Connor Freeman | The Libertarian Institute

British Arms Industry Giant Reaps Huge Windfall, Amid West’s Tensions with Russia and China

by Connor Freeman | Aug 2, 2023 | News

Amid the surge in NATO members’ military spending as a result of the war in Ukraine, BAE Systems announced that - during the first half of this year - its net profits soared with a 57 percent increase. The British arms industry giant reported its huge windfall on Wednesday. BAE Systems stated its revenue swelled to 11 billion pounds, an increase of 13 percent, while profits after taxes increased to 965 million pounds ($1.2 billion) during the first six months of 2023. This is compared with 615 million pounds in the same period last year. Chief Executive Charles Woodburn declared “Our global...

WH Backs Renewal of Law Enabling Spying on Americans, Amid FBI Scandals

by Connor Freeman | Aug 1, 2023 | News

The Joe Biden administration released a report endorsing the renewal of a controversial law which enables US intelligence agencies to spy on foreign nationals and American citizens on Monday. This comes amid a heated debate in Congress regarding how such surveillance powers are weaponized against the American people, as well as a slew of scandals involving these capabilities being wielded by the FBI against protesters and lawmakers. Published by the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and Intelligence Oversight Board, the 42-page report states that a failure of Congress to renew Section...

NYT: Biden Ramps Up Efforts to Forge Saudi-Israeli Normalization

by Connor Freeman | Jul 28, 2023 | News

The Joe Biden administration is redoubling its efforts in pursuit of a normalization deal between Tel Aviv and Riyadh, says New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. Significantly curtailing China’s influence in the Middle East is one of the White House’s main priorities. According to Friedman, based on his discussion with Biden last week, the White House is taking another stab at a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia and Israel, even if it means potentially offering Riyadh “NATO-level” security guarantees and other major commitments. For decades, Biden has been known as “Israel’s man in...

Biden Orders Admin to Share Evidence of Alleged Russian War Crimes with ICC

by Connor Freeman | Jul 26, 2023 | News

President Joe Biden has ordered his administration to begin sharing evidence of alleged Russian war crimes committed in Ukraine with the International Criminal Court (ICC), based in the Hague, a US official said on Wednesday. According to the New York Times, the White House began notifying lawmakers of this change in policy on Tuesday. In contrast to the National Security Council and the State Department, the Pentagon had long opposed cooperation with the ICC. After the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, the Defense Department blocked Washington from...

FBI’s Unapproved Snooping on US Lawmakers Fuels Debate Over Surveillance Powers

by Connor Freeman | Jul 25, 2023 | News

A newly declassified court document has revealed the FBI improperly searched a surveillance database seeking information about a US senator, a state senator, and a state judge. The disclosure comes during a heated Congressional debate over intelligence agencies’ ability to conduct warrantless spying on American citizens and their communications. Released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Friday, the revelations were included in an order by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court issued in April. The document shows that in June 2022, an FBI analyst conducted...

Study: Trinity Nuclear Test Fallout Impacted 46 States, Canada, and Mexico

by Connor Freeman | Jul 25, 2023 | News

A recently released study exposes the “widespread dispersion” of radioactive fallout and devastation caused by the US government’s first detonation of a nuclear weapon. The “Trinity” atomic bomb test which caused “environmental contamination and population exposures” was carried out in New Mexico on July 16th, 1945. This new research shows within 10 days of the explosion, which saw a mushroom cloud as high as 50,000 - 70,000 feet, radioactive deposits were dispersed across 46 states, and even parts of Canada as well as Mexico. The study covers the Trinity test as well as dozens more,...

Biden Expresses Concern Over Netanyahu’s Judicial Overhaul, Warns of Risk to the ‘Special Relationship’

by Connor Freeman | Jul 20, 2023 | News

President Joe Biden has admonished Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cease his attempts to ram through his coalition’s controversial juridical overhaul amid mass opposition protests. He recommends instead that the Israeli leader seek a broad consensus. Following a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Biden told New York Times columnist Tom Friedman that if a more “democratic” path is not taken Washington’s “special relationship” with Tel Aviv could be affected. While still facing a corruption trial, since coming to power last December, Netanyahu’s coalition – made up of...

Kissinger Meets With Chinese Defense Minister, Amid Soaring Tensions

by Connor Freeman | Jul 18, 2023 | News

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger visited Beijing and met with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu on Tuesday. This comes as tensions between the world’s two largest economies have been heightened substantially as a result of the White House’s bellicose military strategy aimed at China. Li said in a statement that the US-China relationship has reached its “lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations.” He added, this is because “some people in the United States did not meet China halfway.” Li warned against the rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, stressing...