08 Sep 2009 In case of a swine flu pandemic the French government has a plan to introduce emergency measures that would gut legal protections for citizens, the daily Liberation reported Tuesday. According to documents provided to the daily by a judges' union, the plan would extend the period police can keep a suspect in detention without charge or a hearing before a judge to up to six months. Suspects would also not be able to contact a lawyer until after spending 24 hours in custody. Under the plan, children could be tried in adult courts and more trials held behind closed doors.
Maine governor proclaims civil emergency due to H1N1 --Schools and health care providers are protected against liability claims related to vaccine clinics 02 Sep 2009 Gov. John Baldacci (D) on Tuesday declared a statewide civil emergency because of the H1N1 influenza virus, paving the way for mass immunization of Maine schoolchildren and other residents. The emergency designation protects schools and health care providers against liability claims related to their participation in school-based vaccine clinics this fall for both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu.
Airline terror trial: US 'undermined British investigation' 08 Sep 2009 The police investigation into the al-Qaeda airline bomb plot was undermined after the US pressurised Pakistan to arrest the suspected ringleader Rashid Rauf, it has emerged.Officers were forced to cut short their surveillance operation – the largest in British anti-terrorist history – amid fears that Rauf's detention would spur the plotters to bring forward their strike. Three British Muslims were yesterday convicted of planning a series of co-ordinated bomb attacks on airlines flying from the UK to US, which could have killed up to 10,000 people.
More plane terror plots 'likely' [Hmm. How do they know?] Al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] is likely to try again to use aircraft to attack the West, Whitehall officials have told the BBC. Security correspondent Frank Gardner said they believed the airline bomb plot was part of al-Qaeda's "obsession" with using commercial airliners. The warning comes after three British men were convicted of plotting to blow up flights from London to North America using bombs disguised as soft drinks. Defence expert Michael Clarke agreed that al-Qaeda was "still plotting".
Speculation: US planning 'Guantanamo Bay' prison in Pakistan --According to an estimate, Washington is planning to spend a whopping one billion dollars for revamping its main embassy building in Islamabad and increase the strength of its staff. 08 Sep 2009 Speculations are rife that the United States is planning a Guantanamo Bay kind of prison inside Pakistan. While the media reports have been claiming that the US is planning a massive expansion of its Islamabad Embassy, the latest report regarding establishing of a prison similar to that of Guantanamo Bay has heightened tension in the country. It is also being reported that Washington is planning to takeover a bombed luxury hotel in Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Forbes.com reported. Sources said the US State Department is searching for a new site for a consulate in Peshawar, long believed to be a key hub for American spies, and are considering establishing the same in the Pearl Continental Hotel.
'The U.S. says it needs to expand mainly to disburse billions of dollars more in aid to Pakistan.' Plans to expand US embassy prompt rumors and concern amid anti-US sentiment in Pakistan 08 Sep 2009 America’s plans for a major expansion of its diplomatic presence in Pakistan, including the possible takeover of a bombed luxury hotel near the Taliban heartland, have heightened tensions and bred rumors in a population rife with anti-U.S. sentiment. One topic of discussion: 1,000 U.S. Marines will land in the capital, that Americans will set up a Guantanamo-style prison and that the infamous security contractor once called Blackwater will come in and wreak havoc. [We can't get health care here in the US but Obusha and the Congress can give *billions* to corpora-terrorists who 'pretend' to disburse the money in Pakistan?]
'Imperial' American presence: Anti-Americanism rises in Pakistan over U.S. motives 07 Sep 2009 For weeks now, the Pakistani media have portrayed America, its military and defense contractors in the darkest of lights, all part of an apparent campaign of anti-American vilification that is sweeping the country and, according to some, is putting American lives at risk. Pakistanis are reacting to what many here see as an "imperial" American presence, echoing Iraq and Afghanistan, with Washington dictating to the Pakistani military and the government. Polls show that Pakistanis regard the U.S., formally a close ally and the country's biggest donor, as a hostile power.
Spain: Judge Garzón revives Guantánamo case --Three ex-prisoners of Guantánamo add themselves to the Spanish complaint 06 Sep 2009 The District attorney's office labelled the complaint "fraudulent"; it troubles the Government and the Obama Administration does not want it. But the judge of the National Hearing, Baltasar Garzón, seems ready to open an explosive cause directed against the legal team of George W. Bush, which re-defined the concept of torture to use it in the "war on terrorism ", and that would affect also his secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. [Translated from: Garzón aviva la causa de Guantánamo (Público) 06 Sep 2009.]
FOIA does not shield images of detainee abuse, RCFP argues 08 Sep 2009 The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press asked the U.S. Supreme Court Friday to decline review of an appeals court decision that found the Freedom of Information Act requires release of images of alleged abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan carried out by U.S. troops. In urging the court to allow the lower court rulings to stand, the friend-of-the-court brief filed by the Reporters Committee and 16 other news media organizations argued that FOIA was properly interpreted below and that the Supreme Court need not hear the case because the law is clear and settled.
Three killed, several injured as US drone strikes in N Waziristan 08 Sep 2009 Three persons were killed and several others injured when a U.S. drone fired missiles into North Waziristan region on Tuesday, the second such strike in as many days. The drone launched two missiles on a house of a tribesman named Ismail Khan.
Two foreigners among seven dead in NWA drone strikes 08 Sep 2009 Seven persons, including two foreign militants, were killed and same number of others injured in drone missile strikes by a CIA-operated US spy plane in Machikhel village in the Mirali subdivision of the North Waziristan Agency (NWA) on Monday evening. Official and tribal sources told The News from Mirali by telephone that a car, which was entering an alleged compound of foreign fighters, was hit by the drone in Machikhel village.
'Palin praised Obama's management of his management of Afghanistan and urging him to commit more troops there.' Palin Sides With Obama on Afghanistan 08 Sep 2009 On at least one of his major policies, President Obama is getting support, and a nudge, from an unlikely quarter – Sarah Palin. Ms. Palin, the former governor of Alaska and last year’s Republican vice presidential nominee, joined a group of conservatives signing a letter to Mr. Obama praising him for his management of Afghanistan and urging him to commit more troops there.
Karzai complains US is undermining him 07 Sep 2009 Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has complained the United States has been trying to undermine his position. In an interview with the "Le Figaro" daily, he said the US had been denouncing his friends and family to make him more of a "puppet." [But, he *is* a puppet! Karzai's the Unocal/Poppy Pipeline Puppet of the US.]
Last orders for troops arriving for daily duty with hangovers 08 Sep 2009 After a Nato airstrike killed as many as 125 people last week, General Stanley McChrystal was keen to get the situation under control -- fast. When he tried to contact his underlings to find out what had happened, however, he found, to his fury, that many of them were either drunk or too hungover to respond. Complaining in his daily Commander’s Update that too many people had been "partying it up", General McChrystal, head of International Forces in Afghanistan (Isaf), banned alcohol at his headquarters yesterday... a few hours after the deadly attack.
Afghanistan children suffer in war 07 Sep 2009 The war in Afghanistan is taking a heavy toll on the nation’s children. More than 1,000 civilians have died this year; many of them children... Concern is rising among Afghans about civilian casualties after an incident last week when six civilians were among 54 people killed in a NATO air strike on the Taliban.
Four US soldiers killed in Afghanistan 08 Sep 2009 Four US soldiers have been killed in an attack in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, US army reports say. The soldiers were caught in a "complex attack", the Associated Press news agency quoted US army spokeswoman Capt Elizabeth Mathias as saying. A number of Afghan soldiers also died in the incident.
Iraq bombs kill four US soldiers 08 Sep 2009 Four US soldiers were killed on Tuesday in two separate bomb attacks while on patrol in Iraq, the military said, in one of the deadliest days for attacks on American troops in two months. In the first incident, military officials said a soldier was killed when a roadside bomb struck his convoy on Tuesday morning in southern Baghdad... Later, three US soldiers died after being wounded by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in northern Iraq.
Lord of the Manor: US foreign policy in Iraq & Afghanistan By Jane Stillwater 03 Sep 2009 Everyone knows that Iraq has oil -- but what the freak does Afghanistan have that has kept everyone in Washington so fascinated with the place? I couldn't figure this one out for a really long time. The pipeline? Well maybe.... I know! It's the poppies! There's a HUGE traffic in opium poppies coming out of Afghanistan. Somebody has to be making a profit on its opium sales and we know it isn't the Afghans or they wouldn't be living in such abject poverty... And the Taliban ain't getting the poppy money either. Those guys are living in CAVES. So who buys this stuff? And who profits? Europe and America. Ever since the U.S. lost most of its manufacturing, one of the biggest industries left to us appears to be illegal drugs.
Israel's war on Gaza killed 252 children, report claims 09 Sep 2009 The Israeli official figures seriously underestimated the civilian Palestinian death toll exacted during its onslaught in Gaza early this year, according to painstaking research to be published today. The first detailed casualty figures from an Israeli human rights organisation since the war ended puts the number of children under 16 killed in the offensive at 252 as opposed to the 89 cited by the military.
Israeli soldiers fire on Al Jazeera correspondent 04 Sep 2009 Israeli soldiers have fired tear gas on Palestinians protesting against the Israeli separation barrier which cuts through their West Bank village. The soldiers also fired tear gas at Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's correspondent who was covering the event live from near the village of Bilin.
Laser gun to be used against Somali pirates 08 Sep 2009 A laser gun that can be used to dazzle pirates, leaving them incapacitated, is just one of the hi-tech sea security gadgets being unveiled at a defence exhibition in London. The device [Laser Dazzle System] is powerful enough to incapacitate pirates up to 1,000 yards away, while leaving them physically unscathed.
Secret US spontaneous human combustion beam tested --Silent deathray in first blast from the skies 02 Sep 2009 American death-tech goliath Boeing has announced a long-delayed in-flight firing for the smaller of its two aeroplane raygun-cannon prototypes, the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL). The ATL blaster, mounted in a Hercules transport aircraft, apparently "defeated" an unoccupied stationary vehicle.
More 9/11 Rubbish: This time from National Geographic, no less By Jim Fetzer 07 Sep 2009 Another study intended to suppress and distort objective evidence that refutes the official account of 9/11, ironically entitled, "9/11: Science and Conspiracy", has now appeared on The National Geographic Channel, one more in an ongoing series of propagandistic documentaries posing as "news". This pseudo-documentary was broadcast on August 31, 2009. The abuse of the good name of "National Geographic" has its precursor in the take-over of POPULAR MECHANICS to abuse its good name for the same purpose, exposed by David Ray Griffin in DEBUNKING 9/11 DEBUNKING (2007). My purpose is to perform a similar critique of this misleading program.
SC speaker wants Sanford to resign 08 Sep 2009 Bobby Harrell, the Republican speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives, has become the latest state GOP officeholder to call for embattled Gov. Mark Sanford (R) resign from office. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who would succeed Sanford in office, also has asked for the governor's resignation.
Controversy over Obama's school speech fizzles --Uproar over possible indoctrination of students widely dismissed 08 Sep 2009 Controversy over Barack Obama's back-to-school speech fizzled Tuesday as the president stuck to pre-released talking points on the importance of education, personal responsibility and hard work. ...All the uproar over Obama using classrooms to push socialism or a hidden policy agenda seemed overblown.
Prepared text of Obama's speech to school students 07 Sep 2009 19 hours ago The prepared text of President Barack Obama's back-to-school address scheduled for Tuesdays, as released in advance by the White House:
Shy Polar Bears Face Fight For Survival 09 Sep 2009 A magnificent polar bear seems to show off for the camera, posing against the background of her icy wilderness. This image is also a picture of hope. It was taken on Norway's remote Svalbard islands, and despite experts predicting a grim future for the species as the sea ice around them melts, this population could be INCREASING. It is a rare success story for the creature so often used as a symbol of environmental disaster.
Quick action! Help Stop the International Polar Bear Trade 03 Sep 2009 In some countries, collectors can still buy polar bear skin rugs, claws, skulls and other parts of these animals -- even as these beloved bears struggle for survival in a warming world. The U.S. can strengthen protections for polar bears under international law by proposing to restrict trade in polar bear products -- a move that could save the lives of hundreds of polar bears each year. But officials need to hear from you. Take action now -- Urge the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to propose an international ban on the trade of polar bear products. Please take action today -- the deadline for comments is Friday, 11 September.
First gray wolf legally killed in U.S. after nearly 40-year ban 02 Sep 2009 This summer, hunters in Idaho have snapped up nearly 11,000 tags that confer permission to hunt the 850 or so gray wolves that now live in the state thanks to a reintroduction program in the region started in 1995. Idaho--whose governor [terrorist] "Butch" Otter once vowed to be first in line for the permits--will allow 220 wolves to be killed for the bargain basement price of just $11.75; neighboring Montana will permit 75 starting September 15. [Too bad the wolves don't *shoot first.*]
Previous lead stories:US troops 'stormed through Afghan hospital' --US troops kicked in doors, tied up four hospital employees and two family members of patients, and forced patients out of beds during their search. 07 Sep 2009 A Swedish charity accused American troops today of storming through a hospital in central Afghanistan, breaking down doors and tying up staff in a search for militants. The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan said the US Army's 10th Mountain Division entered the charity's hospital without permission to look for 'insurgents' in Wardak province, southwest of Kabul, according to the charity's country director, Anders Fange. "This is simply not acceptable," he said.
Canada to stage mock Afghan IED attack in Washington --'The highlight will be the explosive blasts, simulating the powerful improvised explosive devices wreaking havoc in Afghanistan, to be staged twice a day.' California company that claims to bring 'magic of Hollywood' to hyper-realistic training, will provide pyrotechnics for IED explosions. 05 Sep 2009 The Taliban will attack an Afghan village set up in the heart of Washington courtesy of the Canadian Forces, who will send in a medic in a dramatic effort to save a civilian crippled by the explosion. Between scheduled IED attacks at noon and 2 p.m. on Sept. 23, the first day of the conference, there will be an Afghan luncheon hosted by Kabul's envoy to Washington, Ambassador Said Jawad. Embassy officials say they have a green light from the Secret Service, the State Department and the D.C. fire marshal.
