Cap Phantom

Pihak militer Amerika Serikat telah sukses mengembangkan sebuah misil bernama Scorpion, yang memiliki kemampuan menembakkan target berbasis Global Postioning System (GPS).

“Scorpion meluncur diatas ketinggian 1,65 mil diatas permukan laut yang memanfaatkan Global Positioning System atau sistem Navigasi Inertial luntuk menemukan target, target” jelas salah satu pejabat Militer AS Randy Bigum, seperti yang dilansir TG Daily, Selasa (22/6/2010).

“Selain itu misil ini juga menggunakan mesin pendeteksi Semi-Active Laser (SAL) untuk menghancurkan target,” tambahnya.

Bigum menjelaskan Scorpion sebagai mesiu yang ringan dan mudah beradaptasi. Karena misil ini menggunakan beberapa platform, termasuk berawak dan sistem tak berawak.

“Target dapat mencakup struktur, personil, kendaraan lapis baja ringan, truk, mobil, peluncur rudal. Posisi peluncurannya ini memiliki jangkauan maksimum lebih dari 10 mil laut,” tandasnya.

Menurut Bigum, scorpion menjamin akurasi untuk kurang dari satu meter dan secara dramatis mengurangi kemungkinan kerusakan hulu ledak. Misil ini tersedia untuk digunakan terhadap berbagai jenis target.

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Former Vice President of the United States (USA) Dick Cheney has reportedly admitted to hospital for treatment. According to his spokesman, Cheney was treated after complaining about discomfort in the chest.

Peter Long, a spokesman for Dick Cheney said that if former Vice President George W. Bush era, the Government admitted feeling unwell on Friday, June 25th. He then underwent examination by a doctor from George Washington Unversity. Thus reported the Associated Press, Saturday (26/06/2010).

After undergoing examination by a doctor, Cheney was immediately rushed to the hospital at the university to undergo further examination. Cheney is known to have a history of heart problems, although the cause of the complaints that experienced currently unclear.

On 27 December, at around 11:30 AM, the IDF launched a large-scale attack on the Gaza Strip called, “Operation Cast Lead”. According to the Israeli government, the operation was in response to the escalation of the Palestinian rocket and mortar fire into Israel since the expiry on 19 December of the Egyptian negotiated “calm”. At the time of publication, Israeli fighter planes, helicopters and drones had bombed over 240 targets throughout the Gaza Strip. The majority of these attacks occurred within the first hour of the operation. Palestinian militants responded by firing over 100 rockets and mortars towards Israel.

CASUAlTIES

Although no official numbers of Palestinian casualties are currently available, as of 4:00 PM, according to preliminary reports from the MoH (collected by the World Health Organization), at least 280 Palestinians were killed during the air strikes, and some 900 others were treated at hospitals, 650 of whom were admitted for further treatment with 115 in critical condition. Reports from Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights in Gaza indicated that most fatalities were civilian police; other fatalities included at least 20 children, nine women, and 60 other unarmed civilians. Most casualties fell in the first few minutes of the operation. The Israeli operation resulted in one of the highest single-day death tolls recorded in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1967. The number of casualties is expected to rise; search operations for dead bodies trapped under the rubble are still ongoing.

All parts of the Gaza Strip were targeted, with Gaza City being the hardest hit. Air-strike targets included civil police stations, military training bases and government buildings and installations. In one incident, at least 40 people were killed when an IAF plane fired an air-to-ground missile at the police headquarters in Gaza City during preparations for a graduation ceremony for regular civilian and traffic police. Other civilian casualties occurred among those living in residences within the vicinity of targeted buildings.

Following the air strikes, Palestinian militants fired some 100 rockets and mortars at Israeli towns and cities, reaching areas as far as 40 km from the Israel-Gaza border. One Israeli civilian was killed and ten others were injured.

In most parts of the West Bank, Palestinians demonstrated against the Israeli operation in Gaza, resulting in the death of two Palestinians, and the injury of 31 others. Preliminary reports indicate four Israeli soldiers and one Israeli child were injured in the clashes.

HEALTH

Initial reports indicate that Gaza hospitals were overwhelmed by the high number of casualties (see above). However, due to the discharge of non-urgent patients and the less seriously wounded, hospitals still have bed capacity. In total hospital capacity stands at 2000 beds—1500 MoH and 500 Private/NGO hospitals. No injured Palestinians have left to Egypt for medical treatments, nor were medical supplies allowed into Gaza via the Rafah crossing. A shortage of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, including surgical kits was reported despite some supplies received today. UNRWA is currently facilitating the delivery of four truckloads of medicines from the MoH warehouses in Ramallah. Israeli authorities allowed the entry of seven truckloads of Medical supplies via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

SCHOOLS

Widespread panic was reported among student population, exacerbated by the attack’s timing—during school hours. Classes were in session at the time of IAF air strikes, with some students sitting for midyear exams. Other students were either on their way to school for the afternoon shift, or returning home. Initial reports indicate some students were injured either from shattered glass inside schools, or en route to school. Parents rushed to schools to collect their children; all students were evacuated.

GAZA GOODS CROSSINGS

Kerem Shalom crossing was partially open today; seven truckloads of medical supplies and 14 truckloads of wheat from humanitarian agencies were allowed into Gaza.

WHEAT AND FLOUR SHORTAGE

Due to the depletion of wheat in the Gaza, all major Gaza mills were forced to shut down. Long queues of people at functional bakeries were reported. UNRWA stock of wheat grain is still at zero.

FUEL AND ELECTRICITY

The Gaza power plant is expected to shut down on 29 December as no fuel was allowed entry into Gaza today. Power outages of up to 16 hours per day are expected in Gaza City, and northern and middle areas of the Gaza Strip.

Are you an active-duty military spouse that had to put their education on hold after losing your MyCAA funds?  On March 13, 2010, the Department of Defense (DoD) made a very special announcement concerning MyCAA military spouse accounts – funds will be reinstated for accounts that are currently open.

This means that military spouses who have existing accounts will have access to the entire MyCAA Web site. This includes the ability to create and have financial documents approved.

This good news follows a previous DoD announcement that stated the MyCAA program would be temporarily on hold for an unspecified amount of time.  Now, military spouses who opened MyCAA accounts can do what they originally set out to do – pursue their education.

Do you have questions about how MyCAA works?  Here’s a brief overview of the program to get you started:

What is the MyCAA program?

The DoD Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program provides military spouses with up to $6,000 of financial assistance for pursuing an education that will lead to a license, certification, credential or degree and a portable career.

Who is eligible?

Under the recent changes announced by the DoD on March 13, you must meet the following in order to be eligible for MyCAA:

Be a spouse of an active duty service member or a spouse of an activated member of the National Guard/Reserve who are on Title 10 orders
Currently have an existing/open MyCAA account

What does MyCAA cover?

Education and Training Courses
Professional Licenses, Licensing Exams and related prep courses
Certifications
Credentials
Continuing Education (CEU)
Degree Programs
High School Completion Courses and ED Tests
English as a Second Language Courses (ESL)

Does MyCAA cover the costs of materials and items related to obtaining my education?

The following items are not covered under MyCAA:

Computers
Miscellaneous Electronic Items (laptops, iPods, etc)
Application Fees
Association Membership Fees
Student Activity Cards
University Entrance Exams or Related Preparation Courses
Health Care Services
Child Care Services
Transportation and Parking Fees
Graduation Fees

I have an existing MyCAA account.  How are the funds provided to my educational program or school?

Using your existing MyCAA account, you will need to create a Training Plan. Your Training Plan will include your career field of interest, a job description/occupation, the name of the training program or school and course information (i.e. costs, course name, course code, etc). You will need to provide information for at least one course.

Next, your MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) request will be submitted. Once approved, your MyCAA funds will be provided directly the program or school you specified on a course by course basis.

How do I go about selecting the right portable career?

As a military spouse, you have probably endured your share of PCS moves. So, why not use MyCAA funds to train for a portable career?  And there are some great options to consider.  For example, you can use your MyCAA funds to enroll in an online school (also portable) and pursue a health care career in the medical transcription field.

In fact, many medical transcriptionists work from home, and with the right training and experience, often begin their own transcription businesses!  This is a beneficial career option for busy military spouses who want to contribute to their family’s financial stability, but must also juggle the responsibilities of being a single parent while a spouse is deployed.

If you haven’t decided on a career path, Medical Transcription is among the exciting, portable career options that are worth looking into. If you need assistance, consider contacting a MyCAA Career and Education Consultant (visit the military one source Web site for the most up-to-date contact information).

If you have an open MyCAA Military spouse account, don’t let the opportunity to pursue your education pass you by.

Eligibility for Seeking Asylum in the US

A person physically in the United States, who expresses a fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, is eligible to apply for asylum. While some of these categories are clear, others, such as what constitutes a “social group,” is subject to significant litigation in federal courts. If a person receives a grant of asylum, he or she will subsequently be able to apply for adjustment of status (green card).

To seek legal protection from being deported, asylum seekers must:

Be outside their country of nationality. Asylees are by definition in the United States and thus necessarily outside their country of nationality. The law expressing this is INA § 101(a)(42)(A).
Be afraid of persecution by the government in the native country. Torture, for example, is persecution recognized under the law, while harassment or discrimination is almost never found to be a kind of persecution. However, the cumulative effect of various types of harm can be persecution when added together, such as economic disadvantage (unable to obtain gainful employment), interference with one’s right to privacy, substandard living conditions, deprived of higher education, and/or ostracized by society. Where these lines are drawn is different in each case.
Be harmed or fear harm by parts of the government. The police and the army are parts of the government. Harm by right-wing or left-wing political groups or religious zealots that the government is “unable or unwilling to control” also meets the demands of asylum laws.
Be affected by at least one of several defined conditions. As suggested above, these conditions are: political opinion, race, religion, nationality, and social group. The last category, social group, usually refers to people with certain characteristics that a particular society might lump together and about which it generally has an unfavorable attitude, such as homosexuals. The law generally does not include people who fled their homes due to civil wars, generalized violence, or criminal prosecution. However, one of these reasons may suffice for asylum if it can be connected to one of the five listed conditions.
Not be a danger to the community. Finally, international law recognizes that countries have the right to exclude asylum seekers who may be a danger to society. Those excluded are those who have committed “particularly serious crimes,” including aggravated felonies as defined in INA § 101(a)(43), pose threats to national security, or who have committed war crimes or “crimes against humanity.”

Bars to Seeking Asylum
Even if you meet the above criteria for asylum, you may be barred from seeking asylum under certain circumstances. Some of the bars to asylum include but are not limited to:

conviction for a “particularly serious crime” (includes aggravated felony convictions)
committed a serious nonpolitical crime outside of the United States
poses a danger to the security of the United States
has engaged, ordered, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion

Warning Against Filing a Frivolous Asylum
If you file a frivolous asylum application, you will be PERMANENTLY BARRED from seeking any form of discretionary relief in the United States, including adjustment of status, cancellation of removal, or voluntary departure.

For immigration purposes, an asylum application is frivolous if any of its material elements is deliberately fabricated.

Remember, the credibility of your claim is at issue in an asylum case. What you write in your application, and what you say under oath in an asylum interview or in an immigration court, will decide whether you are a credible person and have a credible claim.

If the immigration judge finds that you have filed a fraudulent asylum application, not only will you have a deportation order that will be difficult to reverse on appeal, but you will never be able to apply for any other form of discretionary relief!

So, if you knowingly submit a fraudulent asylum application, you are subject to the harsh penalty of permanently becoming ineligible for other relief, regardless of sympathetic circumstances.

A frivolous finding is basically a “death sentence” for immigration purposes, so you should never file a frivolous application.

Withholding of Removal (INA § 241(b)(3))
The Attorney General may not remove a person to a country where his or her life or freedom would be threatened because of his or her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

To win a claim for withholding of removal, you must show that there is a “clear probability” that you will be subject to persecution if forced to return to the country of removal, or that it is “more likely than not” that you would be persecuted if you are removed to the home country.

Of course, this is a higher burden of proof than the showing of “past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution” required for asylum. However, unlike asylum, which is a discretionary form of relief, withholding of removal is mandatory once you establish that your life or freedom would be threatened in the proposed country of removal on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

If granted withholding of removal under INA § 241(b)(3), the applicant can remain in the United States, but can NOT be granted lawful permanent resident status (green card) on that basis.

Additionally, a grant of withholding of removal only means that you cannot be deported to your native county; if and when the United States government finds another country that will accept you, you will be deported to that country.

Convention Against Torture (CAT)
Article 3 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture protects aliens who fear torture in their native country. Unlike asylum and withholding of removal, CAT does not require that the alien be persecuted on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
Convention Against Torture is a treaty that prohibits the return of a person to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be in danger of being subjected to torture if returned to his or her native country.

“Torture” is defined in Article 3 of CAT. There are no bars to eligibility for Convention Against Torture, and those who do not qualify to seek asylum can nonetheless seek protection under CAT.
To win a Convention Against Torture claim, you must prove that it is “more likely than not” that you would be subject to torture if forced to return to your native country.

If you are granted protection under Convention Against Torture, you cannot be removed from the United States to the country from which you fear being tortured, but you can be removed to any other country if that county will accept you.

A grant of CAT relief does not entitle you to become a lawful permanent resident (green card holder). However, based on such a grant of relief, you can obtain an employment authorization document (EAD) and can reside and work lawfully in the United States.

Competent Representation is Key
As it is true about any other area of immigration law, competent representation of your asylum claim is key in putting forth the best and strongest possible application. If you wish to seek asylum, withholding of removal, or relief under Convention Against Torture you are required to file Form I-589. Form I-589 covers all of these forms of relief. There is no filing fee associated with an application for asylum.

Be careful of lawyers or representatives who “promise” you that you will win your asylum case and that you have “nothing to worry about”! You should consult competent attorneys prior to filing an application for asylum, because there are severe consequences for filing a fraudulent asylum application before an Immigration Court. While those who “promise” you a victory have nothing to lose if you do not win your asylum case, you have everything to lose! Do not take unnecessary risks!

If you believe you are eligible for asylum, withholding of removal, or relief under Convention Against Torture and would like to apply download Form I-589 from USCIS

If you wish to consult Thaker Berowitz LLP about your eligibility for any of these forms of relief, confidential asylum consultation.

Disclaimer:
While the information in this article is current at the time of writing, you should ALWAYS seek legal advice before you engage with the USCIS. Rules and interpretations change constantly and this article should not be considered legal advice. It it informational only. Asylees are strongly encouraged to seek legal advice as early as possible in the process.

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