US helping terrorists in southeast Iran: Report 06 Jan 2010 The US is helping the Pakistan-based Jundallah militants to enter Iran through the Persian Gulf and carry out terrorist acts in the country, a report said Wednesday. The United States has given a vessel to members of the Jundallah terrorist group to travel in the southern Iranian waters, an informed source told Basirat website, with close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). Jundallah, led by Abdolmalek Rigi, has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks in southeastern Iran, killing civilians as well as government officials.
Court Backs War Powers Over Rights of Detainees 06 Jan 2010 A federal appeals court panel on Tuesday strongly backed the powers of the government to hold Guantánamo detainees prisoners and other noncitizens suspected of committing terrorist acts. In a sweeping opinion, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that the presidential war power to detain those suspected of terrorism is not limited even by international law of war. The decision, if it is not reversed by the Supreme Court, could apply to all cases involving detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, since all of those cases are heard by the District of Columbia Circuit.
Obama Orders Air Marshal Surge by Feb. 1: 'Race Against Time' --U.S. Fears More Airplane Bombers Are in the Terrorist Pipeline 06 Jan 2010 President Barack Obama has ordered a "surge" of federal air marshals to be in place by Feb.1 in what officials said was a "race against time," with other suicide bombers believed to be in the terrorist pipeline, although there is no specific imminent threat, federal officials told ABC News. Under a preliminary plan, the officials said the already existing federal air marshal force of more than 3,200 personnel would be deployed almost exclusively to overseas flights flown by U.S. carriers. Domestic high-risk flights will be covered by agents from other federal law enforcement agencies who were trained as air marshals in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Oregon man released after jetliner disruption on Hawaii-bound flight; FBI says no terror link 06 Jan 2010 A disruptive passenger was released Wednesday after military jets escorted a commercial jetliner bound for Hawaii back to the Portland airport, authorities said. "At this time, there is no known terrorism link," the FBI said in a statement. It said it had turned the case over to federal prosecutors but it was not immediately known whether charges would be filed.
Plane escorted by two F-15 fighter jets due to 'disruptive' passenger --FAA: Concern about passenger on jet sparks 'Level 1' alert at PDX 06 Jan 2010 (OR) A "Level 1" passenger alert was issued at Portland International Airport early Wednesday afternoon. The incident involves Hawaiian Airlines flight No. 39 bound for Maui from Portland. The flight, with 241 people on board, left Wednesday morning for its destination but turned around about an hour and a half later and headed back for Portland. The flight returned to PDX at 1 p.m. A passenger and someone the Portland airport spokesperson called "a companion" were escorted off the plane. The two led off the flight are being held as of 3:15 p.m., with federal authorities considering any possible charges.
Qaeda says CIA attack 'revenge' for drones: SITE 06 Jan 2010 Al-Qaeda said the suicide bombing of a CIA base in Afghanistan that killed seven agents last week was "revenge" for the deaths of top militants in US drone strikes in Pakistan, the US monitoring group SITE said on Thursday.
U.S. learned intelligence on airline bomb suspect while he was en route 06 Jan 2010 U.S. border enforcement officials came close to stopping the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines jet while the suspect was en route to Detroit on Christmas Day, new data show. U.S. border security officials learned of intelligence about the alleged extremist links of the suspect in the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt as he was en route to Detroit and had decided to question him when he landed, officials said in new disclosures today.
Bomb Suspect Indicted On 6 Charges 06 Jan 2010 A grand jury has indicted a Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day. The six charges against Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab include attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted murder. The indictment was filed Wednesday. Authorities say the 23-year-old Abdulmutallab was traveling to Detroit from Amsterdam when he tried to ignite an explosive aboard the airliner. He is being held at a federal prison in Milan, Mich.
'When discussing the new threshold, officials suggested it is more an art than science.' U.S. lowers threshold for inclusion on no-fly lists 06 Jan 2010 The U.S. government has lowered the threshold for information deemed important enough to put suspicious individuals on a watch list or no-fly list, or have their visa revoked, senior State Department officials tell CNN. The government overhauled criteria it uses for putting possible terrorists on such lists as a result of the failed Christmas Day attack, officials said.
CIA suicide bomber 'worked with allies of Osama bin Laden' 07 Jan 2010 They believe that the Haqqani network, which controls the area around Khost where the bombing occurred on Dec 30, authorised if not aided the Jordanian double agent who carried out the deadliest attack on the US spy agency for 30 years. For reasons that have not been made clear, the bomber was not subjected to even a rudimentary security check, and detonated powerful explosives soon after the meeting started, according to officials who asked to remain anonymous.
Mystery Surrounds Contractors' Role at CIA Base --Paresi and Wise, Killed by CIA Suicide Bomber, Worked For Company Once Known as Blackwater 06 Jan 2010 Two of the seven CIA personnel killed in last week's suicide bombing in Afghanistan worked as contractors for the company terrorist group formerly known as Blackwater, but what role Dane Paresi and Jeremy Wise played at the CIA's forward base in Khost remains unknown. Spokesman for both the CIA and Xe/Blackwater declined to comment whether Paresi and Wise were employed through Xe, but two private intelligence sources and one current government official familiar with CIA operations at the Afghanistan base confirmed to ABCNEWS.com that the two were there as Xe employees.
Thanks, Mr. Nobel! 2009 deadliest year for Afghan children 07 Jan 2010 A new report indicates that 2009 was the deadliest year for Afghan children since the US led invasion of the country nine years ago. In a statement, the Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM), a Kabul-based rights group, said that more than 1,050 children have been killed in US airstrikes, roadside blasts, and crossfire between warring parties.
Blasts kill 18 civilians in Afghanistan 06 Jan 2010 Separate powerful [Blackwater] explosions Wednesday rocked Afghanistan, killing at least 18 civilians and injuring nine NATO service members. A market explosion in the southeastern Khost province killed 13 civilians. Health officials say at least another 13 people were wounded, some of whom were critically injured.
UK troops were 'sitting ducks' in Basra, Chilcot inquiry on Iraq war told --Contingent became focus of Shia militia violence and Iraqi army commander wanted them out, says former chief of defence staff 07 Jan 2010 British troops held up at their base in Basra Palace in the heart of Iraqi's southern city had been described as "sitting ducks" for Shia militia, the Chilcot inquiry heard yesterday. The inquiry in London questioned top defence and military officials about three controversial events leading to the final withdrawal from Iraq. They were the decision to leave Basra Palace, secret talks with the Mahdi army, a prominent Shia militia, and the Charge of the Knights, a US-led operation with the Iraqi army, drawn up unbeknown to the British in 2008, which crushed most militia activity.
IDF to seek legal advice during future conflicts 06 Jan 2010 IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has issued an order requiring the Israel Defense Forces to consult with the army's legal advisers while military operations are underway and not just when they are being planned. Ashkenazi imposed the stricter regulations despite opposition by several commanders, including members of the General Staff.
91% of Israelis say Tel Aviv faces acute image problem 06 Jan 2010 Opinion polls indicate widespread concerns among Israelis over Tel Aviv's 'acute' image problem and unprecedented criticism from the international community. A survey conducted by the Kelim Shluvim Research Institute at the request of the Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs said 91 percent of respondents believed Israel suffers an "acute" or "very acute" image problem in the world.
Aid convoy breaks Israeli blockade of Gaza 06 Jan 2010 The Viva Palestina aid convoy entered Gaza Wednesday, after it received the approval of Egyptian authorities to bring into the besieged, impoverished coastal sliver several tons of humanitarian supplies. The activists entered Gaza through Rafah border crossing. More than 500 international activists accompany the convoy organized by the British-based group Viva Palestina, a Press TV correspondent reported.
British fury after Iceland blocks £2.3bn repayment --But on the streets of Reykjavik, Archie Bland finds Icelanders celebrating the success of people power [which desperately needs to arrive in the US] 06 Jan 2010 Iceland's president stunned his nation yesterday by refusing to sign off on a plan to repay £2.3bn owed to the British taxpayer, reigniting a major diplomatic row with London and leaving Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling mortally embarrassed at the latest twist in the saga of Reykjavik's banking meltdown... Ordinary Icelanders -- many of whom remain angry at Mr Brown's use of anti-terror legislation to freeze Icelandic assets in the UK after the country's banking system collapsed -- were delighted. Some 70 per cent of the public opposed the legislation.
The EU Will Not Bail Out Greece: ECB Official 06 Jan 2010 The European Union would not help bail out Greece if that country's public debt problem continued to worsen, European Central Bank Executive Board member Juergen Stark was reported as saying on Wednesday. "The markets are deluding themselves when they think at a certain point the other member states will put their hands on their wallets to save Greece," Stark said in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.
Obama Urges Excise Tax on 'High-Cost' Insurance 07 Jan 2010 President Obama told House Democratic leaders at a meeting on Wednesday that they should include a tax on high-priced insurance policies favored by the Senate in the final version of far-reaching health care legislation corporaterrorist giveaway, aides said. But House Democrats have resisted the idea, which is also strongly opposed by many organized labor groups -- an important part of the party’s base -- because the tax may hit a number of more generous union-sponsored health plans. The Senate proposal would impose a 40 percent excise tax on the cost of individual insurance policies above $8,500 and on family policies above $23,000, with higher thresholds for retirees and employees in high-risk fields like police officers.
Sen. Christopher Dodd Will Not Seek Re-election --Connecticut Senator Dodd Bows Out of Race 06 Jan 2010 Democratic U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, a 30-year incumbent who has been struggling in public opinion polls for more than a year, announced today he will not seek re-election, while Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said he will seek the seat. Dodd made the announcement in an eight-minute speech outside his home in East Haddam.
Dorgan says he will not seek re-election in 2010 05 Jan 2010 Sen. Byron Dorgan, a veteran North Dakota Democrat, gave Republicans an unexpected opportunity to capture a Senate seat after he announced plans to retire Tuesday. Dorgan, 67, disclosed his decision not to seek re-election this fall in a late-day statement released by his office.
Bill Ritter won't run for re-election 05 Jan 2010 (CO) Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter is expected to announce tomorrow at an 11:00 am press conference that he will not seek reelection next year, according to two Democratic sources familiar with his decision. Ritter had been calling top fundraisers and state legislative leaders today informing them of his decision, which came as a surprise to top Democrats both in Washington and Colorado.
Fulton NY Sees 4 Feet of Snow 06 Jan 2010 It's snowed for nine straight days in Fulton, New York. There is more than 4-feet of snow on the ground. [Luckies!] It started snowing on December 28th and it's snowed every day since. Fulton is a city in Oswego County, New York where they are used to long, cold winters. The city is northwest of Syracuse. [Polar bears love Fulton!]
Previous lead stories: Appeals court ruling limits Guantanamo detainees' rights, gives president wide detention power 05 Jan 2010 A federal appeals court ruling Tuesday could make it harder for Guantanamo detainees prisoners to challenge their confinement and endorsed the government's broad power to hold people seized in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the continued detention of a former cook for Taliban forces who said he never fired a shot in battle. Ghaleb Nassar Al Bihani, a citizen of Yemen who was captured in Afghanistan, has been held at the U.S. naval base in Cuba since 2002.
Return of Yemeni detainees at Guantanamo Bay is suspended 05 Jan 2010 The Obama administration said Tuesday that it is suspending the repatriation of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay to Yemen, where a deteriorating security situation driven by a branch of al-Qaeda has stoked fears that detainees could join -- or rejoin -- the terrorist organization if released. The decision means that at least 30 Yemenis who were cleared for release by a Justice Department-led inter-agency review could face many more months in detention.
US spy effort in Afghanistan 'ignorant'- US report --U.S. military official says U.S. intelligence 'hazy' --Report says spies too focused on killing insurgents 05 Jan 2010 The U.S. military's intelligence chief in Afghanistan sharply criticized the work of U.S. spy agencies there on Monday, calling them ignorant and out of touch with the Afghan people. In a report issued by the Center for New American Security think tank, Major General Michael Flynn, deputy chief of staff for intelligence in Afghanistan for the U.S. military and its NATO allies, offered a bleak assessment of the intelligence community's role in the 8-year-old war.
