Pastor Laura’s Weblog

Bergdahl's fellow soldiers say he deserted the base, which is a crime under military law. A military defense councilman speculated Wednesday that the delay could mean no charges will be filed. The question remains a mystery. What events led up to the disappearance of Bergdahl and his capture by the Taliban in 2009? He was held captive for five years. Military officials will determine whether or not wrong doing occurred, and if those actions warrant punishment.

Rachel Noerdlinger and her disabled son. Rolling Stone and gang rape. 2014 was the year when truth was optional. 2014 was the year when convenient fabrication was the weapon of choice for celebrities, activists, big business and politicians. 2014 was the Year of the Lie. In each case, the liars used their powerful positions to intimidate, harass, marginalize or just plain bilk ordinary people who lacked access to a megaphone with which to shout back. Michael BrownPhoto: Facebook Mostly the liars didnt suffer any repercussions for spreading falsehoods, and most didnt even seem particularly embarrassed when they were exposed. Activists told us Michael Brown, who was shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 9, was a gentle giant who had his hands in the air and was running away when he was shot.

Lazarevic was freed because Mr. Hollande has nice eyes. Another Frenchman kidnapped in Mali in November 2011 along with Lazarevic, Philippe Verdon, was found dead in July 2013. A security official in Mali, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared for his safety, said Lazarevics release came after negotiations to free two al-Qaida fighters arrested in his abduction. The two al-Qaida detainees were transferred to mediators in Niger on Saturday and turned over to al-Qaida, the Malian official said. It was not clear if they remained in Niger. A French official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue is sensitive said Lazarevic was freed Tuesday but declined to give any details on the release of the al-Qaida prisoners beyond saying the negotiations over Lazarevics release were led by Mali and Niger. Lazarevic and Verdon were kidnapped from their hotel in Hombori in northeastern Mali while doing a feasibility study for a future cement factory, their families have said.

Last Modified: Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 10:36 p.m. PARIS A Frenchman held for more than three years by al-Qaidas North African branch was freed Tuesday, days after two of the men implicated in his abduction were reportedly released from a prison in Mali. Negotiations among the governments of Niger, Mali and France led to freedom for Serge Lazarevic, 51, who was described by the French president as in relatively good health despite his long captivity. Tuesdays release, greeted with joy among many in France, stands in contrast to the attempted rescue in Yemen last weekend that ended in the deaths of two hostages an American and South African held by al-Qaida. Lazarevic was now en route to Niamey, the capital of Niger, French President Francois Hollande said as he thanked Nigers president for helping to free the Frenchman. We no longer have any hostages in any country of the world and we should not have any, Hollande added.

Despite the close ties, the State Department expressed concern. Officials requested in October that Qatars government lift the Huangs travel ban, allowing them to return to the United States. The 22 long months of court proceedings following their daughters tragic death have compounded the tragedy for the Huang family, and it is time now, as the Appeals Court stated, to let the Huangs return home, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement. We are deeply concerned about new delays that have prevented their departure, he said. A United Nations special rapporteur investigating the justice system in Qatar also called attention to the Huangs case and urged the government to release them and send them home. Fighting family After the couples arrest, their two sons, also adopted from Africa, were temporarily placed in a Qatari orphanage. They have since been sent back to the United States to live with Grace Huangs mother.

Howard McKeon, R-Calif, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, complained at a recent hearing of an increase in notifications by the administration to lawmakers on coming transfers from the detainment facility. President Obama promised since before he took office that he would close the controversial detention center, a move that has been opposed by many Republicans. The transfers come shortly after the announcement of the resignation of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who was criticized by administration officials who spoke to The Wall Street Journal for moving too slowly to certify detainees for release. Senior officials at the White House are impatient as the presidents term in office draws nearer to its end with the promise of the closure of Guantanamo unfulfilled, according to the Wall Street Journal. House and Senate negotiators are debating whether to revise the rules governing transfers as a part of this years defense authorization bill, which sets Pentagon policy. The House version of the measure has proposed much stricter restrictions on transfers.

However, the couple were blocked from leaving Qatar on Sunday by immigration officials at Hamad International Airport, who confiscated their passports, according to the Doha News agency, which cited a family spokesman Eric Volz. A new warrant had been issued for their arrest on unknown charges, the agency cited Volz as saying. The couple remained at the airport Sunday night with the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, Doha News reported. Earlier, Matthew Huang issued a statement thanking the Qatari judge for his decision. This has been an emotional trial for me and my family, Matthew Huang said in a statement. Grace and I want to go home and be reunited with our sons. We have not been able to grieve our daughters death, but we want to thank the judge for todays decision. The Huangs who were living in Qatar while Matthew Huang worked for a international company working on construction projects for the 2022 World Cup were arrested in January 2013 when their 8-year-old daughter Gloria died. They were charged with starving her to death, convicted in March and sentenced to three years in prison.

Army Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl has been conducting an investigation to determine whether Bergdahl should face charges. The work is complete and now its in review that can take a while, Kirby told reporters of the probe. President Obama, meanwhile, has ordered a review of how the United States responds when citizens are taken hostage overseas. The review comes as some relatives of those killed have claimed that the United States did not take enough action to save their loved ones. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Obama ordered the review of recovery efforts over the summer given "the extraordinary nature of some of the hostage takings that we've seen this year." The review will not include the United States' longstanding policy of refusing to pay ransom, which stands in contrast to many other governments, Earnest said. Related Image Expand / Contract Sgt.

NATO allies in the region have been uneasy ever since. April 5, 2014 On a trip to Japan, Hagel said he welcomed Tokyo's steps in amending its constitution to allow for collective defense agreements. This support of Japanese militarization led to increased tensions with China, which is deeply opposed to a resurgent military power in Tokyo. May 31, 2014 The White House performed a prisoner swag with the Taliban in order to win the release of US soldier Bowe Bergdahl. The US traded give Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to win Bergdahl's release. The prisoner swap was immediately criticized as Bergdahl may have purposefully deserted his post prior to his capture, and the White House failed to notify Congress thirty days ahead of the exchange as is required by law. Also in May, the Pentagon dispatched troops to Chad to aid in the search for over 200 girls kidnapped by the Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueChuck Hagel and Martin Dempsey July 2014 US special operations forces carry out a daring attempt to free Steven Sotloff and James Foley, two American citizens held captive by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). The raid failed to free the captives, who were both executed by the terrorists later in the summer although its existence was leaked to the media in late August as the fight against ISIS heated up. August 2014 Hagel infuriated the White House by contradicting the claims of President Obama that ISIS was equivalent to a junior varsity basketball squad in comparison to established terrorist networks. In Hagel's eyes ISIS remained an "imminent threat to every interest we have." October 2014 Hundreds of US soldiers began to fly to Liberia to fight the rapidly expanding Ebola epidemic in western Africa.

The letter, first reported Monday by the Daily Beast on its website, didn't indicate that the administration would review U.S. prohibitions on paying ransoms to secure the release of American hostages. In the letter, Ms. Wormuth wrote that the defense department would "leverage all feasible means to secure the release of U.S. persons held abroad." "U.S. forces stand ready to execute this mission when called upon in our efforts to ensure every American held in captivity overseas is brought home safely," Ms. Wormuth wrote. The disclosure of the administration review came in response to letters from Rep. Duncan Hunter (R., Calif.), who has been critical of the Obama administration for not doing enough to secure the release of American hostages held overseas.