David,
a French nurse who delivered first aid to a suicide attacker who blew
himself up at the Comptoir Voltaire cafe during last week's Paris
attacks, poses during an interview with Reuters in Paris, France,
November 20, 2015. FRANCE-SHOOTING/NURSE-BOMBER
Reuters/Eric Gaillard
In
the chaos of the explosion at the Comptoir Voltaire cafe, one of
several targets hit in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, nurse David
instinctively sought to help the wounded.
Among them was a man
lying amid overturned chairs and tables. David, who asked to be called
just by his first name, lay him down. The man did not look to have
massive injuries, but appeared unconscious, so David began CPR, the
cardiopulmonary resuscitation he'd been trained for.
When he tore
open the man's t-shirt, David quickly realized that what he initially
thought was a gas explosion at the cafe close to the Bataclan music hall
where gunmen killed 89, was actually something far worse.
"There
were wires; one white, one black, one red and one orange. Four different
colors," he told Reuters. "I knew then he was a suicide bomber."
The
man David was trying to resuscitate was Brahim Abdeslam, one of those
involved in a series of deadly attacks that killed 130 people at bars,
restaurants, a soccer stadium and a music hall. No one other than
Abdeslam died at the cafe.
aft missile on the background of a black ISIS flag
(Picture sent by ISIS via Twitter)
slamic
State warned in a new video on Monday that countries taking part in air
strikes against Syria would suffer the same fate as France, and
threatened to attack in Washington.
The video, which appeared on a
website used by Islamic State to post its messages, begins with news
footage of the aftermath of Friday's Paris shootings in which at least
129 people were killed.
The message to countries involved in what
it called the "crusader campaign" was delivered by a man dressed in
fatigues and a turban, and identified in subtitles as Al Ghareeb the
Algerian.
"We say to the states that take part in the crusader
campaign that, by God, you will have a day, God willing, like France's
and by God, as we struck France in the center of its abode in Paris,
then we swear that we will strike America at its center in Washington,"
the man said.
It was not immediately possible to verify the
authenticity of the video, which purports to be the work of Islamic
State fighters in the Iraqi province of Salahuddine, north of Baghdad.
The
U.S. Department of Homeland Security would not comment on the video but
said it has not received information indicating a potential attack.
100
said killed in Paris theater alone as attackers tossed explosives at
hostages; police kill at least 2 gunmen in raid; gunman said to shout
‘Allahu Akbar’; French capital terrorized by attacks in 7 locales
Victims
lay on the pavement outside a Paris restaurant, Friday, Nov. 13, 2015.
Police officials in France on Friday reported multiple terror incidents,
leaving many dead. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
France's
President Hollande declares a state of emergency amid multiple attacks
in Paris, November 13, 2015 (France 24 screenshot)
Fans
leave the Stade de France amid a stream of fatal attacks in Paris,
including explosions near the stadium, November 13, 2015. (Foto
AP/Michel Euler)
The Times of Israel is live blogging events as they unfold late Friday and into Saturday.
1,500 extra soldiers deployed to Paris after attacks
The
office of the French President Francois Hollande says that at least
1,500 extra soldiers have been deployed to Paris after the deadly
attacks tonight.
A
French police official says top government officials including
President Francois Hollande were headed to the Bataclan concert hall
where hostages were taken.
According to police, at least 100
people were killed in the theater. A police assault on the venue
finished earlier tonight, leaving at least two attackers dead, officials
say.
Facebook activates ‘safety check’ feature after Paris attacks
Facebook
has activated its Safety Check feature — allowing users to alert
friends and others that they are safe — following the deadly terror
attacks in Paris which have claimed the lives of at least 140 people
tonight.
Screenshot from Facebook’s ‘Safety Check’ feature allowing users to report that they are safe.
Netanyahu: Israel stands shoulder to shoulder with France against terror
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel stands “shoulder to shoulder”
with France in the “war against terrorism” after a deadly string of
attacks in Paris left at least 140 dead tonight.
“Israel stands
shoulder to shoulder with President Francois Hollande and with the
French people in the war against terrorism,” Netanyahu said as he
offered his condolences to the families of the victims.
Police say 100 dead inside Paris theater; total death toll up to 140
French
police say that about 100 people were killed inside the Bataclan
theater in Paris tonight, bringing the total death toll from the
multiple terror attacks across the French capital to 140.
‘Dozens’ killed in Paris theater as attackers tossed explosives at hostages
Dozens
of people are dead inside Paris’ famous Bataclan theater where a
terrorist attack took place earlier tonight, and some 100 people were
taken hostage. The death toll is expected to rise as the situation
becomes clearer.
Police launched a raid and killed two attackers a short while ago.
One Paris official described “carnage” inside the building, saying the attackers had tossed explosives at the hostages.
Israeli and foreign fighter jets fly in formation through cloudy skies over the Negev desert during the ‘Blue Flag’ exercise at Ovda Airfield near Eilat on October 27, 2015. (Israeli Air Force)
Air forces from around the world have gathered deep in the Arava desert in the south of Israel for the past week and a half to take part in the largest aerial exercise in the history of the Israeli Air Force.
The “Blue Flag” exercise, which is continuing through November 3, pits the Israeli Air Force, the United States Air Force, Greece’s Hellenic Air Force and the Polish Air Force against a fictional enemy state, the captain in charge of all IAF exercises told The Times of Israel Thursday night.
A number of other countries, including Germany, also sent pilots and officers to observe the exercise, but did not take part.
This joint drill is the second “Blue Flag” exercise; the first took place in 2013 and was the largest multi-lateral exercise the IAF had ever hosted.
The various air forces collaborated closely through every step of the current exercise, the IAF captain said, from planning to execution and finally to debriefing.
Though the exercise began on October 18, planning for it started nearly eight months ago, the Israeli official said, with an IAF representative contacting each participating country and initially asking, “What do you want to train for?”
Those requests came together to form the plan for “Blue Flag,” which sent Israeli and American F-15 squadrons, along with Israeli, Hellenic and Polish F-16 squadrons, flying through nearly all of Israel’s air space, firing simulated weapons against fictional enemy missile launchers, convoys and aircraft, he said.
Israel hosts largest-ever intl air force drill, pitting troops against fictional enemy
Israel is hosting its largest-ever international air force exercise. The two-week 'Blue Flag' drill features Israeli, American, Greek and Polish troops in a battle against a fictional enemy state.
The Blue Flag drill consists of Israeli and American F-15 squadrons, as well as Israeli, Hellenic, and Polish F-16 squadrons flying through Israeli airspace while firing simulated weapons against fictional enemy missile launchers, convoys, and aircraft, the Israeli Air Force captain in charge of the exercise told the Times of Israel.
However, the captain said the exercise is designed to test the capabilities of the troops involved, rather than the military equipment itself.
“We wanted it to be challenging for the airmen, rather than for the machines,” said the IAF captain, who could not be named due to security reasons.
However,
the Egyptian government has rubbished that the plane was shot down by
missile. The Russian concluded that the Russian Airbus A321 that crashed
in the Sinai broke up in mid-air at 36,000-feet. The
plane had been heading from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to the
Russian city of St Petersburg before the crash.
Russian passenger jet crash: Black boxes analyzed, show no sign of system failure Live updates
The search and recovery operation continues in Egypt’s Sinai after a Russian passenger plane crashed there, killing all 224 people on board Saturday. Russian and Egyptian investigators are looking into the causes of the tragedy.
08 November 2015
13:13 GMT
13:12 GMT
Investigators of the jet crash are "90 percent sure" that the noise heard in the final moments of the cockpit recording was a bomb exploding, a member of the investigation team told Reuters.
09:32 GMT
Emirates Airlines expects the plane tragedy will result in demands for stringent aviation security across the globe, the airline’s president, Tim Clark said, as cited by Reuters.
09:27 GMT
The luggage of Russian tourists who arrive from Egypt is undergoing stricter than usual checks, said Igor Pedan, an official from UTG aviation services, which maintains Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport.
“The procedure was non-standard, I can say,” he said. “All luggage was sent to a special zone, [it] was checked by cynologists [dog-handlers] with [sniffer] dogs, the luggage was checked by special equipment and only then was transferred to a clear zone, for passengers to pick it up, ” he added.
Read More Here
......................................................................................................
Unclear 'noise' recorded before A321 crash, its nature to be determined – Egypt’s investigators
The
Russian A321’s black box recorded an unclear noise before crashing in
Sinai, the head of Egypt’s investigation committee has confirmed.
However, spectral analysis is required to determine its nature.
The
head of the Investigations Committee, Captain Ayman Mokadem, said the
nature of debris scatter suggests an in-flight break up, but it is still
too early to draw conclusions on the causes of the crash. While both
flight data recorders have been found, the investigators are still
studying them.
Mokadem confirmed that some “noise” can be
heard on the recording right before the crash. He still said its nature
is unclear and a spectral analysis will be carried out to identify it.
An international team of investigators are at the scene still “collecting information,” he said.
Ayman el Mokadem says there are 47 investigators into Metrojet crash - 29 from egypt, 7 russia, France 6, Germany 2 - Ireland 3 #egyptcrash
According
to the flight data recorders, the incident occurred 23 minutes and 14
seconds after takeoff at an altitude of 30,888 feet in climbing mode, at
a speed of 281 knots-autopilot engaged, he said.
The
investigators have listened to the audio from the cockpit voice recorder
and are currently in the phase of writing the transcript, he added.
Access
to the crash site has been impeded by bad weather since Tuesday, he
said. An investigation team consisting of 58 experts plan to return to
the site as soon as weather conditions improve in the next few days.
Vladimir
Putin orders halt to all flights to Egyptian airports as evidence
mounts that flight 9268 was brought down rather than suffering
mechanical failure
Russian tourists queue at the airport in Sharm El-Sheikh. Photograph: Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP/Getty
Friday 6 November 2015 15.42 EST Last modified on Friday 6 November 2015 20.10 EST
The
sound of an apparent explosion can be heard on the flight recorder of
the Russian-operated plane that came down over the Sinai peninsula,
killing all 224 people on board, adding to mounting evidence that a bomb
was smuggled aboard, French media sources said on Friday. Giving
further credence to the idea that the plane crash was a terrorist act
rather than because of structural failure, Russia, which for a week has been resistant to speculation about a bomb, suspended flights to all Egyptian airports.
An
Egyptian-led international team of aviation experts, including some
from France, successfully recovered the black box, the flight recorder,
from the crash site. Several French media outlets, including the
television station France 2, reported that the investigators had
listened to it and concluded that a bomb had detonated, which would seem
to rule out structural failure or pilot error. The pilots can be heard
chatting normally, including contact with airport controllers, up until
the apparent explosion.
The reports about the black box contents came as British attempts to bring passengers home from Sharm el-Sheikh descended into chaos on Friday.
While
Russia had earlier suggested that the UK was acting prematurely in
halting flights to the Red Sea resort over terrorism fears, Vladimir Putin
ordered even wider restrictions on Friday, including halting all
flights from Cairo. The head of his federal security services said it
would be “expedient” to suspend flights until they had discovered why
the Airbus 321 had crashed last Saturday.
Meanwhile, the US
announced new security measures – including tighter screening – for
flights from some airports in the Middle East. Jeh Johnson, the homeland
security secretary, said that the move was motivated by “an abundance
of caution”. Russia initially dismissed claims by Islamic State
(Isis) of responsibility for downing the Metrojet flight, which came
weeks after threats of retaliation for Russian planes bombing Syria, and
Moscow reacted angrily after David Cameron said it was “more likely
than not” a bomb.
Clues
about the fate of Airbus A321 have mounted quickly over the last few
days, pointing to the conclusion that the Russian plane was brought down
by a bomb.
The balance tipped towards terrorist action when Russia,
which had urged the UK against jumping to premature judgments, finally
bowed and suspended all Russian flights to and from Egypt.
The
move was in response to a series of developments since Tuesday, when it
was revealed that US satellite imagery had picked up a heat flash before
the plane went down.
British government sources reported
“chatter” picked up by surveillance agencies, hinting that a bomb may
have been involved. There was alarm over the extent of lax security at
Sharm el-Sheikh airport and on Friday, French media reported that
sources close to the investigation were saying evidence on the black
boxes pointed towards an attack.
The “chatter” was picked up by
one of the most important of the overseas listening stations run by
Britain’s surveillance agency GCHQ at Mount Troodos, in Cyprus. From
that listening post, the British can pick up communications as far away
as Beijing but the interest this time was nearer at hand, information
heard linking the crash to Islamic State and a bomb.
Egyptian security officials frisk a child as part of the increased
security measures at Sharm el-Sheikh airport amid chaotic scenes on
Friday. Photograph: Peter Beaumont for the Guardian
The
UK government’s attempt to evacuate thousands of stranded British
holidaymakers from the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh
descended into angry scenes as tourists berated the UK ambassador to
Cairo over further delays, with only eight out of 29 planned flights
cleared to fly.
The first two repatriation flights from Sharm to the UK touched down on Friday afternoon
after a day of conflicting information from airlines, embassy staff and
Egyptian officials over the timetable for flights, during which the
ambassador, John Casson, was heckled by furious tourists.
Sharm
el-Sheikh airport is at the centre of security fearsafter a Russian
airliner crashed last weekend in Sinai, killing all 224 people on board.
British officials fear the plane was brought down by a bomb.
In
a crowded terminal of the resort’s airport hundreds of Britons were
hoping to return home after they were ferried to the airport in buses,
only for easyJet to tell them that Egypt was blocking the arrival of extra flights.
Terrifying
final moments of doomed Russian jet: Flight data reveals plane lurched
up and down then passengers were sucked out in their seats - as US
satellite detects heat flash suggesting a bomb
Doomed Russian holiday jet lurched up and down before plunging 31,000ft after being blown apart, bosses claim
Travellers still strapped in seats sucked from stricken Airbus A321 through hole at back of jet when the tail blew off
Plane crashed into Sinai peninsula killing all 224 passengers and crew just 23 minutes after leaving Sharm El Sheikh
PM said security officials are ‘looking very carefully’ at whether there is a safety risk to Britons travelling to Egypt
Published: 18:52 EST, 2 November 2015 | Updated: 23:26 EST, 2 November 2015
A
doomed Russian passenger jet lurched up and down before plunging 31,000
feet after being blown apart by an ‘external impact’, airline bosses
have revealed.
Travellers still
strapped in their seats were sucked from the stricken Airbus A321
through a hole at the back of the jet when the tail blew off 23 minutes
after leaving the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, it was
claimed.
The plane twice abruptly
climbed nearly 3,000 feet in three seconds before falling 3,000 feet
moments later in the final minutes before disappearing from radar,
crashing in the Sinai peninsula with the loss of all 224 passengers and
crew.
The news comes as US officials
claim an American infra-red satellite detected a heat flash on the route
the aircraft was taking seconds before the plane fell from the sky,
suggesting there was some sort of explosion on board.
Egyptian
military approach a plane's tail at the wreckage of a passenger jet
bound for St Petersburg in Russia that crashed in Hassana
WILL YOUR FLIGHT BE CROSSING A TERRORIST DANGER ZONE? GRAPHIC REVEALS NO FLYING ZONES IN PLACE
Passenger jets leaving Britain routinely fly over areas of the world where conflict on the ground could put them at risk.
The
risk was brought into tragic focus in July last year when a Malaysia
Airlines passenger flight was shot down in eastern Ukraine by a missile
launcher allegedly operated by pro-Russian separatists. All 298 people
aboard Flight MH17 were killed.
Since then, with the exception of direct flights into Kiev, most airlines have avoided Ukrainian airspace.
However,
MH17 is thought to have been destroyed by a sophisticated long-range
missile – not the shoulder-launched devices obtained by IS gunmen and
other rebel groups. These normally have maximum vertical range of 15,000
to 20,000ft, much less than the cruising height of commercial
airliners.
Aviation
authorities issue ‘Notices to Airman’ that place restrictions on
commercial flights operated by carriers crossing hazardous airspace. For
the world’s most dangerous areas – including Syria and Libya – all
flights are banned.
But
in others restrictions only apply to flights below a certain altitude,
usually around 26,000ft, depending on the perceived range of
anti-aircraft weapons available to gunmen in those countries. Warnings
issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration cover global hotspots
including Libya, Iraq, Yemen and parts of the Sinai Peninsular in Egypt.
They are regarded as an international standard.
The
Department for Transport’s list of flying restrictions for nine
countries issued to British carriers is almost the same but also
includes Pakistan.
Planes
flying over such areas are warned not to go beneath 26,000ft because of
the risk from terrorist or rebel fighters. In many cases – such as the
Ukrainian capital Kiev – the no-fly rule does not include direct flights
in and out.
Many
terror groups around the world have access to the shoulder-launched
surface-to-air missiles, known as MANPADS – or Man-portable air-defence
systems. They were developed by the US and Russia in the Cold War.
They
are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters, and it is
possible they could be used to attack an aircraft taking off or landing.
In
February 2003, then Prime Minister Tony Blair sent armoured vehicles to
Heathrow in response to intelligence warning of an ‘extremely probable’
terrorist attack. While it did not happen, it is likely that such an
attack could have involved the use of MANPADS.
The
data does not show the heat flash travelling at any time, as would be
the case had a ground-to-air missile been launched in the plane's
direction.
Instead, the satellite evidence illustrates that there was just a single burst of ferocious heat on the jet's path.
That
has now opened up the possibility that a bomb on board, or an explosion
in a fuel tank or engine as the result of a mechanical failure, caused
the plane to come down.
David
Stojcevski, a 32-year-old resident of Roseville, Michigan, was arrested
for failing to pay a $772 fine stemming from careless driving. A court
ordered him to spend a month in the Macomb County jail.
Over the
next 17 days of his incarceration in a brightly lit cell—where he was
denied clothing—he lost 50 pounds, suffered convulsions, and eventually
began to hallucinate. He died in agony, from a combination of obvious,
untreated drug withdrawal and galling neglect.
Making matters
worse (if anything could be worse than that), the entirety of his demise
was captured on jail surveillance footage. Indeed, Stojcevski was under
self-harm watch—stemming for a profound misdiagnosis of his condition,
which was drug addiction, not mental instability—and jail officials were
supposed to be watching him constantly. Either their vigilance was
inadequate, or they watched and simply didn’t care.
WDIV's report on the story
is a must-see, though it’s highly disturbing: the video shows clips
from the jail footage while a medical expert offers commentary on the
inhumanity of Stojcevski’s treatment.
Last I checked the excuse for the shuffling that was going on
with scheduling appointments. Was not an isolated incident as it was
being done in more than one VA Hospital. Taking place due to
policies being implemented to monitor the productivity and efficiency
of Hospital personnel and their respective departments.
Protocols
such as this are generally handed down from corporate hierarchy to
regional and then local. It is doubtful that regional or local
management implemented these measures on their own and just happened to
coincide with similar incidents in other hospitals in the same way.
If
these protocols were being implemented and enforced thrughout all VA
Hospitals , logic would dictate that they originated higher up the food
chain and that local as well as regional management had a stake in the
ultimate outcome of these assessments. After all , corporate politics
would dictate that promotions and rewards would directly correlate with
the outcome of said assessments as well as departmental records.
To
establish unrealistic goals without providing adequate means to
accomplish said goals effectively. As well as establishing a
competitive situation without adequate control measures to keep the
overzealous and unscrupulous from doing exactly what has been done. Is
an obvious failure on the part of corporate management, Eric Shineski,
in this case. To gloss over that fact is naive at best and criminal at
worst. But then Mr. Obama is no stranger to criminal negligence , gross
ineptitude and just plain ignorance of the actions taking place around
him. So I suppose he can sympathize.....
~Desert Rose~
.....
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst).
The
House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bill to grant the Veterans
Affairs secretary expanded authority to fire senior executives for poor
performance.
The measure passed on a 390-33 vote amid allegations
that veterans encountered delays in access to medical care at multiple
VA hospitals across the country, leading to dozens of deaths. All 33
votes in opposition came from Democrats, including ledership Reps. Steny
Hoyer (Md.) and James Clyburn (S.C.). House Minority Leader Nancy
Pelosi (D-Calif.) voted to approve the measure.
Under the bill,
the VA secretary would be authorized to dismiss senior executives or
demote them to the civil service. It would require the VA secretary to
notify Congress of such a firing or demotion within 30 days.House
Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) said the
measure would help rid the department of incompetent employees in light
of the controversy.
"The committee has received nothing but
disturbing silence from the White House and only excuse after another
from the Department of Veterans Affairs," Miller said.
Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) said the legislation would send a message that the VA would be held accountable.
"It
is very important as we go into Memorial Day that we let the veterans
know that we appreciate their service. And we also need to let them know
that we're going to do all we can to make sure they have the quality
health care they deserve," Brown said.
An administration official
said the White House supports the overall goals of the legislation, but
also had concerns that it could have unintended consequences.
President Barack Obama speaks in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the ... more >
WASHINGTON (AP) - With outrage mounting over veterans’ health care, President Barack Obama
declared Wednesday that allegations of misconduct at VA hospitals will
not be tolerated, and he left open the possibility that Secretary Eric Shinseki, a disabled war veteran, could be held to account.
“I will not stand for it - not as commander in chief but also not as an American,” Obama said following an Oval Office meeting with the embattled Shinseki.
Congress
moved to keep up the pressure on the administration, with the House
easily approving a measure Wednesday evening that would give the VA
secretary more authority to fire or demote the 450 senior career
employees who serve as hospital directors or executives in the agency’s
21 regions. The vote was 390 to 33. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla.,
chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, sponsored the
measure, saying VA officials who have presided over mismanagement or
negligence are more likely to receive bonuses or glowing performance
reviews than any sort of punishment. He declared that a “widespread and
systemic lack of accountability is exacerbating” the department’s
problems.
The White House said it supported the goal of seeking greater accountability at the VA but had unspecified concerns about the legislation.
The growing furor surrounding the Department of Veterans Affairs centers on allegations of treatment delays and preventable deaths at VA hospitals. The department’s
inspector general’s office says 26 facilities are being investigated
nationwide, including a Phoenix hospital facing allegations that 40
people died while waiting for treatment and staff kept a secret list of
patients in order to hide delays in care.
The allegations have
raised fresh concerns about the Obama administration’s management of a
department that has been struggling to keep up with the influx of new
veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama’s
comments Wednesday - his first on the matter in more than three weeks -
signaled a greater urgency by the White House to keep the matter from spiraling into a deeper political problem in a midterm election year.
The
House is set to vote this week on a bill that would give the head of
the Department of Veterans Affairs authority to fire or demote senior
executives for perceived performance problems without going through the
usual administrative procedures.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor
(R-Va.) added the measure to the weekly docket on Thursday, the same
date VA Secretary Eric Shinseki testified about reports that VA health
clinics throughout the country have cooked their books to hide treatment
delays, some of which may have affected patients who died while waiting
for care.
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst).
Ironically,
the American Legion has called for Shinseki’s removal because of the
alleged coverups, along with other problems such as a longstanding
backlog of disability claims and preventable deaths at various VA
hospitals. If the secretary departs, his critics would have to wait for a
replacement to fire senior officials for the recent controversy.
Shinseki
said during the hearing that he is “mad as hell” about the reported
treatment delays, and he vowed to stick around until he improves VA
services for veterans or President Obama asks him to resign. MORE: Shinseki faces tough questions on VA scandal, vows to ‘accomplish a mission’
Although
firing VA officials may quell the recent outrage over reported
coverups, the Senior Executives Association has raised concerns about
the House bill. Below is a summary of the measure’s drawbacks, as
outlined in recent statements from the group:
* Due process:
Senior executives can appeal firings and demotions to an administrative
panel known as the Merit Systems Protection Board, which determines
whether the personnel actions were warranted. However, the hearings are
informal and the decisions are non-binding for agency executives, unlike
with rank-and-file employees.
The
SEA said the House bill would rob employees of the right to recourse
when department chiefs wrongly punish their workers. They also noted
that accountability processes already exist for senior executives.
Agencies
must provide a 30-day written notice when they decide to remove senior
executives. The officials can then argue against removal, choose to
resign, or return back to work at a lower position. They may also be
eligible for immediate retirement.
Updated 6:22 p.m. |
The White House is backing Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki
after he faced calls to resign Monday over allegations that veterans
died waiting for care in Phoenix and other problems in his department.
“As
the President said last week, we take the allegations around the
Phoenix situation very seriously,” said Shin Inouye, a White House
spokesman. “That’s why he immediately directed Secretary Shinseki to
investigate, and Secretary Shinseki has also invited the independent
Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General to conduct a comprehensive
review,” he said.
“We must ensure that our nation’s veterans get
the benefits and services that they deserve and have earned. The
President remains confident in Secretary Shinseki’s ability to lead the
Department and to take appropriate action based on the IG’s findings.”
Earlier Monday, the American Legion called on Shinseki to resign, although the Veterans of Foreign Wars declined to do so. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said he wants the investigation to go forward first.
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