ACLU pledges to fight after photos release blocked 15 Nov 2009 The American Civil Liberties Union says it will continue to fight for the release of photographs of foreign detainees prisoners being abused tortured by their U.S. captors, after Defense Secretary Robert Gates invoked new powers to block them from public view. ACLU spokesman Jameel Jaffer says the photos are "an important part of the historical record." And he says preventing their release "sets a bad precedent for the government to be suppressing information that relates to government misconduct."
Britain's Abu Ghraib: Did Britain collude with US in abuse [and torture] of Iraqis? 14 Nov 2009 Claims that British soldiers recreated the torture conditions of Abu Ghraib to commit the sexual and physical abuse of Iraqi civilians are being investigated by the Ministry of Defence. In one case, British soldiers are accused of piling bodies of Iraqi prisoners on top of each other and subjecting them to electric shocks, an echo of the abuse at the notorious US detention centre at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. One claimants says he was raped by two British soldiers, and others say they were stripped naked, abused and photographed... "They made him strip naked and started messing with his penis and taking photos. On one occasion I refused to pick a fight, then a soldier kicked me hard on my back, which made me fall on the floor. He started hitting me with a baton on my knees. Then he used an electric baton on different parts of my body."
Ministry of Defense investigating fresh Iraq abuse claims 14 Nov 2009 Some 33 allegations of abuse involving British soldiers who served in Iraq are being investigated, the Ministry of Defense said today. The rape, torture and physical assault allegations come in the wake of the British withdrawal from Iraq. One claimant says he was raped by two British soldiers while another claims he was sexually humiliated by both male and female personnel. Others allege they were stripped naked and photographed in the same style as the notorious pictures at Abu Ghraib, where abuses of prisoners by US troops helped fuel anti-American sentiment.
No public probe into Iraq abuse [Instead, they'll investigate *themselves.*] 14 Nov 2009 Fresh allegations of abuse by the UK military in Iraq do not warrant a new public inquiry, the Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell has said. He said a special unit within the Ministry of Defence, overseen by him, had been set up to examine the claims. Lawyers for former Iraqi prisoners want an inquiry into 33 abuse claims, which include the rape of a 16-year-old boy. Mazin Younis, the Iraqi human rights campaigner who has been compiling the allegations, said many people were detained at random and abused.
Illinois jail is lined up to hold Guantánamo detainees --'Super-maximum' facility backed by state governor but would need approval of Congress 15 Nov 2009 A significant number of the remaining 215 inmates of Guantánamo Bay could be transferred to a maximum-security prison in rural Illinois, according to a source in President Barack Obama's administration. The source described the Thomson Correctional Centre, a 1,600-cell maximum security facility built in 2001, as the "leading contender" to house a number of suspected terrorists detained at the Guantánamo Bay base in Cuba, which Obama has vowed to close.
Terrorists smuggle fatwas out of secure prisons 15 Nov 2009 Some of Britain’s most dangerous 'Al-Qaeda' leaders are promoting jihad from inside high-security prisons by smuggling out propaganda for the internet and finding recruits. In an authoritative report, Quilliam, a think tank funded by the Home Office, claims "mismanagement" by the Prison Service is helping Al-Qaeda gain recruits and risks "strengthening jihadist movements"...The notorious "preacher of hate" Hamza, who was convicted in 2006 of inciting murder and racial hatred [?!?] during his time as imam of Finsbury Park mosque, north London, has been able to give sermons to other Muslims through the water pipes that link the prison cells at Belmarsh. A charismatic figure who has led hunger strikes at the jail, he is thought to use the plughole in the sink in his cell to shout passages from the Koran. [OMG! It's the Koran-spouting, sink-plugholed 'preachers of hate' using supermax prison pipes to wage more terror and global jihad!! Got that, Obama? If you move terrorists from Guantanamo Bay onto US soil, we'll have dozens of desperate al-Qaeda number twos (HUNDREDS of those, don't ya know) preaching their terrorist fatwas through water pipes and sink plugholes all over America! Wait until Joe Lieberman hears about *this* one! --Lori Price]
Obama: Time running out for nuclear deal with Iran 15 Nov 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Sunday that time was running out for Iran to sign on to a deal to ship its enriched uranium out of the Islamic Republic for further processing. Standing beside Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, after the two leaders met Sunday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, Obama said: "We are now running out of time."
Afghan troop surge to cost up to $54 bn per year 15 Nov 2009 The cost of sending 40,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan is estimated to be between $40 billion to $54 billion annually, a new report says. The New York Times cited top administration officials on Saturday that budget projections for the Afghan war will cost US taxpayers at least $1 million per soldier, per year.
'The US and the UK are fighting an ill-conceived and ill-judged war that has left as many as 32,000 Afghans dead and 235,000 displaced.' War in Afghanistan: Not in our name --71% of Britons back IoS call for withdrawal of forces within a year 15 Nov 2009 Seven out of 10 Britons back The Independent on Sunday's call for a phased withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan as a landmark report by Oxfam this week exposes the real human cost of the war. The powerful dossier by the aid agency reveals how women and children in Afghanistan are bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict, undermining the international community's claims [lies] that they are the very people being helped by the West's activities.
2 U.S. Soldiers and a Contractor Are Killed in Afghanistan 15 Nov 2009 Two American service members and an American contractor were killed in two separate bombing attacks in Afghanistan on Friday, according to a statement from a NATO spokesman. One service member was killed by a roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan. The other attack took place on a road in southern Afghanistan, killing an American serviceman and an American contractor.
Militants attack anti-Taliban mayor in Pakistan 15 Nov 2009 More than a dozen militants opened fire on the house of an anti-Taliban mayor in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, but security guards repelled the attack, killing three assailants who had disguised themselves by wearing women's burqas, police said. Militants have staged a wave of attacks in northwestern Pakistan in recent weeks in retaliation for an army offensive launched last month in the tribal area of South Waziristan, where 'al-Qaida' and Taliban leaders are believed to be hiding.
'Jaffery was a well-known journalist.' Pakistan: Iranian Consulate official shot dead 12 Nov 2009 Gunmen on Thursday killed a Pakistani working as the director of public relations at the Iranian Consulate in the northwest city of Peshawar, a police official said. The gunmen shot dead Abul Hasan Jaffery near his home before escaping, according to police. Jaffery was critically wounded in the attack and later died from his injuries at a military hospital in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province located near the Afghan border. Before joining the Iranian consulate, Jaffery was a well-known journalist. He had served with the provincial government as press officer and worked for two chief ministers. [And then, Blackwater arrived.]
Eleven Killed In Pakistan Car Bomb Blast 14 Nov 2009 Eleven people have been killed by a suicide car bomber in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. The bomber detonated his device when policemen asked him to stop for a search.
Ousted Honduran president won't recognize vote 15 Nov 2009 Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya insisted late Saturday that he will not accept any deal to restore him to office if it means he must recognize elections later this month. In a letter addressed to President Barack Obama, Zelaya also repeated his accusation that Washington reversed its stance on whether the Nov. 29 vote should be considered legitimate if he was not in office. "As the elected president of the Honduran people, I reaffirm my position that starting today, no matter what, I will not accept any agreement on returning to the presidency of the republic to cover up this coup d'etat," Zelaya said, reading from the letter on Globo radio.
Obama, Medvedev optimistic on START replacement 15 Nov 2009 President Barack Obama and Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev say they still plan to have a replacement START nuclear arms reduction treaty ready by year's end. Obama and his Russian counterpart met Sunday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Russian and U.S. negotiators are working against a tight deadline. The current START agreement runs out Dec. 5.
Minot missile, bomb wings to become part of Global Strike Command 15 Nov 2009 Members of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base will make history Dec. 1 when they become part of a new command Air Force Global Strike Command. The new command will oversee all of the Air Force's nuclear forces intercontinental ballistic missiles and bombers. The 5th Bomb Wing will become part of the new command on Feb. 1.
Lawmakers brush off Obama calls to delay Fort Hood hearings 15 Nov 2009 President Barack Obama's plea for Congress to hold off on investigations into the Fort Hood shooting isn't deterring lawmakers. During his Saturday address, Obama called on lawmakers to "resist the temptation" to turn the mass killing into political theater. He says he's not opposed to the hearings, he just wants lawmakers to wait until after federal law enforcement and military authorities have completed their probes. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate, however, say they plan to go ahead with the investigations.
Obama urges Congress to put off Fort Hood probe 15 Nov 2009 President Barack Obama on Saturday urged Congress to hold off on any investigation of the Fort Hood rampage until federal law enforcement and military authorities have completed their probes into the shootings at the Texas Army post, which left 13 people dead. On an eight-day Asia trip, Obama turned his attention home and pleaded for lawmakers to "resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater."
Federal oversight of subways proposed 15 Nov 2009 The Obama administration will propose that the federal government take over safety regulation of the nation's subway and light-rail systems, responding to what it says is haphazard and ineffective oversight by state agencies. Under the proposal, the U.S. Department of Transportation would do for transit what it does for airlines and Amtrak: set and enforce federal regulations to ensure that millions of passengers get to their destinations safely. Administration officials said the plan will be presented in coming weeks to Congress, which must approve a change in the law. [Does this mean that in addition to the 'No Fly' list, we could be added to a 'No Ride' list? --LRP]
US medical workers balk at mandatory flu vaccines 13 Nov 2009 Thousands of nurses and other front-line healthcare workers are fighting mandatory flu immunization policies being put in place by some U.S. hospitals. Nurses unions have won some early battles against compulsory vaccination. Critics say mandating that healthcare workers get vaccines is misguided, ineffective and ultimately counterproductive.
'It returns you to problems that we have today.' Health insurers could be allowed to bypass some key reforms --Senate bills would include loopholes for proposed 'exchange' 15 Nov 2009 Nobody wants to spend a lot of time and energy -- and taxpayer money -- and end up where they started. But that's what could happen with one of the principal elements of health reform, the "exchange" or "gateway." Even as legislators focus on the details of how the marketplace will work, senators have indicated that they would allow insurers to continue operating outside it, much as the health-insurance lobby has sought. One Senate bill would preserve the possibility that insurers could tailor policies to draw healthy individuals out of the new markets, leaving coverage less affordable for those who stay behind.
Previous lead stories: Khadr to stand trial at military tribunal --U.S., Canada embracing Bush-era disdain for justice in trying to find a forum to guarantee conviction, critics say 14 Nov 2009 Omar Khadr's fate remains in the legal twilight of widely denounced military tribunals, despite President Barack Obama's promise to end the makeshift Bush-era system for putting terrorists on trial and to shutter the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison camp. Instead, the Obama administration has tinkered with, but not scrapped, military commissions and intends to put a child soldier on trial, the first time it has been done at a war crimes tribunal since the Second World War. The Harper government applauded the decision, even as it fought in Canada's Supreme Court to overturn an order to bring Mr. Khadr home. He has been imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay for nearly eight years. Mr. Khadr, who has been in prison - including years in solitary - since 2002 may still be years away from having his case heard... "Any trial before the revised system of military commissions will carry the stigma of Guantanamo," said Human Rights Watch in a statement that accused the Obama administration of reviving the "discredited military commissions by trying a child soldier."
Accused 9/11 plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed faces New York 'trial' --AG: All five to be tried together; prosecutors will seek death penalty 13 Nov 2009 Five Guantanamo Bay detainees with alleged ties to the 9/11 conspiracy, including accused mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will be transferred to New York to go on trial in civilian court, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Friday. Mohammed, Ramzi Bin al-Shibh, Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi will all be transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York -- a short distance from the World Trade Center towers that were destroyed in the September 11 attacks. [KSM was waterboarded 183 times in one month. (Gee, I'd confess to the 9/11 attacks, too.) Regrettably, the actual architects of the 9/11 terror attacks -- the Bush/Cheney cabal -- have yet to be tried for treason and war crimes. --LRP]
