6A - Thursday, April 10, 2014
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Administration investi
'Cuban Twitter' progr
Hearings focus on
whether USAID can
launch intelligence
operations
WASHINGTON (AP) - The
Obama administration is look-
ing into whether a "Cuban Twit-
ter" program secretly backed by
the U.S. government contained
messages that were political
in nature, despite assertions
from the administration that
the effort was intended only to
increase the flow of informa-
tion in a country that heavily
restricts Internet access.
State Department spokes-
woman Jen Psaki said Wednes-
day it would be "troubling" if
political messages were sent
under the program. She said
the program's sponsor, the U.S.
Agency for International Devel-
opment, was tryingto determine
whether any ofthe messages that
were sent were in fact political,
as well as the timing of the mes-
sages, and whether they were
drafts or were actually sent.
An Associated Press inves-
tigation has revealed that the
U.S. government built the
now-defunct communications
network to undermine the com-
munist government and that
draft messages were produced
that were overtly political.
Documents obtained by the
AP show that the early messages
poked fun at the Castro gov-
ernment and were created by a
political satirist working for the
social media project. Those mes-
sages conflict with the U.S. gov-
ernment's earlier assertions that
its program didn't promulgate
political content.
Cuba's state-run telecommu-
nications firm said Wednesday
it had launched an investigation
into how hundreds of thousands
of customer cellphone numbers
ended up in the USAID pro-
gram. The AP's investigation
found that those phone numbers
were used to start a subscriber
base for the project, ultimately
known as ZunZuneo, for the
sound made by a Cuban hum-
mingbird.
Congressional hearings into
the creation of the program this
week focused on whether it was
appropriate for USAID to launch
such an intelligence-like opera-
tion - and not the CIA or other
spy agencies.
The AP investigation showed
program evaded Cuba's digital
restrictions by creating a text-
messaging service that could
be used to organize political
demonstrations. It drew tens of
thousands of subscribers who
were unaware it was backed
by Washington, which went
to great lengths to conceal its
involvement.
Cuban-born Rep. Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen, R-Fla., on Wednes-
day sharply defended U.S.-run
democracy programs in Cuba,
saying it was "so important to
offer the other side of the story,
the side that promotes American
values: God-given values like
freedom, justice or liberty."
She added: "This issue we're
debating ... is whether or not
USAID should be taking steps
to promote human rights, the
rule of law and democratic gov-
ernance throughout the world. I
say yes."
Other lawmakers were
uncomfortable with the notion
that an agency best known for
its humanitarian mission was
undertaking operations best left
to the professionals.
The chairman of the Sen-
ate panel that approves spend-
ing on such foreign programs,
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said
a day earlier he was never told
about the Twitter-like opera-
tion, disputing assertions by
USAID Administrator Rajiv
Shah that Congress was proper-
ly informed. The Obama admin-
istration has said the program
operated "discreetly" but wasn't
covert.
Leahy, head of the Senate
appropriations subcommit-
tee for foreign operations, said
USAID employees working
openly on aid programs have
complained that the agency's
secretive programs were put-
ting their lives at risk.
In defending the program,
the Obama administration and
critics of the Castro government
have pointed to federal audits
and budgetary checks-and-
balances ov
million US
on Cuban de
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keep the U.
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told the AP t
the involve:
any previous
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East opera
called the,
operation "f
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themselves.
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commentary
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Cuban teleco
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had warned
was a "wild
be tamed."
igates
.am
er the roughly $20
AID spends overall
mocracy initiatives.
ctors who created
took great care to
S. government's role
subscribers in Cuba
upanies and servers
tions and financing
reign bank.
e Johanns, R-Neb.
sday's hearing that
n't the appropriate
h operations in hos-
,s.
say that that is an
mission, but why
put that mission in Alex Hribal, the suspect in the multipl
channs said. "Why police toea district magistrate to be arr
u look at some other
federal government Penn
t mission? To me, it
. It just seems crazy
uld be in the middle
ntelligence officers 22 at sci
in covert operations
they could not recall 'Students who stayed
ment of USAID in
similar intelligence with their friends'
ormer CIA Middle
tive Robert Baer heroes according to
aid agency's secret
rankly, nuts." Pa. governor
stioned the agen-
e on social media MURRYSVILLE, Pa. (AP) -
democracy, noting Flailing away with two kitchen
ourishes of Internet knives, a 16-year-old boy with
.ran and Egypt were a "blank expression" stabbed
ffed out by authori- and slashed 21 students and a
es. security guard in the crowded
t run a revolution by halls of his suburban Pittsburgh
said. high school Wednesday before
ssages produced for an assistant principal tackled
social media net- him.
overtly political, At least five students were
obtained by the AP critically wounded, including
Obama administra- a boy whose liver was pierced
id since last week by a knife thrust that narrowly
not send out politi- missed his heart and aorta,
s under the project, doctors said. Others also
d was instead built suffered deep abdominal
s speak freely among puncture wounds.
The rampage - which came
sages sent to Cuban after decades in which U.S.
had sharp political schools geared much of their
, according to the emergency planning toward
the AP obtained. mass shootings, not stabbings
essage sent on Aug. -setoff a screaming stampede,
k aim at the former left blood on the floor and walls,
mmunications min- and brought teachers rushing to
o Valdes, who once help the victims.
I that the Internet Police shed little light on the
colt" that "should motive.
The suspect, Alex Hribal,
Call:#734-418-4115
Email: dailydisplay@gmai.com
KEITH SRAKOCIC/AP
e stabbings at the Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pa., is escorted by
aigned on Wednesday in Export, Pa.
rTpnja students stabs
iool, no deaths
i
i
i
i
i
i
r
r
1
r
was taken into custody and
treated for a minor hand wound,
then was brought into court in
shackles and a hospital gown
and charged with four counts
of attempted homicide and 21
counts of aggravated assault.
He was jailed without bail, and
authorities said he would be
prosecuted as an adult.
His attorney did not
immediately respond to a
message for comment.
The attack unfolded in the
morning just minutes before the
start of classes at 1,200-student
Franklin Regional High School,
in an upper-middle-class area
15 miles east of Pittsburgh. It
was over in about five minutes,
during which the boy ran wildly
down about 200 feet of hallway,
slashing away with knives about
8 to 10 inches long, police said.
Nate Moore, 15, said he
saw the boy tackle and stab a
freshman. He said he going to
try to break it up when the boy
got up and slashed his face,
opening a wound that required
11 stitches.
"It was really fast. It felt
like he hit me with a wet rag
because I felt the blood splash
on my face. It spurted up on my
forehead," he said.
The attacker "had the same
expression on his face that he
has every day, which was the
freakiest part," Moore said.
"He wasn't saying anything.
He didn't have any anger on
his face. It was just a blank
expression."
Assistant Principal Sam
King finally tackled the boy
and disarmed him, and a
Murrysville police officer who
is regularly assigned to the
school handcuffed him, police
said.
King's son told The
Associated Press that his father
was treated at a hospital, though
authorities have said he did not
suffer any knife wounds.
"He says he's OK. He's a
tough cookie and sometimes
hides things, but I believe he's
OK," Zack King said. He added:
"I'm proud of him."
In addition to the 22 who
were stabbed or slashed, two
people suffered other injuries
during the melee, authorities
said. The security guard, who
was wounded after intervening
early in the melee, was treated
and released.
"There are a number of
heroes in this day. Many of them
are students," Gov. Tom Corbett
said in a visit to the stricken
town. "Students who stayed
with their friends and didn't
leave their friends."
Family returns to
shore after rescue
RELEASE DATE- Thursday, April 10, 2014
Los Angeles 'Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
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1 Fresh answers,
say
2 Oodles
3 Lagocontents By Jeffrey Wechsler 0414,
(c)2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
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Operation involved
skydiving, three
federal agencies, a
plane and a frigate
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Six days
after a family of four found
themselves helpless and adrift
in a sailboat far into the Pacific
with a vomiting, feverish 1-year-
old, a Navy warship delivered
them safely Wednesday to San
Diego, where they began their
attempted around-the world
voyage before the child was born.
The Rebel Heart, the 36-foot
sailboat that had been their,
home for seven years, is at the
bottom of the ocean 900 miles
off Mexico, sunk by rescuers
because it was taking on water
after losing its steering and most
of its communications.
A satellite phone ping from
the boat Thursday set off a
huge rescue effort that involved
skydiving National Guardsmen,
three federal agencies, a plane, a
frigate and scores of personnel.
It also sparked a serious debate
over parenting, and the propriety
of hitting the high seas with two
young children.
The Navy warship, the USS
Vandegrift, docked at Naval Air
Station North Island with the
Kaufman family safely aboard
and the child recovering from her
illness, Navy spokeswoman Lt.
Lenaya Rotklein said.
In a photo released by the
Navy, the family looked like
typical vacationers, with father
Eric dressed in shorts and a
baseball cap while lugging bags,
and his wife Charlotte walking
behind him, holding the toddler
in a strap-on carrier and grasping
the hand of her 3-year-old
daughter.
The ship was scheduled to
move from the island to the San
Diego mainland later in the day
without the Kaufmans, who first
want to tend to their 1-year-old
daughter, Lyra, and get some rest
before talking publicly, Charlotte
Kaufman's sister, Sariah English,
said.
The Kaufmans' decision to sail
around the world with Lyra and
her sister Cora drew accusations
of reckless foolishness from some
observers and praise from others
for their courageous spirit.
"They'll probably go on the
'Today' show to talk about this,
and write a book about it, do a
miniseries and get 15 minutes
of fame because that's how our
country tends to reward people
who choose recklessly to put
themselves and their children in
danger," said Margaret Dilloway,
a San Diego novelist who has
three children.
English doesn't question the
decision of her sister's family. She
said sailing is their passion. It's
what defines them.
"Charlotte and Eric raise
their children how they see fit,"
English said. "They are very
concerned about child safety.
That's their No. 1 concern, and
they did not do this blindly. They
are responsible, good parents."
Eric Kaufman, a Coast Guard-
licensed captain, and his wife
sent a statement from the ship
defending their actions, saying
"when we departed on this
journey more than a year ago,
we were then and remain today
confident that we prepared as
well as any sailingcrew could."
Others said children benefit
in many intangible ways from
parents who show them the
world, even when they're too
young to remember it.