NATO says no deadline for Afghan troop withdrawal 22 Dec 2009 The head of NATO said on Tuesday there would be no deadline for the exit of allied troops from Afghanistan, as fears grow among Afghans that foreign forces will leave before their own troops are able to guarantee security. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen was visiting Afghanistan for the first time since U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans this month to send 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan to try and tame mounting violence.
Blackwater Eyes Afghan Contractor Surge 21 Dec 2009 Virginian-Pilot As the United States builds up its military presence in Afghanistan, private contractors mercenaries are flocking there in even greater numbers. And Xe, the company formerly known as Blackwater, is in the hunt to get a share of the new work. According to a report last week from the Congressional Research Service, there were about 64,000 uniformed U.S. troops in Afghanistan in September and 104,101 military contractors -- 62 percent of the Defense Department work force there. The Obama administration's planned deployment of 30,000 more troops in the coming months could require as many as 56,000 more contractors, the report estimated. Xe, the Moyock, N.C.-based private military company terrorist organization, is already on the ground in Afghanistan despite its controversial history in Iraq, and is in the running for additional contracts.
Lithuania 'hosted at least two secret CIA prisons' 22 Dec 2009 A Lithuanian inquiry has found that the US Central Intelligence Agency set up and used secret prisons on its soil following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the US. Lithuania's intelligence agency assisted the CIA-run secret prisons, which were used to hold at least eight 'al-Qaeda' suspects, the parliamentary panel in charge of the probe said in a report on Tuesday. The National Security Committee report records instances in 2005 and 2006 when chartered planes were allowed to land in Lithuania, adding that all the Lithuanian officials, including President Dalia Grybauskaite, were kept in the dark about the aircraft's passengers.
Lithuanian spy agency set up secret prisons for CIA 22 Dec 2009 Lithuania's intelligence agency helped the CIA to set up secret prisons in the Baltic country, a parliamentary panel said today. However, the national security committee found no evidence that any suspects were interrogated in Lithuania. The committee said the state security department provided two facilities to the CIA: a small cell set up in 2002 that could house one suspect, and a unit set up in 2004 that was big enough to hold eight suspects. It said there was no evidence that the security agency had informed the president, the prime minister or other political leaders of its co-operation with the US.
'Some members of Congress may want to support rapid closure of Guantánamo but not to signal support for broad military detention powers.' Plan to Move Guantánamo Detainees Faces a New Delay 23 Dec 2009 Rebuffed this month by skeptical lawmakers when it sought finances to buy a prison in rural Illinois, the Obama administration is struggling to come up with the money to replace the Guantánamo Bay prison. As a result, officials now believe that they are unlikely to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer its population of terrorism suspects until 2011 at the earliest -- a far slower timeline for achieving one of President Obama’s signature national security policies than they had previously hinted.
'Some of my colleagues in the prison lost their sight, some lost their limbs and others ended up mentally disturbed.' Guantanamo 'hell on Earth', says Somali detainee --Bare said the US authorities had never told him why he was arrested. 22 Dec 2009 A Somali just home from eight years in the US jail at Guantanamo Bay told AFP the prison was "hell on Earth", and alleged torture there had scarred some of his fellow inmates. Mohamed Saleban Bare, who arrived in his hometown of Hargeisa on Saturday, said he was innocent of any charges that would have caused security forces to arrest him in Pakistan in 2001 and transfer him to the US jail via Afghanistan. "Guantanamo Bay is like hell on Earth," he said in an interview Monday with an AFP reporter who visited him at his hotel in Hargeisa, capital of the northern breakaway state of Somaliland.
Mission accomplished! Iraq initials deal on prized oil field 20 Dec 2009 Iraq has initialed a deal with a consortium led by European giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Malaysia's state-run Petronas to develop one of Iraq's most prized oil fields. Iraqi officials initialed the deal Sunday during a signing ceremony at Iraq's Oil Ministry in Baghdad. The contract still must be approved by Iraq's Cabinet.
Iraq initials deal for Halfaya oilfield 22 Dec 2009 Iraq's Oil Ministry initialled a deal on Tuesday with China National Petroleum Company, Total and Petronas for Halfaya, the latest deal it has inked that it hopes will turn Iraq into a major global exporter. The Halfaya oilfield, in southern Iraq, has estimated reserves of 4.1 billion barrels of oil. CNPC owns 50 percent of the venture, while France's Total and Petronas of Malaysia each hold a 25 percent stake of their venture.
4 wounded in separate bomb attacks in Iraq 22 Dec 2009 Four people were wounded, including a member of a city hall, in separate bomb attacks in Iraq on Tuesday, police said. Hameed Abdul Hadi al-Erssan, member of Fallujah city council, was wounded when a bomb stuck to his car detonated in the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of Baghdad, a local police source said.
Four more Iraqi policemen die in upsurge of violence 22 Dec 2009 Four Iraqi policemen have died and several others have been injured in the city of Baghdad and the provinces of Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Anbar as the country experiences another upsurge in violence. A policeman was killed on Monday when he came under attack by unknown gunmen in front of a gas station in southern part of Kirkuk city. The gunmen escaped the scene in a vehicle and their whereabouts are unknown.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says secret nuclear document is a US forgery 22 Dec 2009 President Ahmadinejad has denounced as an American government forgery a secret nuclear document unearthed by The Times, as the top general in the United States warned that military force could not be ruled out against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Confronted with a copy of the Times document during an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, the Iranian President waved it aside, refusing to look. "No, I don’t want to see this kind of document," Mr Ahmadinejad said. "These are some fabricated papers issued by the American Government." [They usually 'yellowcake from Niger' are. --LRP]
'One of these institutes has allocated a $1.7 billion budget.' Iran identifies 80 subversive foreign institutes 23 Dec 2009 Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi says dozens of foreign organizations that attempted to create havoc in the Islamic Republic have been identified. "During the seditious efforts, various NGOs were used. To date, 80 foreign institutes, foundations, and funds that are active in this process have been identified," the Fars news agency quoted Moslehi as saying on Tuesday. He noted that the leaders of the sedition effort tried to propagate the idea that Iran's 2009 presidential election was rigged in order to encourage acts of civil disobedience.
Ahmadinejad: US bound to fail in ME 22 Dec 2009 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the US will definitely fail in the Middle East, as the regional nations will not allow it to dominate the region. Addressing people in the southern city of Shiraz on Tuesday, President Ahmadinejad said Iran strongly opposes US plans to spread its dominance in the region.
World 'failed Gaza over Israeli blockade' - aid groups 22 Dec 2009 Aid agencies have strongly criticised the international community for failing to help bring an end to Israel's blockade of Gaza. The charities made the accusation in a report published just ahead of the anniversary of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip. The aid agencies condemn not just Israel, but the world community.
Mega barf alert! Obama taps former Bush official as cyber czar --Before he joined the Bush White House, Schmidt worked as chief security officer at Microsoft. 22 Dec 2009 Seven months after President Obama vowed to "personally select" an adviser to orchestrate the government's strategy for protecting computer systems, the White House on Tuesday tapped a former Bush administration official for the job. Howard A. Schmidt, who was a cyber-adviser in President [sic] George W. Bush's White House, will be Obama's new cybersecurity coordinator, an administration official said Monday night. A letter announcing the appointment was posted on the White House Web site early Tuesday.
Doctor to sue CDC over child's death after H1N1 vaccination 23 Dec 2009 (Taichung, Central Taiwan) A gynecologist is planning to sue the Centers for Disease Control over the death of his seven-year-old son after receiving the A (H1N1) flu virus vaccine, reports said yesterday. The CDC denied there was a link between the two and said it would continue its present inoculation campaign. Including the boy, a total of four deaths were recorded following inoculation, including men aged 82 and 50 respectively who had difficult health histories, and a high school student, reports said.
Spray Flu Vaccine Is Recalled 23 Dec 2009 Thirteen lots of a nasal-spray vaccine for swine flu are being recalled for lack of potency, officials said. The lots, made by Medimmune, include more than 3,000 doses. There is no safety problem with the vaccine, and people who received doses from the affected lots do not need to be revaccinated, said the company and an official from the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Norman Baylor, director of the office of vaccines research and review.
More vaccine but fewer takers, H1N1 surveys indicate --About 60 percent of parents cited the vaccine's safety as their main concern. 23 Dec 2009 Pandemic influenza vaccine is getting much easier to find but more than half of American adults say they still don't want it, and one-third of parents say they don't want their children to get it either, according to two surveys. A survey done a week ago by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that about 44 percent of high-priority adults, and 55 percent of all adults, said they did not intend to get the vaccine. [Right, no one wants squalene-laden, mercury-filled, Polysorbate 80-laced swine flu vaccinations. We know those who are profiting from the quote, unquote pandemic are those who started it for that purpose. See: Baxter working on vaccine to stop swine flu, though admitted sending live pandemic flu viruses to subcontractor By Lori Price 26 Apr 2009 and Killer flu recreated in the lab 07 Oct 2004.]
Party Time at the FAA; Critics Question $5 Million Gathering --"It Beats Being At Work," FAA Manager Exclaims as 3,600 Meet in Atlanta; An Excuse to Throw a Christmas Party? 22 Dec 2009 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spent five million dollars this month to bring 3, 600 managers to a conference in Atlanta that FAA whistleblowers and critics say was little more than an excuse to throw a three-week-long Christmas party. "It's the wrong time to spend five million dollars on a Christmas party for anybody's employees, especially in the government," said Tom Schatz, the president of Citizens Against Government Waste, a non-profit watchdog group.
Banks with political ties got bailouts, study shows --Lobbying, political expenses coincided with bailouts 21 Dec 2009 U.S. banks that spent more money on lobbying were more likely to get government bailout money, according to a study released on Monday. Banks whose executives served on Federal Reserve boards were more likely to receive government bailout funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, according to the study from Ran Duchin and Denis Sosyura, professors at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Taxpayers Help Goldman Reach Height of Profit in New Skyscraper --The Fed's bailout of AIG, and its decision to pay the insurer's counterparties in full, funneled an additional $12.9 billion to Goldman Suchs. 21 Dec 2009 In the first six months of 2010, about 6,000 employees of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. will take a break from their spreadsheets and move across the southern tip of Manhattan to a new 43-story, steel-and-glass skyscraper. The building was a bargain -- and not just because the final cost is expected to be $200 million less than the $2.3 billion price the company had estimated when construction began in November 2005. Goldman Sachs also benefited from the government’s determination to avoid losing jobs in lower Manhattan after the [Bush-Cheney] Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Goldman May Move 20% of UK Staff to Spain --Goldman Suchs warns UK Treasury it may transfer 20% of its 5,000 London staff to Spain in protest over UK tax and bonuses 22 Dec 2009 Goldman Sachs (GS) has threatened the UK Treasury with plans to move up to 20 per cent of its London-based staff to Spain in a standoff over tax and bonuses. It's believed that the Wall Street investment bank... has fired a warning shot across the Government's bows in response to the tax measures unveiled in the pre-Budget report earlier this month.
Six accused in Mass. mortgage scam 22 Dec 2009 Three real estate investors, two mortgage brokers and a former attorney were indicted in an alleged mortgage fraud scheme involving $12.5 million in loans and at least 26 distressed properties in the Boston area, the state attorney general's office said today. In indictments returned by a Suffolk County grand jury, the six defendants face multiple counts of larceny and other charges related to a scheme that prosecutors allege gained them about $2 million in profits.
Ex-RNC chiefs rip Steele speaking fees --Party chairman pimping himself at $8,000 to $20,000 a pop 22 Dec 2009 Michael S. Steele, Republican National Committee chairman, is using his title to market himself for paid appearances nationwide, personally profiting from speeches with fees of up to $20,000 at colleges, trade associations and other groups - an unusual practice criticized by a string of past party chairmen. Mr. Steele, elected in January to the $223,500-a-year RNC post, is working with at least four outside agencies in Washington, New York, Boston and Nashville, Tenn., that book the speaking engagements. He charges between $8,000 and $20,000 for an address, plus first-class travel and lodging expenses.
Sen. Whitehouse: Foes of health care bill are birthers, right-wing militias, Aryan groups 20 Dec 2009 Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today took shots at those who are not supporting the health care legislation. During a floor speech, he excoriated Senate GOP members for holding up the pending health care bill and accused their supporters of being birthers and fanatics in right-wing militia and Aryan support groups. He started by citing an editorial from the Manchester (CT) Journal Inquirer, which used the insult "lunatic fringe."
Ala. Dem defects to GOP over health care, policy 22 Dec 2009 A U.S. House Democrat who opposes the health care overhaul announced Tuesday he is defecting to the GOP, another blow to Democrats ahead of the midterm elections. U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith spoke to reporters at his home in northern Alabama, a region that relies heavily on defense and aerospace jobs.
Previous lead stories: US forces mounted secret Pakistan raids --Former Nato officer reveals secret night operations in border region which America kept quiet 21 Dec 2009 American special forces have conducted multiple clandestine raids into Pakistan's tribal areas as part of a secret war in the border region where Washington is pressing to expand its drone assassination programme. A former Nato officer said the incursions, only one of which has been previously reported, occurred between 2003 and 2008, involved helicopter-borne elite soldiers stealing across the border at night, and were never declared to the Pakistani government. "The Pakistanis were kept entirely in the dark about it. It was one of those things we wouldn't confirm officially with them," said the source, who had detailed knowledge of the operations. Such operations are a matter of sensitivity in Pakistan.
Mullen worried Yemen becoming terrorist 'haven' --Adm. refused to discuss whether US played active role in recent operation 20 Dec 2009 Adm. Mike Mullen is applauding a military strike in Yemen against suspected members of the al-Qaida terrorist group civilians. The top U.S. military officer said Sunday he has been concerned for some time that Yemen could become "another safe haven" for terrorism. He applauded the effort to go after an al-Qaida cell which he said has grown significantly over the last couple of years. Mullen said the United States will continue to help Yemen develop its ability to 'fight' terrorism, but he refused to discuss whether the United States played an active role in the recent operation.
'You were tied to a chair and they would tip you over on your back, put a towel over your face and pour water over you.' British Army 'waterboarded' suspects in 70s --Evidence casts doubt on guilt of man sentenced to hang for killing soldier 21 Dec 2009 Evidence that the British army subjected prisoners in Northern Ireland to waterboarding during interrogations in the 1970s is emerging after one of the alleged victims launched an appeal against his conviction for murder. ...The jury did not believe Liam Holden's insistence that he made the confession only because he had been held down by members of the Parachute Regiment, whom he says placed a towel over his face before pouring water from a bucket over his nose and mouth, giving him the impression that he was drowning. But now the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has referred Holden's case to the court of appeal in Belfast after unearthing new evidence, and because of doubts about "the admissibility and reliability" of his confession.
