US military resumes Guantanamo tribunals 16 Jul 2009 The US military has resumed the controversial Guantanamo tribunals for the first time in months with a series of pretrial hearings. The US President Barack Obama suspended the proceedings shortly after taking office in January but announced in May that some of the cases would continue, drawing criticism from human rights activists. On Wednesday, prosecutors sought delays pending a review in the cases of three defendants, said Joe DellaVedova, a Spokesman for the Military Commissions at the US naval installation in Cuba.
CIA death squads 'copied Mossad' 15 Jul 2009 Former US officials claim CIA was to hire assassination teams modeled after the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad's targeted killing specialist squads. On Tuesday, Newsweek quoted some former senior officials as saying that in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the former administration approached the Central Intelligence Agency to form the teams. The officials, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the White House broached the issue with CIA's espionage wing, the Directorate of Operations.
U.S. Lawyers Won't Defend Ex-Bush Attorney in Torture-Memo Case 14 Jul 2009 Justice Department attorneys will no longer defend former Bush administration lawyer John Yoo, who wrote memos justifying harsh interrogations torture of suspected terrorists, in a lawsuit claiming he’s responsible for violating the constitutional rights of a detainee prisoner. Private lawyers paid by the Justice Department will represent Yoo, who is appealing a federal judge’s refusal to throw out the lawsuit, according to court filings and a Justice Department spokeswoman.
Obama Claims Immunity, As New Spy Case Takes Center Stage 15 Jul 2009 The latest legal volley attacking President [sic] George W. Bush’s once-secret electronic eavesdropping dragnet gets its first court hearing here Wednesday, nearly four years after the warrantless surveillance program was revealed. The Jewel v. NSA lawsuit was filed in September by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It responded to 2008 federal legislation that immunized the nation’s telecommunications companies from suits challenging their complicity in the President's Surveillance Program.
Israeli soldiers in Gaza describe a 'moral Twilight Zone' 14 Jul 2009 Israeli combat soldiers have acknowledged that they forced Palestinian civilians to serve as human shields, needlessly killed unarmed Gazans and improperly used white phosphorus shells to burn down buildings as part of Israel's three-week military offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter. In filmed testimony and written statements released Wednesday, more than two dozen soldiers told an Israeli army veterans' group that military commanders led the fighters into what one described as a "moral Twilight Zone" where almost every Palestinian was seen as a threat.
Israel soldiers speak out on Gaza 15 Jul 2009 A group of soldiers who took part in Israel's assault in Gaza say widespread abuses were committed against civilians under "permissive" rules of engagement. The troops said they had been urged to fire on any building or person that seemed suspicious and said Palestinians were sometimes used as human shields. Breaking the Silence, a campaign group made up of Israeli soldiers, gathered anonymous accounts from 26 soldiers.
Israeli advertisement banned in UK 15 Jul 2009 Britain's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an advertisement showing the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights as part of Israel. The advertising watchdog decided to remove the posters -- promoting tourism in Israel -- after receiving hundreds of complaints, protesting that the ad featured a map that misleadingly implied the occupied territories were internationally recognized as part of Israel.
US extends condolences over Iran air crash 15 Jul 2009 The US government has extended its condolences to the relatives of those killed in an air crash near the central Iranian city of Qazvin. All 168 people aboard the Tupolev plane were killed in the crash on Wednesday.
Germany's BND: No countdown to Iran atomic bomb 15 Jul 2009 Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND has denied a German magazine report which had said Iran was capable of producing an atomic bomb within six months. German weekly Stern cited BND experts as saying that Iran had the enrichment technology to make a bomb and had enough centrifuges to make weaponized uranium, Reuters reported.
11 killed in Iraq bombings 7 hours ago 15 Jul 2009 Two separate bomb attacks in Iraq, one by a suicide bomber on a police post, killed a total of 11 people and wounded at least 40 on Wednesday, police and medical officials said. The suicide attacker targeted a police checkpoint near a mosque in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi early morning, killing six people, including two traffic policemen, officials said... In Baghdad's Shiite bastion of Sadr City, a bomb ripped through a tent filled with funeral mourners in the evening, killing at least five people and wounding 28, a security official said.
Afghanistan: 'Britain is backing the Taleban' 16 Jul 2009 Despite the grim toll of British soldiers' bodies coming home in coffins, many Afghans believe British troops have been helping the Taleban. "Of course we think they are supporting the Taleban," said shopkeeper Saad Alikhi in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province. "When the international troops first came here, they cleaned up all the Taleban, all over Afghanistan, within a month. Now I find there's a mine exploding in front of my shop." Security has plummeted across Helmand since UK troops arrived three years ago, and ordinary people have watched the Taleban grow stronger. Many are struggling to understand why Britain, with all the might of Nato and the United States behind it, has failed to beat the ragtag Taleban militia. [Because: It's not profitable for US/UK mercenary firms and corpora-terrorists to exit. More money can be made via their illegal occupation of Afghanistan.]
July is deadliest for US-led forces in Afghanistan 15 Jul 2009 July is shaping up as the deadliest month of the Afghan war for U.S.-led international forces, with the number killed already matching the highest full-month toll of the nearly eight-year conflict, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press. As of Wednesday, at least 46 international troops, including 24 Americans, had been killed in Afghanistan this month, according to statements by the U.S. military and the NATO command. That matches the tolls for the two previous deadliest months _ June and August of 2008.
ND missile crew discharged after falling asleep 14 Jul 2009 The Air Force discharged three North Dakota ballistic missile crew members who fell asleep while holding classified launch code devices, the military announced Tuesday. Officials said the codes were outdated and remained secure at all times. The crew members were coming off a shift at a missile alert facility about 70 miles from Minot Air Force Base when they fell asleep in a secure crew rest area, Arellano said. The crew had with them code components -- classified devices that allow them to communicate with missiles. Launch codes are part of the components, which were described as large, metal boxes.
Second Round Aerial Mosquito Spraying 15 Jul 2009 The second round of 'mosquito' spraying has been scheduled. Once again a C-130 aircraft designed for aerial spraying will be applying pesticides. Minot Air Force Base will be sprayed Thursday beginning 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The city of Minot is scheduled for a spraying July 22nd and 23rd from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Pentagon won't ban war-zone smoking, despite study 15 Jul 2009 The Pentagon reassured troops Wednesday that it won't ban tobacco products in war zones. Fear of a ban arose among some troops after the Defense Department received a study recommending the military move toward becoming tobacco-free -- perhaps in about 20 years. Press secretary Geoff Morrell pointedly told a Pentagon news conference that Defense Secretary Robert Gates is not planning to prohibit the use of cigarettes, chewing tobacco or other tobacco products by troops in combat.
Lanny Davis Now Lobbying In Support of Honduran Coup 14 Jul 2009 ...Lanny Davis was making the rounds of every news outlet that would have him, talking up Hillary Clinton's bid for the White House -- and/or pushing the Reverend Wright story. Not too long after, the former Clinton White House counsel popped up to do damage control for hawkish Democratic congresswoman Jane Harman over the AIPAC leak story. And now the hardest working conservative Democrat in show business has a new gig: lobbying against the Honduran leader recently deposed in a military coup.
Ex-Clinton aides advising Honduran coup regime By Bill Van Auken 15 Jul 2009 Ever since the military abducted President Manuel Zelaya at gunpoint on June 28 and expelled him from the country, the Obama administration has cast itself as a steadfast defender of "democracy" in Honduras. The real nature of that defense has become somewhat clearer with the news that key former aides to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have surfaced as top advisers to the illegal regime led by Roberto Micheletti, which was installed by the coup.
'I hope we don't see the 1918 picture.' Swine flu will be biggest pandemic ever, warns world health chief 16 Jul 2009 How does Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organisation, expect the flu pandemic to compare to other pandemics? "In terms of the number of countries affected and the number of people infected, this has got to be the biggest." Bigger than 1918? "If you're talking about mortality then it's different. 1918 is the biggest in terms of mortality. I would not like to make any predictions... I hope we don't see the 1918 picture. But we should expect to see more people infected, and more severe cases coming up, including deaths."
Experts unearth history of pandemic flu viruses 14 Jul 2009 Flu viruses that sparked the three worst pandemics in the last century circulated in their near-complete forms for years before the catastrophes occurred, researchers in Hong Kong and the United States have found. The H1N1 virus that sparked the Spanish flu of 1918-1919 circulated in swine and humans well before the pandemic started, and it did not come directly from birds as previously thought, they added. Instead, it was probably generated by genetic exchanges between flu viruses from swine and humans. This contrasts sharply with previous studies which suggested that the H1N1 virus of 1918 was a mutant that jumped direct from birds to human and ended up killing as many as 50 million people.
Mumbai placed on alert after IB terror strike warning 15 Jul 2009 Security has been beefed up in Mumbai and neighboring districts following an Intelligence Bureau (IB) terror alert. According to Maharashtra's Minister of State for Home, Naseem Khan, vigil has been increased at railway stations and major financial institutions, based on the IB input.
Multiple gunshots fired near U.S. Capitol --Shootings happened a few blocks from where third day of hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor was concluding
Capitol Police Shoot, Kill Suspect Near Capitol Building 15 Jul 2009 Capitol Police shot and killed an unidentified man late this afternoon about a block from the Capitol after the man fled a routine traffic stop and showed a weapon, Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said. Two Capitol Police officers received minor injuries and were treated at the scene... The car, a white Mercedes, fled and struck and injured an officer on Columbus Circle, she said.
Ad Accuses Sotomayor of Supporting Terrorists 15 Jul 2009 A leading conservative legal advocacy group that has a played a prominent role in the debate over the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor has created a new ad accusing her of supporting violent terrorists and comparing her to former Weatherman Bill Ayers. The Committee for Justice, whose executive director [nutjob], Curt Levey, has frequently appeared on television and in newspaper articles criticizing Judge Sotomayor, unveiled the ad on its Web site late Tuesday.
Sotomayor Fends Off Queries on Abortion and Guns 16 Jul 2009 Republicans turned to the politically fraught issues of abortion and gun rights on Wednesday in an effort to knock Judge Sonia Sotomayor off stride, but as she neared the end of her testimony, her composure remained intact and her confirmation to the Supreme Court seemed on track.
317 cars burned ahead of Bastille Day --Disaffected youths frustrated with high unemployment rates and their view of France's failure to integrate ethnic minorities 14 Jul 2009 French youths burned 317 cars and wounded 13 police officers overnight on the eve of the Bastille Day national holiday, police said Tuesday. By 6:00 am (0400 GMT), police headquarters in Paris had recorded 317 burnt out cars -- up 6.7 percent on 2008 -- and 240 arrests, almost double the total for the same period last year. These numbers were expected to increase as fresh reports came in.
Gas tanker explodes on I-75 north of Detroit 15 Jul 2009 Flames are shooting hundreds of feet in the air from a gasoline tanker explosion that has forced the shutdown of an interstate north of Detroit. Interstate 75 in Hazel Park, about 10 miles north of downtown Detroit, was shut down Wednesday evening.
India may allow U.S. to build nuclear-power plants 15 Jul 2009 India may make two announcements next week paving the way for more than $20 billion in contracts for U.S. companies building nuclear-power plants and selling defense technology, said Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hopes to unveil the agreements that would help American firms sell sophisticated arms and nuclear power plants to India when she visits next week.
Red-light cameras in Schaumburg screech to a halt --Critics say Schaumburg was more interested in collecting ticket money than improving safety 15 Jul 2009 When Schaumburg and RedSpeed Illinois announced their intention to install red-light cameras in the village last September, both parties hoped it would be a long-term commitment... Yet nine months after saying, "I do," Schaumburg has called the whole thing off, citing no improvements in safety and a flood of angry-motorist grief, after red-light cameras at the village's lone picture-snapping intersection netted more than $1 million in tickets.
Poll: The primary reason behind red-light cameras--Safety or revenue? 15 Jul 2009 Safety (134 responses) 5.8% Revenue (2159 responses) 94.2% 2293 total responses (Snapshot of poll)
Health care bill gets approval of Senate panel 15 Jul 2009 The Senate health committee Wednesday approved legislation to remake the nation's health care system, becoming the first congressional panel to do so this year. But the party-line vote underscored the absence of political consensus on what would be the biggest changes in social policy in more than 40 years. The bill, which aims to make health insurance available to all Americans, was approved, 13-10, by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Bernie Madoff 'Hit the Inmate Lottery' with Butner Prison, Consultant Says 14 Jul 2009 'Home sweet home' has new meaning for notorious Ponzi scammer Bernie Madoff, who arrived clad in a blue jumpsuit at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina just before noon today to begin serving his 150-year sentence. Madoff "hit the inmate lottery" by being assigned to Butner's medium security lockup, said federal sentencing attorney Alan Ellis, who characterizes the facility as "one of the crown jewels of the federal prison system."
Obama kicks off historic night in St. Louis --First Fan, former presidents honor All-Stars Among Us 14 Jul 2009 President Barack Obama said it was "as much fun as I've had in quite some time," and the sentiments probably were shared by many in a sellout crowd at Busch Stadium and a worldwide TV audience, as the 80th All-Star Game got under way Tuesday night with a pregame ceremony that was truly one for the ages. The 44th president threw out the ceremonial first pitch, something no one in office had done since Gerald Ford at the 1976 All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Previous lead stories: New York Times Reported In 2002 Bush Widened Authority of C.I.A. to Kill Terrorists --The New York Times reported that Bush had prepared a list of 'worst of the worst' to be killed... in December 2002. Ergo, this can't be the 'secret program,' since the NYT published the 'secrets' in 2002. --Lori Price
Bush Has Widened Authority of C.I.A. to Kill Terrorists 15 Dec 2002 The Bush administration has prepared a list of terrorist leaders the Central Intelligence Agency is authorized to kill, if capture is impractical and civilian casualties can be minimized, senior military and intelligence officials said. The previously undisclosed C.I.A. list includes key Qaeda leaders like Osama bin Laden and his chief deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, as well as other principal figures from Al Qaeda and affiliated terrorist groups, the officials said. The names of about two dozen terrorist leaders have recently been on the lethal-force list, officials said. "It's the worst of the worst," an official said. President [sic] Bush has provided written legal authority to the C.I.A. to hunt down and kill the terrorists without seeking further approval each time the agency is about to stage an operation. Some officials said the terrorist list was known as the "high-value target list." Despite the authority given to the agency, Mr. Bush has not waived the executive order banning assassinations, officials said.
AP sources: House lays groundwork for CIA probe 14 Jul 2009 The House Intelligence Committee has asked the CIA to provide documents about the now-canceled program to kill al-Qaida leaders, congressional officials said Tuesday. The agency spent at least $1 million on the eight-year program before it was terminated last month, one congressional official said. Intelligence officials say the operation never progressed beyond a planning stage. The CIA said Tuesday that the agency would cooperate in the House move, a precursor to what would likely become a full-blown investigation into the secret operation [?] and why the program was not disclosed to Congress.
Vietnamization we can believe in: US has new brigades with 'advisory mission' in Iraq 14 Jul 2009 The Pentagon on Tuesday announced the deployment of newly modified Army brigades to Iraq to focus on training and development duties that will dominate the U.S. mission after combat forces leave by August 2010. Four "advisory and assistance brigades," constituting up to 14,000 soldiers, will begin deploying to Iraq this fall as part of a routine 30,000-troop rotation that also includes three Army combat brigades and three Army division headquarters, defense officials said. The overall deployment will not increase the U.S. military presence in Iraq, which currently stands at 128,000 troops.
