Justice Department Recovers Over $2.8 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2018

NOTE: The 2018 False Claims Act statistics can be found here.

The Department of Justice obtained more than $2.8 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2018, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio and Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division announced today. Recoveries since 1986, when Congress substantially strengthened the civil False Claims Act, now total more than $59 billion.

“Every year, the submission of false claims to the government cheats the American taxpayer out of billions of dollars,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Panuccio. “In some cases, unscrupulous actors undermine federal healthcare programs or circumvent safeguards meant to protect the public health. In other instances, deceitful contractors overcharge our military or sell faulty equipment to our law enforcement agencies. Such fraud will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice. The nearly three billion dollars recovered by the Civil Division represents the Department’s continued commitment to fighting fraudsters and cheats on behalf of the American taxpayer.”

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-recovers-over-28-billion-false-claims-act-cases-fiscal-year-2018

Turkey says nearly 300,000 Syrians return home after military operations

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Nearly 300,000 Syrians have returned to their country after Turkey's two cross-border operations in northern Syria, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted as saying on Saturday.

Turkey has carried out two operations, dubbed "Euphrates Shield" and "Olive Branch", against Kurdish YPG militia and Islamic State in northern Syria. Ankara regards the U.S.-backed YPG as a terrorist organization.

Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees who have fled the conflict in their homeland. Some Turks view them as an economic burden and a threat to jobs.

"The number of Syrians that returned to their country after the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations is 291,790," Soylu was quoted by state-owned Anadolu news agency as saying.

http://www.foreigndesknews.com/news/politics/turkey-says-nearly-300000/

US aircraft carrier arrives in Persian Gulf, shadowed by Iranian boats

A U.S. aircraft carrier has sailed into the Persian Gulf, becoming the first in the region since President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year.

The December 21 arrival of the USS John C. Stennis came amid repeated threats by Iranian officials to close off the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the gulf and the only outlet through which all ship traffic passes.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels followed the carrier and its strike group as it arrived. There were also sightings of a drone, as well as rockets being test-fired away from the U.S. ships.

Iranian sailors on the accompanying ships could be seen photographing and videotaping the U.S. ships.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2018/12/us-aircraft-carrier-arrives-in-persian-gulf-shadowed-by-iranian-boats/

>>4424339

Wasted Days And Wasted Nights - Freddy&Toots Fender

UN Migration Pact explained and exposed: 38 times ‘we commit to’ in it

In a short video, Swedish Webb Television tells us what everyone should know about the UN Migration Pact. Various politicians and news channels have stubbornly argued that the agreement is not legally binding.

The truth, however, is that “non-legally binding” occurs twice in the agreement – while “we commit to” occurs no less than 38 times.

The petty 2 times “non-legally binding” is mentioned can be overlooked because the agreement as a whole says otherwise.

The 38 “we commit to” are unsurprisingly one long list of things we shall do. It is further argued that it is not an agreement but a framework. That is also wrong. The framework is an agreement that is approved by each country supporting it.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2018/12/un-migration-pact-explained-and-exposed-38-times-we-commit-to-in-it/

Daraa, SANA- While combing the areas liberated from terrorism in the farms of Daraa al-Balad area, the authorities found a remote-controlled (RC) reconnaissance drone, weapons and shells, some of which are Western-made, that had been left behind by terrorist organizations.

SANA’s reporter in Daraa said while following up the process of securing the areas liberated from terrorism by the Syrian Arab Army, the authorities found a reconnaissance drone, in addition to an amount of weapons and ammunition, some of which are Western-made, in the farms surrounding Daraa al-Balad area.

The reporter added that among the seized weapons were PKC machineguns, assault rifles, RPG launchers and a large number of their shells, and a huge amount of varied ammunition, homemade rocket shells, military night telescope and satellite telecommunication devices.

The authorities and army units operating in Daraa, in cooperation with the locals, continue to comb residential areas and their surroundings and the neighborhoods in Daraa which have been liberated by the army to remove the explosive device, car bombs and mines left behind by terrorists to preserve the lives of civilians and to pave the way for completing the return of all locals to their homes.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=153823