All Afghan detainees likely tortured: diplomat 18 Nov 2009 All detainees transferred by Canadians to Afghan prisons were likely tortured by Afghan officials and many of the prisoners were innocent, says a former senior diplomat with Canada's mission in Afghanistan. Appearing before a House of Commons committee Wednesday, Richard Colvin blasted the detainees policies of Canada and compared them with the policies of the British and the Netherlands. The detainees were captured by Canadian soldiers then handed over to the Afghan intelligence service, called the NDS. "According to our information, the likelihood is that all the Afghans we handed over were tortured. For interrogators in Kandahar, it was a standard operating procedure," Colvin said. He said the most common forms of torture were beatings, whipping with power cables, the use of electricity, knives, open flames and rape.
Notes from Bagram prison By James Bays 18 Nov 2009 In the past, military officials have refused to go on the record about the number of prisoners at the jail. Brigadier General Mark Martin, the acting commander, was more forthcoming. He told us the prison currently houses about 700 people. Of these, "about 30" were non-Afghans, and "about 5" were juveniles... A new command has been set up, to take charge of all detainee operations in Afghanistan, including Bagram. Of course, CJTF-435 is a US operation, not part of ISAF (the NATO force). Many other NATO and ISAF nations are very uneasy about Bagram and what goes on there.
Judges 'gagged' on torture claim --Binyam: Judges attack UK secrecy over public documents 19 Nov 2009 Senior judges say the foreign secretary is stopping them releasing details of CIA interrogation techniques - even though the US has published them. The High Court says it wants to refer to previously classified documents as part of its judgement on the alleged mistreatment of Binyam Mohamed. Mr Mohamed says the US tortured him after his arrest in Pakistan in 2002. The declassified material is online - but the UK says using some of it in court would harm national security.
Lithuania: ABC News Report 'Not Helping' Our Image --ABC News Finds Secret "Torture" Prison for al-Qaeda Detainees at Swank Riding Academy 19 Nov 2009 A top Lithuanian official said that a report by ABC News that it had discovered a secret CIA prison in a former riding academy near Vilnius was damaging to his country's reputation. "Obviously, this is not helping Lithuania's image," Foreign Minister Vygaudas Usackas told the Baltic News Service Thursday. "Therefore it is vital that we conduct an investigation and clear any doubts." On Wednesday, ABC News revealed the location of one of the CIA's secret "black site" prisons, where harsh interrogation techniques were torture was allegedly used on accused 'al-Qaeda' terrorists, in a converted horseback riding facility 20 kilometers northeast of the Lithuanian capital.
US to drop shooting case against Blackwater guard Friday, 20 Nov 2009 5:35 PM The Justice Department intends to drop manslaughter and weapons charges against one of the Blackwater Worldwide security guards terrorists involved in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, prosecutors said in court documents Friday. The shooting in busy Nisoor Square left 17 Iraqis dead and inflamed anti-American sentiment abroad. Iraqis have said they're watching closely to see how the U.S. judicial system handles the five men accused of unleashing an unprovoked attack on civilians with machine guns and grenades. A one-paragraph notice filed Friday says only that prosecutors have asked that the case against Nicholas Slatten of Sparta, Tenn., be dropped. The government's detailed request asking the judge to dismiss the case was filed with the court and with the defendant, but was not made public. [Obama is terrified of Blackwater. Did Blackwater threaten to assassinate him? I mean, c'mon. This is nuts, and transcends Obusha's usual Friday night 'bad news dump.' --LRP]
Fine and Inquiry Possible for Blackwater Successor --Other penalties could result from violations of licensing requirements for the transfer of other forms of military technology and training expertise to foreign countries. 19 Nov 2009 The international security company terrorist group formerly called Blackwater Worldwide is facing large government fines for unlicensed arms shipments to Iraq, as a key Congressional committee is asking for a separate investigation into whether the company bribed Iraqi officials. In talks likely to result in millions of dollars in penalties, executives from the company, now known as Xe Services, are negotiating with government regulators over years of violations of export laws. According to government officials and former company employees, many of the violations involve arms shipments to Iraq, to outfit company security guards operating inside the country.
Woman awarded $3M in assault claim against KBR 19 Nov 2009 A woman who claimed she was raped in 2005 while working in Iraq for a former Halliburton Co. subsidiary has been awarded nearly $3 million by an arbitrator to settle her case. Tracy Barker had sued U.S. contractor KBR Inc., its former parent company Halliburton and several affiliates in May 2007, claiming she was sexually attacked by a State Department employee while working as a civilian contractor in the southern Iraqi city of Basra... Court records filed this week show Barker was awarded a judgment of $2.93 million to settle her arbitration claim against KBR.
GAO: Fraud in gov't contracts for disabled vets 19 Nov 2009 Companies fraudulently collected at least $100 million in federal contracts from a $4 billion government program designated for disabled military veterans who run small businesses, congressional investigators charge. In many cases, small business owners falsely claimed they had a service-related injury to get the federal work and were only caught when competitors protested. In other situations, the small veteran-owned businesses were legitimate but then improperly passed the work to large or foreign-based corporations.
Afghan minister accused of taking bribe --$30 Million Payment Alleged --Massive mining project awarded to Chinese firm 18 Nov 2009 The Afghan minister of mines accepted a roughly $30 million bribe to award the country's largest development project to a Chinese mining firm [China Metallurgical Group Corp.], according to a U.S. official who is familiar with military intelligence reports. The allegation, if proved true, would mark one of the most brazen examples of corruption yet disclosed in Afghanistan.
Deadly blast near Peshawar court 19 Nov 2009 At least 19 people have been killed in a suicide bomb blast outside the main gate of a court building in Peshawar. Thursday's attack was the seventh deadly explosion to hit the northwestern Pakistani city in less than two weeks. Officials said about 30 people were wounded in the attack, which occurred during rush hour when the area is normally crowded with lawyers, administrative personnel and the public. [See: Blackwater/Xe in Pakistan.]
Suspected U.S. drone kills 4 in Pakistan-officials 18 Nov 2009 A suspected U.S. drone aircraft fired two missiles into a northwestern Pakistani militant stronghold on Wednesday killing four people, Pakistani security officials said. The United States has carried out more than 40 attacks with its pilotless, missile-firing aircraft in northwest Pakistan this year as its forces in neighbouring Afghanistan have faced an intensifying Taliban 'insurgency.'
Suicide bomber kills 16 in western Afghanistan 20 Nov 2009 A suicide bomber killed 16 people and wounded at least 23 others Friday in a busy city square in western Afghanistan, while near Kabul a powerful former warlord narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, officials said. Lawmaker Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, a former Northern Alliance leader who has been accused by Human Rights Watch of war crimes, was in a convoy with his bodyguards when a remote-controlled bomb hidden in an irrigation canal beside the road exploded in the Paghman district north of the Afghan capital, said district chief of police Abdul Razaq.
Bomber kills 13, injures 35 in Afghanistan 19 Nov 2009 Amid the worsening security situation in Afghanistan, a bomber has killed 13 people and wounded about three dozens in the country's troubled southwest. The bomber on a motorcycle detonated his explosives in a crowded area in Farah City on Friday. The death toll is expected to rise as some of the 35 injured were said to be in critical condition.
Fort Lewis soldier from Texas dies in Afghanistan 20 Nov 2009 The Defense Department says a Fort Lewis soldier was killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Twenty-six-year-old Spc. Joseph M. Lewis of Terrell, Texas, was a member of the 5th Stryker brigade.
Karzai sworn in as Afghan president 19 Nov 2009 Hamid Karzai has been sworn in for a second five-year term as Afghanistan's president, pledging to tackle the "dangerous issue" of corruption. Karzai took the oath of office at the presidential palace in central Kabul on Thursday, in front of 800 guests, including 300 foreign dignitaries.
Belgian PM named as EU president 19 Nov 2009 The European Union has selected a new president to chair EU summits and represent the bloc on the world stage, as well as a new foreign policy chief. The way was cleared by the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the Czech Republic. The low-key Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, had emerged as the frontrunner for the presidency post before being confirmed in the role.
Air Defense Push Inspired by 9/11 Gets a 2nd Look 20 Nov 2009 The commander of military forces protecting North America has ordered a review of the costly air defenses intended to prevent another Sept. 11-style terrorism attack, an assessment aimed at determining whether the commitment of jet fighters, other aircraft and crews remains justified. Senior officers involved in the effort say the assessment is to gauge the likelihood that terrorists may succeed in hijacking an airliner or flying their own smaller craft into the United States or Canada.
Fort Hood shooter faces bedside hearing: lawyer 20 Nov 2009 The army psychiatrist accused of a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood military base in Texas will have his first pre-trial court hearing Saturday in his hospital room, his lawyer's office told AFP. Major Nidal Hasan, who has been charged with 13 counts of pre-meditated murder, will have a confinement hearing at the Brook Army Medical Center near San Antonio, Texas, said a representative for attorney John Galligan, who asked not to be named.
Gates orders Army inquiry after Fort Hood killings 19 Nov 2009 A review of US Army and Pentagon policies has been ordered by the defence secretary in the wake of a shooting at a military base. The review will include Pentagon medical and personnel programmes, and US military base security. Defence Secretary Robert Gates appointed a former Army secretary and an ex-Navy chief to report in 45 days. The review is in addition to others into the Fort Hood shooting in which 13 people were killed.
Lawyer Convicted of Aiding Terrorist Is Jailed 20 Nov 2009 Defiant to the end as she embraced emotional supporters outside the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan, Lynne F. Stewart, the radical lawyer known for defending unpopular clients, surrendered on Thursday evening to begin serving her 28-month sentence for assisting terrorism. "This is the day they executed Joe Hill, and his words were, 'Don’t mourn me, organize,' " Ms. Stewart said as she walked toward the courthouse, referring to the labor organizer executed on Nov. 19, 1915, after a controversial trial.
Sears Tower plot leader gets 13-year prison term 20 Nov 2009 The ringleader of a group described by prosecutors as plotting terror attacks on Chicago's Sears Tower and FBI offices in hopes of sparking an anti-government insurrection was sentenced Friday to 13 1/2 years in prison by a federal judge. Narseal Batiste, 35, who faced a maximum of 70 years in prison, was convicted in May of conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaida [al-CIAduh], plotting to blow up buildings and conspiracy to wage war against the U.S.
Two more jailed for Sears Tower terror plot 19 Nov 2009 A US judge on Thursday handed down prison terms of eight and nine years to two more men accused of swearing allegiance to 'Al-Qaeda' and plotting to blow up the Sears Tower, the tallest building in the United States. Patrick Abraham, who was seen as the right-hand man of the leader of the 2006 conspiracy, was jailed for nine years, while Stanley Phanor received an eight-year sentence. Like the two brothers linked to the same group and jailed for six and seven years on Wednesday, the sentences were far less than the steeper terms of up to 50 years in prison sought by prosecutors.
Govt wants speedy screening at more airports 19 Nov 2009 The Homeland Security Department wants to expand speedy screening of preapproved, low-risk air travelers arriving in the United States to most international airports in the country. For more than a year, the department has been testing this program at seven airports across the country... The voluntary program, called Global Entry, would be open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents at least 14 years old. They would have to pay a $100 fee and undergo a background check.
4 Tamiflu resistant H1N1 cases at Duke --An antiviral resistance was confirmed by the laboratory at CDC Monday night. 20 Nov 2009 (NC) Health officials announced Friday afternoon that four patients at Duke Medical Center have shown signs of an antiviral-resistance to the H1N1 influenza strain. The four patients were diagnosed with flu during October and November. Duke physicians discovered the resistant strain after some of the patients continued to test positive for the flu despite antiviral treatment.
100,000 H1N1 vaccines pulled after bad reactions 20 Nov 2009 More than 100,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine are being withdrawn across the country, after Manitoba health officials announced Thursday they'd noticed a higher-than-usual number of allergic reactions from one batch. Vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has asked several provinces to set aside the 170,000 doses from the questionable batch.
Yup, shark livers. What's in your H1N1 flu vaccine? 19 Nov 2009 One of the best examples involves a controversial ingredient present in the H1N1 vaccine: thimerosal. Thimerosal is a form of mercury used in some vaccines as a preservative... and still remains in many flu vaccines. Squalene is another controversial component of the swine-flu vaccine. It’s an oil found in animal livers and is used as an adjuvant in vaccines and also as a moisturizer in cosmetic products. It is primarily gotten from shark livers... Still other questions have been raised about Polysorbate 80, another component of the H1N1 vaccine adjuvant.
FDA Panel Rejects Cell Culture Flu Vaccine, Wants More Safety Data --In 6-5 vote, panel decided it didn't have enough safety information to recommend approval of drug 19 Nov 2009 With members citing unanswered safety questions, an FDA advisory panel today narrowly rejected approval of the nation's first cell-based influenza vaccine. A small manufacturer called Protein Sciences Corp. of Meriden, Conn. sought approval for its trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine, FluBlok, for active immunization of adults ages 18 years and older against influenza virus subtypes A and type B.
Fox News Poll: Worries About Safety of Swine Flu Vaccine Persist 20 Nov 2009 A recent Fox News poll suggests that even when the H1N1 vaccine becomes more widely available, concern over its safety may prevent many at-risk Americans from getting vaccinated. Nearly equal numbers are more afraid of the side effects from the swine flu vaccine as are afraid of getting the flu itself (35 percent vaccine compared to 37 percent flu). Many Americans also feel the testing of the swine flu vaccine was done too quickly so its safety is uncertain (40 percent).
CLG exclusive: Partial Settlement in Jeane Palfrey Case By Lori Price 19 Nov 2009 Deborah Jeane Palfrey's former attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley, has told Citizens For Legitimate Government that the government is giving to the Innocence Project $89,000 as Jeane had left a will giving that group money.
UC students occupy buildings to protest fee hike 20 Nov 2009 Students barricaded themselves inside buildings on University of California campuses to protest a 32 percent increase in student fees and budget cuts that have led to slashed programs and lost jobs. Demonstrators at UC Berkeley occupied Wheeler Hall on Friday and hung a sign from a window that read "32 Percent Hike, 900 layoffs," with the word "Class" crossed out in red. A group of students also rallied outside the building. Campus police said they had arrested three of the demonstrators inside. Police would not say how many protesters remained in the building. [Hopefully, lots of them!]
U.S. Mortgage Delinquencies Reach a Record High 20 Nov 2009 The economy and the stock market may be recovering from their swoon, but more homeowners than ever are having trouble making their monthly mortgage payments, according to figures released Thursday. Nearly one in 10 homeowners with mortgages was at least one payment behind in the third quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in its survey. That translates into about five million households.
The $100 Million Health Care Vote? 19 Nov 2009 On page 432 of the [Sen. Harry] Reid bill, there is a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for "certain states recovering from a major disaster." The section... reveals that it would be states that "during the preceding 7 fiscal years" have been declared a "major disaster area." I [ABC News' Jonathan Karl] am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate DemocRAT Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care corporaterrorist giveaway bill. How much does it cost? According to the Congressional Budget Office: $100 million.
The Dartmouth JFK-Photo Fiasco By Jim Fetzer, Ph.D. 18 Nov 2009 Professor Hany Farid, a member of the computer science faculty at Dartmouth, in a recent article injected himself into a long-running dispute concerning the authenticity of photographs related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. These photos reportedly of the accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald are collectively known as "the backyard photographs." Farid's analysis immediately raised the ire of many assassination researchers, who for years have claimed the photos are clever fakes.
Previous lead stories: CIA Secret 'Torture' Prison Found at Fancy Horseback Riding Academy --ABC News Finds the Location of a "Black Site" for Alleged Terrorists in Lithuania 18 Nov 2009 The CIA built one of its secret European prisons inside an exclusive riding academy outside Vilnius, Lithuania, a current Lithuanian government official and a former U.S. intelligence official told ABC News this week. Where affluent Lithuanians once rode show horses and sipped coffee at a café, the CIA installed a concrete structure where it could use harsh tactics torture to interrogate up to eight suspected 'al-Qaeda' terrorists at a time. "The activities in that prison were illegal," said human rights researcher John Sifton. "They included various forms of torture, including sleep deprivation, forced standing, painful stress positions."
MI5 and MI6 given go ahead for secret hearings into abuse 18 Nov 2009 MI5 and MI6 have been given permission to hold hearings behind closed doors into their alleged complicity in the treatment of seven former detainees in Guantanamo Bay. A High Court judge ruled there was no reason in law why closed hearings should not be used in the damages case, even though it had never been used in such a case before. The judge said the "closed material" procedure entitled the defendants not to disclose matters to the claimants or their lawyers where disclosure would be contrary to the interests of national security, the international relations of the UK or in any other circumstances where it was likely to harm the public interest.
Judge: Corps' negligence caused Katrina flooding 18 Nov 2009 A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval sided with five residents and one business who argued the Army Corps' shoddy oversight of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet led to the flooding of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish. Duval awarded the plaintiffs $720,000, or about $170,000 each, but the decision could eventually make the government vulnerable to a much larger payout.
