Suspected Police Killer Shot Dead in Seattle's Rainier Valley 01 Dec 2009 The suspected killer of four Lakewood police officers was shot in a confrontation with Seattle police on S. Kenyon St. in Rainier Valley around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. The Seattle shooting came just hours after police and SWAT teams busted into a Renton duplex Monday evening where Clemmons' niece lives. Destiny Hinton says police were searching the wrong place when they broke a window and burst into her neighbor's apartment.
Barack Obama to order 34,000 troops to Afghanistan 01 Dec 2009 President Obama will announce today the deployment of an extra 34,000 American troops to Afghanistan, according to sources briefed since the President issued new orders to his military commanders. The figure, reported last night by The Washington Post, was close to previous estimates and will take the total US troop strength in Afghanistan to more than 100,000.
British troops in Afghanistan to increase to over 10,000 --Gordon Brown announces extra 500 soldiers to be deployed next month 30 Nov 2009 Gordon Brown announced today that Britain's total military effort in Afghanistan is to increase to over 10,000 troops. In a detailed Commons statement, the prime minister confirmed that all the conditions had been met to allow an extra 500 troops to be deployed in December - taking the force level to 9,500. But he also disclosed that when special forces were included, the "total military effort" in Afghanistan would be in excess of 10,000 troops.
US urges France to send more troops to Afghanistan 01 Dec 2009 The US has asked France to send an additional 1,500 troops to join the coalition forces in Afghanistan as Washington is expected to send at least 30,000 more reinforcements. On Monday, The daily Le Monde published a report on its website, saying US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the request on Thursday in a telephone call to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Body of US soldier found after 27 days in NW Afghanistan 30 Nov 2009 The body of a U.S. soldier who along with his colleague went missing in Badghis province northwest of Afghanistan early this month was found after 27 days, a private television channel Tolo broadcast Monday. "The body of American soldier was found after 27 days from a river in Badghis province," the television said.
Chilcot inquiry hears Bush began Iraq war drumbeat three days after 9/11 --Blair foreign policy adviser David Manning says US president [sic] talked up possible links between Saddam and al-Qaida 30 Nov 2009 George Bush tried to make a connection between Iraq and 'al-Qaida' in a conversation with Tony Blair three days after the 9/11 attacks, according to Blair's foreign policy adviser of the time. Sir David Manning told the official inquiry into the war that Bush, speaking to Blair by phone on 14 September 2001, "said that he thought there might be evidence that there was some connection between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida."The prime minister's response to this was that the evidence would have to be very compelling indeed to justify taking any action against Iraq," Manning said. Blair followed up the conversation with a letter stressing the need to focus on the situation in Afghanistan, where the attacks originated. But by the time Blair went to visit Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, in April 2002 the British were "very conscious that Iraq would be on the agenda", Manning said.
Iraq inquiry: Blair told Bush he was willing to join, 11 months before war --Adviser tells of crucial moment at Texas ranch --Chilcot panel attacked for failure to press questions 30 Nov 2009 Tony Blair made it clear to George Bush at a meeting in Texas 11 months before the Iraq invasion that he would be prepared to join the US in toppling Saddam Hussein, the inquiry into the war was told today. The prime minister repeatedly told the US president that British policy was to back United Nations attempts to seek Iraq's disarmament, Sir David Manning, his foreign policy adviser, told the inquiry. However, Blair was "absolutely prepared to say he was willing to contemplate regime change if [UN-backed measures] did not work", Manning said. If it proved impossible to pursue the UN route, then Blair would be "willing to use force", Manning emphasised.
Rep. Hinchey: Bush Purposely Let Bin Laden Escape to Justify Iraq War 30 Nov 2009 Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) claimed on MSNBC this afternoon that the Bush administration purposely let Osama bin Laden get away in 2001 so they could use al-Qaeda as an excuse to invade Iraq. "Look what happened with regard to our invasion into Afghanistan, how we apparently intentionally let bin Laden get away. How we intentionally did not follow the Taliban and al-Qaeda as they were escaping," Hinchey said. "That was done by the previous administration because they knew very well that if they would capture al-Qaeda, there would be no justification for an invasion in Iraq." When host David Shuster pushed back, Hinchey stood by his claim. "There's no question that the leader of the military operations of the U.S. called back our military. Called them back from going after the head of al-Qaeda," he said. "I don't think [the theory] will strike a lot of people as crazy. I think it'll strike a lot of people as accurate," Hinchey said. "That's exactly what happened."
Terrorist attacks claim more lives in Iraq 01 Dec 2009 At least two people have been reported killed and twelve others injured in separate terrorist attacks across violence-ridden Iraq. In the first incident, eleven persons -- including five policemen and six civilians -- were injured Monday evening when two thermal bombs exploded at the crowded artists' syndicate in Kirkuk's al-Hawijah district.
Soldier in suit over KBR chemical is dead --Guard commander said exposure to carcinogen in Iraq caused his cancer 01 Dec 2009 A funeral is set today for a retired Indiana National Guard commander who testified in October that exposure to a lethal carcinogen in Iraq caused his cancer. Lt. Col. James C. Gentry, of Williams, Ind., died of lung cancer Wednesday. Gentry, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, last spring joined a federal lawsuit filed in December 2008. It accuses Texas-based KBR and several related companies of concealing the risks faced by 136 Indiana National Guard soldiers potentially exposed to a cancer-causing agent, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Supreme Court Overturns Decision on Detainee Photos 01 Dec 2009 The Supreme Court on Monday set aside a lower court’s order that called for the release of photographs of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan being abused tortured by American military personnel. The high court told the lower court to re-examine the issue. The justices sent the case back to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in Manhattan, which ruled in 2008 that the pictures should be released to the public. But at the request of the Obama administration, the Second Circuit later postponed its own order, setting the stage for the administration to take the case [Department of Defense v. A.C.L.U., No. 09-160] to the Supreme Court.
Israel constructs 25 new units in West Bank 01 Dec 2009 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has okayed the construction of 25 new housing units in the West Bank settlement of Keidar despite international calls to the contrary. During a phone conversation with Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday, Netanyahu instructed Barak to stop preventing the construction of the new units in the West Bank, claiming the units do not fall under the cabinet's decision to halt settlement construction activities for 10 months.
Iran threatens 'serious' measures against captured British sailors 01 Dec 2009 Iran has threatened to take "serious" measures against five detained British sailors if it finds they had "evil intentions" when they strayed into the country's coastal waters. A close aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the five, who were sailing from Bahrain to Dubai to take part in a race, would be put through the due legal process. "Judiciary will decide about the five," Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaie, the president's head of staff, told the Iranian news agency Fars. "Naturally our measures will be hard and serious if we find out they had evil intentions."
Iran confirms detaining British nationals 01 Dec 2009 Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has confirmed that it has detained several British nationals in the Persian Gulf waters. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement on Monday that five British nationals were detained on November 25 in the Persian Gulf after their yacht reportedly trespassed on Iranian waters. He said the yacht was en route from Bahrain to Dubai when Iranian forces arrested the Britons.
U.S. won't sign anti-land mine treaty 25 Nov 2009 A review of U.S. land mine policy has not produced changes needed to join an international effort to ban the weapons, a State Department spokesman says. Ian Kelly told reporters Tuesday that the Obama administration examined the U.S. policy on land mines and that they will remain in place, CNN reported.
Honduran vote held amid repression, mass abstention By Bill Van Auken 01 Dec 2009 Sunday’s national elections in Honduras were marked by systematic repression against opponents of the country’s coup regime and reports of record abstention. Nonetheless, the Obama administration in Washington hailed the results as a "very important step forward for Honduras" and a “legitimate way out” of the crisis that began with the military overthrow of the country’s elected President Manuel Zelaya on June 28. The election was held just a day after the coup’s five-month mark, with Zelaya still trapped in the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, where he sought refuge two months ago after staging a clandestine return to Honduras.
Pirates Hijack Oil Super Tanker Headed for U.S. [Insert eye-roll here.] 30 Nov 2009 Somali pirates seized a tanker carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia to the United States in the increasingly dangerous waters off East Africa, an official said Monday, an attack that could pose a huge environmental or security threat to the region. The Greek-owned Maran Centaurus was hijacked Sunday about 800 miles off the coast of Somalia, said Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force. Harbour said there were 28 crew members on board the 300,000-ton ship. [LOL! Blackwater will soon be trolling for a big Obusha contract to 'keep our oil safe' from those 'increasingly dangerous' East African waters. --LRP]
Agencies reporting to White House on Ft. Hood --Review expected to cite data sharing, limits on reporting threats 01 Dec 2009 A preliminary review of the federal government's handling of intelligence before the shooting at Fort Hood is on its way to the White House, and sources said they expect the final result to address the limits of the Pentagon's ability to monitor potential threats within the armed forces and information sharing by the FBI. The deadline for various agencies involved in the case to submit reports to Obama homeland security and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan fell Monday, but administration officials said it would be a week or more before they offer recommendations for changes in the wake of the attack.
Report: FBI paid blogger accused of threatening judges in Chicago 30 Nov 2009 A New Jersey blogger about to stand trial on charges he made death threats against three federal judges in Chicago apparently was paid by the FBI in its battle against domestic terrorism, according to a published report. The Record of Bergen County reported Sunday that Hal Turner received thousands of dollars from the FBI to report on neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups and was sent undercover to Brazil. Turner also claims the FBI coached him to make racist, anti-Semitic and other threatening statements on his radio show, but the newspaper also found many federal officials were concerned that his audience might follow up on his violence rhetoric.
Police killed in 'ambush' outside US Air Force base --Perimeter security tightened at McChord AFB 30 Nov 2009 Four police officers were shot dead in a cold-blooded ambush at a coffee shop on the edge of a US Air Force base in America’s Pacific Northwest on Sunday. The four uniformed officers were gunned down while working on their laptop computers as they prepared for work around 8:30am local time. They were all wearing bullet-proof vests and their marked patrol cars were parked outside. The shooting took place at the Forza coffee shop, just across the street from the McChord Air Force Base outside Tacoma, Washington state. The killings immediately stirred fears of a repeat of the shooting spree that killed 13 people at the US Army base at Fort Hood, Texas on November 5. A spokesman at McChord Air Force Base said, however, that its 4,100 personnel had not been "locked down," although perimeter security had been tightened.
Man sought in deadly ambush had prison sentence commuted 30 Nov 2009 The man wanted for questioning in the fatal shooting of four police officers at a coffee shop had his 95-year prison sentence commuted by then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, authorities said late Sunday. The sheriff's office in Pierce County, where the ambush occurred Sunday morning, have not identified Maurice Clemmons as a suspect, but said it is looking for him as part of its investigation. Arkansas officials told the sheriff's office that Clemmons is the same person who received clemency from Huckabee in 2001, said sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer. Huckabee, a Republican presidential candidate in 2008, is considering a run for president in 2012. [Isn't it amazing? In one hour, the whole GOP path just magically cleared for Sarah Palin. --LRP]
Salahis sought gala access through a Pentagon door --Couple asked Defense official for entree to state dinner via e-mail 01 Dec 2009 E-mails turned over to the Secret Service show that Tareq and Michaele Salahi had sought a top Defense Department official's help to gain access to last week's White House state dinner. People familiar with the inquiry into how the Salahis were able to attend Tuesday's gala, even though they weren't on the official guest list, said the Salahis exchanged e-mails with Michele S. Jones, special assistant to the secretary of defense and the Pentagon-based liaison to the White House.
Secret Service Agents Interview Intruders 30 Nov 2009 As part of a broadening inquiry into presidential security, Secret Service agents have interviewed the Virginia couple who sneaked into a White House state dinner last week, a senior federal official involved in the investigation said Sunday. The interviews, which took place Friday and Saturday, were conducted in a neutral location, neither the home of the couple, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, nor the Secret Service’s downtown offices, the official said.
CLG: A Tiger Woods-free zone --By Lori Price 01 Dec 2009 Instead of covering, oh, I don't know... the Chilcot Inquiry or the Af/Pak troop/KBR/Blackwater surge, we're talking about a busted window on the SUV of this corporate butt-kisser. That and the two bimbos who wormed their way into a White House dinner because a moron in the Secret Service wants to send the world a message that you can *get* to President Obama. Now, imagine if the sinewy blonde was an overweight male Muslim. My God! The guy would already be on death row. I can just see the lower-thirds on Faux News: 'Muslim Terrorist Inches From Obama at White House Dinner.'
EU approves data-sharing SWIFT agreement with US authorities --European Union countries have agreed on a deal that would allow the United States continued access to European citizens' financial transaction data for anti-terror investigations. 30 Nov 2009 Germany, Austria, Greece and Hungary abstained from the vote on Monday, allowing the controversial measure to pass. It allows American justice authorities to access data from SWIFT - the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications, a cooperative of banks and other financial institutions that facilitates trillions of dollars in daily international transactions. Its members include almost 8,000 financial institutions in more than 200 countries.
Bank of England made secret £62 billion loans to bankrupt banks 30 Nov 2009 Bank of England governor Mervyn King has revealed for the first time that in October 2008 the Bank had lent Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) £62 billion. These loans, issued at the height of the international banking crisis, were to prevent the collapse of not only the two banks but the entire banking sector.
Sabotage suspected in Indian nuclear plant radiation leak 30 Nov 2009 Workers at a nuclear plant in southern India have fallen ill after radioactive heavy water contaminated their drinking water. An unspecified number of workers at the Kaiga plant, in the southern state of Karnataka, have been advised to visit doctors for excessive exposure to radiation since November 25. The plant director said on Sunday that the incident appears to be an act of sabotage rather than caused by an accidental leak.
Reid 'confident' Senate will pass health care bill 30 Nov 2009 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he is "confident" the Senate will pass a health care bill corporaterrorist giveaway, but it will take extra work on weekends in December to get it done. "The health care debate is historic. It's the most important thing any of us here has ever been involved in," Reid told USA TODAY in an interview Monday.
U.S. finds pandemic H1N1 virus in turkey flock 30 Nov 2009 The pandemic H1N1 flu virus was confirmed in a flock of breeder turkeys in Virginia -- the first U.S. case involving turkeys, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Monday. USDA said infections of turkeys have been reported in Canada and Chile. "This is the first detection of 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza in turkeys in the United States," said a USDA spokesperson.
Dogs diagnosed with swine flu in China: report 29 Nov 2009 Two dogs in Beijing have tested positive for swine flu in the second case of animals catching the disease in China along with pigs in the northeast, Chinese media said Sunday. The A(H1N1) virus detected in the dogs was 99 percent identical to the one circulating in humans, the state-run Beijing Times reported, quoting China's agriculture ministry.
Mega barf alert! Two-thirds of broiler chickens contaminated: group 30 Nov 2009 Two-thirds of 382 fresh broiler chickens purchased from grocers by a U.S. consumer group were contaminated with one or both of the bacteria that cause most cases of food-borne illness, the group said on Monday. The Consumers Union said the figure was an improvement from the 80 percent found in tests in 2007 but "still far too high." It urged the government to issue stricter food-safety rules.
Previous lead stories: Iraq Inquiry bombshell: Secret letter to reveal new Blair war lies 29 Nov 2009 An explosive secret letter that exposes how Tony Blair lied over the legality of the Iraq War can be revealed. The Chilcot Inquiry into the war will interrogate the former Prime Minister over the devastating 'smoking gun' memo, which warned him in the starkest terms the war was illegal. The Mail on Sunday can disclose that Attorney General Lord Goldsmith wrote the letter to Mr Blair in July 2002 - a full eight months before the war - telling him that deposing Saddam Hussein was a blatant breach of international law. It was intended to make Mr Blair call off the invasion, but he ignored it. Instead, a panicking Mr Blair issued instructions to gag Lord Goldsmith, banned him from attending Cabinet meetings and ordered a cover-up to stop the public finding out. He even concealed the bombshell information from his own Cabinet, fearing it would spark an anti-war revolt. The only people he told were a handful of cronies who were sworn to secrecy.
Lord Goldsmith 'warned Tony Blair Iraq war could be illegal' in 2002 --Tony Blair was warned by his Attorney General eight months before the invasion of Iraq that war would be illegal, it has emerged. 29 Nov 2009 In a personal letter to the Prime Minister in July 2002, Lord Goldsmith said that he did not believe military action to depose Saddam Hussein could be justified in international law. The letter, which has been passed to Chilcot Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the 2003 invasion, angered Downing Street and led to the Government’s chief law officer being sidelined, it was claimed.
US taxpayers fund Afghan stimulus: Afghan security forces get 40% pay hike 29 Nov 2009 Afghanistan yesterday increased the pay of police and soldiers by nearly 40 per cent as Western countries aimed to increase the size and quality of Afghan security forces so their own troops can go home. Interior Minister Hanif Atmar said monthly salaries would increase by $45 to about $165 for a new recruit. At present, there are about 95,000 Afghan soldiers and 93,000 police – a fraction of the number needed to fight help the Taleban. Afghanistan depends on funds from the US and other Western countries for large budgetary expenses, such as military and police salaries.
