Breaking: Judge: Corps' negligence caused Katrina flooding 18 Nov 2009 A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval sided with five residents and one business who argued the Army Corps' shoddy oversight of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet led to the flooding of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish. Duval awarded the plaintiffs $720,000, or about $170,000 each, but the decision could eventually make the government vulnerable to a much larger payout.
CIA Secret 'Torture' Prison Found at Fancy Horseback Riding Academy --ABC News Finds the Location of a "Black Site" for Alleged Terrorists in Lithuania 18 Nov 2009 The CIA built one of its secret European prisons inside an exclusive riding academy outside Vilnius, Lithuania, a current Lithuanian government official and a former U.S. intelligence official told ABC News this week. Where affluent Lithuanians once rode show horses and sipped coffee at a café, the CIA installed a concrete structure where it could use harsh tactics torture to interrogate up to eight suspected 'al-Qaeda' terrorists at a time. "The activities in that prison were illegal," said human rights researcher John Sifton. "They included various forms of torture, including sleep deprivation, forced standing, painful stress positions."
MI5 and MI6 given go ahead for secret hearings into abuse 18 Nov 2009 MI5 and MI6 have been given permission to hold hearings behind closed doors into their alleged complicity in the treatment of seven former detainees in Guantanamo Bay. A High Court judge ruled there was no reason in law why closed hearings should not be used in the damages case, even though it had never been used in such a case before. The judge said the "closed material" procedure entitled the defendants not to disclose matters to the claimants or their lawyers where disclosure would be contrary to the interests of national security, the international relations of the UK or in any other circumstances where it was likely to harm the public interest.
Secret evidence blow hits Guantanamo seven --Agencies such as MI5 and MI6 could rely on secret evidence in their defence 18 Nov 2009 Britain’s security services should be able to withhold evidence from claimants in civil court cases, the High Court ruled today. In a decision which could have far-reaching legal implications, Mr Justice Silber ruled that agencies such as MI5 and MI6 could rely on secret evidence in their defence, if disclosing the evidence would compromise national security.
Britain 'to stage Afghanistan surge' 18 Nov 2009 Foreign Secretary David Miliband has given the strongest indication yet that Britain's military presence in Afghanistan will significantly increase. The signal came as Slovakia yesterday said it would double its forces in the country. At the Nato Parliamentary Assembly in Edinburgh, delegates were also told by the organisation's supreme commander that the "war can be won" if the allies are willing to commit themselves.
Al Qaeda in Iraq becoming less foreign-U.S. general 18 Nov 2009 Al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] in Iraq is becoming more Iraqi and less dominated by foreigners as the insurgent group increasingly joins forces with Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party, the commander of U.S. forces said on Wednesday. Investigations into massive suicide bombings in Baghdad on Oct. 25, in which more than 150 people died, indicated that explosives or fighters were coming across from Syria, U.S. General Ray Odierno also said.
Iraq president invites Total to work oil fields 18 Nov 2009 Iraq's President Jalal Talabani struck an optimistic note on French oil company Total's chance of winning an oil contract Wednesday, saying that figures aren't everything in winning a contract. Talabani met with French president Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday and had a meeting with Total executives on Wednesday morning.
E-mails show KBR feared casualties before deadly attack 18 Nov 2009 KBR security personnel expected casualties the night before six civilian drivers were killed and others injured in an Iraq ambush, but went ahead with the convoy, according to e-mails presented in a Houston federal court today. "There is a ton on intel stating tomorrow will be a bad day," wrote George Seagle, KBR's director of security in the Middle East, the night before the April 9, 2004 attacks. In the e-mail presented in court he suggested KBR halt convoys for the next day.
Israeli minister plans to send troops into schools to boost conscription --Soldiers would meet teachers in bid to encourage students to join 18 Nov 2009 The Israeli education minister has unveiled plans to take teams of senior army officers to high schools across the country to help teachers "foster the motivation" of pupils to serve in combat units following a decline in conscription rates. In an announcement that infuriated liberals in a country where compulsory military service is still a fact of life, the right-wing Likud member Gideon Saar announced that about 200 meetings would be held between teams of senior army officers and teachers, with the stated intention of encouraging schools in "contributing to the society and community".
US 'dismay' at Israel over Gilo plan --Controversial settlement expansion criticised --Obama's efforts to resume negotiations undermined 18 Nov 2009 The White House yesterday expressed exasperation with Israel over a plan to build 900 new houses on the West Bank at a time when Barack Obama is trying to broker a Middle East peace agreement. Although Obama is mainly focused on a tour of south-east Asia, the White House took time out to express disappointment over approval of the new houses at Gilo, a controversial settlement on the outskirts of east Jerusalem.
Guantanamo won't close by January: Obama 18 Nov 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama has acknowledged that he will not be able to meet his pledge to close the controversial detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by January. One of Obama's first acts as president was to sign an executive order to close the facility within a year, a move he said would restore his country’s "moral high ground." But his plan ran into roadblocks... The U.S. Senate in May voted 90-6 against allowing funds requested to shut down the facility or use the funds to transfer prisoners to U.S. soil.
US Senate drops bid blocking Gitmo transfer 18 Nov 2009 The US Senate has voted against a measure aimed at preventing the Obama administration from transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees to US soil for trial. The measure sponsored by Republican Senator James Inhofe was defeated in a 57-43 vote on Tuesday afternoon.
Obama suggests 9/11 suspect will get death penalty 18 Nov 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama suggested on Wednesday the self-professed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks [Dick Cheney?] would be convicted and put to death, but later said he was not trying to prejudge the trial. Speaking in television interviews while traveling in Asia, Obama acknowledged he would miss his Jan. 22 deadline to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is now held, but said he believed it would be shut next year.
Republican senators, Holder clash over terrorism trials 18 Nov 2009 Republican senators confronted Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday over his decision to try the Sept. 11 terrorism suspects in civilian court. President Barack Obama, meanwhile, [insanely] expressed certainty that they'll be found guilty and executed. Holder didn't go as far as Obama did in his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, though the nation's top prosecutor said he was confident that justice would be delivered to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other accused plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. [As an attorney, Barack Obama should know that the President should not be expressing such sentiments, prior to a trial.]
(Satire) GOP to Take Political Advantage of Terrorist Trials --'America will see it's Republicans who want to keep them safe with our fair and balanced torture program.' By R J Shulman 18 Nov 2009 No sooner did Attorney General Eric Holder announce that five high-profile detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison were going to be brought to trial in New York than the Republicans sprang into action. "Our message to the American people is that the Muslim-infested Democrat Party brings terrorists into our country to make heroes of them. We will pound this message 24/7 on Fox, and the other networks will soon pick up on it. This is manna from heaven," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor. "America will see it's Republicans who want to keep them safe with our fair and balanced torture program." (Satire)
'This is our surge.' Calif. city uses Iraq, Afghanistan combat veterans in counterinsurgency strategy --"What was strange was the look on his face was very similar to a bunch of the insurgents we'd captured" in Diyala province. 15 Nov 2009 Since February, combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have been advising Salinas police on counterinsurgency strategy, bringing lessons from the battlefield to the streets in an American city. "This is our surge," said Mayor Dennis Donohue, who solicited the assistance from the elite Naval Postgraduate School, 20 miles away in Monterey. "It's a little laboratory," said retired Col. Hy Rothstein, the former Army career officer in Special Forces who heads the team of 15 faculty members and students... "The idea was, not just Salinas," Ferrari said, "but is there a national model for this?" [The implementation of a 'national model' will give rise to an *actual* insurgency. And, if you want to know how all that will turn out, watch 'The Battle of Algiers.' --LRP]
Senate to press ahead with probe into Fort Hood 18 Nov 2009 Two U.S. senators vowed on Wednesday not to interfere with a criminal probe of the Fort Hood shootings but said they must move ahead with their own hearing into the rampage. Joe Lieberman, an independent [I-Israel] who heads the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and the panel's top Republican, Susan Collins, want to know if the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies missed warning signs.
Fort Hood suspect's contacts probed --Investigators have said e-mails between Hasan and the imam did not advocate or threaten violence. 18 Nov 2009 US Attorney General Eric Holder has said he was disturbed to learn of contacts between Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan and a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen. Holder was testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Lawmakers asked him about the mass shooting at the Texas Army base, and Holder said the government is investigating Hasan's background to determine if internal warning signs were missed before the shooting.
Corps' operation of MR-GO doomed homes in St. Bernard, Lower 9th Ward, judge rules 18 Nov 2009 In a groundbreaking decision, a federal judge ruled late Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers' mismanagement of maintenance of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet was directly responsible for flood damage of homes in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The decision by U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. could result in the federal government paying $700,000 in damages to three people and a business in those areas, but also sets the stage for judgments against the government for damages by as many as 100,000 other residents, businesses and local governments in those areas who filed claims with the corps after Katrina.
Many reluctant to have swine flu vaccine: poll 17 Nov 2009 Many Britons are refusing to have swine flu vaccinations because of concerns about side effects and the general perception that it is a mild illness, a newspaper for doctors reported on Wednesday. A survey of 107 general practitioners (GPs) by Pulse newspaper reported particular difficulties persuading pregnant women to have the vaccine, with one GP estimating as few as one in 20 were happy to go ahead.
Paramedics called to Sacred Hearts after swine flu vaccinations given 16 Nov 2009 (HI) A "handful" of Sacred Hearts Academy students were taken to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children after receiving swine flu shots or nasal spray at the school this morning, school principal Betty White said. Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department, said city paramedics were sent to the school three different times this morning.
Powers to disconnect pirates in Digital Economy Bill 18 Nov 2009 (UK) Illegal file-sharers could have their internet connections cut off under measures included in The Digital Economy Bill. Initially the Government will try to educate [?!?] those caught downloading music or films illegally, sending them letters warning them of the consequences of their actions. If this proves insufficient, they could be prevented from going online by their internet service provider.
CBO pegs U.S. Senate healthcare bill insurance company giveaway at $849 billion-aide 18 Nov 2009 The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost of a sweeping U.S. Senate healthcare 'overhaul' at $849 billion over 10 years, a senior Senate aide said on Wednesday. The CBO said the Senate plan, to be unveiled later in the day by Democratic leader Harry Reid, would reduce the deficit by $127 billion in the same period and extend coverage to 31 million uninsured people, the aide said. [It's still a useless anti-democratic piece of sh*t, endorsed and promoted by same. The conciliators and maggots --starting at the top -- ENsured --due to backing from INsurance --that single-payer and public options were deep-sixed. --LRP ]
Bank Bonuses Surge: Goldman Sachs Executives May Earn More Than In 2006 By Daniel M. Harrison 17 Nov 2009 While many Americans will count themselves lucky to be drawing any kind of income at all this year, bonus payments will rise by 40 percent for most bankers, according to a recent survey conducted by New York-based Options Group. The survey’s results are supported by recent NYSE data which suggests that Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo have set aside $112 billion in compensation for their employees this year. The exchange adds that for many bankers, compensation will exceed the amount they earned in 2007... In fact, in the case of Goldman Sachs, average salary payouts are likely to top even those in 2006, a year in which the global economy zoomed ahead.
California sets limits on energy-gulping TVs 18 Nov 2009 California regulators on Wednesday gave final approval to the nation's first mandatory energy curbs on television sets, a growing but often-overlooked power drain that accounts for 10 percent of home electric bills in the state. Supporters say the measure will save California consumers more than $8 billion over 10 years in electricity costs and enough energy to power 864,000 homes.
Nuclear scars: Tainted water runs beneath Nevada desert --Radioactive waste from Nevada Test Site has polluted aquifers 13 Nov 2009 A sea of ancient water tainted by the Cold War [US] is creeping deep under the volcanic peaks, dry lake beds and pinyon pine forests covering a vast tract of Nevada. Over 41 years, the [US] federal government detonated 921 nuclear warheads underground at the Nevada Test Site, 75 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Each explosion deposited a toxic load of radioactivity into the ground and, in some cases, directly into aquifers. When testing ended in 1992, the Energy Department estimated that more than 300 million curies of radiation had been left behind, making the site one of the most radioactively contaminated places in the nation.
Previous lead stories: Taliban to play role in Afghan govt: UK 18 Nov 2009 Ending the war in Afghanistan would include senior Taliban commanders sitting in Afghan government, Britain’s foreign secretary said on Tuesday. David Miliband also told a meeting of Nato’s parliamentary assembly that military action must be accompanied by a political surge to restore Afghans’ faith in their corruption-scarred [US-installed] government. He said the vast majority of Taliban fighters were not committed to a global jihad and could be persuaded to stop fighting.
Army tells its soldiers to bribe the Taleban 16 Nov 2009 British forces should buy off potential Taleban recruits with "bags of gold", according to a new army field manual published yesterday. Army commanders should also talk to 'insurgent' leaders with "blood on their hands" in order to hasten the end of the conflict in Afghanistan. The edicts, which are contained in rewritten counter-insurgency guidelines, will be taught to all new army officers.
Pakistan Taliban: Explosions linked to Blackwater activities in the country 16 Nov 2009 Attacks that have continued across Pakistani towns and cities are being blamed on Tehreek e-Taliban, Pakistan's Taliban. However, the group has issued its first video statement denying involvement in targeting civilians and has blamed external forces for at least two recent blasts. Azam Tariq, a spokesman of the Tehreek e-Taliban, posted the video statement on YouTube on Monday... Tariq said Taliban attacks never aimed to target civilians, but that the explosions were linked to Blackwater activities in the country. Kamal Hyder, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Islamabad, said: "Even when those bomb blasts did happen, the Taliban denied they had anything to do it... There is a growing anger among Pakistanis. If one looks at the type of attacks that have been taking place - indiscriminate attacks – the first thing that came out, even reported by local media, was the blaming of Blackwater and other American agencies.
