Obama's Afghan Plan: About 40,000 More Troops --CBS: Sources Say Force Will Grow to 100,000 - Nearly Filling Gen. McChrystal's Request; Long-Term [Blackwater/KBR] Stay Planned 09 Nov 2009 Tonight, after months of conferences with top advisors, President Obama has settled on a new strategy for Afghanistan. CBS News reports that the president will send a lot more troops and plans to keep a large force there, long term. ...Informed sources tell CBS News he intends to give Gen. Stanley McChrystal most, if not all, the additional troops he is asking for. McChrystal wanted 40,000 and the president has tentatively decided to send four combat brigades plus thousands more support troops.
CLG Exclusive: Fort Hood: 'This story stinks to high heaven.' --SFC, who spent ten years at Fort Hood, comments on Ft. Hood events 09 Nov 2009 I spent 10 years at Ft Hood. There is no way this 'official' story is legitimate. No way would a room full of combat vets allow this one shooter to get off over 100 rounds! And, it is not normal for the outside security guards to be there. They are at the MP station, and at the main gates. This means the room full of soldiers processing must have been pinned down; multiple shooters is the only plausible scenario. This sounds like MAJ Hasan has been used, and perhaps is a patsy. --SFC Donald Buswell (Retired)
Hasan Computer Reveals No Terror Ties 09 Nov 2009 A preliminary review of the computer of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the accused shooter in Thursday's rampage at Fort Hood in which 13 people were killed, has revealed no evidence of any connection to terror groups or conspirators, according to law enforcement officials. CBS News reports that an examination of the computer has revealed Hasan visited Web sites promoting radical Islamic views, but investigators have not found any e-mail communications with outside facilitators or known terrorists.
CIA Denies Report of Blocking Hasan Intel --Officials Tell CBS News Agency Isn't Withholding Information on Suspected Fort Hood Shooter 09 Nov 2009 Responding to a report that the Army psychiatrist suspected in last week's Fort Hood shootings had tried to contact people within al Qaeda - and that government intelligence agencies knew about it and are refusing to brief Congress on it - a U.S. intelligence official told CBS News that the CIA isn't withholding information from Congress. "There's no sign at this point that the CIA had collected information relevant to this case and then simply sat on it," the official told CBS News. ABC News published the report Monday morning with details that the CIA was refusing to brief the congressional committees charged with overseeing the intelligence agencies, a senior lawmaker told ABC.
U.S. Monitored Fort Hood Suspect Before Shooting 10 Nov 2009 Intelligence agencies intercepted communications last year and this year between Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who is accused of shooting to death 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex., and a radical cleric in Yemen known for his incendiary anti-American teachings. But federal authorities dropped an inquiry into the matter after deciding that the messages warranted no further action, government officials said on Monday. Major Hasan’s exchanges with the cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, once a spiritual leader at a mosque in suburban Virginia where Major Hasan worshipped, indicate that the authorities were aware of Major Hasan before last Thursday’s deadly rampage, but did nothing.
Officials: U.S. Aware of Hasan Efforts to Contact 'al Qaeda' --Army Major in Fort Hood Massacre Used 'Electronic Means' to Connect with Terrorists 09 Nov 2009 U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda [al-CIAduh], two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News. It is not known whether the intelligence agencies informed the Army that one of its officers was seeking to connect with suspected al Qaeda figures, the officials said.
Lawyer asks investigators not to question Hasan 09 Nov 2009 A lawyer for the Army psychiatrist accused in a deadly shooting spree at Fort Hood said Monday he asked investigators not to question his client and expressed doubt that the suspect would be able to get a fair trial, given the widespread attention to the case. Retired Col. John P. Galligan said he was contacted Monday by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's family and was headed to an Army hospital in San Antonio to meet Hasan. "Until I meet with him, it's best to say we're just going to protect all of his rights," Galligan said... Galligan questioned whether Hasan could get a fair trial in either criminal or military court, given President Barack Obama's planned visit to the base on Tuesday and public comments by the post commander, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone.
Hoekstra to launch investigation into Fort Hood shooting, dubs it 'homegrown jihadism' 09 Nov 2009 A key Republican lawmaker on Monday asked that the Obama administration keep documents relevant to the Fort Hood shooting available so Congress can continue its investigation into what he called an incident of "homegrown jihadism." Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Insane-Mich.), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a preservation order to the heads of the FBI, CIA, NSA and Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair directing them to keep the documents as part of his committee's review of the attacks.
Soldier Found With 100 Pounds of C-4 Released From Jail --The ATF, FBI and Montgomery County Bomb Squad investigated the case, trying to determine whether the explosives came from Fort Campbell. 05 Nov 2009 An Army Special Forces soldier who admitted to police that he was stockpiling military-grade explosives outside his home near Fort Campbell was released from jail into the custody of his wife. U.S. Magistrate Judge Cliff Knowles gave the order releasing 25-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Ryan Richards during a detention hearing Thursday in federal court in Nashville. He was charged with possessing two unregistered automatic weapons but he has not yet entered a plea.
Soldier Arrested After C-4 Explosives, Unregistered Guns Found At Home --The explosives were found in crates. 02 Nov 2009 An Army Special Forces soldier has been arrested following the discovery of 100 pounds of explosives at his Tennessee home in Montgomery County. Timothy Ryan Richards appeared in federal court Monday in Nashville on charges of possessing two unregistered guns. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent Eric Kehn said he expects Richards will face more charges related to the discovery of the explosives... The house is located near the Fort Campbell, Ky., Army post where the solider is based.
US marine slain by fellow soldier at N Carolina base 09 Nov 2009 A US marine has been killed by a fellow soldier in Camp Lejeune, military investigators at the Marine base in North Carolina have found. Private Jonathan Law, 21, "is in the custody of military authorities... for the alleged homicide of Corporal Joshua E. Hartzell, 22, early Friday morning," said Captain Timothy Patrick, base public affairs officer on Monday, reported AFP.
British spies help prevent al Qaeda-inspired attack on New York subway 09 Nov 2009 British spies have foiled a terrorist plot by a suspected al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] operative to blow up the New York subway. The plan, which reportedly would have been the biggest attack on America since 9/11, was uncovered after Scotland Yard intercepted an email. The force alerted the FBI, who launched an operation which led to airport shuttle bus driver Najibullah Zazi, 24, being charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.
Ind. base hosts nuclear terrorist attack training --Over 4K military personnel taking part in training 09 Nov 2009 Thousands of military personnel, first responders and emergency workers are experiencing the ultimate test at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center. They are participants in a joint exercise, called Vibrant Response, that simulates a terrorist nuclear attack in a US city. Over 4,000 military and civilian personnel from around the country are taking part in the exercise. Vibrant Response involves urban and aerial search-and-rescue missions, nuclear, biological and radiological decontamination, as well as airlift and medical training. General Victor Renuart, the four-star Air Force general in charge of NORAD, attended the training Monday.
Troops train for nuclear attack in southern Indiana 09 Nov 2009 Thousands of members of the military trained for a "ground zero" scenario in Indiana this week. The troops, from several branches of the military, worked together to simulate the aftermath of a nuclear attack. The exercise, underway at Muscatatuck Training Center, plays out the problem areas in a nuclear disaster, from search and rescue to decontamination. [See: Minot AFB Clandestine Nukes 'Oddities'.]
Two more from Fort Lewis confirmed killed in Afghanistan 09 Nov 2009 The Department of Defense confirmed today the death of two Fort Lewis soldiers who died Thursday in Jelewar, Afghanistan. Spc. Gary L. Gooch Jr., 22, of Ocala, Fla. and Spc. Aaron S. Aamot, 22, of Custer, Wash., died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
US helicopter pilots die in Iraq 09 Nov 2009 Two US army pilots have been killed in a helicopter crash in central Iraq, the US military has said. Their helicopter "experienced a hard landing" at a base in Salahuddin Province on Sunday, a statement said without giving further details. The incident was under investigation and there was no indication that enemy action had been involved, it added.
Schumer Calls for Review as Millions in Stimulus Funds Aid Foreign Firms 09 Nov 2009 Sen. Charles Schumer called for a "comprehensive" review on Monday of all renewable energy projects seeking funding from the economic stimulus package, following reports that $849 million in U.S. grants have gone to foreign wind companies in the past two months alone. The New York Democrat first intervened last week, writing a letter to Energy Secretary Steven Chu urging him to deny stimulus funding to a Texas wind farm that would rely on wind turbines made in China. The $1.5 billion project would create up to 3,000 jobs in China but only 330 jobs in the United States, most of which would be temporary, according to one report.
Report: $30B in Bonuses Doled on Wall St. 09 Nov 2009 Just a year after receiving a record-setting amount of government aid to rescue their failing companies, three of Wall Street's giants will pay the government's generosity forward, in the form of nearly $30 billion worth of executive bonuses, according a report in Bloomberg. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, which have all exited the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, are set to dole out $29.7 billion in bonus money. According to Bloomberg, "The money, split among 119,000 employees, equals $250,400 each, almost five times the $50,303 median household income in the U.S. last year."
U.S. Joblessness May Reach 13 Percent, Rosenberg Says 09 Nov 2009 The U.S. unemployment rate may rise to a post-World War II high of 13 percent in the aftermath of the recession Bush Depression, said David Rosenberg, chief economist at Gluskin Sheff & Associates Inc. in Toronto. "This is going to be the mother of all jobless recoveries," Rosenberg said today in an interview on Bloomberg Radio.
A Tea Party party registers in Florida 09 Nov 2009 A Florida conservative [Orlando lawyer Frederic O’Neal, the new party's chairman] has registered an official "Tea Party" with the office of the Secretary of State, and is promising to run candidates against Republicans and Democrats in state and national races. A spokeswoman for the Florida Secretary of State, Jennifer Davis, said the party had registered in August, and that its qualified candidates will appear on the ballot in the state.
Pro-Choice Caucus: Bill contains 'unprecedented' attack on abortion rights 09 Nov 2009 Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., and Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., co-chairs of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, today released the text of a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi that they are circulating on the abortion provision in the health care bill. USA TODAY's John Fritze says the House bill would prohibit people who receive government subsidies from getting insurance coverage for an abortion procedure even through a private health insurance plan. It also would prohibit the government-run insurance plan from offering abortions.
Lieberman on Fox News Sunday: "I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote" 09 Nov 2009 Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Israel) reiterated his commitment to filibuster any bill which contains the public option [that the hypocritical maggot advocated in the 2006 CT Democratic primary] in an interview with Chris Wallace.
Gov. Rell will not seek reelection 09 Nov 2009 Connecticut Gov. M Jodi Rell (R) announced Monday she will not seek reelection. The surprise announcement came during an early evening press conference, NBC Connecticut was first to report. The news comes with several Democrats considering a run for the state's top job.
Radioactive waste to be put in £18bn hole --Each reactor will produce about 20 tonnes of highly radioactive spent fuel per year, which will remain lethal for up to 100,000 years. 09 Nov 2009 Radioactive waste from a new generation of British nuclear power stations will be buried deep underground in a storage facility that could cost up to £18 billion to build, under plans to be announced by the Government today. Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, will give the formal green light to a plan to construct a "deep geological repository" for permanent disposal of the 200 tonnes of high-level waste produced annually by the ten new reactors planned for Britain.
News Corp Sites May Be Removed From Google 09 Nov 2009 News Corp chairman [sociopath] Rupert Murdoch has suggested the company's online newspaper pages will be invisible to Google users when it launches its new paid content strategy. He claimed that readers who randomly reach a page via an internet search hold little value to advertisers. When asked by Sky News Australia's political editor David Speers why News Corp has not stopped Google from finding its content, Mr Murdoch replied: "I think we will."
Chemicals in Our Food, and Bodies By Nicholas D. Kristof 08 Nov 2009 Your body is probably home to a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA. It’s a synthetic estrogen that United States factories now use in everything from plastics to epoxies — to the tune of six pounds per American per year... Now it turns out it’s in our food. Consumer Reports magazine tested an array of brand-name canned foods for a report in its December issue and found BPA in almost all of them. ...[More] than 200 other studies have shown links between low doses of BPA and adverse health effects, according to the Breast Cancer Fund, which is trying to ban the chemical from food and beverage containers.
Previous lead stories: Are you ready? Wait for it... it's good: Fort Hood shooting: Texas army killer linked to September 11 terrorists --Major Nidal Malik Hasan worshipped at a mosque led by a radical imam said to be a 'spiritual adviser' to three of the 'hijackers' who attacked America on Sept 11, 2001. 07 Nov 2009 Hasan, the sole suspect in the ['Manchurian Candidate'-style] massacre of 13 fellow US soldiers in Texas, attended the controversial Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Great Falls, Virginia, in 2001 at the same time as two of the September 11 terrorists, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. The preacher at the time was Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Yemeni scholar who was banned from addressing a meeting in London by video link in August because he is accused of supporting attacks on British troops and backing terrorist organisations.
Oops! Langley editors falling down on the job: Osama bin Laden videotape a repeat 07 Nov 2009 A videotape of Osama bin Laden released on Friday is a repeat of a tape released many months ago. IntelCenter, a U.S.-based terrorism monitoring company, says the latest videotape is the Pashto-language version of the previously released tape. Titled "To Our People in Pakistan," the original tape was released on July 12th in Arabic and Urdu, IntelCenter said Friday. Excerpts had already been screened by Al-Jazeera television (on June 3rd) IntelCenter added.
Mission accomplished! Iraq Minister Says Three Oilfields to Pump 6 Million Barrels 09 Nov 2009 Iraq expects three of its oilfields will together pump more than 6 million barrels a day once foreign companies complete development work they were awarded this year. BP Plc and other international oil companies have signed contracts for the Rumaila, Zubair and West Qurna fields, which were originally offered in Iraq’s first post-war licensing round in June.
