It’s October 27 in Sydney, Australia. 12 countries gather together in a closed-door meeting to consider the final stages of the world’s largest economic trade agreement. For the hosting country, it means entering into the largest trade agreement in Australian history. For the others involved, it means the world’s largest economic trade agreement. It’s a decisive moment for all involved, and one that according to Julian Assange experts from the medical, agricultural, economic, and media fields – will have far-reaching consequences for the global population.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Intellectual Property Rights Chapter (IP) encompasses more than 40 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or if you will, 40 percent of all goods and services produced. When you consider the figures, as Matt Wade, senior writer for The Age discusses, “a deal as significant as the TPP should be fully debated in the community. It’s not good enough that just one in ten voters know about it.” [1]

Assange also questions the legitimacy of the TPP, highlighting the secrecy surrounding the negotiations. On the WikiLeaks website, a second updated version of the TPP has been released. It is pointed out that some concerns surrounding the digital rights have moved slightly since the initial TPP document release; but additions within the pharmaceuticals and patents have become more significant. The consequences of this development are likely to “affect access to important medicines such as cancer drugs and will also weaken the requirements needed to patent genes in plants, which will impact small farmers and boost the dominance of large agricultural corporations like Monsanto.”

If the closed door meeting is successful, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will threaten the continuation of our freedom of information; civil liberties will be at risk. Large corporations have access to the draft agreement where those in government are unable to view it. The push for a resolution has somewhat stalled between Japan and the US as they struggle to reach agreement over market access for agriculture and its protection. Assange acknowledges this as an insight to the concerns surrounding the TPP. “The lack of movement within the TPP IP Chapter shows that this only stands to harm people, and no one is satisfied. This clearly demonstrates that such an all-encompassing and divisive trade agreement is too damaging to be brought into force. The TPP should stop now.” [2]

But the meeting this week in Australia may well see it ignited again, as the November midterm elections in the US, loom overhead. Put this alongside the APEC summit in Beijing and the G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia – both also scheduled for November, a pattern begins to emerge.

To sum up the importance of the TPP’s agenda, Assange stipulates the overbearing nature of the agreement on WikiLeaks. “The selective secrecy surrounding the TPP negotiations, which has let in a few cashed-up mega corps but excluded everyone else, reveals a telling fear of public scrutiny. By publishing this text we allow the public to engage in issues that will have such a fundamental impact on their lives.”

Member countries of the TPP are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Peru, the United States and Vietnam. [3]

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Sources: 

[1] Matt Wade, Senior Writer (17 February 2014) “Trans-Pacific Partnership is a big deal, but hardly anyone knows” http://www.theage.com.au/comment/transpacific-partnership-is-a-big-deal-but-hardly-anyone-knows-20140215-32sf6.html (Retrieved The Age (27 October 2014)

[2] WikiLeaks (16 October 2014) Press Release – Updated Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) – IP Chapter (second publication) http://wikileaks.org/tpp-ip2/pressrelease/ (Retrieved 27 October 2014)

[3] Kyodo News International. 1 October, 2014 “TPP ministers arranging Oct. 25-27 meeting in Australia” http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/141001/tpp-ministers-arranging-oct-25-27-meeting-australia (Retrieved 27 October 2014)

Written by: NiRA

FBI is warning journalists in the USA to be on a high alert after getting trustworthy information showing ISIS terrorists looking to murder American media members both in the U.S. and abroad, listing them along with other high-impact targets.

Kieran Ramsey, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, stated:-

We shouldn’t be surprised that they would look to perhaps other public figures, such as people in the media, that could create the kind of sensationalized impact that unfortunately we’re seeing all over the place right now,

While we have no specific intelligence to indicate that there is a threat here … it should come as no surprise to anybody as to their intentions.

On 13rd October the bulletin warned that:-

Members of an (ISIS)-affiliated group are tasked with kidnapping journalists in the region and returning them to Syria.

And it also oriented an Islamic State Internet post from September 16 which identified journalists, TV anchors, talk show hosts, news broadcasters, correspondents on the ground and other media operatives as desirable targets.

The bulletin also alerted that members of this group might try to mask their affiliation with (ISIS) to gain access to journalists, a warning GlobalPost CEO Philip Balboni mentioned he isn’t taking it lightly.

Balboni told the Herald 23 October of the beheadings:-

I’m not surprised, they obviously don’t like journalists, as evidenced by the terrible things they’ve already done to Jim Foley and Steven Sotloff,

If they can strike here in America, I’m sure it would make them very happy. So I think we need to be careful, I think we all need to be careful.

Balboni, who tried to negotiate the release of Foley, a GlobalPost reporter, before he was murdered by an Islamic State militant, said that steps have been taken to enhance security around his journalists working in Lebanon and Iraq.

Fred Burton, with StartFor, intelligence and security analysts, and an ex deputy chief of counterterrorism at the Diplomatic Security Service, stated that ISIS has demonstrated that it is a great danger to reporters oversees. He said stateside, the danger comes from lone-wolf terrorists same as the ones who are struck in Canada.

He said:-

It’s the aspirations of the outsider who can’t travel, but desires to be useful within the organization

The Fox News Channel mentioned in a statement that they are always careful on overseas assignments.

The station stated:-

We’ve been taking extra precautions for several years now, including added security when we went in and out of Damascus to speak with (Syrian President Bashar) Assad

CNN would not discuss the danger out of a sense of caution.

Edith Flynn, terrorism expert and professor emeritus at Northeastern University, stated that high-profile journalists have always been counted as prime targets for terror groups.

Flynn stated:-

Just the idea of killing a well-known news anchor would be very shocking,

Singling out a person of note would be considered a tremendous coup for them and I hope and pray it doesn’t happen.

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Source: – www.bostonherald.com fbi_warning_isis_targeting_more_us_journalists

Image Source: AP