US warns North Korea after reports of Scud missiles test --South Korea reports launch of seven ballistic missiles --Tests on US Independence Day violate UN resolutions 04 Jul 2009 The United States warned North Korea not to "aggravate tensions" today after South Korea said its neighbour had fired seven ballistic missiles in violation of UN resolutions. The tests, seen as a message of defiance to the US on Independence Day, will further increase pressure in the region as America tries to gather support for tough enforcement of the UN resolution imposed on the government for its May nuclear test.
North Korea Launches 7 Missiles Off Its East Coast 04 Jul 2009 Defying the United States on Independence Day, North Korea fired seven missiles on Saturday into the sea off its east coast. The test-firings came two days after North Korea fired four short-range missiles into the sea. North Korea had warned ships to avoid waters near its east coast through July 10 because of military exercises, and the test-firing were widely predicted.
Attack on U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan kills two soldiers --U.S. military officials say 'several' U.S. soldiers also were wounded in the assault on the remote outpost in Paktika province. It's the same area where an American soldier disappeared on Tuesday. 04 Jul 2009 'Insurgents' armed with rockets, mortars and a truck bomb staged an unusual frontal attack on a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan today, killing two American soldiers and forcing the defenders to call in airstrikes to avoid being overrun.
KBR might seek federal funds to pay its legal bills --Uncle Sam could soon be writing another big check to KBR. 04 Jul 2009 KBR may ask the U.S. government to reimburse it for legal bills if a jury decides the company failed to protect KBR truck drivers during a deadly April 2004 roadside attack, a lawyer for the Houston-based government contractor said. Though no final decision has been made, lawyer Robert Meadows said, if the cases go to trial and result in a jury award, "it’s conceivable that KBR would look to the government to accept responsibility under its contract" with the company.
Iraq tells Biden: Reconciliation pure internal affair 05 Jul 2009 The reconciliation in Iraq is pure Iraq's internal affair and the involvement of U.S. officials is not desired by Iraqis, said Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh on Saturday. "The reconciliation issue is purely Iraqi affair and any non-Iraqi involvement would certainly have a negative impact," said Dabbagh. He confirmed that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki expressed the same meaning to the visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during their meeting on Friday.
Biden spends July 4 with son, other troops in Iraq 04 Jul 2009 Vice President Joe Biden spent the Fourth of July with his son and other American troops in Iraq on Saturday. Biden took a break from politics and presided over a naturalization ceremony for 237 U.S. troops from 59 countries in a marble rotunda at one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces at what is now Camp Victory, the U.S. military headquarters on the western outskirts of Baghdad.
Guantanamo suspect's lawyers seek CIA site access 30 Jun 2009 Lawyers for the first detainee transferred from Guantanamo Bay for trial in a U.S. civilian court asked a judge on Tuesday for access to CIA "black sites" where they say he was harshly interrogated tortured. Lawyers for Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani said they needed access to the secret detention sites prisons, whose locations abroad have not been publicly identified, to gather evidence and inspect whether any statements the Tanzanian made under interrogation were reliable, according to court papers filed in Manhattan federal court.
'Iran nuke could wipe Israel off map in seconds' 04 Jul 2009 Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United States, on Friday warned that an Iranian atomic bomb could "wipe Israel off the map in a matter of seconds," and that the Iranians could "accomplish in a matter of seconds what they denied Hitler did, and kill 6 million Jews, literally." Oren made his comments in a conversation with journalist Jeffrey Goldberg at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado.
New IAEA chief sees no proof Iran developing nuclear weapons 03 Jul 2009 The incoming head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says he knows of no hard evidence that Iran is trying to gain the ability to develop nuclear weapons. Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano told the Reuters newsagency he has seen no such evidence in IAEA official documents.
Damning report slams Israel, Hamas over civilian deaths, destruction 03 Jul 2009 Israeli forces killed hundreds of unarmed Palestinian civilians and destroyed thousands of homes in Gaza in attacks which breached the laws of war, Amnesty International concluded in a new report published this week. Operation 'Cast Lead': 22 days of death and destruction, is the first comprehensive report to be published on the conflict, which took place earlier this year.
Israel/Gaza: Operation 'Cast Lead' - 22 Days of Death and Destruction (Amnesty International USA) 02 Jul 2009 Facts and Figures: Gaza --Some 1,400 Palestinians were killed, including some 300 children, and hundreds of other unarmed civilians, including more than 115 women and some 85 men aged over 50 during the 22-day Operation "Cast Lead".
Gaza activists still in Israel jail 04 Jul 2009 A number of foreign activists are still in detention in a Tel Aviv jail four days after the Israeli navy stopped their boat as they attempted to reach the Gaza Strip. Mairead Maguire, a Nobel peace prize winner, told Al Jazeera on Saturday that the activists had agreed to remain in detention until Israel agreed to free all of the activists.
In Israeli jail, McKinney expects more from Washington 04 Jul 2009 Former US lawmaker Cynthia McKinney, who is in an Israeli jail for trying to take humanitarian aid to Gaza, says the White House has done nothing to secure her release. Speaking to Press TV from inside the Israeli jail, she said US taxpayers paid for Israel's 22-day war on the Gaza Strip. "Operation Cast Lead was made possible by the US taxpayers' gift to the Israeli war machine in the form of F16s, helicopters gunship, white phosphorous, uranium cluster bombs and anything that kills," she told Press TV from inside the Israeli jail on Saturday.
CLG News and Action Alert: IDF Seizes Gaza Aid Ship Posted by Lori Price 01 Jul 2009 Israeli forces have boarded a ship trying to carry aid and pro-Palestinian activists to the Gaza Strip in defiance of Israel's blockade of the territory. The 20 passengers include former US congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Nobel Prize winner Mairead Maguire. [Updated]
US to employ new approach to win over Muslims: Envoy 03 Jul 2009 The Obama administration wants to engage the Muslims in a way that is innovative, dynamic and out of the box, says Farah Pandith, America’s first special envoy to the Muslim communities. The main objective behind the administration’s new strategy is to 'know the next generation of (Muslim) thinkers. And in this role I’ll be doing that,' Pandith told a briefing in Washington.
Video: Pentagon's Robo-Hummingbird Flies Like the Real Thing By Noah Shachtman 02 Jul 2009 Military-backed researchers have built a tiny drone that looks and flies like a hummingbird, flapping its little robotic wings to stay in the air. So far, the mock bird, built for Pentagon mad-science division Darpa, has only stayed aloft for 20 seconds at a time. But that short flight was enough to show the potential of a whole new class of miniature spies, inspired by nature. Darpa just handed AeroVironment, makers of the winged "nano air vehicle," another $2.1 million to build a hummingbot 2.0.
OAS set to suspend Honduras after coup 04 Jul 2009 The Organization of American States was likely to suspend Honduras on Saturday after a caretaker government refused to restore President Manuel Zelaya who was toppled in a military coup last weekend. Honduras' interim rulers who took power after the coup have rejected an OAS demand to restore Mr. Zelaya, and defiantly renounced the OAS charter in an apparent pre-emptive move. But an OAS official said such a renunciation was not valid, since the Honduras authorities were not a legitimate government.
Swine flu: UK ministers warn 40 a day could die by end of summer 04 Jul 2009 Yesterday there were more than 7,400 confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK. If the number of cases continues to grow at the current pace, the UK could have 100,000 new cases every day by the end of August. Under the Government's pandemic action plan, there are three levels of alert for a serious flu outbreak. Earlier this week the Health Secretary announced the UK would now enter the third, most serious, phase.
'The re-emergence of H1N1 in 1977 made it potentially a man-made pandemic.' Swine flu pandemic 'caused by accidental leak from laboratory' 30 Jun 2009 The swine flu pandemic may have been caused by an 'accidental' leak from a laboratory three decades ago, scientists have claimed. An investigation into the genetic make-up of flu viruses claims the pandemic may not have occurred, had it not been for the 'accidental' release of the same strain of influenza virus from a research lab in 1977.
Anti-G8 demonstrators clash with police in Italy 04 Jul 2009 Anti-G8 demonstrators clashed briefly with Italian police on Saturday in the first big protest ahead of next week's summit of the world's richest nations. Police in riot gear fired teargas at protesters to prevent them from crossing a bridge and moving closer to a contested U.S. military base in the northeastern city of Vicenza.
Guard units train for militia attacks 30 Jun 2009 (Camp Crowder, MO) It isn't easy being an insurgent in Neosho, Mo... Such was the case for several members of the headquarters detachment of the 229th Multifunctional Medical Battalion. During the battalion's annual training exercise, eight members of the Jefferson City-based [Missouri National Guardsmen] unit, acting as a fictitious militant group, attempted to disrupt the battalion's operations through attacks and harassment. The battalion's other two units, the Kansas City-based 205th Area Support Medical Company, and the Springfield-based 206th Area Support Medical Company, fended off the attacks while performing their medical duties.
Passenger Spots Handgun Being Smuggled Past Airport Security 04 Jun 2009 An eagle-eyed passenger at Philadelphia International Airport spotted another passenger handing a bag directly to an airline employee -- skipping airport security. The passenger alerted the TSA, who located the US Airways flight and searched the bag. An unloaded handgun was inside the bag. The Philadelphia Inquirer says that Flight 1195 to Phoenix was delayed 4 hours due to the incident.
Gov. Palin Says She Will Quit, Citing Probes, Family Needs 04 Jul 2009 Sarah Palin, the Republican Alaska governor, announced her resignation yesterday. The announcement that she will step down by the end of July stunned the political establishment, fueling speculation about why she is leaving office with 18 months left in her first term and whether her future will include a run for the presidency. Palin offered few clues about her ambitions but said she arrived at her decision in part to protect her family, which has faced withering criticism and occasional mockery, and to escape ethics probes that have drained her family's finances and hampered her ability to govern.
Pound Drops as Reports Show Economic Recovery May Be Faltering 04 Jul 2009 The pound posted its first weekly decline against the dollar in a month after worse-than-expected reports on U.K. services and gross domestic product signaled the economic recovery may be faltering. The British currency also dropped for the second straight week against the euro... Bank of England policy maker David Miles said on July 2 that the U.K. banking industry "remains on life support."
Purity of Federal 'Organic' Label Is Questioned 03 Jul 2009 ...The government's turnaround, from prohibition to permission, came after a USDA program manager was lobbied by the formula makers and overruled her staff. That decision and others by a handful of USDA employees, along with an advisory board's approval of a growing list of non-organic ingredients, have helped numerous companies win a coveted green-and-white "USDA Organic" seal on an array of products. Some consumer groups and members of Congress say they worry that the program's lax standards are undermining the federal program and the law itself.
Former QB Steve McNair Found Shot to Death 04 Jul 2009 Nashville fire officials and Tennessee Titans sources are confirming to affiliate station WSMV that former Titans quarterback Steve McNair has been found shot to death at an apartment in downtown Nashville. Another woman was also found shot to death in the apartment, but her identity has not been confirmed, Metro Police reported.
Previous lead stories: Grand Jury Inquiry on Destruction of C.I.A. Tapes --The tapes had shown C.I.A. officers using torture, including waterboarding, on two prisoners. 03 Jul 2009 Current and former top Central Intelligence Agency officers have appeared before a federal grand jury in Virginia as part of an 18-month investigation into the agency’s destruction of 92 videotapes depicting the brutal interrogations of two Qaeda prisoners. The witnesses recently called by the special prosecutor, former government officials said, include the agency’s top officer in London and Porter J. Goss, who was C.I.A. director when the tapes were destroyed in November 2005.
Obama administration delays release of CIA report 03 Jul 2009 The Obama administration said Thursday that it needs two more months to review an internal CIA report on the agency's secret detention and torture program before making it public, drawing criticism from civil libertarians who say it's past time for Americans to know how its government treated terrorism suspects. The Justice Department had originally said it intended to release the report in June as part of a lawsuit, but department officials now say they need until the end of August.
Palin resigns as governor, leaves plans secret 03 Jul 2009 Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly announced Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, a shocking move that rattled the Republican party but left open the possibility she would seek a run for the White House in 2012. Palin and her staff kept her future plans shrouded in mystery, and it was unclear if the controversial hockey mom would quietly return to private life or begin laying the foundation for a presidential bid.
