Pres. Trump our warriors in afghanistan have new rules of engagement. Heroicc afghanr partners, and military is no longer undermined by artificial timelines, and we no longer tell our enemies our plans. Amy as trump promises a new strategy in the longest u. S. War in history, we will look at why civilian casualties are soaring in afghanistan. On saturday, more than 100 people died in kabul when an ambulance packed with explosives blew up. We will go to kabul. Then, is everything you think you know about depression wrong . We will speak with johann hari , author of uncovering the real causes of depression and the unexpected solutions. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The fbi said wednesday it has grave concerns over President Trumps plans to release a fourpage document written by house intelligigence committee to devin nunes, purporting to show the fbi abused its power when it began surveilling Trump Campaign advisor carter page in 2016 due to his dealings with russia. Supporters of President Trump claim the memo offers proof that the fbis investigation was tainted by politics from the start, in part because the fbi won approval of the wiretap by citing a dossier funded by supporters of f hillary clinton. The memo is expected to lalay blame on the actions of Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein the same man who is the only official with the authority to fire special prosecutor Robert Mueller. Earlier this week, House Intelligence Committee republicans voted along party lines to declassify the memo, which had become a rallying cry for President Trump and his supporters. In a highly unusual Statement Issued wednesday, the fbi said it was provided a limited opportunity to review this memo the day before the committee voted to release it. As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memos accuracy. Speaking wednesday, the ranking democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, adam schiff, echoed the concerns. T this is not about the fact. This is about a narrative that the chairman wants to put out, misleading narrative, to undermine the fbi, unundermine e department, and ultimatelely, undermine bob mueueller. Of course, the danger in all of this besides the obvious one politicizing the intntelligence process, is that its an a message to the white house that he can fire Rod Rosenstein or fire bob mueller and therere are gop members who are so vested in his presidency that they w will roll over. And that will cauause a crisis f that is the message. Said devin nunes had made material changes toto a versrsion of the memo he senento the white house and the chanangs were not approved by the committee. Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating how top Trump Officials worked to put forward a false version of events surrounding a meeting at trump tower the summer of between russians and senior 2016 campaign officials. According to the times, a former spokesperson for trumps legal team, mark corallo, is planning to tell mueller about a Conference Call when White House Communications director hope hicks said that emails about the meeting will never get out. The statement could be viewed as contemplating obstruction of justice. The director of the centers for Disease Control and prevention abruptly resigned wednesday, following a report she bought shares in a Tobacco Company after she took the reins of the top u. S. Public health agency. Brenda fitzgeralds resignation came after just six months on the job and after politico reported that she purchased up to 15,000 of shares in japan tobacco. As cdc director, fitzgerald also bought shares in pharmaceutical and Healthcare Companies that critics say posed potential conflicts of interesest. In virginia, an amtrak train chartered by republican lawmakers crashed into a garbage truck outside charlottesville on wednesday, killing one of the trucks passengers and injuring two others. Three people aboard the train were also lightly injured, including minnesota congressmember jason lewis, who was tataken to a nearby hospita. The crash occurred as the lawmakers wewere headed to an annual Republican Party policy retreat in west virginia. The Trump Administrationon said wednesday it wilill reauthorize gps, that is temporary protected status, for syrian refugees, but said it will bar any more syrian citizens from applying to the program. Tps benefits just 6900 syrians living in the u. S. The ununited nations says some 4 Million People have fled syria since 2011. The Associated Press reportsts o government officials said this will be the last time the Trump Administration extends tps for syrians. In recent months, the administration ended tps for as many as 250,000 salvadorans, as well as tens of thousands of haitian, nicaraguan, and sudanese immigrants. In syria, human Rights Groups say the civilian death toll is mounting in the Northern City of afrin, where turkeys military is pursuing a Bombing Campaign and ground offensive a against e u. S. Backed Kurdish Forces who control the region. On wednesday, the Syrian Kurdish ypg militia circulated video showing what it said was the aftermath of an attack on civilians in afrin. I was on the e road when it s shshelled. I was injured in my head and legs. Do we look like soldiers . It is not a military area. I had d already fled my village with my family. Amy Russias Foreign Ministry said wednesday the turkish offensive in afrin has killed several hundndred people, including civilians. Meanwhile, the turkish offensive has left an ancient temple in the region seriously damaged. Photos show the 3000yearold site of ain dara reduced to rubble after it was hit by turkish airstrikes. In turkey, Amnesty International is and him and turkish government after ordered the release of Amnesty International turkey chair, then rearrested him. He was first arrested last june wiwith 10 others and acaccused f supporting terrorism. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in jail. In a statement, Amnesty International said last 24 hours, we have borne witness of a travesty of justice of spectacular proportions driven granted release only to have the door to freedom for callously slammed in his face is devastating. The u. S. State department has designated ismail haniyeh, the head of the palestinian Political Party and militant group hamas, as a terrorist. The move comes as the Trump Administrationon continueses toe worldwide protest over itsts decision to recognize jerusalem as israels capital, and as the u. S. Slashes funding to u. N. Agencies helping palestinian refugees. This is hamas spokesperson isismail radwan. It is clear that putting the name of the terrorism list came at a time the targeting jerusalem, putting sanctions on, preventing aid to the you and Refugee Agency unwra. U. S. Administration has cast itself as an enemy of the palestinian people. It is taking the side of the zionist occupation. This shows the was a administration is working against the a aspiratations of e papalestinian people and liberation and achieving independence. Amy in britain, the former editor of the e bbcs china des, carrie gracie, told members of Parliament Wednesday that the bbc is failing to abide by pay equity laws by paying men more than women. Gracie recently stepped down after serving three decades at the bbc, accusing the publiclyfununded broadcaster of secretive and illegal behavior. The business of producing toothpaste or tires. Our business is true. Look are not prepared to at ourselves honestly, how can we be trusted to look at anything else in our reporting. Placece toe a starting not deal with the facts. Amy in michigan, momore womomen have stepped forward to say they were sexually y abused by usa Gymnastics Team doctor larry nassar as girls. Raising the number of his accusersrs to at least 265. This is Jessica Thomashow speaeaking at the third and finl of nassars sentntencing hearins on wednesdsday. Show. D Jessica Thomas im 17 and a senior in high school. Two criminal cases. I was sexually assaulted by lalarry nassar when i w was nind 12 years old. Me and my entire family. How dare you. Amy a new study finds roughly half of all u. S. Veterans of the wars in iraq and afghanistan do not get it. Who need Mental Health care do not get i it. The congressionallymandated report by the National Academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine finds staffing shortages and bureaucracy at the va leaves many vets unable to find treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and depression. The department of Veterans Affairs recently reported about 20 u. S. Veterans commit suicide each day. In newark, new jersey, federal prosecutors have dropped corruption charges against democratic senator bob menendez. Wednesdays decision came two weeks after the Justice Department initially said it would seek to retry the case after a jury deadlocked over charges last november. Menendez was accused of peddling influence on behalf of new jersey ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen in exchange for flights on a private jet, luxury hotel stays, and sixfigure campaign contributions. Senator menendez, who is running for reelection in november, has denied the charges. And in hong kong, lawmakers voted wednesday to ban the sale of ivory a move haiailed by Animal Rights campaigners as a major step towards protecting elephants. This is michael lau with the World Wildlife fund in hong kong. Which show the commitment by the Hong Kong Government to conserving african elephants. What is needed next is step up the enforcement to make sure that there will no longer be any illegal trade i in the hong kong or through hong kong. Amy hong kong is the largest market for every sales. The band came one month after authorities in Mainland China adopted a similar prohibition. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Nermeen and im nermeen shaikh. Welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. A showdown is brewing in washington as the white house prepares to release a controversial republican memo despite opposition from the fbi, the Justice Department, and democratic lawmakers. The four page memo written by House Intelligence Committee chair, republican Congressmember Devin Nunes of california purports to show that the fbi abused its p power when it began surveilling Trump Campaign advisor carter page in 2016 due to his dealings with russia. Supporters of President Trump claim the memo offers proof that the fbis investigation was tainted by politics from the start, in part because the fbi won approval of the wiretap by citing a dossier funded by supporters of hillary clinton. The memo is expected to lay blame on the actions of Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein, the same man who is the only official with the authority to fire special prosecutor r Robert Mueller. Amy well, on wednesday, the fbi, which is led by trump appointee christopher wray, issued an unusual statement , for your sleep critical of fiercely critical of the imminent release of the memo saying we have grave concerns about terial omimissions of fact thaht fundamentatally impact the m ms accuracy. It did on wednesday, the wrecking democrat on the House Intelligence Committee adam schiff, claimed in his head made material changes of a secret memo before sending it to the president. This comes as the white house appears to be preparing to release the memo. On tuesday night, President Trump was caught on mic at the state of the union speaking with South Carolina republican congressman jeff duncan. Pres. Trump release the memo. In the coat duncan asked if he was releasing the memo and President Trump said 100 . Amy this is not the first time house intelligence chair david nunez has been at the center of a controversy. In april, he supposedly recused himself from investigating into russias alleged ties to Trump Associates and russias role in the 2016 u. S. Election after he illegally made classified information public. This came after the New York Times revealed white house officials had met secretly with nunes to show him classified u. S. Intelligence reports detailing how Trump Associates were incidentally swept up in surveillance carried out by american spy agencies as they conducted foreign surveillancec. Nunes later walked back his recusal. Amy were joined now by marcy wheeler, an independent journalist who covers National Security and Civil Liberties running the website emptywheel. Net. We are speaking to her in lansing, michigan. Explain exactly what this memo is. This is a firestorm in washington, hitting trumps own appointee, the head of the fbi against trump himself. The memo purports to be a they claimisa abuses, primarily focused on a fisa werent targeted at turgor at warned targeted carter page. Although the warrant was not approved until he was off the campaign. One of the ways we already know this memo is misleading because it did not target the campaign. They targeted somebody the campaign got rid of because of his ties with russia. So that is the first thing. And it focuses it is reportedly emphasizing the fact that christophers deal dossier, which was that part of the dossier, in opposition dossier, was paid for by the dnc and Hillary Clintons campaign, and it complains that that dossier was one of the things used to get the fisa warrant against carter page. We can assumes a downplays of the things that we already no about. In 2013, carter page was being recruited by russians. The fbi was tracking him because they were worried about his ties with the russians. We assume there are number of other sources for the fisa application. Those are all going to be downplayed in a fourpage memo. Nermeen marcy wheeler, can you explain a little more why the republicans and trump want this memo released . Theyre going to find an excuse to fire Rod Rosenstein, but even there, theres a problem. Rod rosenstein, there actually completing reports about when the last of these applications was submitted. It was either march or april. The New York Times reported it was april after Rod Rosenstein became Deputy Attorney general unable 26. But if that is the case, regardless of which it is, it means that two applications using the dossier had already been approved by the fisa court. One of which came after the dossier was made public. City the Rod Rosenstein, all he did was sign the last application that has party gone through approval processes in march when he came in a study attorney general, or he wasnt involved at all. But they are searching for some excuse that they will be of little remove Rod Rosenstein, therefore, get to Robert Mueller. Amy explain exactly what that last part is. Why they want to get rid of Rod Rosenstein and how that will get them to Robert Mueller. The only way you can remove ller is if his supervisor not the only way, but the only way that isnt going to cause a huge firestorm is if his supervisor finds mueller to have conducted unethical acts or engaged in proper activities. Rosenstein is his supervisor because Jeff Sess