Legal fight to stop US destroying torture images --Binyam Mohamed says photographs are evidence of abuse at Guantánamo 05 Jul 2009 Former Guantánamo detainee Binyam Mohamed has launched an urgent legal attempt to prevent the US courts from destroying crucial evidence that he says proves he was abused while being held at the detention camp, the Guardian has learned. The evidence is said to consist of a photograph of Mohamed, a British resident, taken after he was severely beaten by guards at the US navy base in Cuba. The image, now held by the Pentagon, had been put on his cell door, he says. Mohamed claims he was told later that this was done because he had been beaten so badly that it was difficult for the guards to identify him. In a sworn statement seen by the Guardian, Mohamed has appealed to the federal district court in Washington not to destroy the photograph, which neither he nor his lawyers have a copy of, and which is classified under US law.
Unmanned drones could be banned, says senior judge --Israel was accused last week of using missile-firing drones to unlawfully kill at least 29 Palestinian civilians during the Gaza Strip war. The US admitted to 26 civilian deaths in a series of drone attacks that took place in May. 06 Jul 2009 Unmanned drones could be banned from use in conflicts, Lord Bingham, one of Britain's most senior judges has suggested. Lord Bingham, who retired last year as a senior law lord, said the aircraft could follow other weapons considered "so cruel as to be beyond the pale of human tolerance" in being consigned to the history books. He likened drones, which have killed hundreds of civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Gaza, to cluster bombs and landmines.
Blast kills 2 near Afghanistan NATO base 06 Jul 2009 A car bomb explosion has struck outside the main NATO base in the troubled southern Afghanistan, killing two civilians and wounding 14 others. The attacker blew up an explosive-laced van early on Monday, as it was lined to be searched at an Afghan security check point near the gates of Kandahar Airfield, Gen. Sher Mohammad Zazai, the top military commander for southern Afghanistan said. Those wounded included 12 civilians and two Afghan soldiers.
Three more soldiers die as Afghan toll hits 174 06 Jul 2009 A third British soldier has been killed over the weekend in southern Afghanistan, bringing to 174 the total number of UK services personnel killed during the deployment in the country. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) last night announced that the soldier, from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, died while taking part in one of the UK military's biggest co-ordinated air operations of modern times.
US Marines under heavy fire in Afghanistan --200 Marines still fighting to hold position, had to call in helicopter gunships for assistance. 05 Jul 2009 Troops from a US Marine company in Afghanistan have been under almost constant fire since entering the country with 4,000 other troops during the week. Since flying in by helicopter to Mian Poshteh in Helmand province, troops from the 2/8 infantry battalion have been held down by 'insurgents.'
US troops expand Afghan operation 04 Jul 2009 US marines taking part in an offensive against Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan have been attempting to take control of an area along the border with neighbouring Pakistan. The US forces, backed by the Afghan national army, moved into Baramshar on Saturday after taking the main districts of Nawa and Garamsir, as well as Khananshid, the previous day, local officials said.
As Israel gears up for war, US divide appears 05 Jul 2009 As Israel continues its efforts to portray Iran as a regime hell-bent on a nuclear war, top officials in the White House and the US military express contradictory stances on a potential Israeli attack on Iran. The top US military commander, Admiral Mike Mullen, warned on Sunday that any military strike against Iran would have "unintended consequences". Meanwhile, US Vice President Joe Biden said that the US would not stop Israel if it launches an attack against Iran. The US "cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do," Biden said, the Associated Press reported. Israel, the possessor of the sole nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons and drawing up plans to attack the regime.
Israel denies Saudis gave IDF airspace clearance for Iran strike 05 Jul 2009 Saudi Arabia has indicated to Israel that it would not protest use of its airspace by Israeli fighter jets in the event the government resolves to launch a military assault against Iran, according to a report which appeared in the British newspaper The Sunday Times. The Prime Minister's office issued a statement in response Sunday morning, saying that "the Sunday Times report is fundamentally false and completely baseless."
Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran 05 Jul 2009 The head of Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites. Earlier this year Meir Dagan, Mossad’s director since 2002, held secret talks with Saudi officials to discuss the possibility.
Will Israel help NATO police the Mediterranean? 05 Jul 2009 Israel is to issue a request shortly to allow it to join a NATO operation in the Mediterranean aimed to prevent the passage of terrorists and weapons of mass destruction as well as improve the security of the region's shipping industry. The cabinet approved the recommendation made by the Israel Defense Forces and the navy to join the operation - dubbed Active Endeavour - last Wednesday when it was presented.
McKinney Returning to U.S. Sunday Evening 05 Jul 2009 The father of former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney confirms his daughter is enroot to New York after her release by Israeli authorities, Billy McKinney told 11Alive News he got the word Sunday Afternoon. Cynthia McKinney and a group of 20 were detained Tuesday by the Israeli Navy while they were reportedly trying to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
Iran deploys fresh warships to Gulf of Aden 06 Jul 2009 The Iranian Navy has deployed two warships to join international efforts to preserve shipping security in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden. Iran's Deputy Naval Commander, Gholam-Reza Khadem, said Monday that the dispatched warships are set to replace aging vessels and protect Iranian merchant containers and oil tankers from Somali pirates in the volatile Gulf of Aden.
Iran brings formal charges against UK embassy official 03 Jul 2009 A British embassy employee is to stand trial in Tehran for "acting against national security" -- a dramatic escalation in Iran's campaign to blame Britain for protests against disputed election results. The man, an Iranian who is the British embassy's chief political analyst, was arrested on Saturday and has been formally charged at Tehran's Evin Prison. It was is not clear whether any other embassy staff will face prosecution.
Honduras says Nicaragua has troops moving on border 05 Jul 2009 Honduras' interim President [sic] Roberto Micheletti said on Sunday Nicaraguan troops were moving to the mutual frontier and urged Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to respect Honduran sovereignty. He gave no further details about troop movements in Nicaragua which shares a border with Honduras to the southeast of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa.
Zelaya back in exile after failed return 06 Jul 2009 Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has landed in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua, after he was refused permission to land in Tegucigalpa. The interim government of Honduras closed the capital's international airport on Sunday, preventing a Venezuelan plane carrying Zelaya to land.
Honduras Coup General Was Charged in 1993 Auto Theft Ring By Al Giordano 04 Jul 2009 General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, who appeared on stage this week with Honduran coup "president" Roberto Michiletti, and who ordered the kidnapping and forced deportation of President Manuel Zelaya last Sunday, was charged with grand auto theft in 1993, Narco News has learned. On February 2, 1993, the front page of the Tegucigalpa daily El Heraldo included this headline: "Eleven Members of the Gang of 13 Go to Prison."
Six police hurt in clashes at Italian anti-US military base demo 05 Jul 2009 Six policemen were hurt in clashes late Saturday with demonstrators at a rally of more than 3,000 people against the 500-million-dollar enlargement of a US military base in Italy, police said. Some 300 youths, wearing helmets and carrying plexiglass shields, pelted riot cops with rocks and bottles during the American Independence Day demo. The police replied with tear gas and baton charges, AFP photographers said.
17 veterans with rare cancer or tumors have Camp Lejeune ties 04 Jul 2009 Scientists studying drinking water contamination at Camp Lejeune were startled when 11 men with breast cancer and ties to the North Carolina base were identified over the last two years. Six more have been found in one week. Five additional men with breast cancer and a sixth who had a double mastectomy after doctors found precancerous tumors contacted the St. Petersburg Times last week after reading a story about the 11 men with the rare disease.
Niger militants attack Chevron oil manifold 06 Jul 2009 The main Nigerian militant group says it has forced the closure of a manifold owned by the US oil giant Chevron in the Western Niger Delta. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) on Monday, claimed it wrecked one of the Chevron Nigeria Limited's (CNL) oil pipeline junction points in the Okan offshore field, Reuters reported. "The strategic Okan manifold…was blown up at about 2045 hours on Sunday," MEND was quoted as saying.
Sarah Palin threatens legal action over resignation rumours 05 Jul 2009 Sarah Palin has threatened legal action over allegations about her motive for her shock resignation as Governor of Alaska. As speculation swirled that her decision was connected to a pending corruption investigation, Mrs Palin's lawyer issued a four-page letter warning legal action against bloggers and US publications that reprinted the allegations, which she strongly denies. "To the extent several websites ... are now claiming as 'fact' that Governor Palin resigned because she is 'under federal investigation' for embezzlement or other criminal wrongdoing, we will be exploring legal options this week to address such defamation," said Thomas Van Flein, her lawyer, in a statement. [Explore *this.* BTW, no one cares why the self-serving bimbo is gone. All creatures - particularly the polar bears and the wolf pups she has gassed in their dens -are celebrating that Palin will soon be unable to continue the destruction of Alaska. Thomas Van Flein: Clapp, Peterson, Van Flein, Tiemessen & Thorsness, LLC - 711 H Street Suite 620 Anchorage, Alaska 99501-3454 - 907-272-9228 Fax: 907-272-9586.]
Sarah Palin not under FBI investigation, agency spokesman says 05 Jul 2009 A day after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin resigned, a federal official in her home state dismissed one potential explanation for her sudden and unexpected resignation -- a rumored FBI investigation into the former Wasilla mayor on public corruption charges. Despite rumors of a looming controversy after Palin's surprise announcement Friday that she will leave office this month, the FBI's Alaska spokesman said the bureau had no investigation into Palin for her activities as governor, as mayor or in any other capacity.
Sarah Palin Turns Pro By Paul Begala 03 Jul 2009 I wish Hunter S. Thompson had lived to see this. As Hunter said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Sarah Palin makes Mark Foley, the congressman who sent filthy emails to pages look almost normal... Her statement was incoherent, bizarre and juvenile. The text, as posted on Gov. Palin's official website, uses 2,549 words and 18 exclamation points. Lincoln freed the slaves with 719 words and nary an exclamation; Mr. Jefferson declared our independence in 1,322 words and, again, no exclamation points. Nixon resigned the presidency in 1,796 words -- still no exclamation points. Gov. Palin capitalized words at random - whole words, like "TO," "HELP," and "AND," and the first letter of "Troops." [Palin is so stupid that THE light FROM stupid IS going TO take ten billion years TO reach THE earth.]
Now, Sarah's Folly By Maureen Dowd 05 Jul 2009 Sarah Palin showed on Friday that in one respect at least, she is qualified to be president. Caribou Barbie is one nutty puppy. Usually we don’t find that exquisite battiness in our leaders until they’ve been battered by sordid scandals like Watergate (Nixon), gnawing problems like Vietnam (L.B.J.), or scary threats like biological terrorism (Cheney)... She refuses to succumb to the "politics of personal destruction." It’s no fun unless she’s the one aiming those poison darts, as she did when she accused Barack Obama of associating "with terrorists who targeted their own country."
Swiss banks cutting U.S. clients loose 04 Jul 2009 Swiss banks are shunning business from the U.S. amid concerns over legal issues and prospects for tighter regulation. The U.S. is also pushing Swiss banks to open their books to tax investigators despite Swiss secrecy laws.
Previous lead stories: Obama Weary of Attacks By Left-Wing Groups 04 Jul 2009 President Obama, strategizing yesterday with congressional leaders about health-care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought to drop their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and devote their energy to promoting passage of comprehensive legislation. In a pre-holiday call with half a dozen top House and Senate Democrats, Obama expressed his concern over advertisements and online campaigns targeting moderate Democrats, whom they criticize for not being fully devoted to "true" health-care reform.
US warns North Korea after reports of Scud missiles test --South Korea reports launch of seven ballistic missiles --Tests on US Independence Day violate UN resolutions 04 Jul 2009 The United States warned North Korea not to "aggravate tensions" today after South Korea said its neighbour had fired seven ballistic missiles in violation of UN resolutions. The tests, seen as a message of defiance to the US on Independence Day, will further increase pressure in the region as America tries to gather support for tough enforcement of the UN resolution imposed on the government for its May nuclear test.
KBR might seek federal funds to pay its legal bills --Uncle Sam could soon be writing another big check to KBR. 04 Jul 2009 KBR may ask the U.S. government to reimburse it for legal bills if a jury decides the company failed to protect KBR truck drivers during a deadly April 2004 roadside attack, a lawyer for the Houston-based government contractor said. Though no final decision has been made, lawyer Robert Meadows said, if the cases go to trial and result in a jury award, "it’s conceivable that KBR would look to the government to accept responsibility under its contract" with the company.
