CLG: Guns OK Outside Obama Town Hall; Kerry Pins Brought Arrest At Bush Rally By Lori Price 12 Aug 2009 Bush's Waffen-SS arrested (and strip-searched) people with Kerry-Edwards buttons pinned to their T-shirts and paper protest signs at his at his GOP-only appearances. But, when a Reichwinger attends a New Hampshire town hall meeting with a gun -- merely yards from President Obama -- the protester not only gets to remain at the meeting but also gets to be a guest on MSNBC's 'Hardball.'
Photo of gun-toting teabagger waiting on President Obama in New Hampshire By Wndycty 11 Aug 2009 He is the one holding the sign that reads: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants." . . . MSNBC just aired video of a man with a pistol strapped to his leg waiting for Barack Obama to arrive at a townhall in New Hampshire.
Police: Man arrested before Obama event had loaded gun 11 Aug 2009 Police said a man arrested at the scene of President Barack Obama's visit to the city Tuesday was found to be in possession of an unlicensed loaded gun. Richard Terry Young of Hampton, New Hampshire, was arrested around 9:40 a.m., hours before Obama's arrival, and charged with the misdemeanor crimes of criminal trespass and carrying a loaded pistol without a license. Young was found inside Portsmouth High School, where Obama later in the day held his town hall-style forum. Young was detained by the Secret Service and subsequently arrested by Portsmouth Lt. Corey MacDonald. Young was carrying a pocket knife, police said. A subsequent search of his vehicle, parked on school property, revealed a loaded hand gun, police said. Police said Young is being investigated by the Secret Service for possible federal crimes resulting from the same series of events.
Inquiry into Britain's involvement in torture rejected by Government 11 Aug 2009 An inquiry into whether Britain’s intelligence services have been involved indirectly in the torture of terrorist suspects by foreign agencies is not necessary, the Government said yesterday. Downing Street’s rejection of calls for an inquiry came as the head of MI6 publicly insisted that none of his intelligence officers could be accused of complicit involvement in torture.
U.S. battling CIA rendition case in 3 courts 10 Aug 2009 The Obama administration is fighting on multiple fronts - in courts in San Francisco, Washington and London - to keep an official veil of secrecy over the treatment of a former prisoner who says he was tortured at Guantanamo Bay. The administration has asked a federal appeals court in San Francisco to reconsider its ruling allowing Binyam Mohamed and four other former or current prisoners to sue a Bay Area company for allegedly flying them to overseas torture chambers for the CIA.
Judge: CIA interrogations not relevant to 9/11 accused's sanity 10 Aug 2009 U.S. military defense lawyers for accused 9/11 conspirator Ramzi bin al Shibh cannot learn what interrogation techniques CIA agents used on the Yemeni before he was moved to Guantánamo to be tried as a terrorist, an Army judge has ruled. Bin al Shibh, 37, is one of five men charged in a complex death penalty prosecution by military commission currently under review by the Obama administration. But his lawyers say he suffers a "delusional disorder," and hallucinations in his cell at Guantánamo may leave him neither sane enough to act as his own attorney nor to stand trial... The judge ruled on Aug. 6 that "evidence of specific techniques [torture] employed by various governmental agencies to interrogate the accused is... not essential to a fair resolution of the incompetence determination hearing in this case." The Miami Herald obtained a copy of the ruling Monday. Prosecutors had invoked a national security privilege in seeking to shield the details from defense lawyers.
Court upholds CIA contractor's detainee abuse conviction 11 Aug 2009 A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of David Passaro, the first US civilian found guilty of abusing a prisoner in Afghanistan, according to a copy of the ruling obtained by AFP Tuesday. A three-judge panel from the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia on Monday found that, contrary to Passaro's argument, federal courts have jurisdiction over assaults committed by US citizens abroad in countries where the United States conducts military missions.
Ally warns Pentagon over plans to put detainees in Kansas 10 Aug 2009 An advocate of closing the prison camps at Guantánamo wrote Defense Secretary Robert Gates Monday of his alarm that Fort Leavenworth might be used to confine some of the captives now held in Cuba, saying the choice might deter friendly Muslim countries from sending officers to train at the Army base in Kansas. The Pentagon houses some of its most serious military offenders at the so-called Disciplinary Barracks at Leavenworth, a 512-prisoner capacity jail complex with a Death Row. It is frequently mentioned as a possible future lock-up site for some of the 229 detainees now held at the remote prison camps in southeast Cuba.
Afghan Presidential Contender Vows Closure of Bagram Prison 10 Aug 2009 A main rival of Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the country's upcoming presidential voting pledged to close down Bagram Prison within 3 years if he is elected as Afghanistan's next president. "I will shut down Bagram Prison and other jails and prisons under the control of international forces within 3 years. Following this period international forces will not have the right to incarcerate Afghan citizens," Former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai told FNA.
Afghanistan Needs More Money --U.S. ambassador asks for an additional $2.5B next year for development and [KBR-funded] civilian reconstruction. 12 Aug 2009 The United States will not meet its goals in Afghanistan without a major increase in planned spending on development and civilian reconstruction next year, the U.S. ambassador in Kabul has told the State Department. In a cable sent to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry said an additional $2.5 billion in nonmilitary spending will be needed for 2010, about 60 percent more than the amount President Obama has requested from Congress. Obama has asked for $68 billion in Defense Department spending in Afghanistan next year, an amount that for the first time would exceed U.S. military expenditures in Iraq. Spending on civilian governance and development programs has doubled under the Obama administration, to $200 million a month -- equal to the monthly rate in Iraq during the zenith of spending on nonmilitary projects there.
Bombs Kill 9 Civilians in Afghanistan 12 Aug 2009 Roadside bombs killed nine civilians on Tuesday, officials said. The civilians were killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle in the Zhari district, in southern Afghanistan, said Daud Farhad, a doctor at Mirwais hospital in Kandahar. Five other civilians were wounded when their vehicle hit a bomb in the Dand district of southern Afghanistan, said Naziq Khan, a local official.
US drone attack in Pakistan 'kills 10' 11 Aug 2009 At least 10 suspected militants have been killed in a strike by a US drone in north-west Pakistan, local intelligence officials say. The attack targeted an "insurgents'" camp in South Waziristan near the Afghan border, the officials said.
Pakistan's nuclear bases targeted by al-Qaeda 11 Aug 2009 Pakistan's nuclear weapon bases have been attacked by 'al-Qaeda' and the Taliban at least three times in the last two years, it has emerged. The allegations, by a leading British expert on Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, increased fears that terrorists could acquire a nuclear device or could trigger a nuclear disaster by bombing an atomic facility.
Al Qaeda shows resilience in N.Iraq-US commander 11 Aug 2009 Al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] in Iraq has shown with a string of more deadly bombings in northern areas that it can reconstitute itself and its capabilities, the commander of U.S. forces in the region said on Tuesday. Major General Robert Caslen, speaking via satellite to reporters at the Pentagon, said efforts were underway to keep a lid on sectarian tensions and it was unclear whether Iraqi security forces in the area would be capable of reining in the networks behind the attacks if the violence continues. [Translation: Xe needs to stay to 'help.' I saw this one marching down Broadway a mile away. --LRP]
'4,000 arrested' in post-election Iran protests 11 Aug 2009 Iran's Judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi says about 4,000 people were arrested during post-election protests in country. "4,000 people were detained in relation with the recent incidents, but thanks to the round-the-clock efforts of judges, 3,700 of them were released soon," the Mehr news agency quoted Jamshidi as saying.
'Right now, we cannot stand here and tell you what the vaccination plan is going to look like. We have no idea.' Fairfax Schools Air CDC's Strategy for Swine Flu's Return 12 Aug 2009 The expected resurgence of swine flu this fall could lead some public schools to become mass inoculation clinics. Infected students could be forced to wear surgical masks and put in isolation rooms before being sent home. But school officials predict that the wave of school closings that caused much angst in the spring is unlikely to be repeated... Once testing is complete, the vaccine is to be given to states and local governments and administered to millions of Americans, starting with vulnerable populations such as children and young adults, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems. One option discussed would use schools as mass inoculation clinics.
Qld records first 'non-vulnerable' swine flu death 12 Aug 2009 Queensland has recorded its first swine flu death of a person who is not in a vulnerable category. A Queensland Health spokesman has confirmed the man, aged in his 40s, died in Mackay Base Hospital in north Queensland on Sunday. The man is the 21st person in Queensland to die from the virus.
First Flu Victim's Family Intends to Sue City 12 Aug 2009 The wife and three sons of the first person [Mitchell Wiener] to die during the latest swine flu outbreak in New York, an assistant principal at an intermediate school in Queens, have notified the city that they intend to file a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against the city.
Alarm grows over Tamiflu for children 12 Aug 2009 The government last night attempted to calm the fears of worried parents by insisting that the anti-viral Tamiflu was an appropriate treatment for children with swine flu. The Department of Health issued a statement underlining its confidence in the drug following a TV presenter's claim that his daughter "almost died" after taking Tamiflu and a watchdog reported a surge in the number of people suffering side-effects.
Conyers Calls Prosecutor Firing 'Patronage' --House Judiciary Chairman Says Figures in Bush White House Acted Improperly 12 Aug 2009 The dismissal of New Mexico U.S. Attorney David C. Iglesias in December 2006 followed extensive communication among lawyers and political aides in the White House who hashed over complaints about his work on public corruption cases against Democrats, according to newly released e-mails and transcripts of closed-door House testimony by former Bush counsel Harriet Miers and political chief Karl Rove.
Miers Told House Panel of 'Agitated' Rove --Bush White House Counsel Said Adviser Called U.S. Attorney a 'Serious Problem' 12 Aug 2009 The dismissal of U.S. Attorney David C. Iglesias of New Mexico in December 2006 followed extensive communication among lawyers and political aides in the White House who hashed over complaints about his work on public corruption cases against Democrats, according to newly released e-mails and transcripts of closed-door House testimony by former Bush counsel Harriet Miers and political chief Karl Rove. A campaign to oust Iglesias intensified after state GOP officials and Republican members of the congressional delegation apparently concluded that he was not pursuing the cases against Democrats in a way that could help then-Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R) in a tight reelection race in New Mexico, according to interviews and Bush White House e-mails released Tuesday by congressional investigators. The documents place the genesis of Iglesias's dismissal earlier than previously known.
E-mails: Rove was key to firing of New Mexico U.S. attorney 11 Aug 2009 Karl Rove and other top officials in the George W. Bush White House were deeply involved in pushing for the ouster of several U.S. attorneys, notably including one in New Mexico, according to testimony and e-mails that the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee released Tuesday. Sworn testimony from former White House Counsel Harriet Miers revealed that Rove considered former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of New Mexico a "serious problem" and "wanted something done about it" because of complaints about politically sensitive investigations that Iglesias had mounted.
Sibel Edmonds Deposition Uploaded by Erik Larson 09 Aug 2009 Video of Sibel Edmonds, Stephen Michael Kohn of NWC, Bruce Fein of TALDF and TACA (formerly w/ ATAA) and David Krikorian, at Edmonds' Aug 8, 2009 deposition.
Banks profiteering on mortgages with record gap between borrowing and lending rate 11 Aug 2009 Banks are making the highest profits on mortgages since records began. Customers are also facing record costs for overdrafts and personal loans. The difference between the interest rate that banks charge and the rate at which they borrow is the biggest since the Bank of England started collecting data 15 years ago. The figures demonstrate that, two years after the credit crunch began, consumers are being hit harder than ever, despite the Bank cutting interest rates to an all-time low of 0.5 per cent.
U.S. recession seen ending in third quarter 10 Aug 2009 The worst U.S. [Bush] recession since the Great Depression will probably end in the third quarter, but uncertainty exists over the speed and duration of the economic recovery, according to the most recent survey of private economists. The Blue Chip Economic Indicators survey of private economists released on Monday showed about 90 percent of the respondents surveyed believe the economic downturn will be declared to have ended this quarter.
Big Insurance Gives Out Awards For Scariest Lies About Health Care Reform --'Since big government prohibits us from feeding Muslims to the lions, what better way to keep people's eyes off the ball with a fun contest?' By R J Shulman 11 Aug 2009 Two heath insurance giants have announced the winners of their "Scare Health Care Reform to Death" contest. Starting in March, UnitedHealthcare and CIGNA Health Insurance joined forces to create a contest that would award prizes to American citizens who came up with the scariest talking points against health care reform, slogans that would most likely turn public opinion against any changes to the current system. (Satire)
First tropical storm likely in Atlantic: NHC 11 Aug 2009 Stormy weather is brewing in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The second tropical depression of the season formed over the far eastern Atlantic Ocean early Tuesday, and will likely strengthen into the basin's first named storm over the next day or so, the Center forecast in a report.
Governors oppose new DoD emergency powers --Governors: Current law already allows the Pentagon to order personnel to key areas inside the U.S. 10 Aug 2009 A bipartisan pair of governors is opposing a new Defense Department proposal to handle natural [well, lab-generated] and terrorism-related disasters, contending that a murky chain of command could lead to more problems than solutions. Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R), chairman of the National Governors Association, and Vice Chairman Gov. Joe Manchin (D) of West Virginia penned a letter opposing the Pentagon proposal, which they said would hinder a state's effort to respond to a disaster.
March of the state spies: One in 78 adults came under state-sanctioned surveillance last year 10 Aug 2009 Britain's extraordinary march towards a surveillance state is revealed today by shock new figures. They show that one request is made every minute for officials to spy on someone's phone records or email accounts. The number of Big Brother snooping missions by police, town halls and other public bodies has soared by 44 per cent in two years.
One in 78 under surveillance 10 Aug 2009 Big Brother requests to snoop on the public were made on average once a MINUTE last year, it was revealed yesterday. One in 78 people came under surveillance. Councils, police and the intelligence services asked more than half a million times - an average of 1,500 times a day - for permission to access private email, phone and text message data. All the requests were approved.
'Snoop' power is used 1,400 times a day to intercept private data 10 Aug 2009 Britain has "sleepwalked into a surveillance society", it was claimed last night after figures disclosed that public bodies had obtained access to private telephone and e-mail records about 1,400 times a day. Council, police and other organisations made more than half a million requests for confidential communications data last year. The statistics constitute a 44 per cent rise in requests over the past two years.
Another 45,000 US troops needed in Afghanistan, military adviser says 10 Aug 2009 The United States should send up to 45,000 extra troops to Afghanistan, a senior adviser to the American commander in Kabul has told The Times. Anthony Cordesman, an influential American academic who is a member of a team that has been advising General Stanley McChrystal, now in charge of Nato forces in Afghanistan, also said that to deal with the threat from the Taleban the size of the Afghan National Army might have to increase to 240,000.
