KBR 2Q profit surges 40 percent on revenue boost 30 Jul 2009 Engineering and construction company [terrorists] KBR Inc. posted second-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street expectations as revenue rose on work in its energy and power projects and contracts in Iraq. Net income of $67 million, or 42 cents per share, was up 40 percent from $48 million, or 28 cents per share, in the same quarter last year.
'If a flu pandemic were severe enough to qualify as a catastrophic incident, the DoD response could be anticipatory in nature.' The Role of the Department of Defense During A Flu Pandemic 04 Jun 2009 Examples of Defense Support Which Civil Authorities Might Request During a Flu Pandemic --providing disease surveillance and laboratory diagnostics; transporting response teams, vaccines, medical equipment, supplies, diagnostic devices, pharmaceuticals and blood products; treating patients; evacuating the ill and injured; processing and tracking patients; providing base and installation support to federal, state, local, and tribal agencies; controlling movement into and out of areas, or across borders, with affected populations; supporting law enforcement; supporting quarantine enforcement; restoring damaged public utilities; providing mortuary services... Another important factor to consider when federalizing National Guard forces is the impact of the Posse Comitatus Act. While they remain in a state status (either state active duty or Title 32 status), National Guard personnel are not covered by the Act and therefore are a valuable tool for state governors in maintaining public order. Federalization of the National Guard generally brings them under the restrictions of the Act and thereby limits their utility for law enforcement purposes.
Swine flu hits Air Force operations in north Fla. 30 Jul 2009 Swine flu has hit the Air Force's special operations command in northwest Florida. As many as 59 airmen at Hurlburt Field are suspected of having the virus, while another four have tested positive. First Special Operations Wing spokeswoman Amy Oliver said Wednesday they won't be testing the probable cases.
'A Whole Industry Is Waiting For A Pandemic' --In an interview with SPIEGEL, epidemiologist Tom Jefferson speaks about dangerous fear-mongering, misguided, money-driven research 21 Jul 2009 Jefferson: It's true that influenza viruses are unpredictable, so it does call for a certain degree of caution. But one of the extraordinary features of this influenza -- and the whole influenza saga -- is that there are some people who make predictions year after year, and they get worse and worse... Sometimes you get the feeling that there is a whole industry almost waiting for a pandemic to occur. SPIEGEL: Who do you mean? The World Health Organization (WHO)? Jefferson: The WHO and public health officials, virologists and the pharmaceutical companies. They've built this machine around the impending pandemic. And there's a lot of money involved, and influence, and careers, and entire institutions!
Tamiflu causes sickness and nightmares in children, study finds 31 Jul 2009 More than half of children taking the swine flu drug Tamiflu experience side-effects such as nausea and nightmares, research suggests. An estimated 150,000 people with flu symptoms were prescribed the drug through a new hotline and website last week, according to figures revealed yesterday. Studies of children attending three schools in London and one in the South West showed that 51-53 per cent had one or more side-effects from the medication, which is offered to everyone in England with swine flu symptoms.
Britain: Dozens fall victim to side effects of swine flu drug 27 Jul 2009 The agency that licenses medicines in Britain has received 150 reports of suspected adverse reactions to the Tamiflu treatment for swine flu. The figure was released yesterday as GPs said some patients were choosing not to take the drug because of concern about the possible side effects.
Lull in swine flu cases -- but 'big surge' to follow 30 Jul 2009 The swine flu pandemic appears to have peaked for the moment but the virus will return with "a very big surge" in the autumn, the chief medical officer said today. Sir Liam Donaldson hailed new data as proof of a "pretty firm downturn" in the number of people seeking medical help with H1N1 from a GP.
Fox News: Military teams, U.S. Northern Command, mass quarantines to combat flu pandemic: Video Posted by CrashmagProductions 29 Jul 2009 [See: Refuse and Resist Mandatory Flu Vaccines (Petition) and CLG Pandemic Action Alerts.]
U.S. Adviser's Blunt Memo on Iraq: Time 'to Go Home' [to 'help' with the flu pandemic] 31 Jul 2009 A senior American military adviser in Baghdad has concluded in an unusually blunt memo that the Iraqi forces suffer from deeply entrenched deficiencies but are now capable of protecting the Iraqi government, and that it is time "for the U.S. to declare victory and go home." Col. Timothy R. Reese, an adviser to the Iraqi military’s Baghdad command, argues that extending the American military presence in Iraq beyond 2010 will do little to improve the Iraqis’ military performance, while fueling a growing resentment.
Blair will be called up to testify before Iraq inquiry 31 Jul 2009 Tony Blair will be called to give evidence before the Iraq inquiry, the head of the investigation has confirmed, as a row continued to rage over whether vital evidence will be heard in secret. The former prime minister will be expected to appear before the five-strong panel, Sir John Chilcot, the former senior civil servant who chairs the inquiry, said yesterday. The Chilcot inquiry could take until 2011 to complete and will investigate the run up to the war, from the summer of 2001, the war itself and the aftermath up to July this year.
Opposition anger over 2011 date for Iraq war report --Chairman confirms Blair will give public evidence --Hague says inquiry goes against nation's wishes 30 Jul 2009 Opposition politicians expressed renewed doubts about the scope and approach of the Iraq inquiry today after its chairman Sir John Chilcot confirmed that he may not be able to report until 2011. At a news conference, Sir John, a former permanent secretary at the Northern Ireland Office and a former staff counsellor for the security and intelligence agencies, insisted the inquiry would be "thorough, rigorous fair and frank".
U.S. briefs Israel on new Iran nuke sanctions 31 Jul 2009 American officials briefed Israel this week on the administration's ideas for intensifying sanctions against Iran if it fails to respond to President Barack Obama's offer of dialogue. U.S. National Security Advisor James Jones, who is now in Israel to discuss Iran's nuclear program, indicated that Tehran has until the UN General Assembly in the last week of September to respond. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates delivered a similar message during his visit here earlier this week.
Killing of Gazans was 'obligation', says Tel Aviv 31 Jul 2009 The Israeli Foreign Ministry has released a detailed report in defense of Tel Aviv's three-week-long all-out offensive on the Gaza Strip. The report, published on Thursday, claims that Israel had "both a right and an obligation to take military action" against the blockaded people of Gaza in response to Hamas rockets fired into Israel, Haaretz reported. In the 163-page document, entitled 'The Operation in Gaza - Factual and Legal Aspects,' Tel-Aviv admits for the first time that the Israeli army used munitions containing white phosphorous in Gaza.
U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Prepares New 'Strategy' 30 Jul 2009 The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is preparing a new 'strategy' that calls for major changes in the way U.S. and other NATO troops there operate, a vast increase in the size of Afghan security forces and an intensified military effort to root out corruption among local government officials, according to several people familiar with the contents of an assessment report that outlines his approach to the war. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who took charge of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan last month, appears inclined to request an increase in American troops to implement the new strategy, which aims to use more unconventional methods to combat the growing Taliban insurgency, according to members of an advisory group he convened to work on the assessment.
US planners say Afghan war cannot be won without more troops 30 Jul 2009 Strategic planners working with the new US military commander in Afghanistan have said governments with troops committed in the country need to be more realistic about the amount of troops needed to win the war.
Judge Orders Young Gitmo Detainee's Release --Mohammed Jawad Arrived At Guantanamo At About Age 12 30 Jul 2009 A judge ruled Thursday that one of the youngest detainees prisoners brought to Guantanamo Bay is being held illegally and must be released. U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle's order does not end the case of Mohammed Jawad, however. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ian Gershengorn told the judge that as the United States negotiates with the prisoner's home country of Afghanistan for his return next month, the Justice Department also is pursuing a criminal investigation.
Judge Orders Obama Administration to Free Gitmo Detainee 30 Jul 2009 A US district court judge has ordered the release of one of the youngest prisoners at Guantanamo Bay after the government agreed that it could no longer hold him. District Court Judge Ellen Huvelle granted Mohammed Jawad's petition for habeas corpus and ordered the government to file a report on Jawad's release with Congress by August 6. Under new rules for the release of prisoners established by Congress, the Obama administration would have to wait 15 days after filing the report to release Jawad.
Rove Had Heavier Hand in Prosecutor Firings Than Previously Known 30 Jul 2009 Political adviser Karl Rove and other high-ranking figures in the Bush White House played a greater role than previously understood in the firing of federal prosecutors almost three years ago, according to e-mails obtained by The Washington Post, in a scandal that led to mass Justice Department resignations and an ongoing criminal probe. The e-mails and new interviews with key participants reflect contacts among Rove, aides in the Bush political affairs office and White House lawyers about the dismissal of three of the nine U.S. attorneys fired in 2006: New Mexico's David C. Iglesias, the focus of ire from GOP lawmakers; Missouri's Todd Graves, who had clashed with one of Rove's former clients; and Arkansas's Bud Cummins, who was pushed out to make way for a Rove protege.
Hutchison Web site contained hidden phrases 30 Jul 2009 A Web site for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison contained hidden phrases including "rick perry gay." So Gov. Rick Perry's campaign is accusing the Hutchison team of being slanderous and of setting a negative and divisive tone. The two Republicans are running for governor in next year's GOP primary. The Austin American-Statesman reported Thursday on the phrases.
Pete Sessions's blimp flies into storm 30 Jul 2009 Rep. Pete Sessions -- the chief of the Republicans’ campaign arm in the House -- says on his website that earmarks have become "a symbol of a broken Washington to the American people." Yet in 2008, Sessions himself steered a $1.6 million earmark for dirigible research to an Illinois company whose president acknowledges having no experience in government contracting, let alone in building blimps. What the company did have: the help of Adrian Plesha, a former Sessions aide with a criminal record who has made more than $446,000 lobbying on its behalf.
Liberal Democrats threaten to reject House healthcare deal --Dozens say they'll vote against a plan that includes concessions to Blue Dogs corpora-terrorist trolls 30 Jul 2009 After months of marching in line as senior Democrats worked with the White House to develop healthcare legislation, liberal lawmakers from solidly Democratic districts are threatening a revolt that could doom President Obama's bid to sign a major bill this year. In the House, liberals are furious at their leaders for striking a deal with conservative Democrats that would weaken the proposal to create a government insurance program, a dream long cherished on the left.
House Republicans plan August health care blitz 29 Jul 2009 House Republicans are planning an August blitz against Democrats who have supported President Barack Obama's health care agenda, making it clear that the GOP believes it has the political edge now on health care heading into the summer break. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Thief), the chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee, is providing GOP candidates with opposition research about what vulnerable Democrats have said and how they have voted in committee on health care bills.
Senate Probes Banks for Meltdown Fraud 30 Jul 2009 A Senate panel has subpoenaed financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Deutsche Bank AG, seeking evidence of fraud in last year's mortgage-market meltdown, according to people familiar with the situation. The congressional investigation appears to focus on whether internal communications, such as email, show bankers had private doubts about whether mortgage-related securities they were putting together were as financially sound as their public pronouncements suggested. Collapsing values for many of those securities played a big role in precipitating last year's financial crisis.
'Clunkers' Auto Rebate Plan So Popular It's Broke 31 Jul 2009 After an unanticipated response from car owners seeking new car discounts under the "cash for clunkers" program, the government was reported Thursday evening to have exhausted the funds available, leaving unclear whether further applications would be accepted. The National Automobile Dealers Association surveyed its members and told the Transportation Department that it had a very large backlog of applications, according to Bailey Wood, a spokesman for the association. Late in the day the group said the Transportation Department had responded by telling it to stop taking applications at midnight.
Gates, Police Officer Share Beers and Histories With President 31 Jul 2009 Two weeks after a noted black scholar accused a white police sergeant of racial profiling for [illegally] arresting him at his home near Harvard University, the men hoisted mugs of beer Thursday evening at the White House with President Obama and Vice President Biden.
World will warm faster than predicted in next five years, study warns --New estimate based on the forthcoming upturn in solar activity and El Niño southern oscillation cycles is expected to silence global warming sceptics 27 Jul 2009 The world faces record-breaking temperatures as the sun's activity increases, leading the planet to heat up significantly faster than scientists had predicted for the next five years, according to a study... The research, to be published in Geophysical Research Letters, was carried out by Judith Lean, of the US Naval Research Laboratory, and David Rind, of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
Previous lead stories: Military Poised to Help FEMA Battle Swine Flu Outbreak --U.S. commander for Northern Command asked Defense Secretary to sign executive order for military to set up five regional teams to deal with [their] outbreak --Orders to deploy actual forces would be reviewed later 29 Jul 2009 The Pentagon is preparing to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency tackle a potential outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall, FOX News has confirmed. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to set vaccination priorities for those groups Wednesday during a meeting in Atlanta. The vote came on the same day that Gen. Victor Renuart, the U.S. commander for Northern Command, has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to sign an executive order for the military to set up five regional teams to deal with the potential outbreak if FEMA requests help. Gates is expected to sign the order soon. It is not known how many troops would be needed and whether they would come from the active duty or the National Guard and Reserve forces. As a first step, Gates is being asked to sign a so-called "execution order" that would authorize the military to begin to conduct the detailed planning to execute the proposed plan. [Barack Obama was 'allowed' to win so that he could put a friendly face on the military dictatorship that is at our doorstep. Obama has done *nothing* for the Left -- those who worked tirelessly for him so that he could implement 'change.' Obama has, in fact, out-Bushed Bush. Bush-Cheney could only *dream* of what Obama is poised to 'accomplish.' The full-blown police state is here -- the raison d'etre for the US Army-created flu pandemic. Just as the CLG has documented and predicted. --Lori Price. The swine flu is really an alibi to justify the containment of social unrest that may result from the exacerbated crisis of capitalism. --MDR]
Torture report a 'security risk' 30 July 2009 Britain's national security and the lives of its citizens will be put at risk if the High Court publishes its findings on what happened to former terror detainee prisoner Binyam Mohamed at the hands of the CIA. That was the effect of letters from the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and CIA officials, two judges were told in London yesterday. The letters warned that the US, even under the new Obama administration, will review its intelligence-sharing agreement with the UK if the court releases seven brief paragraphs about Mr Mohamed's treatment into the public domain. They are central to the former Guantanamo Bay prisoner's claim that he was subjected to torture with the consent of UK authorities.
