE EXPLOSION SHAKES AFGHAN CAPITAL OF KABUL *

BLAST COLLAPSED A BUILDING WALL, BUT IT'S UNCLEAR IF THERE WERE ANY CASUALTIES *

IT'S THE SECOND EXPLOSION TO HIT KABUL IN JUST OVER A WEEK *

EGYPTIAN SECURITY OFFICIAL SAYS 10 MALE RELATIVES KILLED A MOTHER AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS IN "HONOR KILLINGS" *

THE MEN SUSPECTED THE WOMEN OF HAVING AFFAIRS AND KILLED THEM TO PROTECT THE FAMILY'S HONOR *

THE THREE BODIES WERE FOUND IN THE NILE RIVER NEAR THE CITY OF LUXOR *

NJ GOV CHRIS CHRISTIE CUTS A RIBBON TO SYMBOLICALLY REOPEN THE JERSEY SHORE FOR THE SUMMER SEASON, SEVEN MONTHS AFTER IT WAS DEVASTATED BY MONSTER STORM SANDY *

CHRISTIE CUT THE FIVE MILE-LONG RIBBON IN SEASIDE HEIGHTS *

SANDY DID AN ESTIMATED $37 BIL WORTH OF DAMAGE IN NJ *

BRITISH POLICE ARREST TWO MEN OFF A PAKISTAN INTL AIRLINES PLANE THAT WAS DIVERTED TO STANSTED AIRPORT IN ESSEX *

THE PLANE WAS TRAVELING FROM LAHORE TO MANCHESTER WITH ABOUT 300 PASSENGERS ON BOARD WHEN AN UNSPECIFIED INCIDENT OCCURRED *

STORY DEVELOPING *

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Joint statement: Senator Kelly Ayotte and Senator Lindsey Graham!

GRAHAM, AYOTTE STATEMENT ON SULAIMAN ABU GHAYTH

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) released the following statement regarding the Administration’s decision to bring alleged al Qaeda member Sulaiman Abu Ghayth to the United States for trial in civilian court:

 

“We are disturbed by the Administration’s decision to bring Sulaiman Abu Ghayth—a foreign member of al Qaeda charged with conspiring to kill Americans – to New York for trial in federal court. The Obama Administration’s lack of a war-time detention policy for foreign members of al Qaeda, as well as its refusal to detain and interrogate these individuals at Guantanamo, makes our nation less safe.

 

“We are at war with al Qaeda and its affiliated groups, and America’s detention policy must reflect that reality.

 

“Military detention for enemy combatants has been the rule, not the exception. By processing terrorists like Sulaiman Abu Ghayth through civilian courts, the Administration risks missing important opportunities to gather intelligence to prevent future attacks and save lives.

 

“A foreign member of al Qaeda should never be treated like a common criminal and should never hear the words “you have a right to remain silent.”

 

“Abu Ghayth’s capture and decision to try him in civilian court raises several questions. For example, did U.S. officials properly interrogate Abu Ghayth before he was read his Miranda rights? If so, for how long? Given the fact that the U.S. required repeated interrogations of detainees in law of war custody over many years in order to find bin Laden, why would the Administration believe that a few hours or days of interrogation of someone so close to bin Laden would be sufficient?

 

“The American people and their representatives in Congress have been clear that they do not want foreign members of al Qaeda brought to the United States. The Obama Administration’s decision to try Abu Ghayth in a New York district court clearly contravenes the will of the American people. This decision by the Obama Administration will not go unchallenged.”