CLG's BREAKING NEWS and COMMENTARY
Minot AFB prepares for biological and chemical attacks --Minot AFB completes 'Prairie Night 10-1' drill 12 Feb 2010 Minot Air Force Base has completed a 48-hour training exercise, dubbed Prairie Night 10-1, to ensure that members of its 5th Bomb Wing are prepared in the event of a biological or chemical attack if deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. The simulated attack began at 11:39 AM with the sound of mortars hitting. Airmen at the base climbed into their chemical gear as if the attack were real in an effort to build muscle memory for an attack in the field, making preparation for the attack second nature to them.
Prairie Knight Exercise 10-1 at Minot Air Force Base --Warbirds to participate in training scenarios that include donning of chemical gear in aftermath of airfield attack 10 Feb 2010 The 5th Bomb Wing launches a 48-hour exercise today to test the wing's capabilities in preparation for an August conventional operational readiness inspection. The two-day event, Prairie Knight 10-1, measures the wing's ability to survive and operate in a contingency environment and will include a launch of 24 B-52 combat sorties practicing to place bombs on target, said Col. Julian Tolbert, vice-wing commander at Minot Air Force Base.
Air Force decertifies nuclear warheads unit in NM 10 Feb 2010 The Air Force says it has decertified a unit responsible for maintaining an estimated 2,000 nuclear warheads at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, but top military officials won't discuss the decision. Decertification means squadron members cannot perform their usual duties with nuclear weapons. Air Force officials won't specify what that means.
Civilians killed as Operation Moshtarak tightens screw 15 Feb 2010 US, British and Afghan forces claimed they made steady inroads into the last big Taliban stronghold in central Helmand yesterday but their mission was clouded by the deaths of 12 civilians in a Nato missile strike. The victims, 10 of them from one family, were killed when two missiles fired by US forces missed a compound being used by 'insurgents' hitting a nearby building where they had taken shelter from the fighting.
Five civilians killed, two injured in NATO airstrike in Afghanistan 16 Feb 2010 Five civilians were killed and two others injured Monday in an airstrike by NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in south Afghanistan, an ISAF press release said Monday night. "An ISAF airstrike against suspected insurgents accidentally killed five and wounded two civilians in the Zhari district of Kandahar province today," said the press release.
US fears being bogged down in Marjah as snipers hit major offensive --US troops advance only 500 yards today 15 Feb 2010 US Marines and Afghan troops were making slow progress as they came under attack from snipers on the third day of a major offensive to seize the Taleban’s stronghold in southern Afghanistan. Multiple firefights broke out in different areas in and around Marjah, the last militant stronghold in the country’s most violent province, Helmand. The US troops leading Operation Moshtarak -- "Togetherness" -- advanced only 500 yards today. Marine units twice tried to capture the town’s central bazaar, only to be pushed back.
Blast kills British soldier in Afghanistan 15 Feb 2010 A powerful roadside explosion has killed a British soldier in southern Afghanistan amid increasing causalities for foreign forces there. According to the British Ministry of Defense, the soldier died after being hit by the blast while on foot patrol northeast of Sangin in Helmand Province on Sunday.
US drone strike kills 3 in Pakistan 15 Feb 2010 At least three people have been killed by an unmanned US aircraft in Pakistan's North Waziristan region on the Afghan border. The US missile hit a vehicle in the village of Tabi Ghundi Kala on Monday, according to officials. In an interview with AFP, a senior Pakistani security official on condition of anonymity claimed that the incident killed three militants. Local reports, however, said that two missiles hit the vehicle and four people were killed.
US Missiles Said to Kill 6 in Pakistan 15 Feb 2010 Two missiles fired from an American drone aircraft killed at least six 'militants' in North Waziristan on Sunday, Pakistani security officials said. The target of the attack on Sunday was a compound in the town of Mir Ali. The identity of those killed was not clear. [Probably an eight-year-old, a four-year-old and a baby. That's a typical daily US 'oops' civilian kill total.]
Bomb hits election campaign office in Baghdad 15 Feb 2010 A bomb explosion struck the office of a political group campaigning for Iraq's general elections in Baghdad on Monday, while mortar shells hit a U.S. base in the capital, an Interior Ministry source said. An explosive charge detonated at the entrance of a building of a campaign office used by a political group in the al-Qahira neighborhood in northern Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Violence kills three people In Iraq 15 Feb 2010 Three people have been killed and seven others wounded in the latest terrorist attacks in the capital city of Baghdad and northern Iraq. On Sunday, unidentified [Blackwater?] gunmen opened fire on two civilians who were travelling on a motorbike in Kirkuk, killing one and seriously wounding the other, police said.
Israeli politicians may provoke arrest to force law change in Britain 15 Feb 2010 A swift change to the law promised by ministers to prevent Israeli politicians and generals being arrested [for war crimes] when they visit Britain is in doubt. A Cabinet split over timing threatens to postpone any alteration of the rules until after the election, The Times has learnt, even though ministers assured Israel that it was a priority. Such a delay would leave visiting Israelis at risk and could worsen an already sour dispute with Jerusalem. Tzipi Livni, the Israeli opposition leader whose threatened arrest sparked the dispute, indicated last night that she was prepared to travel to Britain and "take the bullet" if that was the only way to shame the Government into action.
The new McCarthyism sweeping Israel --To disagree with the state is to 'delegitimise' the state: that is the increasingly strident response of the country's political and military establishment to those who dare to criticise its conduct 13 Feb 2010 ...The row has come to symbolise a new mood of establishment intolerance in Israel towards criticisms by Israeli human rights groups of such episodes as last year's military operation in Gaza. This harsh new mood has been fuelled by ministers, right-wing politicians and military figures who have closed ranks behind accusations that the UN-commissioned report into the war, led by Richard Goldstone, which accused both sides of war crimes, is being used to "delegitimise Israel".
Clinton says U.S. fears Iran is becoming a military dictatorship [Hello, Iranian pot? This is Israeli kettle...] 15 Feb 2010 Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that the United States fears Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has gained enough power to potentially supplant the Tehran government. Speaking to Arab students at Carnegie Mellon's Doha campus Monday, Clinton made comments... that went further than previous administration statements. Clinton strongly suggested the United States would defend Persian Gulf allies from Iranian aggression, in what appeared to be an echo of her controversial proposal for a defense umbrella for the region.
Hillary Clinton in Middle East to push Iran sanctions 14 Feb 2010 Hillary Clinton has arrived in the Middle East on a three-day mission to gather support for tougher sanctions against Iran. The US Secretary of State is visiting Qatar and Saudi Arabia to see a series of high-level diplomatic and military contacts. She told the US-Islamic World forum the West was "encouraging Iran to reconsider its dangerous policy decisions" on its nuclear programme.
Iranian warship, destroyer dock at Qatari port 15 Feb 2010 A warship and a destroyer belonging to the Iranian naval fleet have berthed at Qatar's Doha port upon an invitation by Qatari Naval officials. Iranian Ambassador to Doha Abdullah Sohrabi and Iran's military attache in Qatar Brigadier-General Mashallah Poursheh conferred with commanders and cadets aboard the Bandar Abbas warship and Naqdi Destroyer.
American spy chiefs alarmed by Binyam Mohamed ruling --US intelligence sources are concerned that a British court's ruling on secret CIA interrogation records could affect the flow of information. 14 Feb 2010 Alarmed US spy chiefs are seeking urgent assurances from British counterparts that intelligence they share on terror threats will remain classified after a London court authorised the release of secret CIA interrogation records. British officials have been asked to explain the impact of the Court of Appeal ruling amid fears in the US that Britain can no longer be trusted with secrets crucial to the two country's national security.
MPs demand reform of security oversight --Pressure mounts on ministers to overhaul the committee in charge of scrutinising the security services after MI5 officers were found to be complicit in the torture of Binyam Mohamed 14 Feb 2010 Ministers were tonight coming under mounting pressure to set up a judicial inquiry and overhaul the nature of the committee in charge of scrutinising the security services. The calls for reform came in response to evidence that MI5 officers were complicit in the inhumane treatment of British resident Binyam Mohamed and misled parliament. Senior Conservative politicians joined the former attorney general Lord Goldsmith in calling for an investigation into whether Britain's intelligence agencies or government were complicit in the torture of British terror suspects abroad.
Seven Paragraphs (The New York Times) 15 Feb 2010 There are times when governments fight to keep documents secret to protect sensitive intelligence or other vital national security interests. And there are times when they are just trying to cover up incompetence, misbehavior or lawbreaking. Last week, when a British court released secret intelligence material relating to the torture allegations of a former Guantánamo prisoner, Binyam Mohamed, it was clear that the second motive had been in play when both the Bush and the Obama administrations and some high-ranking British officials tried to prevent the disclosure.
'The actual target of their planning was never revealed in court.' Hefty jail terms for terrorism plotters 16 Feb 2010 Australia's longest-running criminal trial ended in a specially-built courthouse in Sydney's West on Monday, with five men sentenced to jail terms of up to 28 years. In a televised hearing, Supreme Court judge Antony Whealy said their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs drove them to plot a terrorist attack on a large scale. Legal experts say the case shows anti-terrorism laws can lead to successful prosecutions, but they worry the long-term consequences of the tough laws could harm counter-terrorism efforts.
Five Sydney men jailed over terrorism plot 15 Feb 2010 Five Sydney men convicted of terrorism-related offences have been sentenced to maximum sentences ranging from 23 to 28 years in prison. In October last year, at the end of Australia's longest terrorism trial, a jury found them guilty of conspiring to commit a terrorist act or acts. During the sentencing hearing at the Supreme Court in Parramatta today, Justice Anthony Whealy said the men regarded their imprisonment as a badge of honour.
Airport body scanners 'may be unlawful' --The use of body scanners at UK airports may be unlawful, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has warned. 15 Feb 2010 Scanners already in place at Heathrow and Manchester Airports may be breaking discrimination law as well as breaching passengers' rights to privacy, the commission said. The commission has now expressed its concerns in a letter to Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary. In the letter, the commission... said that it also had ''serious doubts that the decision to roll this (body scanning) out in all UK airports complies with the law''.
Biden: Military 'trial' possible for 9/11 suspect 15 Feb 2010 Vice President Joe Biden says the administration has not ruled out a military 'trial' for the professed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks even if a civilian trial would be preferable. Biden, in defending the Obama administration from critics of its approach to prosecuting accused terrorists, said in interviews aired Sunday that it is not yet clear where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Sept. 11 suspects held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be tried.
Accused shooter linked to Harvard bomb plot --Bishop was calm as she got into a police car Friday, denying that the shootings occurred. "It didn't happen. There's no way. ...They are still alive." 14 Feb 2010 The scientist who is accused of killing three colleagues at the University of Alabama had been a key suspect in an attempted bomb plot at Harvard in 1993, police officials told The Boston Globe on Sunday. Authorities questioned Amy Bishop and her husband, James Anderson, in March 1993 after a bomb-laden package was delivered to a Harvard professor and doctor at Boston's Children's Hospital, the Globe reported.
Dr. Amy Bishop of Alabama-Huntsville killed to protect intellectual property By Zennie Abraham 14 Feb 2010 It was revealed to this blogger by a source who claims that Amy Bishop was his faculty advisor, that Dr. Amy Bishop Anderson killed to protect what she considered to be her intellectual property after Bishop lost tenure and was not going to be retained by the University. "You called it when you said you thought this happened over her invention," and referring to this bloggers first post on this matter,"When her tenure was denied, that invention became the intellectual property of the university." The invetion Dr. Amy Bishop believed was hers and that she had rights to something Bishop created, and what was reported, is a portable cell-incubator called "InQ" which won the couple an award in a state competition and won $25,000 of seed money in a business competition, money they could use to start a company around the invention.
Obama Moves to Unravel Twenty Years of 'Law & Order' Episodes, Seeks Optional Miranda By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org 13 Feb 2010 The Obusha Friday night bad news dump (under cover of the Olympic Games), is really, really bad and is way beyond Bush! In a single night, President Barack Obama re-invaded Afghanistan... and announced that the White House is 'reviewing a plan that would require the Justice Department and FBI to consult with the intelligence community before *deciding* whether to inform terrorism suspects arrested in the United States that they have the right to remain silent and to consult with an attorney.' Now, how are we going to watch 'Law & Order,' 'The Closer,' 'NCIS,' and all the other good crime dramas, after the constitutional law scholar unravels their plots by deciding *if* suspects should be read their rights? Soon, the only show we'll be able to watch will be '24...' The plots of '24' (like Fox News itself) revolve around torture for the sake of sexual gratification of Fox's audience.
NY Times probes reporter's lifting from other news sources 15 Feb 2010 The New York Times is conducting an investigation after a Wall Street and finance reporter was found to have improperly used wording and passages from other news organizations. Zachery Kouwe, who joined the Times in 2008 from the New York Post, "reused language from The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and other sources without attribution or acknowledgement," the Times said in an editors' note.
Bayh Decides Against Re-election Bid 15 Feb 2010 Senator Evan Bayh, the Indiana Democrat [corporaterrorist troll], said today that he would not seek a third term in Congress, a move that gives Republicans yet another opportunity to pick up a Senate seat and gives Democrats some fresh anxiety about whether they are losing the party’s center. The decision, which he announced at an afternoon press conference, came as a surprise to Democrats in his state who had already started working on his campaign.
£4.5bn bonus pot expected as Barclays profits soar 15 Feb 2010 Banking giant Barclays is to post record annual profits of more than £11 billion tomorrow - triggering huge payouts for legions of its investment bankers. The profits bonanza - almost double the level achieved in 2008 - is expected to generate a reported pay and bonus pot of £4.5 billion for last year.
Monsanto 'faked' data for approvals claims its ex-chief 09 Feb 2010 Former managing director of Monsanto India, Tiruvadi Jagadisan, is the latest to join the critics of Bt brinjal, perhaps the first industry insider to do so. Jagadisan, who worked with Monsanto for nearly two decades, including eight years as the managing director of India operations, spoke against the new variety during the public consultation held in Bangalore on Saturday. On Monday, he elaborated by saying the company "used to fake scientific data" submitted to government regulatory agencies to get commercial approvals for its products in India.
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Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG)
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Or, please mail a check or money order to CLG:
Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG)
P.O. Box 1142
Bristol, CT 06011-1142
Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible.
*****
Goldsmith calls for investigation into UK's role in torture --Former attorney general demands 'clarification' from ministers on activities of intelligence agencies 14 Feb 2010 The former attorney general Lord Goldsmith last night called for an investigation into whether Britain's intelligence agencies or government were complicit in the torture of British terror suspects abroad. His demand came days after the Court of Appeal's decision last week to release seven paragraphs summarising a US intelligence report which showed that MI5 was aware of the inhumane treatment, including sleep deprivation and shackling, meted out to the terror suspect Binyam Mohamed by his CIA interrogators in 2002.
Legal gloves come off in row over 'torture' --Claims that MI5 misled MPs is 'a calumny and a slur', says chairman of intelligence committee 13 Feb 2010 An influential committee of MPs overseeing the role of MI5 was warned last year it had been misled over Britain's alleged collusion in torture. A letter written by lawyers for Binyam Mohamed and sent to the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) detailed a number of "inaccuracies" in the MPs' report on the UK's alleged involvement in rendition. It made clear that evidence given to the High Court about what the secret services knew of Mr Mohamed's treatment by the CIA was in stark contrast with the committee's findings, which exonerated MI5 of collusion in torture.
Obama's secret prisons in Afghanistan endanger us all --He was elected in part to drag us out of this trap. Instead, he's dragging us further in By Johann Hari 12 Feb 2010 [Barack Obama] is escalating the war in Afghanistan, and has taken the war to another Muslim country. The CIA and hired mercenaries are now operating on Obama's orders inside Pakistan, where they are sending unarmed drones to drop bombs and sending secret agents to snatch suspects. The casualties are overwhelmingly civilians... Obama ran on an inspiring promise to shut down Bush's network of kidnappings and secret prisons... Yet a string of recent exposes has shown that Obama is in fact maintaining a battery of secret prisons where people are held without charge indefinitely - and he is even expanding them.
U.S. to Be Hit By Massive Cyber Attack On Feb. 16. Asterisk. By Marc Ambinder 10 Feb 2010 On February 16, at about 10:00 am ET, the U.S. will be hit by a massive, crippling cyber attack from an unknown entity. Key players will convene in the White House situation room and plan the response, from mitigation to (possibly) retaliation... The war-game is not being put on by the Department of Homeland Security or the Obama administration: it is being run independently and will include former officials who are not part of the federal government. [As with other drills, the CLG hopes that the f*ckers don't *go live,* as they did on 9/11. --LRP]
DHS Monitoring Social Media and Web Sites for Terror, Disaster Info 13 Feb 2010 As the winter Olympics begin, the Department of Homeland Security has disclosed that it will be monitoring the comments and posts on websites and social media like Twitter for information on possible terror threats. Among the sites listed in a privacy impact statement filed Friday afternoon by DHS are the Drudge Report, the Huffington Post, Twitter, Google and the ABC News blog, the Blotter. [Apparently, others too. 216.81.80.134 OrgName: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NetRange: 216.81.80.0 - 216.81.95.255 Direct Assignment NameServer: NS3.DHS.GOV NameServer: NS4.DHS.GOV NameServer: NS5.DHS.GOV NameServer: NS6.DHS.GOV 216.81.80.134 - - [10/Feb/2010:05:49:16 -0500] "GET /graphics/logosmalr.gif HTTP/1.1" 200 5526 "http://www.legitgov.org/" "Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; InfoPath.2; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729)" Etc. Hope you enjoyed your *visits.*]
US seeks cell phone tracking of suspects without warrant 13 Feb 2010 A US Appeals Court weighs a government petition on whether to allow the police to track down suspected criminals through cell-phone signals without a warrant. The Federal Appeals Court in Philadelphia has begun working on a government appeal meant to authorize the law enforcement to obtain cell-phone tracking information of suspected individuals from telecommunication companies without having to give a possible reason for their probe.
US forces kill 'eight bystanders' in Iraq 13 Feb 2010 US forces have shot eight Iraqi people, most of them 'innocent bystanders,' in a raid in a village southeast of Baghdad, Iraqi provincial officials say. Iraqi provincial council officials described the US raid as slaughter and demanded financial compensation for the relatives of the victims.
US drone attack kills five in Pakistan 14 Feb 2010 A US drone missile attack has killed at least five suspected militants at an alleged training compound in Pakistan's North Waziristan region. "Two missiles landed on a militant compound in Zor Babar Aidak village near Mirali town," a security official based in Miranshah, capital of North Waziristan, said on Sunday. "The US drone strike killed five people and wounded three others," the unnamed official added.
NATO rockets miss target, kill 12 Afghan civilians 14 Feb 2010 Twelve Afghans died Sunday when two rockets fired at 'insurgents' missed their target and struck a house during the second day of NATO's most ambitious effort yet to break the militants' grip on the country's south. NATO said two rockets from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System were aimed at insurgents firing on Afghan and NATO forces, but stuck 1,000 feet (300 meters) off their intended target.
Civilians die in second day of Afghan offensive 14 Feb 2010 Twelve civilians were killed during a major coalition assault on a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan Sunday, prompting an apology from the head of NATO-led forces in the country. "We deeply regret this tragic loss of life," Ineternational Security Assistance Force commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal said in a statement which said he had conveyed his regret to Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Karzai warns US troops about civilian deaths [I think the horse has left the barn on that one.] 13 Feb 2010 Afghan President Hamid Karzai urges all troops operating in Afghanistan to avoid civilian casualties during the new military operation in the country. Thousands of US troops have launched a major offensive in the southern Afghan town of Marjah in Helmand Province to allegedly rout out Taliban militants in the region.
UK role in Afghan offensive 'goes to plan', MoD says 14 Feb 2010 The first stage of a major Nato offensive in Afghanistan involving some 1,000 British troops has gone to plan, the Ministry of Defence has said. British soldiers are among the 15,000 Nato troops searching for the Taliban in Marjah and Nad Ali in Helmand. Maj Gen Gordon Messenger said British troops, working with Afghan forces, had come under small-arms fire but "nothing had stopped the mission progressing".
3 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan bomb attack 13 Feb 2010 Three U.S. soldiers died after a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, NATO said in a statement. No details were given. U.S.-led troops launched a NATO offensive on Saturday in the Taliban's last major stronghold in Helmand. It was not clear whether the three were killed in that campaign.
British soldier dies in Afghanistan offensive on Taleban 13 Feb 2010 A British soldier died as more than 15,000 troops launched the biggest military offensive in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taleban in 2001. The soldier from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards was killed by an explosion while on patrol in a Jackal vehicle in Nad Ali, Helmand province, in the early stages of Operation Moshtarak, the Ministry of Defence said.
Canadian soldier killed in blast during training exercise 13 Feb 2010 A Canadian soldier died after an explosion during a training exercise at a weapons range near Kandahar City on Friday. Corporal Joshua Caleb Baker, 24, died in the dinnertime blast, which also injured four other soldiers who are expected to recover.
Refugees flee to capital of Helmand to avoid huge Nato Afghan offensive 10 Feb 2010 As British troops count the hours until the start of the largest Nato offensive since the US-led invasion of 2001, Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, is witnessing the arrival of a grim procession of frightened refugees desperate to escape the battle. Nato forces have urged civilians to flee Marjah -- one of the most heavily populated parts of rural Helmand -- as more than 15,000 British, Afghan and American troops make their final preparations for Operation Moshtarak -- "Togetherness" [aka Operation War Crime].
Israeli warplanes draw Lebanese anti-aircraft fire 14 Feb 2010 The Lebanese Army has opened anti-aircraft fire on Israeli military aircrafts violating its airspace again, the Press TV has learned. The Lebanese forces launched the defensive fire on the intruding aircrafts flying at medium attitude over the village of Rashaya, as well as western, eastern and central Beqaa on Friday, our correspondent reported.
Israel is accused of waging covert war across the Middle East 13 Feb 2010 Israel is waging a covert assassination campaign across the Middle East in an effort to stop its key enemies co-ordinating their activities. Israeli agents have been targeting meetings between members of Hamas and the leadership of the militant Hezbollah group, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. They are also suspected of recent killings in Dubai, Damascus and Beirut.
Lights going out in Gaza again 14 Feb 2010 The Gaza Energy Authority says the Gaza Strip's only power plant will stop functioning once again if fuel is not received immediately. In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, the Energy Authority said that one generator had already been shut down and the remaining amount of fuel was only sufficient to continue the plant's electricity output for a few hours.
Palestinian protesters pose as Na'vi from "Avatar" [Awesome!] 13 Feb 2010 Palestinian protesters have added a colorful twist to demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier [apartheid wall], painting themselves blue and posing as characters from the hit film "Avatar." The demonstrators also donned long hair and loincloths Friday for the weekly protest against the barrier near the village of Bilin. They equated their struggle to the intergalactic one portrayed in the film.
A Demonstrator dressed as a figure of the movie 'Avatar', shouts slogans against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin near Ramallah, Friday, Feb. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
UK sentences six over 2009 Gaza war protests 13 Feb 2010 Six British Muslim men have been jailed for clashing with police during the anti-Gaza war rally in front of the Israeli Embassy in London in January last year. A court sentences the young men to periods of between one to years each in jail for violent conduct. A Press TV correspondent said most of the convicts on Saturday were 19 to 20 years old, and had protested that they had been provoked by the police.
Israel not able to attack Iran, ex-IDF chief says 14 Feb 2010 Former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Dan Halutz says Tel Aviv is not able to launch a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. "We are taking upon ourselves a task that is bigger than us. I think that... Israel should not take it upon itself to be the flag-bearer of the entire Western world in the face of the Iranian threat," Halutz told Channel 2 news on Saturday.
Pentagon to track assault of contractor employees 12 Feb 2010 The sexual assault of employees of U.S. military contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan will be tracked by the Pentagon under a system it is setting up. The tracking will likely begin this year, Defense official Gail McGinn said in a memo to the Pentagon's Inspector General included in a report released Friday.
Cheney cites Bush disagreements on terror suspects 14 Feb 2010 Dick Cheney says there was a major disagreement in the Bush administration about how to bring suspected terrorists to justice. Cheney says there was a "major shoot-out" in the Bush White House [Damn! We must have missed that.] between the Justice Department and "the rest of us" about whether suspects should be charged in federal courts or sent to military tribunals. He says that dispute was "never thoroughly resolved." Cheney says he believe that professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will eventually face trial in a military court.
New 9/11 photos released By James Fetzer, Ph.D. 10 Feb 2010 Newly released aerial photos (AP via ABC News, Det. Greg Semendinger) of the World Trade Center terror attack capture the towers' dramatic collapse, from just after the first fiery plane strike to the apocalyptic dust clouds that spread over lower Manhattan. But the photos suggest something else was going on. This does not look like a "collapse".
Professor Charged With Capital Murder 14 Feb 2010 A University of Alabama Huntsville biology professor is charged with capital murder, with other charges likely. Authorities say Amy Bishop used a nine millimeter gun to shoot six colleagues during a faculty meeting on Friday. Three of the six were killed. Investigators will not discuss a motive. Police also confirmed today that the professor killed her brother in December 1986, but records of it are missing.
Iceland aims to become an offshore haven for journalists and leakers By Jonathan Stray 11 Feb 2010 On Tuesday, the Icelandic parliament is expected to introduce a measure aimed at making the country an international center for investigative journalism publishing, by passing the strongest combination of source protection, freedom of speech, and libel-tourism prevention laws in the world. Supporters of the proposal say the move would make Iceland an "offshore publishing center" for free speech, analogous to the offshore financial havens that allow corporations to hide capital from authorities.
Conservative manifesto coming soon 12 Feb 2010 With conservatives grappling among themselves for control of their movement -- and the Republican Party -- a group of more than 80 prominent conservative thinkers [an oxymoron] are set to unveil their version of a mission statement for the right. What they are calling "the Mount Vernon Statement" in homage to George Washington will be unveiled and signed Wednesday -- on the eve of the annual gathering in Washington of the establishment right, the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Anthem Blue Cross to delay rate increases --The scheduled March 1 hike of up to 39% for individual health insurance policies will not take effect before May 1. In the meantime, California regulators will analyze the legality of the increases. 14 Feb 2010 Anthem Blue Cross on Saturday announced it would delay until May 1 controversial price increases of up to 39% for its individual health insurance policyholders in California, but maintained its rates were fair, legal and necessary. The announcement followed a barrage of criticism in recent weeks from policyholders, consumer advocates, regulators, state legislators, members of Congress and the Obama administration.
Aspartame has been renamed and is now being marketed as a natural sweetener By Ethan Huff 12 Feb 2010 In response to growing awareness about the dangers of artificial sweeteners, what does the manufacturer of one of the world's most notable artificial sweeteners do? Why, rename it and begin marketing it as natural, of course. This is precisely the strategy of Ajinomoto, maker of aspartame, which hopes to pull the wool over the eyes of the public with its rebranded version of aspartame, called "AminoSweet".
Friends of Animals Urges Canada to Support Increased Polar Bear Protections 11 Feb 2010 Friends of Animals today urged the Canadian government to reverse its decision to oppose greater international protections for polar bears. "The reckless decision by Canadian Minister of Environment Jim Prentice to oppose increased protections for polar bears flies in the face of the overwhelming scientific consensus that these highly visible arctic animals are in trouble," said Friends of Animals President Priscilla Feral... Dave Shishkoff, FoA Canadian Correspondent and Friends of Animals are encouraging people to send letters to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Minister of Environment Jim Prentice urging them to support greater protections:
The Honourable Stephen Harper Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister, 80 Wellington Street, Ottawa, K1A 0A2
pm@pm.gc.ca Fax: 613-941-6900
The Honourable Jim Prentice Minister of the Environment
Les Terrasses de la Chaudire, 10 Wellington Street, 28th Floor, Gatineau, Quebec, K1A 0H3
Jim.Prentice@ec.gc.ca Tel.: 819-997-1441, Fax: 819-953-0279
The Honourable Stephen Harper Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister, 80 Wellington Street, Ottawa, K1A 0A2
pm@pm.gc.ca Fax: 613-941-6900
The Honourable Jim Prentice Minister of the Environment
Les Terrasses de la Chaudire, 10 Wellington Street, 28th Floor, Gatineau, Quebec, K1A 0H3
Jim.Prentice@ec.gc.ca Tel.: 819-997-1441, Fax: 819-953-0279
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They don't 'hate us for our freedoms.' They hate us for our war crimes. --LRP
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