Pakistani FM: US may know Bin Laden's hideout 07 Oct 2009 The United States may know the location of Osama Bin Laden's hideout, says the Pakistan's foreign minister. "US may be aware of the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden," Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters in Washington on Tuesday, according to the India-based Sifynews. The United States had recently claimed that the notorious al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] leader has sought refuge in Pakistan. The US President Barack Obama's Administration has repeatedly claimed that the al-Qaeda and its affiliates live in the rugged western regions of Pakistan on the Afghan border. The United States has used such claims as an excuse to attack the tribal areas in the region using its pilotless, predator drones. The strikes have resulted in massive civilian casualties, something that the Pakistani government and people have strongly opposed.
US says bin Laden is in Pakistan [Of course he is! Congress passes aid package for Pakistan worth $1.5 B a year for five years --Pakistan seeks long U.S. commitment. See, just *mentioning* (the deceased) former CIA asset gets those tax dollars flowing to US mercenaries and corpora-terrorists. 07 Oct 2009 The United States has announced that most of the masterminds of the 9/11 terror campaign have shifted from Afghanistan to Pakistan. The US State Department has told reporters that the terrorists left Afghanistan to enter Pakistan, where they are still carrying out their activities. [Yeah, too bad the CIA didn't take action in July 2001 when they visited bin Laden in a US hospital. See: Bin Laden was met in July 2001 at the American hospital at Dubaï 31 Oct 2001 Osama Bin Laden was treated in July at the American hospital in Dubaï where he met a person in charge of the CIA, the French daily newspaper the Barber and Radio International France (RFI) reported on Wednesday... He left the establishment on July 14, adds the Barber. During this stay, reports the daily newspaper, the local representative of the CIA was seen going in the room of Bin Laden. "A few days later, the CIA man bragged in front of some friends that he had visited the billionaire Saudi". Bin Laden is sought by the United States for terrorism since the attacks against the American embassies of Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. But Osama's links with the CIA are older and go up back to the time where Bin Laden took part in the combat in Afghanistan against the Soviet forces.]
US, Afghan forces kill Afghan child in raid [Hurry and read before the AP changes its headline! Soon it will read: US forces kill al-Qaeda number two in raid] 08 Oct 2009 The U.S. military says American and Afghan forces accidentally killed a child during a raid on a 'Taliban' compound in eastern Afghanistan. Civilian deaths threaten to undermine Afghan support for international forces, and the U.S. commander in Afghanistan has made protecting innocent Afghans a priority. [Apparently, *not.*]
Deadly bomb explodes near Indian embassy in Kabul --Rush-hour blast on busy road in Afghan capital kills at least 12 people and injures dozens 08 Oct 2009 A large suicide bomb exploded near the Indian embassy in Kabul this morning, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens. Officials said it was a suicide attack. The head of Kabul's hospitals said at least 67 people were injured in the attack, which occurred on a busy road that also houses Afghanistan's interior ministry.
Spanish soldier dies in Afghanistan blast 07 Oct 2009 An explosion has killed a Spanish soldier serving with the US-led NATO troops in Afghanistan, amid widespread discontent over the foreign forces' handling of the war. Five other Spanish troopers were wounded in the deadly incident that took place at Syah Washann, near Herat in western Afghanistan. Media reports said the blast was caused by a landmine.
Taliban say they're no threat to other countries --8 years after U.S. invasion, insurgent group says ready for 'prolonged war' 07 Oct 2009 Afghanistan's insurgent Taliban marked the eighth anniversary of the U.S. invasion Wednesday saying they have no "agenda" to harm other countries but would continue fighting as long as America and its allies remain in the troubled nation. The Taliban insistence that it would pose no threat to other countries appeared aimed at countering suspicions that the Islamist movement would support 'al-Qaida's' global jihad if they returned to power.
Obombings you can BELIEVE in: Is the U.S. Preparing to Bomb Iran? 06 Oct 2009 Is the U.S. stepping up preparations for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities? Based on a little-noticed Pentagon funding request recently sent to Congress, the answer to that question appears to be yes. The comptroller said the Pentagon planned to spend $19.1 million to procure four of the bombs, $28.3 million to accelerate the bomb's "development and testing", and $21 million to accelerate the integration of the bomb [Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 30,000-pound bomb designed to hit targets buried 200 feet below ground] onto B-2 stealth bombers. On Friday, the request was quietly approved.
'US behind Iran pilgrim disappearance' 07 Oct 2009 Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said the US is behind the disappearance of the Iranian Umrah pilgrim, Shahram Amiri, in Saudi Arabia. "We have found documents that prove US interference in the disappearance of the Iranian pilgrim Shahram Amiri in Saudi Arabia," Mottaki told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The Iranian minister, however, pointed out that the Saudi government is responsible for its failure to fully protect the Iranian pilgrim.
Defense Exports Top $6b 07 Oct 2009 Israeli defense companies signed $6.3 billion worth of new export contracts for weapons, munitions, technologies, and equipment during 2008 and $20.3 billion in 2005-08, according to the Ministry of Defense. The figures are much higher than U.S. Congress estimates, according to a report in Defense News, and makes Israel the world's third largest defense exporter after the U.S. and Russia.
DoD Lacks Oversight on War Costs 07 Oct 2009 Defense auditors have found at least $6 billion in questionable charges generated by sloppy accounting or, worse, contractors trying to bilk the military. Yet, the Pentagon has done a poor job of recovering the money and forcing companies to improve, according to the independent Commission on Wartime Contracting. The panel cites dysfunction among auditors and contract managers, a shortage of personnel and a failure to be more confrontational with contractors who don't measure up.
Detainee's Lawyers to Get Interrogation Tapes 06 Oct 2009 A federal judge on Monday disclosed the existence of videotapes that may reveal potentially abusive interrogations of a Guantanamo Bay detainee prisoner, and ordered the government to provide copies of the tapes to the man's lawyers. Lawyers for the detainee, Mohammed al-Qahtani, say they think the tapes will show that their client made incriminating statements only because he was tortured. A top Bush administration official, Susan J. Crawford, conceded in January that Qahtani had been subjected to techniques that included sustained isolation, sleep deprivation, nudity and prolonged exposure to cold. She said at the time that such treatment, which took place in late 2002 and early 2003 at the U.S. military prison in Cuba, placed Qahtani in a "life threatening situation." "We tortured" Qahtani, Crawford said at the time.
Alleged U.S. Contractor Rape Victim Fights for Day in Court --Senate Passes Amendment to Stop Contractors From Forcing Employees into Arbitration 07 Oct 2009 Jamie Leigh Jones was a 20-year-old young woman working her fourth day on the job in Baghdad for contractor Halliburton/KBR in 2005, when she says she was drugged and gang-raped by seven U.S contractors and held captive by two KBR guards in a shipping container. But Jones is still waiting for her day in court because when she signed her employment contract, she lost her rights to a jury trial and, instead, was forced into having her claims decided through secret, binding arbitration. Today, the Senate approved an amendment by a vote of 68-30 that would prohibit "the Defense Department from contracting with companies that require employees to resolve sexual assault allegations and other claims through arbitration." [The thirty scumbags who voted no: Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Gregg (R-NH) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Kyl (R-AZ) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Wicker (R-MS).]
Leader Ousted, Honduras Hires U.S. Lobbyists 08 Oct 2009 First, depose a president. Second, hire a lobbyist. In the months since soldiers ousted the Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, the de facto government and its supporters have resisted demands from the United States that he be restored to power. Arguing that the left-leaning Mr. Zelaya posed a threat to their country’s fragile democracy by trying to extend his time in office illegally, they have made their case in Washington in the customary way: by starting a high-profile lobbying campaign. The campaign has had the effect of forcing the administration to send mixed signals about its position to the de facto [illegitimate] government, which reads them as signs of encouragement. Costing at least $400,000 so far, according to lobbying registration records, the campaign has involved law firms and public relations agencies with close ties to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator John McCain, a leading Republican voice on foreign affairs.
AP sources: FBI eyes terror suspect's travel talk --Court documents indicate investigators have been examining Zazi's cell phone, e-mail traffic 08 Oct 2009 A man accused of plotting a terror attack in New York City contacted accomplices there while making a cross-country drive from Denver, raising concerns among investigators that he was sending instructions to purchase more bomb-making chemicals, officials familiar with the case said. Terrorism investigators are trying to determine whether suspect Najibullah Zazi sent instructions to associates to purchase more chemicals to build bombs as he drove from Denver to New York last month, according to law enforcement officials.
Mass. bill would OK quarantines in health crises --The quarantine order could come in writing or verbally. 07 Oct 2009 Massachusetts lawmakers are considering giving public health officials the authority to isolate individuals and set up quarantines to contain the outbreak of serious contagious diseases. The bill would also give the public health commissioner the power to evacuate public buildings, close access to contaminated areas, and purchase and distribute serums, vaccines or antibiotics. . The bill, which has been in the works for years, is set to be debated by House lawmakers on Thursday.
Sebelius: Americans must get swine flu vaccination 07 Oct 2009 Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appealed anew Wednesday for widespread inoculation against a surging swine flu threat, calling the vaccine "safe and secure." Appearing on morning news shows to step up the Obama administration's campaign for vaccinations, Sebelius said that "the adverse effects are minimal. ... We know it's safe and secure. ...This is definitely is a safe vaccine for people to get." [Petition against mandatory vaccines (6000 signatures) New Facebook group: Swine-11 was an Inside Job.]
AP Poll: Third of parents oppose swine flu vaccine --AP poll: 72 percent of those surveyed worried about side effects 07 Oct 2009 As the first wave of swine flu vaccine crosses the country, more than a third of parents don't want their kids vaccinated, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. Some parents say they are concerned about side effects from the new vaccine while others say swine flu doesn't amount to any greater health threat than seasonal flu. The AP poll found that 38 percent of parents said they were unlikely to give permission for their kids to be vaccinated at school.
Rite Aid changes pregnant women's flu shot policy --It has long been more difficult for pregnant women to get a flu shot, partly because many obstetricians don't vaccinate and some pharmacists are wary of vaccinating them. 07 Oct 2009 Drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. is changing a flu-shot policy that required pregnant women to first get a doctor's prescription. Spokeswoman Cheryl Slavinsky of the Camp Hill, Pa.-based company said now, where state law allows, pregnant women seeking a flu shot at a Rite Aid store can get one without a prescription. Walgreen Co. and CVS Caremark Corp. say they do not require pregnant women to have a doctor's note.
Gillibrand Secures Additional $4 Million In Security Grants For Religious Institutions 07 Oct 2009 U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced today that an additional $4 million dollars in federal anti-terror funding to help safeguard civil, religious and community institutions from terrorist attack will be included in the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, for a total of $19 million in federal resources. Gillibrand requested the additional funds for The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) non-profit program immediately after a bomb plot targeting two synagogues in the Bronx was thwarted.
Dem Rep. Accuses GOP of Sexism over Pelosi Jab 07 Oct 2009 A congresswoman from Florida is blasting the Republican party for belittling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, suggesting that sexist comments should come as no surprise from a group that includes few women or minorities. After the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) rebuked Pelosi for recent criticisms of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) boiled down the GOP comments to sexism.
UK's only polar bear to move to Highlands 07 Oct 2009 The UK’s only polar bear is getting ready to relocate from Edinburgh to the Highlands. An appeal launched by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has raised the £75,000 needed to move Mercedes to her new enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kincraig, Kingussie. Mercedes was rescued from her native Canada after she was scheduled to be shot.
Previous lead stories: Draft Senate Bill: In Cybersecurity Emergencies, President Can Seize Control of Computer Networks --The President would be able to declare a Cybersecurity emergency and then direct the response to that threat. 06 Oct 2009 ...[A]ides to Senator Jay Rockefeller reportedly have been working recently on a revised draft Senate bill that would give the President broad powers in the event of a Cybersecurity emergency, and that apparently would go so far as allowing the President to temporarily seize control over computer networks in the private sector. This power is akin to the power President [sic] Bush exerted when he grounded commercial aircraft in the wake of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, according to a reported Senate source.
Congress passes aid package for Pakistan worth $1.5 B a year for five years --Pakistan seeks long U.S. commitment [I'm sure they do. The US gives the best bl*wjob$.] 06 Oct 2009 Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met with U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton and urged the United States to articulate a long-term vision for the region, amid debate over U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. When asked how long he thought the U.S. should stay in Afghanistan, Qureshi said "until the job is done. A peaceful, stable Afghanistan. A peaceful, stable region." Congress just passed an aid package for Pakistan worth $1.5 billion a year for the next five years to help 'combat' extremism and foster social and economic development.
New Glaxo orders point to big flu vaccine windfall 06 Oct 2009 GlaxoSmithKline Plc won a further 22 government orders for its H1N1 swine flu vaccine in the last two months, taking the total number of doses ordered to 440 million worth some $3.5 billion. The Britain-based drugmaker said on Tuesday first supplies were being shipped to governments this week and deliveries would continue through both the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first half of 2010. The addition of a further 149 million orders since Aug. 4, when Glaxo last gave an update, points to a substantial sales and profit windfall as a result of the[ir] swine flu pandemic.
