U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis will consider scaling back some nuclear weapons systems

Jim Mattis says he’s open to rethinking triad, nuclear cruise missile, Washington Examiner, by Jamie McIntyre | Jun 14, 2017 Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress Wednesday he has an open mind about possibly scaling back some nuclear systems, as long as deterrence is not sacrificed, as he faces a more than $1 trillion bill to rebuild America’s arsenal over the next three decades.

Mattis’ comments came under questioning from California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has been waging a lonely fight against one nuclear weapons system in particular, the Long Range Stand-Off, or LRSO, air-launched nuclear cruise missile.

“I do not see it as an effective deterrent weapon,” Feinstein said. “I see it as Russia taking action to counter it and with the cost and the fact that we’ve got new ballistic missile submarines, new bombers, new intercontinental ballistic missiles and new warheads, I wonder why we need to develop this specific weapon? The cost is going to be inordinate.”

Mattis is referring to the Pentagon’s Nuclear Posture Review, a top-to-bottom assessment of U.S. nuclear capabilities and strategy, including the Cold War era “triad” of bombers, submarines and ground missiles designed to ensure the U.S. could counterattack after a first strike……

Feinstein seemed to be encouraged when Mattis said he would be consulting with former Defense Secretary William Perry, who has advocated eliminating one leg of the triad by phasing out the land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Perry is also strongly opposed to developing new nuclear cruise missiles, which he says are “uniquely destabilizing” weapons, because an adversary cannot tell a conventional missile from a nuclear-armed version, risking miscalculation in a crisis.

“I register loud and clear the potential destabilizing view that some people see this weapon bringing and I’m taking that on board,” Mattis said. “But I’ve got to do more study.”

Feinstein said she has had extensive discussions with people in the military and has concerns that the LSRO may in fact represent a new generation of nuclear missiles not just an upgrade of older air-launched missiles.

“It’s got features which concern me greatly,” she said. “I’m not sure for the cost that we’ll end up with a practical deterrent.”…..http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jim-mattis-says-hes-open-to-rethinking-triad-nuclear-cruise-missile/article/2625999

1.This Month

Manal Al Sherif’s interview with Christiane Ammanpour on CNN

Manal Al-Sharif, “Daring To Drive”

Human rights in Saudi Arabia – Wikipedia

Human rights in Saudi Arabia are intended to be based on the Hanbali Islamic religious laws under absolute rule of the Saudi royal family.^[1]

The strict regime ruling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is consistently ranking among the “worst of the worst” in Freedom House‘s annual survey of political and civil rights.^[2]

Qorvis MSLGroup, a US subsidiary of Publicis Groupe, amid the execution of political protesters and opponents, has been working with Saudi Arabia for more than a decade to whitewash its record on human rights.^[3]^[4

Ensaf Haidar, wife of Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for “insulting Islam”

Saudi Arabia is one of approximately thirty countries in the world with judicial corporal punishment. In Saudi Arabia’s case this includes amputations of hands and feet for robbery, and flogging for lesser crimes such as “sexual deviance” and drunkenness. In the 2000s, it was reported that women were sentenced to lashes for adultery; the women were actually victims of rape, but because they could not prove who the perpetrators were, they were deemed guilty of committing adultery.^[5] The number of lashes is not clearly prescribed by law and is varied according to the discretion of judges, and ranges from dozens of lashes to several hundreds, usually applied over a period of weeks or months. In 2004, the United Nations Committee Against Torture criticized Saudi Arabia over the amputations and floggingsit carries out under Sharia. The Saudi delegation responded defending “legal traditions” held since the inception of Islam 1,400 years ago and rejected interference in its legal system.

The courts continue to impose sentences of flogging as a principal or additional punishment for many offences. At least five defendants were sentenced to flogging of 1,000 to 2,500 lashes. Flogging was carried out in prisons

In 2009, Mazen Abdul-Jawad was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and five years in prison for bragging on a Saudi TV show about his sexual exploits.^[7]^[8]

In 2014, Saudi blogger Raif Badawi‘s sentence was increased to 1,000 lashes and ten years’ imprisonment after he was accused of apostasy in 2012. The lashes were due to take place over 20 weeks. The first round (50) were administered on January 9, 2015, but the second round has been postponed due to medical problems. The case was internationally condemned and put a considerable amount of pressure on the Saudi legal system.

In October 2015,UK pensioner and cancer victim Karl Andree, then 74, faced^[when?] 360 lashes for home brewing alcohol. His family feared the punishment could kill him. However, he was released and returned home in November that year.^[9]

In 2016, a Saudi man was sentenced to 2,000 lashes, ten years in prison and the fine of 20,000 riyals($5,300) for making tweets critical of Islam, and denying the existence of God.^[10]^[11]

Torture[edit]

While Saudi Arabia’s Criminal Procedure Code prohibits “torture” and “undignified treatment” (art. 2) in practice torture and using torture to extract forced confessions of guilt remains common.

According to Amnesty International, security forces continued to torture and ill- treat detainees to extract confessions to be used as evidence against them at trial. According to the organization, 32 defendants accused of spying for Iran were subjected to torture and forced to confess. Detainees were held incommunicado and denied access to their families.^[18]

Capital punishment; right to representation

Ali al-Nimr arrested at 17 for his participation in Arab Spring protests and sentenced to death by beheading at 18

Saudi Arabia engages in capital punishment, including public executions by beheading.^[19] The death penalty can be imposed for a wide range of offences^[20] including murder, rape, armed robbery, repeated drug use, apostasy,^[21] adultery,^[22] witchcraft and sorcery^[23] and can be carried out by beheading with a sword,^[21]stoning or firing squad,^[22] followed by crucifixion.^[23] In 2005 there were 191 executions, in 2006 there were 38, in 2007 there were 153, and in 2008 there were 102.^{[24]………}

Women’s rights Main article: Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia

Saudi women face discrimination in many aspects of their lives, such as the justice system. Although they make up 70% of those enrolled in universities, for social reasons, women make up 5% of the workforce in Saudi Arabia,^[33] the lowest proportion in the world. The treatment of women has been referred to as “sex segregation“^[34]^[35] and “gender apartheid“.^[36]^[37] Implementation of a government resolution supporting expanded employment opportunities for women met resistance from within the labor ministry,^[38] from the religious police,^[39] and from the male citizenry.^[40]

In many parts of Saudi Arabia, it is believed that a woman’s place is in the home caring for her husband and family, yet there are some women who do not adhere to this view and practice, and some run the house instead of the husband himself. Moreover, there is also some type of segregation at homes, such as different entrances for men and women.^[41]

Women’s rights are at the heart of calls for reform in Saudi Arabia – calls that are challenging the kingdom’s political status quo.^[41] Local and international women’s groups are also pushing governments to respond, taking advantage of the fact that some rulers are eager to project a more progressive image to the West…….more .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia

Report: Saudi prince said Kushner is ‘in his pocket’

PETITION. –End Julian Assange’s isolation

Westinghouse, Quit India! [Sign Statement Against Kovvada Nuclear Project]

nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope