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.
