Germany boosts terrorism alert level 19 Sep 2009 The German government raised its terrorism alert level after 'al Qaeda' posted a video on the Internet threatening attacks in Germany if this month's elections do not come out the way the terrorist organization wants. The ministry added that it has noted an uptick in threats against Germany by al Qaeda and 'other Islamist' groups since the beginning of the year.
Suspect's Computer Said to Show Sports Stadiums, Fashion Sites --Officials Report Denver Man Sent Texts Suggesting Attack Coming; 'Wedding Cake' Is Ready 19 Sep 2009 As 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi was set to be questioned for a fourth straight day by FBI agents about his alleged ties to al Qaeda, law enforcement officials said the Denver man's computer showed he had researched baseball and football stadiums and sites used in the recent Fashion Week event in New York City. While officials say they do not know the targets of the alleged plot, the contents of Zazi's computer are considered a valuable insight into what he might have been planning.
Feds probe alleged terrorists who tried to rent giant truck in suspected Al Qaeda bomb plot 19 Sep 2009 Investigators probed a failed Queens truck rental for ties to a possible 'Al Qaeda' bomb plot yesterday as a chief terror suspect tried making a deal to save his skin. The New York end of the expanding federal probe centered on seven Afghan men who tried to rent the biggest truck at a Queens U-Haul on Sept. 9, sources told the Daily News. The size of the vehicle involved - a 26-foot-long truck - suggested the conspirators wanted to pack it with explosives, sources said. A police source acknowledged there was "quite a bit that we weren't completely sure of" about the plot or the role of Najibullah Zazi, the bearded public face [!?!] of the terrorism investigation.
4th day of questioning in terrorism probe 19 Sep 2009 A man under investigation in a terrorism probe in New York and Denver is expected to voluntarily answer questions for a fourth day even as a senior U.S. intelligence official says the man played a crucial role in an intended terrorist attack. Najibullah Zazi's attorney says the 24-year-old airport shuttle driver has never met with al-Qaida operatives and isn't involved in terrorism. Zazi completed a third day of questioning by FBI agents in Denver Friday but was not under arrest and was allowed to return to his apartment.
Defense: 2nd man questioned in terror probe 18 Sep 2009 FBI agents were questioning the father of a man under investigation in a terrorism probe in New York and Denver, a spokeswoman for the defense team said Friday. The FBI didn't say why it wanted to talk to Mohammed Zazi, but he is cooperating, said the spokeswoman, Wendy Aiello.
New York terror suspect Najibullah Zazi 'admits terror ties' 19 Sep 2009 Afghan-born American resident Najibullah Zazi, 24, has admitted ties to al Qaeda, according to officials investigating a home-grown terror plot against the New York subway system. The suspect has admitted contacts with extremists in Pakistan and may strike a plea deal over allegations that he attended a military training camp, according to US media reports of law enforcement officials. He denies involvement in any terrorist acts or plots.
Official: Terror Plot Suspect Admits al Qaeda Ties, May Plead Guilty --Three-Day FBI Interrogation Reveals Denver Man Had Received Explosives Training 18 Sep 2009 The Denver man at the center of an alleged New York bomb plot, Najibullah Zazi, has admitted he has ties to al Qaeda and is in negotiations to plead guilty to a terror charge, a senior law enforcement official told ABC News.
Court affirms use of chemical terrorism law against Penn. woman 18 Sep 2009 Carol-Anne Bond, of Lansdale, was arrested by federal authorities in June 2007 and charged under a 1998 chemical-weapons law for applying highly toxic chemicals on the mailbox, car door, and front house door of a close friend and romantic rival, Myrlinda Haynes. Bond's attorney, Robert E. Goldman, had argued that Bond's messy personal situation did not justify federal charges under the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act of 1998. The law, he said, was meant to prosecute terrorists - not scorned spouses.
Obama Warned By Ex-CIA Directors On Justice Probe of Detainee Interrogators 18 Sep 2009 Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to order a review of the controversial interrogation techniques used by Central Intelligence Agency employees on high-value terrorist detainees during the prior administration has drawn a cautionary letter to President Barack Obama from seven former CIA directors. [Ten buck says Obama caves in to their request in eight pico-seconds, under cover of some grandiose speech as to how our troops might be harmed by 'finding out' that the CIA (and US mercenaries) tortured people and blah blah blah. --LRP ]
Looks like I get my ten bucks --see item above: Inquiry Into CIA Practices Narrows --Ex-Agency Directors Urge Administration to Drop Investigation 19 Sep 2009 The Justice Department's review of detainee abuse torture by the CIA will focus on a very small number of cases, including at least one in which an Afghan prisoner died at a secret facility, according to two sources briefed on the matter. On Friday, seven former CIA directors urged President Obama to end the inquiry, arguing that it would inhibit intelligence operations in the future and demoralize agency employees who believed they had been cleared by previous 'investigators.'
Former CIA Directors Urge Obama to End CIA Interrogation Probe 18 Sep 2009 Seven former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency urged President Barack Obama in a letter to end an investigation into CIA interrogations of terror suspects conducted during the Bush regime.
CIA probe must go to highest level: UN rights head 27 Aug 2009 The U.S. prosecutor's investigation into alleged criminal CIA interrogation techniques must go right to the top political level, the chief UN rights official said on Thursday. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters, urged European and other countries to resettle Guantanamo detainees prisoners so that President Barack Obama can close the U.S.-run prison in Cuba by year-end.
Pakistan Police Raid US-Contracted Security Firm --Pakistan police say they raided US-contracted security firm for illegal weapons possession 19 Sep 2009 Pakistani police raided a local security firm that helps protect the U.S. Embassy on Saturday, seizing dozens of allegedly unlicensed weapons at a time when unusually intense media scrutiny of America's use of private contractors mercenaries has deepened anti-U.S. sentiment. Two employees of the Inter-Risk company were arrested during the raids in Islamabad, police official Rana Akram said. Reporters were shown the seized weapons -- 61 assault rifles and nine pistols. Akram said police were seeking the firm's owner.
Troops in Afghanistan said to use private armies for detention and interrogation --Nato forces rely on illegal Afghan militias, report says 16 Sep 2009 Nato forces in Afghanistan are increasingly reliant on illegal militias, often run by warlords responsible for human rights abuses and drug trafficking, according to an independent report published tomorrow. New York University's Centre on International Co-operation (CIC) reports that the use of private security companies and militias is growing exponentially and accounts for up to a fifth of the funds spent on Afghan reconstruction. The CIC report, called The Public Cost of Private Security in Afghanistan, says many of the troop contingents in Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) use private militias not only to guard their camps and secure convoys, but also for "black ops", including detention and interrogation... Jake Sherman, one of the report's authors, said today: "The Kandahar incident shows these groups are being employed by US special forces, and we know they are engaged in black ops."
LOL: CIA director: Karzai appears to have won 18 Sep 2009 CIA Director Leon Panetta says Afghan President Hamid Karzai appears to have won re-election despite charges of fraud and corruption in the vote. Panetta said in an interview with Voice of America radio taped Wednesday that Karzai appears to have enough votes to carry the election even after fraudulent votes are eliminated. [I love it. We're over there to protect A) opium routes B) gas pipelines C) mercenary contracts and D) pick their president.]
Roadside bomb kills 11-year-old in north Iraq 19 Sep 2009 Authorities say a roadside bomb has killed an 11-year-old boy and wounded his two friends in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. A Mosul police officer says the bomb exploded around 4 p.m. after a police patrol that was the apparent targeted had already passed by. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Iraq shoe-thrower in Greece for medical treatment 17 Sep 2009 The Iraqi journalist jailed for throwing his shoes at former US president [sic] George W. Bush has arrived in Greece following his release, Iraqi diplomats said Thursday. TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi went to Greece for medical treatment after suffering torture while in prison, his family said. He was released on Tuesday after being jailed for one year for launching shoes at Bush on December 14 during a Baghdad press conference.
Iraq shoe thrower 'was tortured' --Zaidi said he had suffered beatings, whippings, electric shocks and simulated drowning [waterboarding] at the hands of officials and guards. 15 Sep 2009 The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former US President [sic] George W Bush says he was tortured by senior government officials while in jail. Shortly after his release from nine months in a Baghdad prison, Muntadar al-Zaidi demanded an apology - and said he would name the officials later. Iraqi officials told the BBC his claims should be investigated... He also said he feared US intelligence services regarded him as an "insurgent revolutionary" and would "spare no effort" in a bid to kill him.
'No change from Bush to Obama', say Neocons and Liberals 16 Sep 2009 American foreign policy under Barack Obama has not changed course after the Bush years, according to a group of prominent commentators from both sides of the political divide. The academics from The University of Manchester, Birkbeck College and the Institute for the Study of the Americas, say the public should be properly informed that the US aims to pursue its interests, regardless of which party holds power.
CLG: Are You One of Obama's 'Lone Wolf' Suspects? By Lori Price, Citizens For Legitimate Government 18 Sep 2009 Yesterday, we read: White House Backs Controversial Domestic Surveillance Provisions. The Obama administration is urging lawmakers to extend three provisions of the controversial domestic surveillance law known as the USA Patriot Act. The U.S. Justice Department issued a letter Tuesday asking Congress to renew provisions of the law that allow authorities to conduct roving electronic eavesdropping, or wiretaps, access business records and track so-called "lone wolf" suspects with no known links to foreign powers or terrorist groups... I say, we are all 'lone wolf' suspects, ready to howl and bray at the injustices that were not eradicated after Barack Obama took office. Indeed, the injustice and malfeasance is growing under President Obama. Despite the premise and unending promises of 'change,' the only 'change' that we see is a deepening of the entrenchment of policies and ideologies of the Bush regime, and a lack of willingness of the political Left to question and/or attack the sad and sorry trail of Obama's broken promises. Sign up to be one of Obama's 'lone wolf' suspects (activists) on Facebook and (other sites forthcoming), so that we form a pack, er pac!
Obama administration to seek extension of Patriot Act spy powers By Patrick Martin 17 Sep 2009 In a letter from the Justice Department to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Obama administration has gone on record for the first time supporting the extension of key provisions the USA Patriot Act, including the notorious provision that gives the federal government the power to subpoena library records of any individual. Several provisions of the Patriot Act, legislation adopted in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks that grants sweeping surveillance powers to US intelligence agencies, are scheduled to expire December 31, unless renewed by Congress.
Coughing Swine in Northern Ireland Prompt Search for Flu Source 19 Sep 2009 Coughing hogs [!] at a 5,000-head piggery in Northern Island are being investigated to determine how they became the latest animal victims of swine flu. The pandemic H1N1 influenza strain infected about 4,500 hogs at the piggery in Greenhill, U.K. veterinary officials said in a report to the World Organization for Animal Health yesterday.
Canada anger at 'flu body bags' 18 Sep 2009 Canada's health minister has ordered an investigation after body bags were sent to aboriginal reserves as part of supplies to deal with swine flu. The body bags were delivered this week to First Nation communities in Manitoba province which were hard hit by a swine flu outbreak a few months ago. Community leaders said they were "horrified" when they saw the bags. Ordering an inquiry, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said the actions of the Health Canada department were unacceptable, insensitive and offensive.
'We'll be going to every (school) district, and we're talking with private schools as well.' Flu shot clinics planned at schools 19 Sep 2009 (WI) Wood County Health Department officials will host H1N1 flu shot clinics at local schools this fall. The Food and Drug Administration approved the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine this week, and there are plans to roll out the first supplies by early October.
First U.S. H1N1 vaccines will be nasal spray - CDC 18 Sep 2009 The first U.S. roll-out of vaccines against the new swine flu virus will be 3.4 million doses of MedImmune's nose spray [containing live viruses], the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. The CDC's Dr Jay Butler said the vaccines would be distributed the first week of October.
Justice targets Bush Cabinet official in probe 18 Sep 2009 The Justice Department has launched an investigation into whether former Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton illegally used her position to steer lucrative oil leases to Royal Dutch Shell PLC, the company she works for now, officials with both departments confirmed to The Associated Press. The criminal investigation is focused on a 2006 decision by the Interior Department to award three oil shale leases on federal land in Colorado to a Shell subsidiary. Oil from the leases could eventually earn the company hundreds of billions dollars.
Federal Appeals Court Voids Campaign Finance Reform Rules 19 Sep 2009 A federal appeals court overturned hard-fought campaign finance reform regulations in a ruling on Friday that will make it easier for independent political groups to raise and spend money to influence elections. The three-judge panel struck down regulations intended to blunt the power of such organizations. The ruling, if it stands, could provide a boost to Republicans and their allies as they try to win back Congress in 2010 and the White House in 2012.
Fed Considers Sweeping Rules on Bank Pay [Yeah, right!] 19 Sep 2009 The Federal Reserve and the Treasury are preparing broad new rules that would force banks to rein in practices that made multimillionaires out of many financial executives during the housing bubble, officials said. The rules depart from the hands-off approach that dominated bank regulation for the last three decades, but are not as strict as proposals from some European leaders and suggestions from some members of Congress angered by the financial troubles of the last year... And because the rules would be applied through the confidential bank examination process, it would be hard for consumers and investors to judge how strictly the 'rules' were being applied.
Power firms to grab £3.4bn extra profit 19 Sep 2009 Britain's big six energy companies have rejected calls to cut prices, despite a halving in the wholesale cost of gas and electricity over the past year. The big six companies will earn an estimated extra £3.4 billion in profit over the next 12 months if they fail to pass on price falls to consumers, according to energy consultants Ineco.
Previous lead stories: A dozen on constant watch including Najibullah Zazi in FBI's terror probe 18 Sep 2009 Najibullah Zazi, the once-chatty suspect at the center of the probe, was silent and downcast as he arrived at FBI headquarters in Denver for a second round of questioning. "We are here to continue our cooperation," said Zazi's lawyer, Arthur Folsom. When the probe began this week, five Colorado men cited as members of the cell were under a round-the-clock watch. By yesterday, police sources said, that number had risen to as many as 12. A half-dozen were reportedly in New York, where Zazi arrived for a visit last week. Sources said he returned to Colorado after slipping an FBI tail. The Homeland Security Department beefed up security in the nation's airports as a result of the Colorado-based probe, a senior official disclosed yesterday.
Obama administration to seek extension of Patriot Act spy powers By Patrick Martin 17 Sep 2009 In a letter from the Justice Department to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Obama administration has gone on record for the first time supporting the extension of key provisions the USA Patriot Act, including the notorious provision that gives the federal government the power to subpoena library records of any individual. Several provisions of the Patriot Act, legislation adopted in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks that grants sweeping surveillance powers to US intelligence agencies, are scheduled to expire December 31, unless renewed by Congress.
