These are, of course, Obama holdovers, but they should have been cleared out by now. Fire Richard Visek (and Rex Tillerson) and drain the swamp, already.
“State Department Lawyers Removing References to ISIS ‘Genocide’ Against Christians, Other Religious Minorities,” by Susan Crabtree, Washington Free Beacon, July 25, 2017:
The State Department’s top lawyers are systematically removing the word “genocide” to describe the Islamic State’s mass slaughter of Christians, Yazidis, and other ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria from speeches before they are delivered and other official documents, according to human rights activists and attorneys familiar with the policies.
Additionally, Democratic senators are delaying confirmation of Mark Green, Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Agency for International Development who has broad bipartisan support.
These efforts guarantee that Obama-era policies that worked to exclude Iraq’s Christian and other minority religious populations from key U.S. aid programs remain in place, the activists said.
Richard Visek, who was appointed by President Obama as head the State Department’s Office of Legal Adviser in October 2016, is behind the decision to remove the word “genocide” from official documents…
The latest moves from the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser appear aimed at rolling back then-Secretary of State John Kerry’s March 2016 genocide determination. Kerry’s much-anticipated genocide designation came after months of equivocation and detailed documentation by interested parties that the Islamic State is responsible for genocide against Yazidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims.
It was one of the few times in history that the United States designated ongoing mass murders against ethnic or religious minorities as meeting the legal definition of genocide laid out in a 1948 treaty. That agreement requires signatories, including the United States, to take steps to “prevent and punish” genocide.
A bipartisan group of Capitol Hill lawmakers and activists, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R., Ala.) were hoping the designation would help direct millions of dollars in U.S. relief funds to Christian, Yazidi, and other persecuted religious minority communities.
ISIS murders and kidnappings have decimated the Christian population in Iraq, which numbered between 800,000 and 1.4 million in 2002, reducing it to fewer than 250,000 now. Without action, activists and charities say, Christians could disappear completely from Iraq in the near future.
After meeting with Pope Francis in May, President Trump vowed to do everything in his power to defend and protect the “historic Christian communities of the Middle East.”
Activists and Catholic leaders are now calling on Trump to turn the rhetoric into action on the ground and help get U.S. aid to these persecuted communities trying to rebuild their homes and their lives in Iraq.
These advocates want the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the United Nations to allow church groups and other religious-affiliated relief organizations to receive government aid, a practice prohibited during the Obama administration….
wm1 says
“That agreement requires signatories, including the United States, to take steps to “prevent and punish” genocide.”
So this ‘useful infidel’ is cowardly and clueless and cannot handle the truth about Islam. Sounds just like Obama.
But where is Trump? How is this insanity any different from how Hillary would have handled it?
Francesca says
WHY doesn’t Trump get rid of all the Obama holdovers? NOW? If he allows them to continue to undermine our government, we will all suffer.
underbed cat says
Trump seems to go after his early supporters, and doesn’t see the Obama holdovers as directing the narrative which he ran against but now seems to have flipped…..or his main influence is family democrats that have a lot of influence or he wants all of NY in office….not such a good move NY went with Hillary…next he will hire Potesta…….what is keeping him from him from getting the unfettered information about who the enemy is since I thought he knew. Isis is Islam. Please somebody tell me if I am misinformed. Islam doctrine targets Christians, Yazidis and Jews. Taking out Assad brings in the final blow.
John Forbes says
GET RID of the LAWYERS !!! Stand up for the VICTIMS of ISLAM & PUBLISH the ABUSE STORIES along with detailed descriptions !!!!!!!
TRUMP promised to STOP this DEMOCRATIC LEFT WING rubbish – HOLD HIM to the PROMISE !!!!!
john spielman says
who is that smiling gubber?- is that Visek?
pdxnag says
“Collusion” with dead Mohammad, champion of slaughter of all who oppose him.
Irene Brekelmans says
You people in the State Department and other people don’t have any idea what you are doing. The truth will come out in not such a long time and people will know what you did and how you lied and they will be horrified. Because everything you do, think ,act is registered and you know why? Not by a man with a long beard up in the sky, called God, but as our God’s part is in everybody, called the HIGHER SELF and knows everything as He is in us, for some not such a nice thing, but you can never lie about it, every word, thought, act ,is there. You will experience it when you leave this life on earth. So escaping things is no option and it is a good thing, a very good thing, so nobody can hide. And you will see your own life. This is not a threath, but it is life, you will see what you did to others and what they did to you and those are the consequences of your life. Everybody has them, the muslims, christians hindi, catholics, every one, queens and kings, but the truth will set you free in the end. And you will see in the viewing how the other suffered from your deeds, you will feel the pain and sorrow and will be so ashamed. So, you ,ight hink about this before you kill somebody innocent. Have a good day !
Matt says
Look at that crazy dude’s face! Liberalism is truly a mental disorder.
ItsReallyQuiteClear says
It sounds like these serpents want to be the most effective advocates possible for Islamism. In order to help them in this personal jihad of theirs, why not send them to one of the 57 OIC countries to carry out a residency and gain valuable cultural experience? To help them identify themselves and their mission, they could be equipped with t-shirts that say “I’m from the U.S. Government and I’m here to help”.
ItsReallyQuiteClear says
With apologies for my “cultural incompetence”, I should note, for non-U.S. folks, that the t-shirt slogan I joked about is from a quote from former President Ronald Reagan, who reportedly asked what were the scariest words in the English language? “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”.
Jedothek says
What is frustrating about the last 60 years or so is that our energies must be taken u p in merely injecting recognition of reality into the public discourse. At this rate we may never arrive at the next step: crafting solutions to real problems .
Guy Forester says
First, Trump needs to get off of twitter and tend to business. Sit down with his new appointees and tell them what his goals are, what he expects them to do, and that when they start firing Obama political hacks, he will back them up, If they do not get busy with the swamp cleaning they will be fired. Give them a 30 day time line and then meet again. Each of the cabinet level people will have a 10 minute time slot to show what has been done to clean the swamp. No excuses, no delays. Otherwise, fired.
Second, this is typical government. Hide the real problem and invent a new, non-existent one so an unneeded program can be developed, funded, and populated with more political do nothing hacks. Since there is no problem, no meaningful metrics for success are out there, so they can come up with magical numbers. Good examples are Islamophobia, Climate Change, and Immigration Reform.
Last, do everything to hide the real problem and block any attempts to resolve it. Good examples are Illegal Immigration and Jihad. Jihad becomes “lone wolf criminal” actions so we do not identify the real culprits and sponsors, and shut down any meaningful investigation that actually produces actionable results. Leave the borders open so anyone and everyone gets in, refuse to work together to ID and remove illegal aliens, and blame the victims when needed. Meantime maintain any program that supports illegal aliens or educational programs that help us understand the illegal aliens and jihad supporters.
Perpetual employment for do nothing bureaucrats, job loss for the real workers inside and outside of government, and various forms of chastisement for anyone that dares complain about the above. What, me cynical and skeptical? Nah.
somehistory says
A Stepford State Dept employee. Robotically carrying out his masters’….moslums….orders.
All of these fools who bow to the beast have vacant, dead eyes and many have stupid, fake smiles.
(Revelation 13)
Topaz says
I don’t understand how people can deny ISIS has committed genocide. They’ve murdered entire villages, families, based on whether the victims were non-Muslim, or of a different Islamic sect. ISIS wants to wipe out and/or oppress everyone they deem ‘inferior’.
They’re still a threat, since they have supporters to carry out attacks worldwide. They still want to commit genocide, whether the victims are Yazidi families or Manchester girls at a concert. That’s one reason better security measures are needed, especially involving immigration, and spotting potential homegrown lone-wolves.
So we need to keep writing to our officials and keep pushing for safety. And keep alert–I don’t mean panic, but certainly alert authorities if something’s wrong.
Voytek Gagalka says
It should be evident by now that Mr. Trump who is the president clearly does NOT control his own government. Few highly suspicious nominations and appointments in the past 6 months and now he is THEIR virtual “prisoner.” What he can do only (and he does frequently) is to futilely and impotently twits and twits… But you can’t GOVERN by Twitter! And what he will do if the Twitter will close (or at least suspend) his account?
Flavius Claudius Iulianus says
Problem: “Trump State Department lawyers removing references to ISIS genocide against Christians, Yazidis”
Solution: Remove said lawyers from Trump State Department.
Bill says
This is where the Jorge Mario Bergoglio, were he not a Communist and an apologist for Islam, could be effective in calling attention to the true persecuted peoples of the Middle East. This is the sort of policy he could speak out about and apply pressure to have changed. He has abandoned them to their fate.
Lydia says
It’s all part of their script, the cover up, their version of politically correct, and all of that. He is no different, just another pawn in the game, puppet on a string.
Creole Gumbo says
Trump could acknowledge that Islam HAS declared war on us and implement emergency measures such as the ability to blanket fire ALL Obama appointees and ALL muslims holding federal appointments and or non-appointed jobs.
As I understand it, there are no specific requirements listed for something to constitute a state of emergency. A SOE is whatever the president says it is.
Vann Boseman says
I do not like just agreeing with everybody else on a post, but in this instance it seems important to stress with as many people as possible that Trump should seize control of his presidency and assert his will. He’s made some bad appointments and there is a tremendous number of lousy holdovers from Obama. We are not better off having someone in those positions if they are as bad as they are truly turning out to be. They are not better than nothing. They should be gotten rid of whether there is anyone to replace them or not.
gee says
The United States Department of State has been on the side of Islamofascists for over 100 years now. Tillerson is no better than the last 10 Secretary of States.
Joe says
I’m sure after 8 years of the marxoislamist Barack Hussein O. in the WH “Isis” is now sitting in every branch of the government. First of all the current admin needs to recognize this problem from within and secondly they have to root out this problem up to the core. Start with putting Obozo and Killary on trial for treason and let’s watch the roaches come out to the light. Evidence is there in the dozens if not hundreds of cases! What is the justice department waiting for?