US to temporarily shut down embassies around the world Sunday amid security concerns

[Freewill]

Thank goodness they know how to take care of themselves.

Hill gets Obamacare fix - John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com

Lawmakers and staff can breathe easy — their health care tab is not going to soar next year.

The Office of Personnel Management, under heavy pressure from Capitol Hill, will issue a ruling that says the government can continue to make a contribution to the health care premiums of members of Congress and their aides, according to several Hill sources.


Read more: Hill gets Obamacare fix - John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com

 

[Sunshine]

'Mowing down brown people.' What a funny crack. Have you forgotten your messiah is a brown person? LOL. We don't need to be sending American diplomats into danger zones where there are wars, riots, and insurrections. That's pretty simple. Sounds like someone finally got that into his thick ugly skull.

 

[Jackson]

Thank goodness they know how to take care of themselves.

Hill gets Obamacare fix - John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com

Lawmakers and staff can breathe easy — their health care tab is not going to soar next year.

The Office of Personnel Management, under heavy pressure from Capitol Hill, will issue a ruling that says the government can continue to make a contribution to the health care premiums of members of Congress and their aides, according to several Hill sources.


Read more: Hill gets Obamacare fix - John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com

Your title speaks of the embassy closings on the birthday of our president....what a coincidence...

and then you talk about the fix for law makers and their aides getting an exemption to Obamacare. So what story do you want the thread to talk about?

US to temporarily shut down embassies around the world Sunday amid security concerns

The United States will temporarily shut down its embassies and consulates around the world Sunday -- including those in Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt -- as a precautionary measure over terror-related concerns, State Department officials said.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf did not say how long the international installations would stay closed -- only that the decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may be visiting.” Officials would not describe the nature of the threat.

Sunday is a normal workday in many Arab and Middle Eastern countries, meaning that is where the closu

res will have an impact.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...d-world-as-terror-threats-grow/#ixzz2aoh4jAwf


Lawmakers, aides to get ObamaCare exemption

Starting in 2014, all 100 U.S. senators, 435 representatives in the House and their aides will have to get their health insurance through ObamaCare's newly formed state exchanges. But they won't see a spike in their health care costs under a deal struck before the August recess.
Congressional leadership aides tell Fox News a deal has been reached with the Office of Personnel Management, which will allow the government to continue to make employer contributions to the health plans of lawmakers and congressional staffers.

The OPM, which oversees the compensation system for the federal civilian workforce, is expected to issue guidance next week to spell out a way to fix the issue.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/08/02/lawmakers-aides-get-obamacare-exemption/#ixzz2aon4IxBI

 

[Freewill]

Someone please delete this thread. I tried to change it after I posted what was a duplicate thread. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[waltky]

The jihadis are comin'!, the jihadis are comin'!...

Security worries trigger embassy closings
Fri August 2, 2013 > Overseas threat said to be "credible and serious"; Embassies in Egypt, Libya, Israel and Iraq among those closed on Sunday; State Department said closure orders a precaution; Action occurs amid approaching end of Ramadan, anniversary of Benghazi attack

Al Qaeda is linked to a terror threat that has prompted the State Department to direct its embassies in key Middle East nations, including Egypt and Israel, to close Sunday, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-California, told CNN's "New Day" Friday. "It's my understanding that it is al Qaeda linked, alright, and the threat emanates in the Middle East and in Central Asia." A terror threat prompted the State Department on Thursday to direct its embassies in key Middle East nations, including Egypt and Israel, to close on Sunday with the possibility they could remain idle longer. A U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly on the matter called the threat "credible and serious." It was "directed at American targets overseas," but may not be confined to main diplomatic facilities, the official said.

In addition to Egypt and Israel, the State Department action includes diplomatic facilities in Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iraq and Kuwait, according to the agency and Twitter postings. A senior State Department official said the agency has told those embassies that normally would be beginning the work week on Sunday to close, but additional days could be added. Diplomatic facilities in the region are for the most part closed or operate with minimal staff on Fridays and Saturdays. Separately, another U.S. official told CNN that the Obama administration is monitoring threats against the embassy in Sanaa, Yemen. The official did not say whether the embassy would close.

President Barack Obama met with Yemen President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi at the White House on Thursday. Yemen has been cracking down on al Qaeda. A U.S. official earlier told CNN the embassy closures were because of "more than the usual chatter" about a potential terrorist threat, which was not specific about time and location. Officials said the time frame comes with the approaching end of Ramadan and the one-year anniversary of the terror attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency was taking the steps at diplomatic sites out of an abundance of caution. The U.S. Embassy in Cairo noted on its website media reports of possible marches or demonstrations on Friday and possibly throughout the weekend.

Terror threat prompts U.S. embassy closures overseas - CNN.com

See also:

Growing chatter, rising concern and post-Benghazi caution behind threat warning and embassy closures
August 2nd, 2013 > U.S. intelligence has been tracking a growing threat against American and Western targets from al Qaeda’s affiliate organization in Yemen for the last several weeks.

But in recent days, there has been additional intelligence about a potential attack in Yemen, as well as threats against U.S. interests in the Middle East and North Africa, leading to the Obama administration’s decision to shut down U.S. embassies and warn publicly of the threat, U.S. officials tell CNN. Based on the intelligence, officials say, there is particular concern about the U.S. Embassy in Yemen between Saturday and Tuesday. Sunday, one of the holiest days in Islam, marks the end of Ramadan, and officials say they are concerned about attacks on that day. The threat against the U.S. Embassy in Yemen was a primary concern, but it was ambiguous and could indicate threats against other U.S. and other Western targets in the Mideast and North Africa, another U.S. official told CNN.

The officials say the threat is linked to al Qaeda, rather than emanating directly from al Qaeda’s traditional stronghold in Pakistan. “This is a higher-than-normal threat stream,” one official told CNN. Officials declined to say whether the information came from telephone intercepts, website postings or agents on the ground. “But it all leads us to believe something could happen in the near future,” the official said. A senior U.S. official said there was “more than the usual chatter” about potential terror threats. Separately a second official acknowledged there are differences within the administration about what the intelligence shows about the credibility and specificity of the threats and the potential timing of any attacks. But, as a third official said, “How often do you see so many embassies shut down? That tells you something about how serious it is.”

Vice President Joe Biden, along senior State Department officials in Washington, briefed congressional leadership and key committee chairs and ranking members about the new threat, a source who attended the meeting said. The briefing, earlier this week, was scheduled to discuss embassy security after the Benghazi attack, but included a discussion on this new concern. This source said there was a lot of concern about increased chatter and about embassies being a potential target, though Biden did not mention in the briefing that the embassies would be closed. Another source with knowledge of the government concerns and the meeting with the vice president said this is not something in the margins. A U.S. law enforcement official says the threat information is "nonspecific and not corroborated," but it was important enough that U.S. national security officials issued an alert. Some of the reaction by the State Department, Department of Homeland Security and other agencies that helped issue the alert can be explained by the Benghazi attack, another official said. Before that attack, this type of information may or may not have resulted in such an alert. But certainly, in light of the Benghazi attack, the alert was issued out of "abundance of caution,” the official said.

State Department officials insist the wording of the worldwide caution issued Friday is not "boilerplate." They point to the first line, which is specific: "The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the continued potential for terrorist attacks, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, and possibly occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula." The State Department does use some of the same language in alerts and warnings, but that is for consistency's sake. State Department officials say they are taking this threat "very seriously." They issue worldwide cautions periodically, but this one is specific and applies to a large number of embassies. One official could not remember when the last time as many embassies were ordered closed. There have been previous major warnings, and the official recalled the one for Europe in 2010. The embassies and consulates affected will be closed to the public. One reason is to avoid having long visa lines outside, which could turn into a target for attacks. Even when the embassies are closed, however, there are personnel working inside, and they can provide emergency services such as emergency passports. The State Department has a 24-hour operations center that monitors threats all the time.

Source

 

[waltky]

Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan evacuated...

U.S. pulls diplomats from Lahore, Pakistan, amid terror threat
Fri August 9, 2013 > "Specific threats" prompt State Department to evacuate consulate in Lahore, Pakistan; It is unclear whether the action is related to threats that shut other missions in Middle East, Africa; Pakistani provincial officials also beefed up security in the area, including checkpoints; The United States has fought al Qaeda in Pakistan during the last decade

Washington (CNN) -- The State Department has evacuated most of its diplomats from Lahore, Pakistan in response to a terrorist threat against the U.S. consulate, senior State Department and other senior U.S. officials told CNN. "We have picked up what we regard as a threat worthy of taking this action," one senior U.S. official told CNN. The State Department issued an "ordered departure" for all of its diplomats in Lahore Thursday, except for a handful of emergency personnel. The diplomats were moved to Islamabad, the nation's capital, officials said.

A travel warning issued by the State Department said the department "ordered this drawdown due to specific threats concerning the U.S. Consulate in Lahore" and warned U.S. citizens against travel to Pakistan. "The presence of several foreign and indigenous terrorist groups poses a potential danger to U.S. citizens throughout Pakistan," the travel warning said. It was unclear whether the latest threat to the consulate was related to a current threat against U.S. facilities and personnel that prompted the United States to close diplomatic posts throughout the Middle East, Asia and Africa. While one U.S. official said it was not related, a second U.S. official said the connection wasn't clear. "We are still digging and trying to trace whether it is related," the senior U.S. official said about the possible link between the heightened threat against the U.S. in the region and the threat against the consulate in Lahore. "I'm not willing to say it's related, but can't say it is unrelated. We just don't have that level of granularity yet."

No U.S. diplomatic posts in Pakistan were closed as a result of the earlier warning. Most of al Qaeda's core leadership is believed to reside in Pakistan, and the city of Lahore is home to other extremists sympathetic to the group. Lahore is well-known as a base for Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. This week, the local government in the province of Punjab, where Lahore is located, tightened security measures, including police checkpoints at the city's entrance and exit points. Minister for Environment Protection Shuja Khanzada said the measures were taken after the government received intelligence reports of possible terror threats around the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.

Over the last decade, the United States has waged a persistent campaign against the terror threat in Pakistan, using drones and working with the Pakistani military and intelligence. While the country remains a hotbed of terrorism, President Barack Obama has touted the U.S. gains in fighting al Qaeda, which has been based there. During an address to Marines at Camp Pendleton, California, Wednesday, Obama said that al Qaeda has been "decimated," making a distinction between the terror network's leadership and affiliates that are spread throughout the Middle East and parts of Africa. "Because of you, Osama bin Laden is no more," Obama said. "Because of you, al Qaeda's top ranks have been hammered. The core of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan are on the way to defeat."

FIRST ON CNN: U.S. pulls diplomats from Lahore amid terror threat - CNN.com

See also:

When will current terror threat end?
August 8th, 2013 > There has been no significant new intelligence about potential terror threats against U.S. interests since startling developments tied to al Qaeda that prompted the closure of American embassies throughout the Middle East and Africa this week, multiple sources tell CNN's Barbara Starr and Elise Labott.

But with the terror alert and embassy closings now stretching into a fifth day, a crucial question is how will the United States know when the threat has passed and facilities can re-open? One senior U.S. official said there is no new threat stream that gives authorities pause. But on the other hand, "we haven't seen anything that turns us off even more." Officials added that the United States is trying to determine whether its public disclosure of the threat in general and follow up action has disrupted plots or just delayed them. "We expected something by now. We would not expect them to throw their hands up, but at what point do you reconsider," one official said.

Ultimately it will be a State Department call as to whether to re-open based on intelligence. A threatening message among senior al Qaeda operatives that was intercepted was the communication that raised alarm bells, leading to the closing of embassies beginning on Sunday. The end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and concern over several major prison breaks involving militants in the region also contributed to the U.S. response. One official with access to the latest information said "because of the visibility, the likelihood that an attack has been postponed has increased, we hope." Officials emphasize that nothing is guaranteed.

They also emphasize that the feeling is they are in a no-win situation: if there is no attack everyone says they overreacted. If there is an attack, they failed to prevent it. While intelligence has focused on Yemen as a possible target, officials are not ruling out other locations. White House spokesman Jay Carney insisted on Friday that the current threat "is very real" and was more specific than general administration warnings about groups and individuals "out there in the world who want to do harm to the United States." "I think there will be an assessment and when there is an assessment that this current threat is not what it was, then we will probably change our posture," Carney said. "But I certainly don't have a time line to predict to you."

When will current terror threat end? ? CNN Security Clearance - CNN.com Blogs

 

[Sunshine]

I wonder what's going on with the poor schmuck that Zerobama Benghazi on.