Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 28 Jan 2010

Breaking: Bernanke wins second term as Fed chairman --Critical test vote passed by wider margin than had been predicted 28 Jan 2010 Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke earned a second term Thursday as the Senate confirmed him to the post. The Senate voted earlier in the day to overcome a delaying tactic that would have doomed his nomination. [The vote was 70-30.]

Drug firms 'drove swine flu pandemic warning to recoup £billions spent on research' 27 Jan 2010 Drug companies manipulated the World Health Organisation into downgrading its definition of a pandemic so they could cash in on a swine flu outbreak, it is claimed. An inquiry heard yesterday that the WHO allegedly softened its criteria for declaring a H1N1 flu pandemic last spring - just weeks before announcing there was a worldwide outbreak. Critics said the decision was driven by pharmaceutical companies desperate to recoup the billions of pounds they had invested in researching and developing pandemic vaccines [not to mention, the pandemics themselves] after the bird flu scares in 2006 and 2007.

Ex-Prime Minister Blair Faces Iraq Inquiry --Mr Blair, who has been called "Bush's poodle", will also be questioned about whether he gave the US President [sic] an early assurance that British troops would join the invasion without consulting Parliament or the public. 28 Jan 2010 Tony Blair will be questioned for six hours tomorrow on his decision to take Britain into war with Iraq in 2003. The former Prime Minister's testimony is expected to be the highlight of the Iraq Inquiry. The audience will include family members of soldiers and civilians killed or missing in the country. Mr Blair is expected to be quizzed about accusations that he and his inner circle were so determined to topple Saddam Hussein that they exaggerated intelligence reports about Iraqi weapons and pressured the then-Attorney General to conclude that the invasion would not be a violation of international law.

Pakistan seeks role as mediator in possible Taliban-Afghanistan peace talks 28 Jan 2010 Pakistan, which once sponsored Taliban forces but turned against them under American pressure [bribery, threats] in 2001, now hopes to play a role as a broker in proposed negotiations among Taliban leaders and the Afghan government, with support from the United States. As leaders of 60 countries meet in London on Thursday to discuss how to help Afghanistan stop its [US-engendered] downward spiral into instability, the possibilities for reconciliation and talks with both Taliban leaders and foot soldiers will top the agenda.

'Even those who took part in attacks involving the deaths of British or US soldiers would be rehabilitated.' The new Afghan plan: buy off Taliban --Leaders back multimillion-pound fund and consider an olive branch for leadership 28 Jan 2010 Britain and the US are backing a new strategy to buy off "soft" supporters of the Taliban in a radical attempt to end nine years of war in Afghanistan. The plan, to be approved at a 60-nation conference in London today, comes amid unexpected signs of growing political support for the equally high-risk idea of talks leading to a political settlement with the Taliban leadership. The multimillion-pound "peace and reintegration" [aka Stimulus] fund would seek to lure low ranking Taliban fighters, who join out of poverty rather than ideology, by giving them jobs, schooling or land for farming. An effective amnesty for these men, now believed to make up 75 per cent of the insurgency's ranks, means that even those who took part in attacks involving the deaths of British or US soldiers would be rehabilitated.

The Taliban Stimulus: Nato says Afghanistan conference will raise millions to pay off Taliban --The Nato Secretary General has said the London Conference on Afghanistan will be used to raise millions of pounds to pay off bribe the Taliban leadership. 26 Jan 2010 Anders Fogh Rasmussen said it was necessary to "establish a trust to finance the reintegration programme" that would persuade the militants to lay down their weapons. The Afghan president Hamid Karzai, who will pledge to tackle government corruption [LOL!], will present a plan to reconcile senior Taliban leaders at tomorrow's meeting. But the proposals will require huge amounts of money to pay for new jobs, pensions, land and even fund the relocation of senior militants abroad. [The GOP is thrilled. They're thinking: Thank *God* the money won't be spent on jobs and pensions (or health care) in the US! This way, many of the Taliban can take the $$$ and raise arms against the US invaders, and the war can continue for eons! Think of how much Blackwater and DynCorp can make!

Obusha opens new, illegal secret war front: US runs 'secret' military operations in Yemen 27 Jan 2010 Washington has involved in secret joint operations in Yemen after President Barack Obama approved US military and intelligence teams to be dispatched to the country, the Washington Post revealed Wednesday. The operations begun six weeks ago, involving troops from the US military's clandestine Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), whose main mission is tracking and killing suspected terrorists, the Post reported. The American agents are helping the Yemeni army develop tactics and providing Sana'a forces with electronic and video surveillance, as well as three-dimensional terrain maps, the report said.

American added to 'shortlist' of U.S. citizens targeted for killing or capture by JSOC --U.S. military teams, intelligence deeply involved in aiding Yemen on strikes 27 Jan 2010 U.S. military teams and intelligence agencies are deeply involved in secret joint operations with Yemeni troops who in the past six weeks have killed scores of people, among them six of 15 top leaders of a regional al-Qaeda affiliate numerous civilians, according to senior administration officials. The operations, approved by President Obama and begun six weeks ago, involve several dozen troops from the U.S. military's clandestine Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), whose main mission is tracking and killing suspected terrorists... As part of the operations, Obama approved a Dec. 24 strike against a compound where a U.S. citizen, Anwar al-Aulaqi, was thought to be meeting with other regional al-Qaeda leaders. Although he was not the focus of the strike and was not killed, he has since been added to a shortlist of U.S. citizens specifically targeted for killing or capture by the JSOC, military officials said.

UN removes Taliban officials from blacklist 27 Jan 2010 The United Nations has removed five former Taliban officials from its blacklist as part of reconciliation efforts in war-weary Afghanistan. The de-listing, which came on Wednesday, was approved by a special Security Council committee. The UN said in a statement that the five Afghan nationals would no longer be subject to a freeze on their assets and a travel ban.

Al-Qaeda seeks WMD, US unprepared: reports 26 Jan 2010 The United States has not done enough to protect the country against the threat of weapons of mass destruction even as Al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] appears intent on staging a large-scale attack, reports said. A bipartisan panel warned that the government had failed to adopt measures to counter the danger posed by extremists using WMD, saying the administration lacked plans for a rapid response to a possible biological attack.

Trial date set for former Xe worker charged in Kabul shooting 28 Jan 2010 A federal magistrate judge today set a Sept. 14 trial date for a former Xe worker charged in the shooting deaths of two Afghans in a case that could carry the death penalty. Chris Drotleff pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Norfolk. The Virginia Beach man has been in jail without bond since his arrest earlier this month on charges of killing two Afghan civilians during a traffic incident in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. Justin Cannon, a second security worker with Drotleff that day last May, remains in Texas awaiting extradition to face the same charges.

NATO-led air strike kills 20 in Afghanistan --NATO air strikes against suspected Taliban militants have killed hundreds of civilians in Afghanistan over the past few months. 28 Jan 2010 A NATO-led air strike in Afghanistan's northern province of Baghlan has killed up to 20 people. The Western military alliance claimed in a statement that the dead were all militants. NATO forces had to call in air support after coming under attack from what they allege was a large number of militants.

NATO troops shoot cleric in Afghanistan 28 Jan 2010 A convoy of troops from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has shot dead a Muslim cleric in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Muhammad Yonus, the prominent imam of a mosque in central Kabul, was killed in a morning shootout on Thursday.

Gunmen murder cleric outside Baghdad mosque 28 Jan 2010 Unidentified armed men [Blackwater terrorists] have opened fire on a cleric outside a mosque in a Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad, killing him on the spot. "Militants on Thursday afternoon killed a clergyman in a shooting outside a mosque in Baghdad's western Sunni neighborhood of al-Adl," an anonymous Iraqi police source was quoted as saying, according to Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Israeli tanks target Gaza homes, farmlands 28 Jan 2010 Israeli army Tanks have opened fire on houses and farmlands in the eastern parts of the Gaza Strip, according to a report by the International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC). A number of Israeli Tanks invaded lands located near al-Shojayia district and fired at Palestinian farmers near the northern Gaza-Israeli borders on Thursday afternoon, reported IMEMC.

South and North Korea exchange fire along sea border 27 Jan 2010 North and South Korea have engaged in a short artillery duel along their disputed western sea border as efforts continue to restart the stalled six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear disarmament. No casualties or damage were reported after the exchange in which the two sides fired into the air, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Secretary of State Says No to Second Term 28 Jan 2010 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she will not serve a full eight years in her position if President Barack Obama is elected to a second term. In a nationally televised interview with PBS television's Tavis Smiley Wednesday, Clinton she could not imagine serving a full eight years. She told her interviewer that, considering the demands of the job, she would find that extremely challenging.

Obama Vows to Restore a 'Tested' Nation 28 Jan 2010 President Obama said Wednesday night that leaders in Washington face a "deficit of trust," as he used his first State of the Union address to try to restore public confidence in his administration and to convince the American people that he is intensely focused on the issues that concern them most: jobs and the economy. In a nationally televised speech before a joint session of Congress, Mr. Obama appealed for an end to the "tired old battles" that have divided the country and stalled his legislative agenda.

Text: Obama's State of the Union Address 28 Jan 2010 Following is the prepared text of President Obama's State of the Union address, delivered Jan. 27, 2010, as released by the White House.

Bad news for polar bears: Obama: We 'need' offshore drilling, nuclear power plants 28 Jan 2010 'But to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. That means building a new generation of safe, clean [sic] nuclear power plants in this country. It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development.'

Feinstein says Obama should move terror trials from NYC 28 Jan 2010 President Barack Obama should order the trial for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and other accused terrorists moved out of New York City, Sen. Dianne Feinstein ('D'-Calif.) said Thursday. Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is the highest-ranking DemocRAT to urge the administration to reverse course on its decision to bring the terror leaders to Manhattan for trial.

House Homeland Security Committee blasts AG Holder for terrorist handling 28 Jan 2010 A member of Michigan's congressional delegation accused U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday of treating the war on terrorism "like a simple police action" as the Obama administration came under more fire for treating the man accused of trying to blow up Flight 253 like a criminal [as Bush did with Richard Reid] with rights rather than an enemy combatant. "I was stunned that this terrorist wasn't turned over to the military," said U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Hypocrite-Mich., a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, which held a hearing on the Dec. 25 incident at Detroit Metro Airport.

Chicago man pleads not guilty to Mumbai terrorism charges 27 Jan 2010 A Chicago man who’s accused of helping to plot the deadly 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, India, pleaded not guilty this morning to terrorism charges. David Coleman Headley entered the formal plea in federal court in Chicago even as he continues to cooperate with authorities in the investigations into the Mumbai attack and also a plot to assassinate a Danish newspaper cartoonist.

Air Terminal at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Busy in Haiti Relief Effort 26 Jan 2010 As U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and Joint Task Force Guantanamo continue support of disaster relief efforts following the devastating earthquake in Haiti Jan. 12, a joint logistics hub at the naval station and the air terminal has been established to coordinate and lead humanitarian relief efforts to the island. During operations, the air terminal tempo is practically non-stop.

Vaccination Without Doctor Approval In a US Hospital By S. Humphries, MD 22 Jan 2010 H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccines are now being given to sick hospital patients with or without their doctor’s consent. This is being done despite there being no data on the safety of doing so. I am a licensed, board-certified nephrologist, otherwise known as a kidney specialist, working in a large, city-based hospital. Because I rarely admit patients to the hospital other than for specific procedures, such as a kidney biopsy, I only recently became aware of my hospital’s policy regarding flu shots for sick people. Waking up to this new rule made me realize that Big Pharma is getting closer and closer to bypassing doctors completely to deliver direct patient "care".

Canada donates excess swine flu vaccines to WHO 28 Jan 2010 Canada announced Thursday it has donated five million swine flu vaccine doses and six million Canadian dollars (5.6 million US) to the World Health Organization for its pandemic relief efforts. The doses, which represent 10 percent of Canada's total H1N1 flu vaccine order, are intended to support immunization programs in developing countries.

Howard Zinn, author of 'People's History' and left-wing historian, dies in California 27 Jan 2010 Howard Zinn, an author, teacher and political activist whose leftist "A People's History of the United States" became a million-selling alternative to mainstream texts, died Wednesday. He was 87. Zinn died of a heart attack in Santa Monica, Calif., daughter Myla Kabat-Zinn said. The historian was a resident of Auburndale, Mass.

4 Arrested in Phone Tampering at Landrieu Office 27 Jan 2010 Federal officials charged four men on Tuesday with plotting to tamper with the telephone system in the New Orleans office of Senator Mary Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana. One of the men was a conservative activist who gained fame last year by secretly recording members of the community group Acorn giving him advice on how to set up a brothel. All four of the men arrested Monday in New Orleans, each in his mid-20s, were charged with entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Pennsylvania Capital Should Weigh Bankruptcy, Controller Says 26 Jan 2010 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the capital of the sixth-largest U.S. state by population, should skip a $2.2 million debt service payment due Feb. 1 and consider bankruptcy, City Controller Dan Miller said. Harrisburg faces $68 million in payments this year in connection with a waste-to-energy incinerator and should weigh Chapter 9 protection from creditors or state oversight through a program known as Act 47, Miller said today.

Previous lead stories: Iraq war was a crime of aggression: The damning verdict of top Whitehall lawyers which No. 10 refused to accept 27 Jan 2010 Tony Blair and Jack Straw brushed aside repeated warnings from Government lawyers that they would not have a 'leg to stand on' if Britain invaded Iraq. Devastating evidence at the Iraq inquiry yesterday revealed that every senior legal adviser at the Foreign Office believed the conflict was in breach of international law. Astonishingly, Downing Street asked lawyers to assess what the consequences would be if Britain toppled Saddam Hussein without legal authority. When they received the lawyers' memo, No.10 demanded: 'Why has this been put in writing?' Sir Michael Wood, then the Foreign Office's senior legal adviser, warned ministers again and again that to go to war without approval from a UN Security Council resolution would constitute a 'crime of aggression' in international law.

Mission accomplished! ExxonMobil to redevelop, expand Iraq's West Qurna 1 field 25 Jan 2010 ExxonMobil Iraq Ltd. signed an agreement with the Iraq Ministry of Oil to redevelop and expand West Qurna 1 field in southern Iraq. The agreement was signed in Baghdad in the presence of the Iraq Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani and Rob Franklin, president of ExxonMobil upstream ventures. The consortium members are ExxonMobil as the lead contractor with 60% interest, Oil Exploration Co. (owned by the Iraq government) with 25% interest, and Royal Dutch Shell PLC with 15% interest.

Report faults State Department, DynCorp for missing $1 billion By Josh Rogin 25 Jan 2010 The State Department cannot account for more than $1 billion it paid out to contractor DynCorp to train police during the first years of the Iraq war, in just one example of management shortcomings that have put at risk $2.5 billion worth of money spent on training policemen around the world, according to a damning new report. The office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) especially laid into the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), known as the "Drugs and Thugs" bureau], in an audit released Monday, for mishandling DynCorp. [See: DynCorp Disgrace By Kelly Patricia O'Meara 14 Jan 2002 Middle-aged men having sex with 12- to 15-year-olds was too much for Ben Johnston, a hulking 6-foot-5-inch Texan, and more than a year ago he blew the whistle on his employer, DynCorp, a U.S. contracting company doing business in Bosnia. See: State Dept. Can't Account For $1.2B Paid to DynCorp: Audit --Review identifies $29 million in overcharges by DynCorp in past year 23 Oct 2007. YES, it goes without saying that Obusha keeps hiring DynCorp.]

View Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 25 Jan 2010

US seeks backing for Yemen over al-Qaeda 25 Jan 2010 The United States is set to hold talks with European and Arab partners in London on Wednesday to try to rally support for a drive to help Yemen defeat a growing al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] threat. The impetus for the meeting comes from a botched bid on Christmas Day to blow up a US airliner over Detroit by a Nigerian passenger allegedly trained by the Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). ...Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will likely attend the meeting in London, which comes days after Britain raised its terrorism threat assessment from substantial to severe.

Pakistani tribesmen 'shoot down US drone' 24 Jan 2010 Local tribesman in Pakistan's North Waziristan region claim to have shot down a US drone after the unnamed aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed in the tribal area. The crash occurred on Sunday afternoon in the Hamdhoni area of North Waziristan, the Associated Press reported, citing two intelligence officials. Drone attacks near the country's border with Afghanistan have been a controversial issue, especially since the attacks are imprecise in nature and usually result in civilian deaths.

Afghanistan postpones elections 25 Jan 2010 Afghanistan's election commission announced Sunday that it is postponing scheduled parliamentary 'elections' from May until September, bowing to logistical concerns, worries about potential voting fraud and the likelihood that the U.S. troop "surge" will lead to intensified fighting in parts of the country.

British troops face five more years in Helmand 25 Jan 2010 British troops will have to fight the Taleban for another five years, according to a leaked draft of the communiqué that will conclude the London conference on Afghanistan this week. Participating governments are also expected to agree to bribes totalling hundreds of millions of pounds which will be paid to leading insurgents in the hope that they will stop fighting.

US to Pay Taliban Fighters to 'Lay Down Their Arms' --I've covered a lot of BULLSH*T since Coup 2000, but this takes the cake bakery. By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org 24 Jan 2010 'Afghan President Hamid Karzai unveiled an ambitious Western-funded plan Friday to offer money and jobs to tempt Taliban fighters to lay down their arms in an effort to quell a crippling insurgency...' 'Further incentives could include pensions for older fighters and allotments of land.' The Taliban Stimulus: 'Junior Taliban fighters' are going to be offered jobs at US taxpayer expense. Maybe we can include the newly hired Taliban insurgents in US economic data so that the unemployment rate will appear to be on the wane. And, not a GOP signal of discontent in sight! After all, it's the *Taliban* getting jobs, training and education -- not the US poor, so it's all good.

Afghan army must almost double in size 24 Jan 2010 Nato commanders and the Afghan government will say they must grow the army from its current level of 100,000 to 172,000 by October next year. The plan to rapidly bolster forces so that they can eventually take over the fight against [US-backed] Taliban insurgents will be a cornerstone of the conference to be hosted by Mr Brown in London on Thursday. [As the US funds the Taliban, US taxpayers can spend billion$ more to train and grow the Afghan army to defeat them. It's a win-win for Blackwater. No worries about an uproar over the scheme: Angelina and Brad are splitting; the US media has its hands full with all the breaking news! --LRP]

In Afghanistan, 5 US troops killed in 24 hours 24 Jan 2010 NATO's international Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed on Friday that explosions have claimed the lives of five US soldiers in war-torn Afghanistan over the past 24 hours. The ISAF announcement came as three troopers were declared dead on Sunday following a home-made bomb explosion. The incident was followed shortly by a third fatality, when a similar improvised explosive device detonated.

Two more US soldiers killed in Afghanistan 24 Jan 2010 Two US soldiers are killed in an improvised bomb explosion in southern Afghanistan, bringing the total number of Americans killed in the country this year to at least 24. "Two ISAF service members from the United States were killed today in an IED (improvised explosive device) strike in southern Afghanistan," the NATO's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement on Sunday.

UK soldier killed in southern Afghanistan explosion 24 Jan 2010 A British soldier has died following an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said. The soldier, from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, was killed while on foot patrol south of Sangin district centre, in Helmand province, on Sunday morning.

Legal staff ruled Blair's war illegal --Two former Whitehall lawyers to tell Chilcot of reservations on invasion 25 Jan 2010 Tony Blair is to be presented with claims that his decision to topple Saddam Hussein by force was illegal before his appearance at the Iraq inquiry this week. Two senior Whitehall lawyers are expected to claim that the former prime minister's decision to send British troops to aid the US-led invasion was illegal as it did not have the clear backing of the United Nations.

Iraq war was illegal, top lawyer will tell Chilcot inquiry 24 Jan 2010 Tony Blair's decision to take Britain to war in Iraq was illegal, the Foreign Office's former chief legal adviser will tell the Chilcot inquiry this week. The Observer has been told that Sir Michael Wood, who was the FO's most senior lawyer, is ready to reveal that, in the run-up to war, he was of the opinion that the conflict would have been unlawful without a second UN resolution. His testimony will come the day before the appearance of Lord Goldsmith, the former attorney general, who is said to have dropped his legal objections days before the invasion, following intense pressure from Blair and his closest advisers, and the US authorities.

Iraq Official Warned Against Anti - Bomb Device 24 Jan 2010 Iraq's interior ministry was told two years ago not to buy an explosives detector that Britain says does not work, and the purchase of the sensors was tainted by suspected fraud, a senior official said on Sunday. Aqeel al-Turaihi, the inspector general of Iraq's Interior Ministry, said he investigated the explosives sensors sold by British firm ATSC two years ago and found them "inoperative" and costly. He recommended that Iraq should not buy the devices.

Biden says US will appeal case of Blackwater/XE mercs 24 Jan 2010 US Vice President Joe Biden has announced an appeal into a US court decision to drop charges against Blackwater/XE mercenaries accused of killing 14 Iraqi civilians in 2007. "A dismissal is not an acquittal," Biden told reporters during a visit to Baghdad on Saturday, referring to the case involving five guards employed by the private company Xe, which was formerly known as Blackwater, AFP reported. "Today I am announcing that the United States government will appeal this decision. Our Justice Department will file that appeal next week," he said.

US Marines' Iraq command ends 23 Jan 2010 The US Marines marked the end of nearly seven years in Iraq on Saturday by handing the Army their command of Anbar province. The changing of the guard - overseen by military brass and some of Anbar's influential Sunni sheiks - signals the start of an accelerated drawdown of American troops as the US increasingly shifts its focus to the war in Afghanistan.

Venezuela oil 'may double Saudi Arabia' 23 Jan 2010 A new US assessment of Venezuela's oil reserves could give the country double the supplies of Saudi Arabia. Scientists working for the US Geological Survey say Venezuela's Orinoco belt region holds twice as much petroleum as previously thought. The geologists estimate the area could yield more than 500bn barrels of crude oil. This assessment is far more optimistic than even the best case scenario put forward by President Hugo Chavez. [Oh no. 'Venezuela has 500bn barrels of crude oil.' Telling the US about this is like setting forty child molesters loose at a playground. I am thinking the CIA/Xe has eight coups boiling on the stove, even as I type. Hopefully, Chavez's armies are up to the task. We need to establish a global defense fund for the world to resist US oil- and water-grabbing, in light of the High Whore Court's recent decision to blatantly task the corporaterrorists with installing political drones in every level of US government. --Lori Price]

Israel to refute war crimes charges 24 Jan 2010 Israel is likely this week to refute a United Nations report accusing it of having committed war crimes in Gaza. The New York Times has said Israel will list what it will refer to as the essential flaws and biases against Israel. The Israeli explanations against assertions made in the Goldstone Report will include the reason behind the offensive in the Gaza Strip and the difficulties in fighting against a terror organisation that operates inside civilian homes, schools, hospitals and UN facilities.

Norway university plans Israel boycott 24 Jan 2010 University of Bergen, among Norway's largest academic institutions, intends to impose an official academic boycott against Israel over what it claims is its apartheid-like conduct, Ynet has learned. The university's management has not yet officially responded to the move or presented its stance on the issue. However, the institution's Rector, Signumd Gronmo, enthusiastically supports the boycott calls.

Former Canadian envoy to Iran was covert CIA agent 24 Jan 2010 Canada's former ambassador to Tehran, Kenneth Taylor, actively spied for the Central Intelligence Agency and helped the US plan a military incursion into the country during the Islamic Revolution, according to new reports. An arrangement was set up by then-US President Jimmy Carter and Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark, whereby Taylor would provide US intelligence with information from his position at the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, according to a report published in The Globe and Mail on Saturday.

Bin Laden warns US of more attacks 24 Jan 2010 Osama Bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader [deceased CIA asset], has warned Barack Obama, the US president, that there will be further attacks on the United States unless he takes steps to resolve the Palestinian situation. In an audio tape obtained by Al Jazeera on Sunday, the world's most wanted man also praised the Nigerian accused of a failed attempt to blow up an airliner heading for Detroit on Christmas Day.

Bin Laden 'Claims Failed Plane Bomb Plot' 24 Jan 2010 Al Jazeera says it has new audio of Osama bin Laden in which he claims responsibility for the failed US plane attack on Christmas Day. Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab has been charged with attempting to blow up a Delta Airlines plane on a flight from Amsterdam on December 25, 2009. He was stopped by passengers on board Northwest Flight 253 from setting off explosives stitched into his underwear.

Report: Female suicide bombers attempt to enter US 23 Jan 2010 Official elements in the United States administration warned that several female suicide bombers have been attempting to enter the US, the ABC television network reported. According to the report, at least two of the women are affiliated with an al-Qaeda extension in Yemen which claimed responsibility for the attempted attack on a plane making its way to Detroit last Christmas. [On 'Law & Order,' when the police have two suspects who both claim responsibility for a crime, the viewer knows *someone else* is the culprit.]

Terror scare at Manchester Airport as man attempts to take 'unidentified white powder' onto flight bound for Heathrow 24 Jan 2010 A large part of Manchester Airport was evacuated yesterday after a man attempted to carry an unidentified white powder onto a plane. The substance was discovered in a bag that the man was planning to take on a flight from Manchester to London Heathrow. A chemical incident was declared and the check-in and security screening areas at the airport's Terminal 3 were evacuated for several hours. The powder was later found to be harmless.

Photographers protest against police stop and search --More than 2,000 photographers demonstrate against police using terrorism laws to prevent photography in public places 23 Jan 2010 Thousands of photographers have staged a mass protest against the "malicious" use of anti-terrorism laws to stop them taking pictures in public places. Trafalgar Square in central London was lit up by flash bulbs as part of the demonstration against photographers being unfairly targeted by police after taking photos. They are usually questioned under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows officers to stop and search without the need for "suspicion" within designated areas in the UK. More than 2,000 professional and amateur photographers took part in the protest organised by the group I'm a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!, many carrying placards bearing its name.

Haiti quake death toll hits 150,000, fear of disease rises 25 Jan 2010 The Haitian government has raised the official death toll for the January 12 earthquake to 150,000. In addition, as many as three million have been injured or left homeless as a result of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Health officials in Haiti have also expressed serious concerns about outbreaks of infectious diseases in the myriad tent cities due to the unsanitary conditions.

Haiti earthquake: government fears toll could rise to 300,000 24 Jan 2010 Haiti's government has claimed the toll from the country's earthquake could rise to as many as 300,000 dead. The confirmed death toll was raised to 150,000 on Sunday, but that was only the count of bodies so far found and collected in the capital Port-au-Prince. It did not include those recovered in other areas like the shattered city of Leogane, near the earthquake epicentre, and Jacmel on the southern coast.

German enrichment facility reports radiation leak 24 Jan 2010 News breaks about a radiation leak at Germany's sole uranium enrichment facility amid reports suggesting that the country is scrapping plans to shut down two aging nuclear plants. The incident occurred on Thursday and has regenerated calls for the closure of the 25-year-old facility, which is located in North Rhine-Westphalia.

450,000 gallons of crude oil enter Texas waterway 24 Jan 2010 The US Coast Guard says 450,000 gallons of crude oil has found its way to a Texas waterway after a tugboat towing two barges collided with an Exxon Mobile tanker. The accident took place on Saturday near Port Arthur with no injuries reported, the Coast Guard said.

White House Is Confident Bernanke Will Be Confirmed 24 Jan 2010 After a full-scale mobilization, White House officials expressed confidence on Saturday that they had contained a populist uprising among Democratic senators that had threatened President Obama’s nomination of Ben S. Bernanke to a second term as the Federal Reserve chairman. Hoping to quell fears in the financial markets that Mr. Bernanke could become a casualty of rising anti-Wall Street sentiment, Senator Christopher J. Dodd, the DemocRAT from Connecticut who is chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, and Senator Judd Gregg (T) of New Hampshire, who is a member of the panel, said in a statement that "based on our discussions with our colleagues, we are very confident that Chairman Bernanke will win confirmation." [We can always count on Wall Street front-man, Barack Obama, to 'contain a populist uprising.']

Study says dolphins world's second smartest species 24 Jan 2010 A study shows that dolphin brains are four to five times larger for their body size, making them the second intelligent species after humans. New MRI scans revealed that dolphins show some skills and awareness thought to be exclusively used by humans, DiscoveryNews reported. "If we use relative brain size as a metric of 'intelligence' then one would have to conclude that dolphins are second in intelligence to modern humans," said neuroscience senior lecturer at Emory University Lori Marino.

Previous lead stories: 'Israel seeks more involvement in Afghan war' 22 Jan 2010 Foreign forces in Afghanistan will use unmanned Israeli drones more extensively in the US-led war, an Israeli paper said, citing the regime's desire to be more involved in the war. The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday that Germany will become the fifth country whose troops in Afghanistan will operate Israeli drones as of next week.

US officials: 47 Guantanamo prisoners to be held indefinitely without charge --35 detainees face trial or tribunal 23 Jan 2010 At least 80 Guantanamo detainees prisoners would be brought to the United States to face trial, military commissions or continued imprisonment without charge under recommendations from a presidential task force, two government officials said Friday. The two officials said that a task force has recommended 35 Guantanamo Bay detainees for prosecution. Another six have been chosen to face military tribunals. As part of President Barack Obama's plan to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, the task force has recommended 47 detainees be held indefinitely without charge. Another 17 detainees who are Yemenis are likely to be held for some time to come...

'Severe' Terror Warning In UK 23 Jan 2010 Britain's terror threat level was last night raised to "severe" - meaning an attack is "highly likely"- Home Secretary Alan Johnson stressed there was no intelligence to suggest terrorists were about to strike, but urged people to be on their guard. The UK is now on the second highest of five staged levels, ranging from low to critical.

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 13 Jan 2010

Afghan anger over NATO Koran burning in Kandahar 13 Jan 2010 Protesters alleging that foreign troops burned a copy of the Koran have clashed with Afghan and coalition troops in Helmand province, police say. They said that at least six people were killed in the violence which took place in Garmsir district. Violence erupted on Tuesday in the Garmsir district over rumours that Nato-led forces had defiled a copy of the Muslim holy book during a military operation, local residents and police said.

Afghan protesters killed as security forces open fire 13 Jan 2010 At least six people were killed when security forces opened fire during a protest against international troops in southern Afghanistan yesterday, Afghan officials said, in the latest in a string of demonstrations fuelled by resentment of foreign forces. News agencies quoted Afghan officials as saying at least 10 people were also wounded in the clash involving Afghan security forces in Helmand province, sparked by allegations that foreign troops had destroyed copies of the Quran.

Haiti earthquake: witnesses describe scenes of devastation 13 Jan 2010 Eyewitnesses have described the scenes of devastation after a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The tremor sparked widespread panic as it brought down buildings including the presidential palace, hotels, a hospital and the UN headquarters in the capital Port-au-Prince, leaving hundreds of people feared dead.

Health bill may be lenient on employers --Killing off the strong employer mandate in the House version would represent a substantial victory for business lobbies. 13 Jan 2010 Democratic leaders negotiating a compromise health care bill appear likely to reject a House provision requiring employers to offer generous coverage to their workers or else pay a steep payroll tax, specialist say. The handful of moderate Senate DemocRATs who hold the political upper hand in shaping the final bill are expected to insist on hewing much closer to the Senate’s relatively lenient approach, which does not include a strong requirement that employers offer coverage.

Iraq invasion violated international law, Dutch inquiry finds --Investigation into the Netherlands' support for 2003 war finds military action was not justified under UN resolutions 12 Jan 2010 The invasion of Iraq in 2003 was a violation of international law, an independent inquiry in the Netherlands has found. In a damning series of findings on the decision of the Dutch government to support Tony Blair and George Bush in the strategy of regime change in Iraq, the inquiry found the action had "no basis in international law". The 551-page report, published today and chaired by former Dutch supreme court judge Willibrord Davids, said UN resolutions in the 1990s prior to the outbreak of war gave no authority to the invasion.

Campbell: Blair wrote letters to Bush in 2002 saying 'we are with you' on Iraq --Letters raised prospect of British military backing for US, Tony Blair's former director of communications tells Chilcot inquiry 12 Jan 2010 Tony Blair wrote a series of private letters to George Bush in 2002 assuring him "we are absolutely with you" in making sure Iraq disarmed and raising the prospect of British military backing, Alastair Campbell said today. But the former Downing Street director of communications, giving evidence to the Chilcot inquiry into the war, said that the then-prime minister was hopeful of a peaceful resolution until the eve of the 2003 invasion.

US think tank seeks to connect Iran, Yemen, Qaeda 12 Jan 2010 A report says a high-profile neoconservative think tank in the United States is reportedly working to establish a link between Iran, the Yemeni opposition groups and al-Qaeda militants. The alleged connection between Iran, the Shia Houthi fighters in northern Yemen, the Yemeni separatists in the south and the militants has been the subject of discussions between Chris Harnisch and Frederick Kagan, two scholars at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI).

Occupiers kill several Afghans at demo, locals say 13 Jan 2010 Locals say troops of the US-led alliance have killed at least eight Afghan civilians at a demonstration organized to protest against the alliance forces' desecration of the Holy Quran. The mortalities were caused by fire from the alliance forces during the demonstration, which about 2,000 people attended, in the southern province of Helmand, locals said on Tuesday, the German news agency DPA reported. Residents said the troops had stormed a house and destroyed copies of the Muslim holy book in a local mosque in the province's Garmsir district on Sunday. "We have proof that they destroyed our Holy Quran. We can show it to [President Hamid] Karzai's government or the foreign forces," said resident Habibullah Jan.

'Afghan and international forces opened fire on us.' 'Afghan deaths in Nato firing' 13 Jan 2010 Villagers in southern Afghanistan have claimed that Afghan and Nato forces killed 13 demonstrators after a group of people took to the streets to protest the alleged desecration of the Quran. Residents in Garmsir district of Helmand province on Tuesday said that Nato-led forces raided a house in the area on Sunday and destroyed copies of the holy book in a local mosque. Haji Abdul Manan, one of the protesters, told the German Press Agency, DPA: "The people came out of their homes today to protest this action of foreign forces in a peaceful way, but the Afghan and international forces opened fire on us." He said more than 20 others were wounded in the firing.

Pentagon puts 3,100 troops on Afghanistan deployment list 13 Jan 2010 The Pentagon announced the latest troop deployment for Afghanistan on Tuesday, a move aimed at ensuring that the bulk of additional forces requested by President Obama will be in place this summer. The Defense Department said 3,100 troops, most from the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division based at Ft. Hood, Texas, would deploy to Afghanistan sometime this summer. With the announcement, the Pentagon has issued deployment orders for about 25,000 of the 30,000 additional troops approved by the Obama administration.

Iran accuses US, Israel in nuclear scientist murder 12 Jan 2010 Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it has found traces of US and Israel's involvement in the assassination of an Iranian nuclear physics scientist. Professor Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, a lecturer at Tehran University, was killed by a booby-trapped motorbike blast in the Iranian capital earlier in the day. The explosion took place near the professor's home in the Qeytariyeh neighborhood of northern Tehran... Mohammad Marandi, a professor at Tehran University, told Press TV that Ali-Mohammadi's colleagues at the capital's most prestigious university believe the attack was orchestrated by the West.

Iraq forces detain 25 suspects, seize explosives in Baghdad 12 Dec 2010 Iraqi security forces detained 25 'insurgent' suspects and seized explosives and mortar bombs during massive operations in Baghdad early on Tuesday, a military spokesman said. Qassim Atta, spokesman for Baghdad Operations Command, said in a statement that his troops confiscated 200 kg of C4 explosives, 200 kg of TNT, 60 mortar rounds and some 250 litre of ammonium nitrate which is used for making bombs during the search operations conducted early Tuesday morning.

Iraqis say they were forced to take Blackwater settlement 11 Jan 2010 Several victims of a 2007 shooting involving American private security guards employed by the firm formerly known as Blackwater alleged Sunday that they were coerced into reaching settlements, and they demanded that the Iraqi government intervene to have the agreements nullified. The Iraqis said they were pressured by their own attorneys into accepting what they now believe are inadequate settlements because they were told the company was about to file for bankruptcy, that its chairman was going to be arrested and that the U.S. government was about to confiscate all of the firm's assets. This would be their last chance to get any compensation, the victims said they were told.

Federal Judge Orders Release of Sealed Court Papers in Blackwater Case 11 Jan 2010 A federal judge in Washington is planning to release hundreds of pages of transcripts from sealed hearings in the government’s prosecution of five former Blackwater Worldwide security guards, saying there is no justification for keeping the information secret indefinitely. Judge Ricardo Urbina of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in a ruling Jan. 7 that the transcripts, from three weeks of closed-door hearings in October, will be released to the public Feb. 2--the day after the deadline for the Justice Department to file an appeal in the case to challenge the dismissal of charges.

US veterans committing suicide at higher rate 12 Jan 2010 Young male veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have been committing suicide at a higher rate. The Veterans Affairs Department in the US has said data collected from 18 to 29-year-old male veterans has shown a significant increase in the rate of suicides, which went up 26 percent between 2005 and 2007. In 2005, the rate per 100,000 veterans among men ages 18-29 was 44.99, compared with 56.77 in 2007.

Venezuela to reinforce troops on Colombia border with Russian tanks 11 Jan 2010 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced plans for the deployment of new Russian-made tanks and combat helicopters on the border with Colombia. Ties between Venezuela and Colombia deteriorated last August after Washington signed a deal with Bogota allowing U.S. forces to run anti-drug operations from Colombian bases. Chavez has criticized the deal and called for the Venezuelan people and army to prepare for a war.

Court extends remand of cops who allegedly beat Palestinian 12 Jan 2010 Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on Tuesday extended the remand of four Tel Aviv policemen who were arrested yesterday for allegedly assaulting a Palestinian detainee. According to the Justice Ministry's Police Investigations Department, new evidence has emerged in the investigation which ties the three officers to the crime. The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court extended their detention by four days.

Expert: CIA missed glaring red flags on double-agent bomber 12 Jan 2010 A Jordanian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said last week that authorities in Jordan arrested Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi more than a year ago, but released him because of a lack of evidence. Al-Balawi had written about his arrest on his blog, and ignoring that was another fatal error by the intelligence agencies, sources said.

Obama Establishes Council of Governors to Advise DoD, DHS on 'Civil Support Missions' --'The President shall establish a bipartisan Council of Governors to advise the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the White House Homeland Security Council on matters related to the National Guard and civil support missions.' 11 Jan 2010 The President today signed an Executive Order establishing a Council of Governors to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government and State Governments to protect our Nation against all types of hazards. When appointed, the Council will be reviewing such matters as involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities.

Sec. 2. Functions. The Council shall meet at the call of the Secretary of Defense or the Co-Chairs of the Council to exchange views, information, or advice with the Secretary of Defense; the Secretary of Homeland Security; the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement; the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs; the Commander, United States Northern Command; the Chief, National Guard Bureau; the Commandant of the Coast Guard; and other appropriate officials of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, and appropriate officials of other executive departments or agencies as may be designated by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Suspect in Northwest Airlines bomb attack had round-trip ticket --It had been widely reported that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had a one-way fare. Obama administration officials brief congressional aides on the Christmas Day attack. 12 Jan 2010 The alleged Christmas Day airline bomber had purchased a round-trip ticket -- not a one- way fare, as has been widely reported -- the Obama administration told congressional aides in a closed briefing Tuesday. According to a person who attended the meeting, the administration also said it was not unusual for international air travelers to buy their tickets using cash, as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had done.

Passenger On 'Do Not Board' List Flies From PIA 12 Jan 2010 The Centers for Disease Control said a passenger with tuberculosis has been detained after boarding a flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco despite being on a "do-not-board" list. [?!?] CDC officials said the passenger was detained and taken to a local hospital after a U.S. Airways flight arrived in San Francisco Saturday night. The unidentified male passenger was apparently placed on a do-not-board list submitted to the TSA and CDC on January 8, 2010.

Stop and search powers illegal, European court rules --Judges in Strasbourg say UK powers under Terrorism Act 2000 violate convention on human rights 12 Jan 2010 The ability of UK police to use "arbitrary" counter-terror stop and search powers against peace protesters and photographers lay in tatters today after a landmark ruling by the European court of human rights. The Strasbourg court ruled it was unlawful for police to use the powers, under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, to stop and search people without needing any grounds for suspicion. The use of these powers has grown fourfold, from 33,177 times in 2004 to more than 117,200 in 2008.

The fight against full-body scanners at airports --'We don't need to look at naked 8-year-olds and grandmothers to secure airplanes,' a lawmaker says. TSA is adding machines to screen more passengers, much to the chagrin of privacy advocates. 13 Jan 2010 The government has promised more and better security at airports following the near-disaster on Christmas Day, but privacy advocates are not prepared to accept the use of full-body scanners as the routine screening system. Privacy concerns slowed the move to put more body-imaging scanners in the airports. Currently, 19 airports have at least one scanner in use. The Transportation Security Administration had already announced plans to buy 300 devices, and is likely to purchase more.

Many Caribbean, Latin America airports lack safety zones 12 Jan 2010 Many of the busiest airports in the Caribbean and Latin America lack basic safety features that could have prevented the recent crash of an American Airlines jet in Jamaica, according to pilots, aviation safety experts and public documents... As a result of a string of similar crashes in this country, Congress and U.S. regulators have required airports to install safety zones at the end of each runway by 2015 to minimize the chances of damage when a jet skids off the pavement.

North Carolina port closed by hazardous scare --9 containers with potentially explosive materials are punctured 12 Jan 2010 Officials shut down a North Carolina port and a stretch of highway and urged people to leave the area Tuesday after nine containers with highly explosive materials were punctured. Morehead City Police Chief Wes Lail told WTVD that the chemical involved is pentaerythritol tetranitrate, a powerful explosive, also known as PETN. It's not clear what form the chemical was in.

Thousands feared dead as huge earthquake destroys UN headquarters in Haiti 13 Jan 2010 Thousands of people were feared dead after a powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 rocked the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti last night, toppling buildings and causing widespread damage and panic. The United Nations headquarters was one of scores of buildings that were toppled, including the presidential palace, government buildings and a cathedral. Roads and bridges also lay in ruins. Communications were widely disrupted, making it impossible to get a clear picture of the damage as violent aftershocks shook the country, where many buildings are flimsy. Electricity was lost in some places.

Fears of huge death toll as earthquake rocks Haiti --Presidential palace and hospital among buildings reported to have collapsed 13 Jan 2010 A devastating earthquake struck the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti last night, causing what first reports said was widespread damage in the densely populated capital of Port-au-Prince with one hospital among numerous buildings said to have collapsed. Part of the national palace, which is home to Haiti's first family, had also collapsed... Early reports suggested the numbers hurt and killed could turn out to be very significant.

SEC order helps maintain AIG bailout mystery --SEC agreed with AIG to keep some bailout terms sealed 11 Jan 2010 It could take until November 2018 to get the full story behind the U.S. bailout of insurance giant American International Group because of an action taken last year by the Securities and Exchange Commission. In May, the SEC approved a request by AIG to keep secret an exhibit to a year-old regulatory filing that includes some of the details on the most controversial aspect of the AIG bailout: the funneling of tens of billions of dollars to big banks like Societe Generale, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch. The SEC's Division of Corporation Finance, in granting AIG's request for confidential treatment, said the "excluded information" will not be made public until Nov. 25, 2018, according to a copy of the agency's May 22 order.

Emails implicate Treasury Secretary Geithner in cover-up of AIG deal to bail out the banks By Barry Grey 12 Jan 2010 A financial scandal has erupted that implicates Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in efforts to conceal the funneling of $62 billion in taxpayer funds to 16 large banks as part of the government bailout of the insurance giant American International Group (AIG). The revelations coincide with the imminent announcement by the big US banks of their profits and year-end bonuses for 2009. Most of the major banks are expected to report huge profits--in the case of Goldman Sachs, its highest profits ever--and combined bonuses of $30 billion or more.

US must cut spending to save AAA rating, warns Fitch 12 Jan 2010 Fitch Ratings has issued the starkest warning to date that the US will lose its AAA credit rating unless acts to bring the budget deficit under control, citing a spiral in debt service costs and dependence on foreign lenders. Brian Coulton, the agency's head of sovereign ratings, said the US is shielded for now by its pivotal role in global finance and the dollar's status as the key reserve currency, but the picture is deteriorating fast enough to ring alarm bells.

'Was her head really that empty?' --Chris Matthews on Sarah Palin, Tuesday's 'Hardball.' Senile coward John McInsane *forgets* that he picked this dimwitted bimbo (and polar bear killing-terrorist) under the rubric of 'Country First.'

McCain complains of 'double standard' for Reid 12 Jan 2010 The GOP's 2008 presidential candidate decried Tuesday what he called a "stunning double standard" between the treatment of a top Democrat and Republican leader caught making racially insensitive remarks. Sen. John McCain of Arizona ripped the decision among most leading Democrats largely to dismiss the recent revelation that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said in 2008 that Barack Obama could succeed as a black presidential candidate partly because of his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

McCain Voted Against Creating Martin Luther King Holiday. (Color Of Change) In 1983, McCain voted against a motion to suspend the rules and pass a bill to designate the third Monday of every January as a federal holiday in honor of the late civil rights leader, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The motion passed 89-77. [HR 3706, Vote 289, 8/2/83; CQ 1983]

The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day 03 Apr 2008 Tomorrow Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by speaking in Memphis on the 40th anniversary of King's assassination. He will no doubt sound a bit different than he did in April 1987, when McCain was interviewed by USA Today about his five and a half years as a P.O.W. Could you keep up with what was going on in the world? He was asked. "They never gave us any meaningful news," McCain said. "They told us the day that Martin Luther King was shot, they told us the day that Bobby Kennedy was shot, but they never bothered to tell us about the moon shot. So it was certainly selected news." Surely the John McCain of 2008 would not hold that the assassinations of King and Kennedy were not "meaningful."

Previous lead stories: Blackwater/Xe mercs arrive in Somalia, Al-Shabab says --There are also allegations of US-sponsored bomb plots in the capital. 12 Jan 2010 At least 18 people have been killed in clashes between rival factions in southern and central Somalia, and there are reports that Blackwater/Xe mercenaries have entered the country. A battle broke out between the pro-government Ahlu Sunnah militia and Hizbul Islam fighters in the town of Baladwayne on Sunday and went well into Monday, during which at least 13 people lost their lives, witnesses said... There are also allegations of US-sponsored bomb plots in the capital. The bombings will be carried out in order to create a pretext to launch a campaign against Al-Shabab, a spokesman of the group, Sheikh Ali Mohammed Rage, told Reuters. "We have discovered that US agencies are going to launch suicide bombings in public places in Mogadishu," he told reporters. "They have tried it in Algeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan… We warn of these disasters. They want to target Bakara Market and mosques, then use that to malign us." At a meeting with tribal elders in Mogadishu on Monday, the Al-Shabab spokesman said that mercenaries of the Xe private security firm -- formerly known as Blackwater -- have arrived in the Somali capital, the Press TV correspondent in Mogadishu reported on Monday.

Iran diplomat says was tortured in US custody 11 Jan 2010 An Iranian diplomat who was detained by the US military in Iraq and held for more than two years, says that he was tortured while in American custody. Majid Qaemi-Heydari was among the five Iranian diplomats who were abducted by American forces in a raid on Iran's consulate in Arbil on January 11, 2007. In an interview with Fars News Agency, Heydari said the behavior of his American captors was worse than the violence they showed against Iraqis. "They had put covers on our heads, they cuffed our hands," he said adding that the soldiers were later criticized for not cuffing the diplomat's hands behind them.

The 'false' pandemic: Drug firms cashed in on scare over swine flu, claims Euro health chief 11 Jan 2010 The swine flu outbreak was a 'false pandemic' driven by drug companies that stood to make billions of pounds from a worldwide scare, a leading health expert has claimed. Wolfgang Wodarg, head of health at the Council of Europe, accused the makers of flu drugs and vaccines of influencing the World Health Organisation's decision to declare a pandemic. This led to the pharmaceutical firms ensuring 'enormous gains', while countries, including the UK, 'squandered' their meagre health budgets, with millions being vaccinated against a relatively mild disease. [See: Baxter working on vaccine to stop swine flu, though admitted sending live pandemic flu viruses to subcontractor 26 Apr 2009. See: Killer flu recreated in the lab 07 Oct 2004 UK Scientists have shown that tiny changes to modern flu viruses could render them as deadly as the 1918 strain which killed millions.]

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 11 Jan 2010

Israeli firm blasted for letting would-be plane bomber slip through 10 Jan 2010 The Israeli firm ICTS International (not to be confused with ICTS Europe, which is a different company), and two of its subsidiaries are at the crux of an international investigation in recent days, as experts try to pinpoint the reasons for the security failure that enabled Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board Northwest flight 253 and attempt to set alight explosives hidden in his underwear. A Haaretz investigation has learned that the security officers and their supervisor should have suspected the passenger, even without having early intelligence available to them.

'Uncle Sam is 'marking territory' - like a dog on a lamppost.' Obama's Yemeni odyssey targets China By M K Bhadrakumar 09 Jan 2010 A year ago, Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh made the startling revelation that his country's security forces apprehended a group of Islamists linked to [Wait for it... it's good...] the Israeli intelligence forces. "A terrorist cell was apprehended and will be referred to the courts for its links with the Israeli intelligence services," he promised. Saleh added, "You will hear about the trial proceedings." Nothing was ever heard and the trail went cold. [Well, knock me over with a feather!] ...Is Obama so incredibly forgetful of his own December 1 speech outlining his Afghan strategy that he violated his own canons? Certainly not. Obama is a smart man. The intervention in Yemen will go down as one of the smartest moves that he ever made for perpetuating the US's global hegemony. It is America's answer to China's surge.

'US to double its security funding to Yemen' 10 Jan 2010 The Head of the US Central Command Gen. David Petraeus has declared that Washington is to double its security assistance funding to Yemen, from $70 million to more than $150. However the US has no plans to send ground troops to Yemen, Petraeus told CNN in an interview that will be aired on Sunday... Shia fighters in the north have repeatedly reported that US fighter jets have bombed the northwestern province of Sa'ada.

UK troops 'executed Iraqi grandmother' --Royal Military Police investigate latest allegation of abuse another war crime in Basra 11 Jan 2010 Allegations that a 62-year-old Iraqi grandmother was tortured and executed by British soldiers after her family home was raided three years ago are being investigated by the Royal Military Police. The Army's involvement in the death and abuse of Sabiha Khudur Talib is one of the most serious charges to be made against Britain during its six-year occupation of southern Iraq. UK government ministers are to be given previously unseen police reports from a Basra crime unit which conclude that Mrs Talib's body was dumped on a roadside in a British body bag in November 2006. There was a bullet hole in her abdomen and her face had injuries consistent with torture, police reported.

Alastair Campbell had Iraq dossier changed to fit US claims' --WMD in a year' allegation halved original timescale after compilers told to compare contents with Bush speech 10 Jan 2010 Fresh evidence has emerged that Tony Blair's discredited Iraqi arms dossier was "sexed up" on the instructions of Alastair Campbell, his communications chief, to fit with claims from the US administration that were known to be false. The pre-invasion dossier's worst-case estimate of how long it would take Iraq to acquire a nuclear weapon was shortened in response to a George Bush speech.

'Significant amounts of money were spent on procuring the services of Afghan warlords.' UK 'paid Afghan warlord $2m to find Osama Bin Laden' 09 Jan 2010 The UK paid $2m (£1.3m) for the services of an Afghan warlord in an operation against Osama Bin Laden in 2001, it has been alleged. BBC Two's Conspiracy Files heard claims from a US special forces commander that both the Americans and British paid substantial sums to Afghan warlords... Dalton Fury told the BBC significant amounts of money were spent on procuring the services of Afghan warlords. "General Hazrat Ali was paid $4 million to rent his leadership and his men. Haji Zaman Gamsurek supported by the United Kingdom was paid $2 million," said Mr Fury.

Sunday Mirror journalist killed in Afghan blast 10 Jan 2010 The defence correspondent of the Sunday Mirror newspaper has become the first British journalist to be killed while covering the war in Afghanistan. Rupert Hamer, 39, was accompanying a US Marine Corps patrol when an explosion from a device hidden outside a small village hit the vehicle he was travelling in on Saturday. The photographer Philip Coburn, 43, who had worked with Mr Hamer in several war zones, suffered severe leg injuries in the attack.

Officials: Suspected US Drones Kill 13 In Pakistan 06 Jan 2010 Suspected U.S. drone missile strikes killed 13 people in Pakistan's volatile northwest Wednesday, the latest of five such attacks in the past week targeting an area believed to be a hideout for militants involved in a suicide attack on a CIA base in Afghanistan. Since the attack, suspected U.S. drones have carried out an unusually high number of strikes in North Waziristan, part of a larger trend of President Barack Obama using the aircraft more frequently in Pakistan than had his predecessor.

Al-Qa'ida trains 20 more plane bombers --Other young Muslim men like Abdulmutallab are prepared in Yemen for terror attacks 10 Jan 2010 Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab told US investigators that about 20 other young Muslim men were being coached in Yemen to blow up planes using a technique identical to the one he employed, CBS News has reported, quoting a British intelligence source.

Taliban make 'undetectable' bombs out of wood 10 Jan 2010 Taliban fighters have developed a deadly new generation of their most lethal weapon, the improvised explosive device, or IED, which is almost undetectable because it has no metal or electronic parts, military experts said last week. IEDs have proved the Taliban's most deadly weapon: three out of five coalition troops killed last year in Afghanistan were victims of the bombs.

How this suicide bomber opened a new front in Al-Qaeda's war --New details have emerged of the failures that led to the deaths of seven CIA agents in Afghanistan. 10 Jan 2010 That morning, Wednesday December 30, Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi had been picked up at the Ghulam Khan border crossing by an Afghan army commander called Arghawan, who was in charge of security at the Chapman base... As Balawi stepped out of the car, seven CIA officers and a handful of soldiers gathered around. According to the guard, it was then that Balawi detonated his bomb, killing eight and injuring six. Arghawan, still sitting in the driver’s seat, survived the initial blast but a US soldier shot him in the head with his pistol, assuming that he was part of the bomb plot.

CIA Bomber in Video With Taliban Leader --Tape Surfaces Showing Jordanian Who Killed CIA Operatives in Afghanistan Vowing Revenge for Killing of Taliban Figure 09 Jan 2010 A Jordanian doctor-turned-suicide bomber and triple agent who killed 7 CIA agents and a Jordanian intelligence agent in Afghanistan on December 30, appeared in a video broadcast by a Pakistani TV station on Saturday, meeting with Pakistan's main Taliban leader, and provoking widespread reaction over his ties with militants on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border.

'Bush sold Arab states arms in violation of deal with Israel' 09 Jan 2010 The Bush administration violated security related agreements with Israel in which the U.S. promised to preserve the IDF's qualitative edge over Arab armies, according to senior officials in the Obama administration and Israel. Defense Minister Ehud Barak traveled to the U.S. in September for a rushed meeting in which it was agreed that the two allies would discuss how to resolve the problems regarding this issue.

Israeli general Brigadier-General Uzi Eilam denies Iran is nuclear threat 10 Jan 2010 A general who was once in charge of Israel’s nuclear weapons has claimed that Iran is a "very, very, very long way from building a nuclear capability". Brigadier-General Uzi Eilam, 75, a war hero and pillar of the defence establishment, believes it will probably take Iran seven years to make nuclear weapons. The views expressed by the former director-general of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission contradict the assessment of Israel’s defence establishment and put him at odds with political leaders.

3 Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrike on Gaza 10 Jan 2010 Israeli warplanes have attacked the central Gaza Strip, killing three Palestinians in the area. Palestinian medics said the Israeli airstrike killed the three, AFP reported. Muawiya Hassanein, the head of Gaza emergency services, announced that the bodies of the three were taken to a hospital in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. He added that the eastern part of Gaza was also attacked by Israeli warplanes.

Israel prevented 17 sight-impaired Gazans from leaving for cornea transplant operations on time; a donation of dozens of corneas went down the drain (Physicians for Human Rights-Israel) 09 Jan 2010 The Israeli authorities at Erez checkpoint this week prevented the exit of 17 sight-impaired patients, suffering from various eye diseases, from the Gaza Strip in order to undergo cornea transplants, a treatment that is not available in the Gaza health system. Because of this delay, the medical window of opportunity to perform the transplants for these patients was closed, because corneas can be transplanted only within the shortest time frame (24-48 hours after they are extracted from the donor's body)... PHR-Israel strongly protests the blatant disregard of the Erez checkpoint authorities for the medical urgency of allowing the exit of patients for cornea transplant operations.

Labour 'resigned to losing general election' 11 Jan 2010 The Labour Party is resigned to an election defeat under the stewardship of Gordon Brown, following last week's shambolic coup attempt and yet more damaging revelations about the Prime Minister's leadership style. Senior Labour sources said the party had no confidence it would emerge victorious from a general election campaign, despite widespread expectation among its ranks that the Conservatives could be beaten with a different leader.

'Disorderly' Va. man taken off plane --Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from the North American Aerospace Defense Command headquarters in Colorado Springs. 09 Jan 2010 A 47-year-old Virginia man taken off an airplane Friday in Colorado and held in jail over the weekend is expected to appear in federal court in Denver on Monday and be charged with interfering with a flight crew. Muhammad Abu Tahir, of Glen Allen, was reportedly drinking and acting in an unruly manner aboard an AirTran Airways flight from Atlanta to San Francisco. The pilot chose to divert the aircraft to Colorado Springs, where Tahir was removed before the flight resumed. Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from the North American Aerospace Defense Command headquarters in Colorado Springs. They remained above Colorado Springs Airport until local law enforcement authorities arrived, Lt. Commander Gary Ross said yesterday.

Slovaks plant explosives on air traveller 06 Jan 2010 Irish police have released a man held over an explosives find, after Slovak authorities admitted planting them in his luggage as part of a security test. The explosives were among eight contraband items placed with passengers at Bratislava and Poprad-Tatry airports last weekend. The man unwittingly brought the material into Dublin when he returned from his Christmas holidays. He was arrested on Tuesday morning, but has since been released without charge. Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said he was very concerned that Irish police had not been alerted for three days.

Paris airport to try scanners on US-bound flights 08 Jan 2010 Body scanners will be used on an experimental basis at France's busiest airport later this month for flights headed to the United States, the deputy director of transportation at the General Direction for Civil Aviation said Friday. French President Nicolas Sarkozy had ordered this week a study of the possible use of scanners following the failed effort, allegedly by a Nigerian man, to blow up a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas.

Cancer Risks Debated for Type of X-Ray Scan 09 Jan 2010 The plan for broad use of X-ray body scanners to detect bombs or weapons under airline passengers’ clothes has rekindled a debate about the safety of delivering small doses of radiation to millions of people -- a process some experts say is certain to result in a few additional cancer deaths. The scanning machines, called "backscatter scanners," deliver a dose of ionizing radiation equivalent to 1 percent or less of the radiation in a dental X-ray. But collectively, the radiation doses from the scanners incrementally increase the risk of fatal cancers among the thousands or millions of travelers who will be exposed, some radiation experts believe.

Officials Hid Truth About Immigrant Deaths in Jail 10 Jan 2010 Silence has long shrouded the men and women who die in the nation’s immigration jails. For years, they went uncounted and unnamed in the public record. Even in 2008, when The New York Times obtained and published a federal government list of such deaths, few facts were available about who these people were and how they died. But behind the scenes, it is now clear, the deaths had already generated thousands of pages of government documents, including scathing investigative reports that were kept under wraps, and a trail of confidential memos and BlackBerry messages that show officials working to stymie outside inquiry.

McCain strategist: Palin thought candidacy was mapped by God 11 Jan 2010 Sarah Palin believed that Sen. John McCain chose her to be his running mate in the 2008 presidential race because of "God's plan," according to a top political strategist in the Arizona Republican's campaign. In an interview with the CBS news magazine "60 Minutes," Steve Schmidt described Palin as "very calm -- nonplussed" after McCain met with her at his Arizona ranch just before putting her on the Republican ticket. Schmidt, McCain's chief campaign adviser, said he asked Palin about her serenity in the face of becoming "one of the most famous people in the world." He quoted her as saying, "It's God's plan."

G.O.P. Attacks Reid Over Comments 11 Jan 2010 Republicans on Sunday sought to portray racially insensitive remarks attributed to Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, in a new book as similar to comments made in 2002 by Trent Lott, the Republican leader who was forced to step down. Democrats rejected that comparison and continued to close ranks behind Mr. Reid for comments he made suggesting that Barack Obama could become the first African-American president because he was "light-skinned" and because he did not speak with a "Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." They said the circumstances surrounding Mr. Reid and Mr. Lott were not parallel. Republicans, however, pressed the issue, with some even calling for Mr. Reid to step down. [Actually, the GOP itself forced loser Lott to step down. They wanted an even bigger Nazi, Bill Frist, in the role as Senate Majority Leader. Anyway, while carrying phony birth certificates, erecting billboards with nooses, toting AK-47s to town hall meetings and all but *praying* for Obama's assassination, the hypocritical sociopaths aka the GOP, actually *criticize* someone for making racist comments. It truly boggles the mind. --LRP]

Hawaii can't afford Congressional election 09 Jan 2010 Cash-strapped Hawaii can't afford to pay for an election to replace a congressman who is planning to step down next month to run for governor, potentially leaving 600,000 urban Honolulu residents without representation in Washington. Budget cuts have left the state Office of Elections with about $5,000 to last until July, with a special election costing nearly $1 million, interim Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago said. Until the state finds money or this fall's regularly scheduled elections occur, one of Hawaii's two seats in the House of Representatives will remain vacant.

Polar bears near shore as ice vanishes --Many scientists blame the warmer temperatures associated with climate change for the disappearance of the sea ice. 08 Jan 2010 A 27-year study of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea showed them spending more time on land and open water as ice disappeared, officials said. Between 1979 and 1987, 12 percent of bear sightings were associated with no ice. Between 1997 and 2005, however, 90 percent of bear sightings were associated with no ice, said Karyn Rode, a polar bear biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, Alaska. As sea ice disappeared, more bears were seen near shore in the southern Beaufort Sea, Rode said in a recent issue of the journal Arctic.

Previous lead stories: And Now a Word from the Netroots: Will the Real Barack Obama Please... Sit Down? --The Rec Report By Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D. 09 Jan 2010 As the betrayals by President Barack Obama and the Democrats mount, the Obamapologetics grow more desperate and contradictory by the day... Obama was brought in for one reason and one reason only - to put a better, even subaltern face on imperialism, martial adventurism, and the economic decline of the vast majority. He was brought in for his astounding rhetorical ability - to package war escalation and economic rollbacks and to sell them as peace and reforms. He was brought in so that the Republican boosters could call him a socialist and thereby provide right cover for his government as it handed over the federal treasury in bailouts and war bucks.

Xe, a Blackwater You Can Believe In: Xe Services Aiming for Afghan Police Training Deal --Xe (formerly Blackwater) aims to be part of Obama's Afghanistan strategy 10 Jan 2010 Blackwater Worldwide's legal woes haven't dimmed the company's prospects in Afghanistan, where it's a contender to be a key part of President Barack Obama's strategy for stabilizing destroying the country. Now called Xe Services, the company is in the running for a Pentagon contract potentially worth $1 billion to train Afghanistan's troubled national police force. The expanded role would seem an unlikely one for Xe because Democrats have held such a negative opinion of the company following the Iraqi deaths, which are still reverberating in Baghdad and Washington. During the presidential campaign, then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, now Obama's secretary of state, backed legislation to ban Blackwater and other private security contractors from Iraq. [Obama keeps faith with these mass-murderers, rapists and child-molesters? Xe, a Blackwater you can believe in! --MDR]

'In terms of security we have failed.' Karzai: I don't need foreign forces in Afghanistan 08 Jan 2010 Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai says he does not need anymore 'the favor' of the US-led foreign forces in his war-weary country. "If these forces are coming only to chase the Taliban at the cost of Afghan civilians, of course that's not going to produce any good consequences for us," Karzai said in an interview with al-Jazeera on Friday... The president's remarks come after thousands of Afghan people took to the streets to protest the rising civilian death toll by the US-led forces in the country.

Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, omits 9/11 while bashing Obama on terror 08 Jan 2010 Rudy Giuliani has been teased for only having three words in his vocabulary - a noun, a verb and 9/11 - but Friday "America's Mayor" seemed to forget about 9/11. The embarrassing flub came as Giuliani hit the morning news shows to suggest that President Obama needs to take more cues from ex-President [sic] George W. Bush when it comes to fighting terror. "One of the right things [Bush] did was treat this as a war on terror," Giuliani told "Good Morning America" host George Stephanopoulos. Then Giuliani proclaimed, in words he would soon regret, "We had no domestic attacks under Bush. We've had one under Obama," referring to November's shootings at Fort Hood by a radical Army psychiatrist. [Oops! Unindicted senile 9/11 co-conspirator, Rudy Giuliani, 'forgets' his complicity in the murder of 3,000 US citizens under Bush so that he, Lucky Larry 'Maybe the smartest thing to do is pull it.' Silverstein and the rest of Bush's merry cabal of sociopaths, could make billion$ on their phony 'war on terror.' --LRP]