DHS Announces New Information-Sharing Tool to Help Fusion Centers Combat Terrorism --Select fusion center personnel with a federal security clearance will be able to access specific terrorism-related information resident on the DoD Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet). 14 Sep 2009 The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Defense (DoD) today announced an initiative to grant select state and major urban area fusion center personnel access to classified terrorism-related information residing in DoD's classified network. Under this initiative, select fusion center personnel with a federal security clearance will be able to access specific terrorism-related information resident on the DoD Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet)--a secure network used to send classified data. This classified data will be accessed via DHS' Homeland Security Data Network (HSDN)... This joint initiative will promote collaboration between DHS, DoD and other federal departments and agencies, enabling the trusted and secure exchange of terrorism-related information in order to detect, deter, prevent and respond to homeland security threats. [For more on Fusion Centers, see: Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment: Universities Possible Terror Portals --2009 Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment.]
Homeland Security tells businesses to quarantine sick workers 14 Sep 2009 A new federal guide for businesses on the H1N1 flu tells employers to quarantine sick workers and have them wear surgical masks. The guide was released Monday by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "If an employee does become sick while at work, place the employee in a separate room or area until they can go home, away from other workers," the federal H1N1 guidebook says.
Breaking: Petition against mandatory flu vaccines reaches five thousand signatures - please add yours!
Hold on to your hats! A Grade 'A' sociopath is drafting an Internet bill: Lieberman to draft cyber bill 14 Sep 2009 Sen. Joe Lieberman (R-Israel) plans to push legislation this year that would bolster the government against cyber attacks and may require private companies to meet new security standards. Lieberman, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and ranking member Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Monday told Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials and financial-services representatives at a hearing on the topic that the public and private sectors are not coordinating enough to prevent high-tech threats against critical networks. The pair also said they were going to take a hard look [!] at how effective Homeland Security officials have been at thwarting attacks across federal networks. [I don't want LieberBush taking a hard look -- or a soft look -- at *anything* to do w. the Internet *or* Homeland Security! --LRP]
Prosecutors: Blackwater Guards Opened Fire to 'Instigate Gun Battles' 14 Sep 2009 Private security guards Terrorists who worked for Blackwater repeatedly shot wildly into the streets of Baghdad without regard for civilians long before they were involved in a 2007 shooting episode that left at least 14 Iraqis dead, federal prosecutors charge in a new court document. While traveling through Baghdad in heavily armored vehicles, at least one of the guards, under contract with the State Department to provide security for United States Embassy personnel, fired an automatic weapon "without aiming" while another deliberately fired into the streets to "instigate gun battles in a manner that was inconsistent with the use of force and escalation of force policies that governed all Blackwater personnel in Iraq," the federal prosecutors stated. [Looks like CLG was right all along for stating that Blackwater/Xe carries out acts of terrorism so that they are 'needed' to stop attacks that they are blaming on so-called insurgents. --LRP]
'When he arrived home from work afterward, he was told that one of his roommates had been hauled away.' 3 New York residences raided in terrorism probe --Sen. Schumer: Law enforcement action unrelated to President Obama's visit to city Monday 14 Sep 2009 FBI agents and police raided three apartments in New York City before dawn Monday during an investigation of a man suspected of being 'an al-Qaida' associate... New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne confirmed that searches were conducted in the borough of Queens by agents of a joint terrorism task force. Residents on Monday described officers armed with search warrants swarming their immigrant neighborhood at about 2:30 a.m. One, Afghanistan native Akbari Amanullah, said when he arrived home from work afterward, he was told that one of his roommates had been hauled away. [Click here for further updates.]
Official: NYC Raids Disrupted Possible Terror Attack --'Al Qaeda' Suspect Tracked to New York Over the Weekend, Met with Possible Followers 14 Sep 2009 Authorities raided properties in New York City today in an effort that was intended to disrupt the plans of a terror suspect whose travels had been tracked by the FBI, according to an official briefed on the raids. "He was being watched and concern grew as he met with a group of individuals in Queens over the weekend," [
FBI, Police Raid New York Homes in Terror Probe --Investigators had suspects under surveillance 14 Sep 2009 Federal law enforcement agents and New York police raided several locations in New York City as part of a joint terrorism investigation, a police department spokesman said. Searches took place in the borough of Queens, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter who added that investigators had suspects under surveillance. Dave Cardona, special agent in charge of the FBI’s criminal division in New York, confirmed the investigation. New York police are assisting in the matter, the department said.
UK liquid bomb convicts handed stiff terms 14 Sep 2009 A British court has handed hefty jail terms to three men convicted of plotting a catastrophic attack onboard at least seven transatlantic commercial airliners. The verdict on Monday sentenced 28-year-old 'ringleader' Abdulla Ahmed Ali to at least 40 years behind bars without parole, while Assad Sarwar, 29, and Tanvir Hussain, 28, got prison sentences of least 36 and 32 years, respectively.
NYC Terror Raids a Cover For Covert US War Front: US Launches Military Strike in Somalia Against 'al Qaeda' Target 14 Sep 2009 A U.S. commando attack in Somalia has 'killed' an al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] operative who is on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists, sources tell ABC News. Several sources tell ABC News at least one U.S. helicopter fired on a convoy carrying suspected 'al Qaeda' targets in southern Somalia. An American official says a U.S. Navy ship was also nearby to monitor the situation and provide assistance if needed. Saleh Ali Nabhan's death has not yet been officially confirmed, but sources tell ABC News that his body is now in U.S. custody. [Right, he'll be back again, to provide cover for another Pentagon 'oopsie' bombing, when the media attention needs to be elsewhere. --LRP]
He's baaack: 'Bin Laden' message harangues US 14 Sep 2009 An audio message purportedly by 'al-Qaeda' leader Osama Bin Laden has been released on an Islamist website. The message, entitled "a statement to the American people", was about 10 minutes long and was accompanied by a still image of Bin Laden but no video. [As always.] In the message, a voice tells the US president that he is "powerless" to stop the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The message comes just two days after the US marked the eighth anniversary of the 11 September attacks on America.
'Osama bin Laden' Message Surfaces in Wake of 9/11 Anniversary --Message Blames U.S. Support of Israel for Sept. 11 Attacks 13 Sep 2009 The tape contains no specific threats to the U.S., and the al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] leader says his message is to counter the White House argument that the war on terror is being waged to protect U.S. security. 'Bin Laden' also tries to link President Obama to the Bush Administration, saying "the sour reality is that the new administration is still covering you in the shroud of darkness." Bin Laden criticizes Obama for using "the same heads of defense from Cheney and Bush," specifically naming Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and General David Petraeus.
Four killed in U.S. missile strike in Pakistan 14 Sep 2009 A suspected U.S. drone fired a missile at a Taliban target in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region on Monday, killing at least four militants, intelligence officials and residents said.
Victims' families tell their stories following Nato airstrike in Afghanistan --'I took some flesh home and called it my son.' The Guardian interviews 11 villagers 11 Sep 2009 At first light last Friday, in the Chardarah district of Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan, the villagers gathered around the twisted wreckage of two fuel tankers that had been hit by a Nato airstrike. They picked their way through a heap of almost a hundred charred bodies and mangled limbs which were mixed with ash, mud and the melted plastic of jerry cans, looking for their brothers, sons and cousins. They called out their names but received no answers. By this time, everyone was dead.
Afghan war claims life of 214th British serviceman 15 Sep 2009 Another British soldier died of gunshot wounds in Helmand province yesterday – the fifth to be killed in the district of Babaji since the end of an operation to clear it of Taliban fighters. The soldier from the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, who was serving with The Light Dragoons battlegroup, was shot while on foot patrol on Sunday night.
Iraq shoe-thrower's release delayed 14 Sep 2009 The release of Muntazer al-Zaidi, the television reporter jailed for throwing his shoes at George Bush, the former US president [sic], has been delayed, according to his brother. He was set to be freed on Monday because of good behaviour.
Iraq shoe-throwing reporter to leave jail as celebrity --Well-wishers carried balloons, flags, banners and portraits of the jailed reporter, seeking a first glimpse of him at liberty. 13 Sep 2009 Muntazer al-Zaidi, the television reporter jailed for throwing his shoes in disgust at former US president [sic] George W. Bush, was expected to be freed to a joyous welcome on Monday, his family said. Zaidi was initially sentenced to three years for assaulting a foreign head of state but had his jail time reduced to one year on appeal. He is set to be freed early because of good behaviour.
White Supremacist Held on $1 Million Bail for Facebook Threats By Terrence O'Brien 14 Sep 2009 ...22-year-old James Gallagher, of Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, failed to see the flaw in his plan when, via his Facebook page, he announced his intention to shoot up the entirety of nearby Springfield Township... Those messages were brought to the attention of local authorities, who then placed a detective on the case. The detective went undercover online and was able to gain access to Gallagher's profile, which contained not only the threatening messages but several photos of him brandishing heavy firearms, including AK-47 and AR-15 assault rifles.
Ministers retreat on child database 15 Sep 2009 Moves to vet every adult who works with children are set to be watered down after the Government ordered a last-minute review of the controversial anti-paedophile scheme. Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, acted amid fury that the criminal record checks would affect parents who give lifts to children on behalf of sports teams or voluntary organisations such as the Scouts. The move comes after The Independent revealed that prominent children's authors, including Philip Pullman and Anthony Horowitz, have threatened to stop visiting schools rather than subject themselves to the "insulting" requirement.
Insert eye-roll here: Obama to Wall Street: Get behind regulatory reform 14 Sep 2009 President Barack Obama warned financial firms on Monday to heed the lessons of Lehman Brothers' collapse a year ago and get behind a regulatory overhaul he wants Congress to pass this year. Obama, who has focused most of his energy on healthcare reform in recent weeks, went to Wall Street to highlight another top priority of his administration -- updating financial rules to prevent another economic collapse.
Stop Begging Obama and Get Mad By Chris Hedges 14 Sep 2009 The right-wing accusations against Barack Obama are true. He is a socialist, although he practices socialism for corporations. He is squandering the country’s future with deficits that can never be repaid. He has retained and even bolstered our surveillance state to spy on Americans. He is forcing us to buy into a health care system that will enrich corporations and expand the abuse of our for-profit medical care... He will not end our wars. He will not rebuild the nation. He is a tool of the corporate state.
Wis. DNR: Plant a tree, help a polar bear 13 Sep 2009 Plant a tree in Wisconsin and help save the habitat for polar bears thousands of miles away on frozen ice. That's the message of a new project called "tree planting for climate change" involving a partnership between the state Department of Natural Resources and Polar Bears International. DNR secretary Matt Frank says planting trees is one way for people to reduce their carbon footprint and help combat global climate change.
Afghanistan prisoners to be allowed to challenge their detention for first time 13 Sep 2009 Prisoners held in Afghanistan for years without trial in a notorious military prison and accused of being Taliban fighters or terrorists will for the first time be able to challenge their detention. More than 600 prisoners held at Bagram airbase will be given a chance to have their case reviewed under a new scheme disclosed by the Pentagon... The move was met cautiously by lawyers working with prisoners. Ramzi Kassem, a law professor at City University of New York acting for a Yemeni seized in Thailand in 2002 said it was "window dressing". "The whole thing was meant to pull the wool over the eyes of the judicial system. These changes don't come anywhere near an adequate substitute for a real review." The guidelines came to light as President Barack Obama's administration reviewed Bush-era detention policies. His government is currently in US court battles with lawyers seeking to gain full legal rights for Bagram detainees.
U.S. soldier held in shooting death of KBR contractor on American base 13 Sep 2009 A U.S. soldier was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting today of a civilian contractor on an American military base in the northern Iraq city of Tikrit, the military said. The shooting occurred at 8:30 a.m. and the man died of his wounds later in the day. The Associated Press later reported that Houston-based KBR confirmed he was one of its employees, 27-year-old Lucas Vinson.
