Report: CIA Used Power Drills, Guns, Threats Against Children --Declassified Report Says --Then-Attorney General Knew One Suspect Waterboarded 119 Times 24 Aug 2009 CIA officers used power drills, mock executions and threats against children in often futile attempts to break [alleged] high-value al Qaeda targets, according to portions of a 2004 report by the CIA inspector general that was made public today. "We now have a document that the world can read that shows in excruciating and disgusting detail that the United States violated its own beliefs and turned to the dark side when it didn't have to," said Richard Clarke, a former national security official and now an ABC News consultant.
'The CIA hired Blackwater to conduct targeted killings in Afghanistan.' Death Squad: Blackwater Accused of Creating 'Killing Program' --A memo obtained by SPIEGEL indicates that cooperation between the CIA and private security firm Blackwater was deeper than previously known. SPIEGEL has uncovered further details about a plan to set up squads for targeted killings of suspected al-Qaida leadership in Afghanistan... In a memo obtained by SPIEGEL, two former employees describe details of cooperation between the firm and the intelligence agency that then-Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney asked the CIA not to disclose to the United States Congress. The intelligence service commissioned Blackwater and its subsidiaries to transport terror suspects from Guantanamo to interrogations at secret prison camps in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. The paper identifies aircraft movements and unveils how the flights were disguised. The memo says: "The CIA hired Blackwater to conduct extraordinary renditions". And: "Blackwater flew the rendition targets from Fort Perry and Cuba to Kandahar, Afghanistan." Blackwater also supported the CIA with other controversial activities during the Bush years, the memo states. "The CIA hired Blackwater to conduct targeted killings in Afghanistan," it reads.
Blackwater mercenaries used for CIA renditions By Patrick Martin 24 Aug 2009 The German news magazine Der Spiegel announced Saturday that it has obtained evidence that the security firm formerly known as Blackwater Associates was hired by the CIA to transport prisoners from Guantánamo Bay to secret prisons in Central Asia where they could be tortured. US press reports late last week revealed that Blackwater had CIA contracts to carry out "targeted killings"--assassinations--and to load and service the missiles used by CIA officers to conduct assassination strikes against targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In another U-turn, Obama upholds Bush's rendition policy 24 Aug 2009 US President Barack Obama makes another U-turn, recycling the Bush regime's controversial 'extraordinary rendition' exercise. Upon taking office in January, Obama had ruled that the use of 'extraordinary rendition' was illegal under his administration. However, administration officials said on Monday that the practice will continue under the Obama White House.
Rendition of Terror Suspects Will Continue Under Obama 25 Aug 2009 The Obama administration will continue the Bush regime’s practice of sending terror suspects to third countries for detention and interrogation, but will monitor their treatment to insure they are not tortured, administration officials said on Monday. The administration officials, who announced the changes on condition that they not be identified, said that unlike the Bush administration, they would give the State Department a larger role in assuring that transferred detainees prisoners would not be abused. [See: Barack Obama: Change We Can Deceive In --A critique from the Left By Lori Price 19 Aug 2009.]
Obama creates interrogation unit to handle high-interest people around the world --Interrogators will not necessarily read prisoners their rights before questioning --Main purpose of new unit is to glean intelligence, especially about potential terrorist attacks 24 Aug 2009 President Obama has approved the creation of an elite team of interrogators to question key terrorism suspects, part of a broader effort to revamp U.S. policy on detention and interrogation, senior administration officials said Sunday. Obama signed off late last week on the unit, named the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, or HIG. Made up of experts from several intelligence and law enforcement agencies, the interrogation unit will be housed at the FBI but will be overseen by the National Security Council -- shifting the center of gravity away from the CIA and giving the White House direct oversight... Interrogators will not necessarily read detainees their rights before questioning, instead making that decision on a case-by-case basis, officials said.
Administration Releases More of Long-Classified CIA Report on Interrogations 24 Aug 2009 The Obama administration on Monday released additional portions of a long-classified CIA report on the agency's interrogation of high-level [alleged] al-Qaeda detainees prisoners. The document contains new allegations of detainee abuse torture at secret prisons around the world and seems likely to prolong a debate about the legality and effectiveness of employing coercive methods to elicit intelligence from terrorist suspects.
CIA Inspector General Report 07 May 2004 (Heavily redacted)
Justice Dept. Report Advises Pursuing C.I.A. Torture Cases 24 Aug 2009 The Justice Department’s ethics office has recommended reversing the Bush administration and reopening nearly a dozen prisoner-abuse cases, potentially exposing Central Intelligence Agency employees and contractors mercenaries to prosecution for brutal treatment of terrorism suspects, according to a person officially briefed on the matter. The recommendation by the Office of Professional Responsibility, presented to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in recent weeks, comes as the Justice Department is about to disclose on Monday voluminous details on prisoner abuse torture that were gathered in 2004 by the C.I.A.’s inspector general but have never been released.
US backdown on secret suspects in camps 24 Aug 2009 The Pentagon, in an abrupt reversal of policy, will for the first time notify the International Committee of the Red Cross of the identities of [alleged] militants held in secret at camps in Iraq and Afghanistan. The change begins to lift the veil from the US Government's most secretive remaining overseas prisons by allowing the Red Cross to track the custody of dozens of suspected terrorists and foreign fighters plucked off the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Terrorists R Us: Iraqi minister blames insiders for bomb attacks --The attacks were carried out by suicide bombers in trucks that had been allowed through checkpoints, even though large trucks are banned from the city centre during daytime. 23 Aug 2009 Iraq's Foreign Minister has blamed members of the security forces for colluding in a massive truck bombing that wrecked his ministry. Hoshyar Zebari has called for a serious investigation into last week’s bombing and has criticised a prime ministerial decision that led to the removal of most blast walls from Baghdad's streets. Nearly 100 people died and 1,000 were injured on August 19th at the Foreign Ministry and in a second explosion at the Finance Ministry. Mr Zebari said he had received information that there had been collaboration between security officers and the people [Xe] who set off the bombs.
Twin blasts kill 10 in southern Iraq 24 Aug 2009 At least 10 Iraqis have been killed and another 19 wounded when bombs exploded in two buses near the southern city of Kut, police says. Women and children were among the victims of the attacks on Monday, according to an AFP report.
Radioactive US weapons taking toll in Iraq 24 Aug 2009 Years after the US attacks on Iraq, people in the Persian Gulf state are suffering form the consequences of radioactive contamination caused by the use of depleted uranium. Iraq's Environment Minister, Narmin Othman Hasan, said Monday that depleted Uranium (DU) weapons used by US-led troops against Iraq during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the 2003 invasion still blight the country.
U.S. Military Says Its Force in Afghanistan Is Insufficient 24 Aug 2009 American military commanders with the NATO mission in Afghanistan told President Obama’s chief envoy to the region this weekend that they did not have enough troops to do 'their job' [which is WHAT?], pushed past their limit by Taliban rebels who operate across borders. The possibility that more troops will be needed in Afghanistan presents the Obama administration with another problem in dealing with a nearly eight-year war that has lost popularity at home, compounded by new questions over the credibility of the Afghan government, which has just held an as-yet inconclusive presidential election beset by complaints of fraud. [LOL! 'As-yet inconclusive presidential election beset by complaints of fraud.' That would be a 'coup.']
Afghan conflict serious, 'deteriorating'-Mullen 23 Aug 2009 The situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating along with U.S. public support for the war, Washington's top military officer said on Sunday as he left open the possibility of another increase in troops. "I think it is serious and it is deteriorating, and I've said that over the past couple of years -- that the Taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated," said Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.
3 NATO troops killed in southern Afghanistan 24 Aug 2009 Three NATO troops -- two from Estonia and one from the United States -- were killed in attacks in southern Afghanistan as fraud charges continued to pour in Monday from last week's turbulent presidential vote. On Monday night, NATO jets fired on targets near the airport in the southern city of Kandahar, which also serves as major NATO base. Witnesses reported seeing a half dozen aircraft firing at targets to the southwest of the main runway.
CLG Action Alert! Boycott Israel's IKEA Boycott --Shop Till You Drop at IKEA to Counteract Israel's Boycott! --Posted by Lori Price, www.legitgov.org 24 Aug 2009 Thousands of Israelis petition to boycott Sweden retailer IKEA By Adi Dovrat and Irit Rosenblum, Haaretz 23 Aug 2009 Thousands of Israelis have signed an online petition to boycott the Swedish furniture retailer IKEA, in the wake of a controversial article published in the Swedish daily Aftonbladet that suggested that Israeli soldiers "harvested" the organs of Palestinians.
Thousands of Israelis petition to boycott Sweden retailer IKEA By Adi Dovrat and Irit Rosenblum, Haaretz 23 Aug 2009 Thousands of Israelis have signed an online petition to boycott the Swedish furniture retailer IKEA, in the wake of a controversial article published in the Swedish daily Aftonbladet that suggested that Israeli soldiers "harvested" the organs of Palestinians. The signatories were also dismayed at the refusal of the Stockholm government to denounce the allegations under the banner of press freedom. Various figures in the Israeli government have harshly criticized the article and demanded, to no avail, that the Swedish government issue a condemnation. On Sunday it emerged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to press Stockholm for an official condemnation.
Aide says Ahmadinejad popularity 'historic' 24 Aug 2009 As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad awaits the Parliament approval of his new Cabinet, his chief of staff says the president enjoys a "historic" approval rate around the globe following his disputed re-election. Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, whose nomination as the vice president sparked a nationwide controversy in Iran, said on Monday that in the face of all developments following the June 12 election, President Ahmadinejad is more popular than ever, Parliament News reported.
CLG: Exposed: The Swine Flu Hoax By Andrew Bosworth, Ph.D. 24 Aug 2009 If the current H1N1 swine flu virus does become abnormally lethal, there would be three leading explanations: first, that the virus was accidentally released, or escaped, from a laboratory; second, that a disgruntled lab employee unleashed the virus (as happened, according to the official version of events, with the 2001 anthrax attack); or third, that a group, corporation or government agency intentionally released the virus in the interests of profit and power. Each of the three scenarios represents a plausible explanation should the swine virus become lethal. The 1918 flu virus was dead and buried -- until, that is, scientists unearthed a lead coffin to obtain a biopsy of the corpse it contained.
Swine Flu Could Kill 90,000: White House --Could infect half the U.S. population this year 24 Aug 2009 Swine flu could infect half of the U.S. population and kill as many as 90,000, more than twice the number of casualties incurred in a typical seasonal flu. The White House said in a report today that President Obama has been encouraged to push for quicker and more widespread vaccine production and appoint a staffer to be in charge of the pandemic, the Wall Street Journal reported. [The pharma-terrorists' vaccine police state push is exploding as organizations such as the CLG expose the H1N1 virus (likely created at Fort Detrick and disseminated by Baxter) fraud, those following the same path (and by the same perps) as the 'Saddam Hussein has WMD' terrorists. We are on to you. --LRP]
Flu Strategists See Schools on Front Line --In a Fairfax County 'Schools Are the Front Lines in Flu Prevention' pamphlet, principals are advised that children who go to school sick are to be given surgical masks and placed in an isolation room. 24 Aug 2009 Schools are likely to serve as centers for mass immunizations, which could sharply reduce H1N1's reach, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local authorities... Still waiting to be resolved are questions about who gets the vaccine, whether schools are used as vaccination sites, whether parents are present when children are vaccinated and whether the vaccine is administered by injection or nasal spray. Health officials in Virginia, Maryland and the District said that at least some school campuses will be used as vaccination sites.
Sources: Two Miami Dolphins corners tested for swine flu --Sean Smith and Jason Allen were suffering from flu-like symptoms; the team told the players not to attend Saturday's game. 23 Aug 2009 The Dolphins advised their players Saturday morning that two of their teammates would not attend Saturday night's game out of fear that both contracted swine flu, but test results have not yet indicated whether such fears are warranted. Cornerbacks Sean Smith and Jason Allen fell ill late last week, suffering from flu-like symptoms, which led to the team's decision to treat the situation with extreme caution by telling the players to increase their hygiene practices.
Lieberman says many health care changes can wait 23 Aug 2009 An independent senator A traitor counted on by Democrats in the health care debate showed signs of wavering Sunday when he urged President Barack Obama to postpone many of his initiatives because of the economic downturn. "I'm afraid we've got to think about putting a lot of that off until the economy's out of recession," said Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman [R-Israel].
Previous lead stories: Kidnapping we can believe in: Lebanese man is target of first rendition under Obama --Contractor Raymond Azar is arrested in Afghanistan, hooded, stripped and flown to the U.S. His alleged crime? Bribery. 22 Aug 2009 A Lebanese citizen being held in a detention center here was hooded, stripped naked for photographs and bundled onto an executive jet by FBI agents in Afghanistan in April, making him the first known target of a rendition during the Obama administration. Unlike terrorism suspects who were secretly snatched by the CIA and harshly interrogated tortured and imprisoned overseas during the George W. Bush regime, Raymond Azar was flown to this Washington suburb for a case involving inflated invoices. Azar, 45, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to commit bribery, the only charge against him. He faces a maximum of five years in prison, but a sentence of 2 1/2 years or less is likely under federal guidelines.
US military disclosing list of secret prisoners 22 Aug 2009 The Pentagon plans to give the Red Cross access to a list of terror suspects held in secret prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan, US military officials say. In another shift of policy made by the US President Barack Obama, the Pentagon will give the Red Cross access to dozens of suspected terrorists and militants held in what it calls the Special Operations camps, The New York Times reported on Saturday, citing three unidentified military officials.
Afghanistan Contractors Outnumber Troops --Despite Surge in U.S. Deployments, More Contractors Are Posted in War Zone; Reliance Echoes Controversy in Iraq 22 Aug 2009 Even as U.S. troops surge to new highs in Afghanistan they are outnumbered by military contractors working alongside them, according to a Defense Department census due to be distributed to Congress. The number of military contractors in Afghanistan rose to almost 74,000 by June 30, far outnumbering the roughly 58,000 U.S. soldiers on the ground at that point... The reliance on contractors has prompted a shift in the defense industry, sending more money to logistics and construction companies that can perform everything from basic functions to project engineering. A recent contract is worth up to $15 billion to two firms, DynCorp International Inc. and Fluor Corp., to build and support U.S. military bases throughout Afghanistan.
