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CLG Exclusive: Source: Ford Paying Tea Partiers to Protest Detroit Auto Show By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org 07 Jan 2010 The Ford Motor Co. is paying Tea Partiers to protest against the Detroit car manufacturers at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Citizens For Legitimate Government has learned. Ford is paying the Tea Party protesters in order to increase their market share through brand loyalty.

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.

New Orleans man charged with threatening Obama 04 Jan 2010 In a court filing Monday, a Secret Service agent said John Turnpaugh dialed 911 early Friday and told a police emergency dispatcher that he planned to kill the president and Michelle Obama. The agent said he used telephone records to trace the call to Turnpaugh's cell phone. Police arrested him Saturday and he was booked into jail on state charges that included illegal possession of a firearm and drug possession.

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!]

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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 detainees 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.

Germany knows nothing of alleged CIA murder plot 05 Jan 2010 The German government said on Monday it knew nothing about a magazine report that the CIA had planned a secret operation to kill a German-Syrian in Hamburg linked to the September 11 attacks on U.S. targets. The U.S. magazine Vanity Fair had reported that the CIA had in 2004 sent a team from the private security firm terrorist group Blackwater, now Xe, to Hamburg to kill Mamoun Darkazanli, who was investigated for years by German authorities on suspicion of links to al Qaeda. January's edition of the magazine cited a source familiar with the program as saying the mission had been kept secret from the German government.

Iraq to sue Blackwater on behalf of victims 05 Jan 2010 Iraq said Tuesday it will seek justice against Blackwater on behalf of the families of those who were killed at Baghdad shooting in 2007. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the cabinet has decided to open new case against five Blackwater guards who opened fire at Iraqi civilians, killing 17 at a Baghdad traffic circle in 2007.

Judge Weighs Misconduct Finding in Blackwater Case --Judge weighs misconduct finding for Blackwater prosecutors accused of withholding evidence 04 Jan 2010 Prosecutors who mishandled the investigation into a deadly 2007 Blackwater Worldwide shooting face a possible misconduct citation from a judge who says they withheld evidence and violated the guards' constitutional rights. U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina admonished the Justice Department last week for its "reckless" handling of the investigation into a shooting that left 17 Iraqis dead. He threw out manslaughter and weapons charges against five security guards mercenaries and, in a footnote, said he was also considering whether the repeated government missteps amounted to misconduct.

Bomber who hit CIA base was triple agent: militants 04 Jan 2010 A suicide bomber who killed eight people at a CIA base in Afghanistan was an Al-Qaeda triple agent who duped Western intelligence services for months before turning on his handlers, jihadist websites boasted on Tuesday. The Jordanian intelligence services, believing the bomber to be their double agent, brought him to eastern Afghanistan with the mission of finding Al-Qaeda number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the websites and Western intelligence agents cited by US media said. But instead he blew himself up at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost province near the Pakistani border, killing seven CIA agents and his Jordanian handler, a top intelligence officer and member of the royal family.

Bomber at C.I.A. Base Had Ties to Jordan Spy Agency 05 Jan 2010 The suicide bomber who killed seven C.I.A. officers and one Jordanian intelligence officer last week in southeastern Afghanistan was an asset of the Jordanian intelligence service who had been brought to Afghanistan to help hunt top members of the 'Qaeda' network, according to a Western official briefed on the matter. The bomber had been arrested in Jordan and recruited by that country’s intelligence service -- which believed that it had turned him into an ally -- and then brought to Afghanistan to infiltrate the Qaeda organization by posing as a foreign jihadi.

Tensions grow as US heightens role in Yemen 05 Jan 2010 Friction emerged Tuesday in the growing alliance with the Yemeni government as the U.S. Embassy ended a two-day closure triggered by a terror threat from al-Qaida [al-CIAduh]. The Yemen government, which sent thousand of troops this week to remote provinces where al-Qaida has set up strongholds, has been angered by suggestions the state is too weakened to handle the fight against terrorists.

US warns of global Yemen threat 05 Jan 2010 The US secretary of state, has warned that Yemen poses a global threat and has offered US support in the Yemeni government's fight against al-Qaeda. Hillary Clinton's comments came ahead of news on Tuesday that the US had reopened its embassy in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, closed days earlier in response to what it said were al-Qaeda threats.

Obama Says Government Knew of "Other Red Flags" in Terror Threat 06 Jan 2010 President Obama said Tuesday that the United States government had sufficient information to uncover the terror plot to bring down an airplane on Christmas Day, but intelligence officials "failed to connect those dots" that would have prevented the young Nigerian man from boarding the plane in Amsterdam. "This was not a failure to collect intelligence, it was a failure to integrate and understand the intelligence that we already had," Mr. Obama said after a two-hour meeting with his national security team at the White House.

Obama: U.S. Intelligence Should Have 'Uncovered' Christmas Day Plot 05 Jan 2010 President Obama said Tuesday that U.S. intelligence had enough information to uncover the terrorist plot to bomb a Northwest Airlines flight but "failed" to piece it all together before the suspect boarded a plane for Detroit armed with explosives. The president, who spoke after meeting with top officials to discuss internal reviews of the attempted bombing Christmas Day, said the suspect's name should have been added to the no-fly list based on information available about him. He said the government will quickly make changes to ensure future attempts are thwarted.

New airport scanners break child porn laws 04 Jan 2010 The rapid introduction of full body scanners at British airports threatens to breach child protection laws which ban the creation of indecent images of children, the Guardian has learned. Privacy campaigners claim the images created by the machines are so graphic they amount to "virtual strip-searching" and have called for safeguards to protect the privacy of passengers involved. Ministers now face having to exempt under 18s from the scans or face the delays of introducing new legislation to ensure airport security staff do not commit offences under child pornography laws. [Oops! Looks like scanner pimp Michael Chertoff has a problem. The 'real' al-Qaeda must be laughing its ass off!]

Ex-Homeland Security chief head said to abuse public trust by touting body scanners 01 Jan 2010 Since the attempted bombing of a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day, former Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff has given dozens of media interviews touting the need for the federal government to buy more full-body scanners for airports. What he has made little mention of is that the Chertoff Group, his security consulting agency, includes a client that manufactures the machines. An airport passengers' rights group on Thursday criticized Chertoff, who left office less than a year ago, for using his former government credentials to advocate for a product that benefits his clients.

Dozens of Names Shifted to No-Fly List 05 Jan 2010 The Obama administration has transferred dozens of names from a broad terrorism database to watch lists that are more closely monitored in an effort to plug security holes revealed by the Christmas Day airline-bombing attempt. President Barack Obama met Monday with White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan, National Security Adviser James Jones and Deputy National Security Adviser Tom Donilon ahead of a broader security team meeting Tuesday.

U.S. adds dozens to terrorist watch, no-fly lists 04 Jan 2010 The government has added dozens of people to the lists of suspected terrorists and those barred from U.S.-bound flights. The addition of more names to the government’s terrorist watch and no-fly lists came after U.S. officials closely scrutinized a larger database of suspected terrorists, an intelligence official said Monday. People on the watch list get additional checking before they are allowed to enter this country; those on the no-fly list are barred from boarding aircraft in or headed for the United States.

Nigeria says US enhanced screening list 'unfair' 04 Jan 2010 The Nigerian government has said that the West African country's inclusion on the US enhanced screening-list released on Monday is "unfair." The fourteen nations listed on the enhanced watch-list are Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria along with what the US calls "countries of interest," Afghanistan, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. The remaining countries are Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Lebanon and Iraq, though these four have not been officially confirmed.

UK airports to introduce new bomb detection equipment 05 Jan 2010 Body scanners are to be introduced at Heathrow Airport in about three weeks, Home Secretary Alan Johnson has said. He also told the House of Commons that all UK airports must have new "explosion trace detection equipment" by the end of the year. His comments follow an attempt to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day.

Attorney General Baroness Scotland may block Israeli war crimes warrants 05 Jan 2010 The Attorney General could be given a veto over arrest warrants for foreign leaders in an attempt to placate Israeli ministers who fear war crimes prosecutions if they visit Britain. Baroness Scotland of Asthal, who is in Jerusalem, discussed an amendment to British law that would give her office the power to review arrest warrants in private prosecutions against political figures, according to Foreign Ministry sources.

British government will fight legal attempts to indict Israeli leaders in UK --Baroness Scotland announces plans to alter laws after attempts to obtain warrants against Israeli generals for war crimes 05 Jan 2010 The government is determined to protect high-ranking Israeli officials from arrest in the UK, the attorney general said, as it emerged that a further visit by the Israeli military had been cancelled. Speaking at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem today, Baroness Scotland said Israeli leaders should not face arrest for war crimes under the law of "universal jurisdiction", following attempts by British lawyers last month to obtain a warrant for the former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni.

Arrest warrants keep Israeli team away from UK 05 Jan 2010 Israel canceled a delegation of senior military officers to Britain last week after the UK failed to guarantee that they would not be arrested over alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appealed to the British government to ensure that the officers, including a colonel, lieutenant colonel and a major, would be able to stay in the country without arrest fear.

Rights group slams planned 'Israelis only' highway in West Bank 05 Jan 2010 Less than a week after Israel's highest court ordered the state to lift its ban on Palestinian motorists from a highway that stretches into the West Bank, left-wing activists are denouncing new plans on Tuesday to build a road on West Bank land which they claim is intended for use by Israelis only. According to an Army Radio report, planning officials are diligently laying the groundwork for Highway 20, an artery which will connect Highway 443 with the northern neighborhoods of Jerusalem, including Pisgat Ze'ev.

Iran bans contact with groups involved in soft war 05 Jan 2010 Iran has banned Iranian citizens from cooperating with 60 international institutions and a number of media outlets due to their involvement in the post-election unrest. Iran's deputy intelligence minister for foreign affairs announced on Monday that 60 European and US foundations and institutions played a role in inciting post-election violence in the Islamic Republic.

KBR Awarded Construction Contract for U.S. Federal Building and Courthouse 04 Jan 2010 KBR today announced that its Building Group, has been awarded a $46.96 million contract by the U.S. General Services Administration to provide construction management services for a new United States Federal Building and Courthouse in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The building, designed to achieve LEED® Silver certification, replaces an outdated existing facility.

U.S. Feared Spectacular Terror Attack at Obama's Inauguration 05 Jan 2010 Security officials are said to have been highly concerned that extremists were traveling from Somalia to set off explosives as Barack Obama took the oath of office. As millions converged on Washington last year to witness the inauguration of President Barack Obama, security officials were concerned that among them were extremists traveling from Somalia to set off explosives as Obama took the oath of office. A report in The New York Times, to coincide with the first anniversary of Obama's inauguration, says that for 72 hours before the new president was sworn in intelligence agencies worked around the clock trying to figure out whether the threat was real and what, if anything, should be done if a terrorist struck while millions watched on the Mall and tens of millions more saw the ceremony on television.

Was Swine Flu a False Pandemic? 04 Jan 2010 That’s the contention by more than a dozen members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which reportedly plans to conduct an inquiry into the influence that drugmakers may have had on the World Health Organization, scientists and governments. A resolution was introduced last month by Wolfgang Wodarg, a member of Germany’s Social Democratic Party who chairs the PACE health committee, and it reads: "In order to promote their patented drugs and vaccines against flu, pharmaceutical companies have influenced scientists and official agencies, responsible for public health standards, to alarm governments worldwide. They have made them squander tight health care resources for inefficient vaccine strategies and needlessly exposed millions of healthy people to the risk of unknown side-effects of insufficiently tested vaccines... The definition of an alarming pandemic must not be under the influence of drugsellers."

Europe seeks to offload flu vaccines 05 Jan 2010 Western European countries, including Switzerland, are queuing up to shift surplus stocks of the [deadly] H1N1 flu vaccine after low public demand. Amid controversy over its costly swine flu vaccine campaign, France said on Monday it wanted to cancel 50 million of the 94 million doses it had ordered because of over-supply. These latest moves could hit drugmakers' profits, say analysts.

France cancels orders for 50 mln A/H1N1 flu vaccine doses 05 Jan 2010 Amid the controversy over the costly A/H1N1 flu vaccination campaign in France, the Health Ministry on Monday announced the cancellation of 50 million doses of vaccine against the epidemic, more than half of what the government had initially ordered. "I have cancelled 50 million doses," French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said on TF1 television, adding that those doses had not been paid or delivered.

Mega barf alert! Insect Cells Provide the Key to Alternative Swine Flu Vaccination 04 Jan 2010 Scientists in Vienna have developed a new technique for producing vaccines for H1N1 -- so-called swine flu -- based on insect cells. The research, published in the Biotechnology Journal, reveals how influenza vaccines can be produced faster than through the traditional method of egg-based production, revealing a new strategy for the fight against influenza pandemics.

Scientists warn of rise in diseases spread from animals to humans 04 Jan 2010 Climate change and environmental disruption are spawning a host of new diseases being passed from animals pharmaterrorists to humans, scientists have warned. At least 45 such diseases have been reported to UN agencies over the past two decades and more are expected to be identified in coming years. Experts at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington claim that the world is braced for an increase in outbreaks due to global warming and changes in land use and farming practices.

US House Leaders Back Off Public Health Insurance Option 05 Jan 2010 U.S. House leaders signaled Tuesday they are willing to agree to a final health overhaul bill without a government-run health insurance option if other parts of the bill would fulfill the same goals. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said after meeting with senior House Democrats that the bill must meet the test of "holding insurance companies accountable," whether or not it includes a public option.

Secret Service confirms third crasher at White House state dinner 05 Jan 2010 Another uninvited guest made it into the White House state dinner made famous by gate-crashers Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the Secret Service announced Monday -- exposing more holes in the security perimeter around President Obama. Many of the key details have not been officially released: the man's name [Carlos Allen, a D.C. party promoter], how he came to be with the group of diplomats and how close he got to the president and first lady.

Two Killed in Las Vegas Courthouse 05 Jan 2010 A gunman in a black trench coat opened fire Monday morning in the lobby of the Federal Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas, killing a court security officer and wounding a deputy United States marshal before fleeing. He was then shot in the head and killed nearby. The building is a huge structure that houses federal courts as well as other agencies, including the offices of Senators Harry Reid, the Democratic majority leader, and John Ensign, a Republican.

Courthouse gunman lost Social Security case, official says 05 Jan 2010 A man who lost a recent Social Security claim opened fire with a shotgun in a federal courthouse Monday, killing a court security officer and injuring a deputy U.S. marshal, authorities said. Law enforcement officials speaking on condition of anonymity identified the man as Johnny Wicks, a Las Vegas resident. The FBI said the black-clad man walked into the lobby of the Las Vegas federal courthouse, pulled a shotgun from underneath his jacket and began shooting.

Keepers Discover Newborn Cub Inside Toledo Zoo's Polar Bear Den 05 Jan 2010 (OH) The Toledo Zoo is pleased to announce the birth of a polar bear cub on Thursday, December 3. Eleven-year-old mother Crystal is caring for the cub in a den area off-exhibit, and the Zoo’s animal care staff is continuously monitoring the cub’s progress. The cub was one of two born that day; the other cub only survived for a few days.

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CLG: Northwest Bomb Plot 'Oddities' By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org 28 Dec 2009 Bogosity reaches critical mass! In 2008, the ACLU estimated the US 'No Fly List' to have grown to over 1,000,000 names --heck, even Cat Stevens and the late Senator Ted Kennedy were on it --and it continues to expand. But, suspected terrorist Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was curiously able to obtain military-grade high explosives -- 80 grams of PETN (gee, where'd he get that?) -- managed to escape airport security and detonate his underwear bomb! In April 2009, American authorities reportedly refused an Air France flight from Paris to Mexico entry into US airspace because a left-wing journalist writing a book on the CIA was on board. Got it? Write a book critical of the CIA -- you cannot fly. Carry explosives (allegedly from Yemen) on board when the US is trolling for an excuse to invade and occupy Yemen for its oil -- yes you can!

Six trucks of explosives 'disappear' in Yemen 04 Jan 2010 Fears of a terrorist strike against Western embassies in Yemen have grown amid claims a convoy of lorries laden with explosives had been smuggled into the country's capital city, Sana'a. In an apparently botched surveillance operation, militants [?] driving six trucks filled with weapons and ordnance succeeded in giving security forces the slip as they entered the city, according to local media. The revelations came as western diplomatic missions in Sana'a went into lockdown following threats from al-Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate, which has taken responsibility for a failed attempt to blow up an airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day.

Ah, then came the dawn. Yemen seizes 'Israel-linked' cell 07 Oct 2008 Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said the security forces have arrested a group of alleged Islamist militants linked to Israeli intelligence. Mr Saleh did not say what evidence had been found to show the group's links with Israel, a regional enemy of Yemen. The arrests were connected with an attack on the US embassy in Sanaa last month which killed at least 18 people, official sources were quoted saying. [Hmm. Guess they didn't get the whole cell.]

Barack Obama summons security chiefs over Detroit bomb plot 04 Jan 2010 President Barack Obama returned to Washington after his Hawaii trip as he ordered increased security for United States-bound flights across the world and prepared for an emergency meeting of security chiefs. Passengers travelling from or via 14 designated countries are to be subjected to extra security screening, including full body pat-downs after a directive from the US Transportation Security Administration in response to the failed terrorist attack on Christmas Day.

US tightens security for air passengers from 'terror sponsor' countries 03 Jan 2010 US authorities on Sunday tightened security measures for all US-bound airline passengers, including enhanced mandatory screening of travellers from 14 countries believed to have links to terrorism. Travellers from countries the US classifies as "state sponsors of terrorism" - Syria, Iran, Sudan, and Cuba [Oops! They forgot the US and Israel] - plus passengers from other "countries of interest" - Nigeria, Pakistan, Yemen - will be subjected to pat-down body searches and have carry-on baggage searched. Afghanistan, Libya and Somalia are also covered by the new directive, but a complete list of countries was not released.

U.S. Intensifies Air Screening for Fliers From 14 Nations 04 Jan 2010 Citizens of 14 nations, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, who are flying to the United States will be subjected indefinitely to the intense screening at airports worldwide that was imposed after the Christmas Day bombing plot, Obama administration officials announced Sunday.

Pakistan airport security increased 04 Jan 2010 Pakistan's national airline said Monday it is increasing security checks for passengers heading to the United States, following U.S. requests for enhanced screening after a Nigerian man allegedly tried to ignite explosives on a flight to Detroit.

Newark Airport lockdown as man strolls through checkpoint the wrong way 03 Jan 2010 Frustrated travelers were delayed for hours Sunday night when officials shut down a terminal at Newark Airport after a man walked into a secure area without authorization. Dozens of flights were grounded, and thousands of passengers waited late into the night to be rescreened at Terminal C . Homeland Security Department spokeswoman Sari Koshetz said a man was seen walking down a security checkpoint exit lane into the secure area about 5:30 p.m.

Checkpoint intruder shuts down Newark Airport terminal 04 Jan 2010 A man who walked into a secure area triggered a terminal-wide lockdown at Newark Liberty International Airport last night, grounding outgoing planes and forcing hundreds of passengers to await rescreening, transportation authorities said. The incident occurred nine days after a failed terrorist attack on a Detroit-bound plane heightened tensions at the nation's airports and increased security restrictions.

Power out for 1 hour at Reagan National Airport 04 Jan 2010 The power is back on at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., after an hourlong outage that brought flights and security screening to a standstill. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokeswoman Courtney Mickalonis says the power went out at about 12:30 p.m and came back on at 1:30 p.m.

U.S. Customs: Second person handcuffed on Christmas Day was on Flight 253, after all 02 Jan 2010 A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection now says that a man who was handcuffed and questioned by authorities on Christmas Day was a passenger on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 -- just days after saying that person arrived to Detroit aboard a different flight. In an email to The Detroit News Thursday night, Customs spokesman Ron Smith acknowledged that a person from Flight 253 was handcuffed after search dogs found something in his carry-on bag. The passenger was not arrested or detained, and was allowed to leave Detroit Metro Airport with the rest of the Flight 253 passengers, according to WWJ.

Official confirms 2nd man interviewed from Flight 253 --Couple on 253 did see 2nd man in cuffs, customs officer says 02 Jan 2010 A U.S. Customs official reversed himself Friday, admitting a passenger from Northwest Flight 253 was placed in handcuffs, searched and released after a security dog alerted officers to the passenger's carry-on luggage. Ronald G. Smith, chief U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in the Detroit area, sent an e-mail to The Detroit News late Thursday apologizing that the information on the passenger -- which was made public by a pair of Taylor attorneys, Kurt and Lori Haskell, who were passengers on the flight -- was not officially announced earlier. FBI officials had said only one man from the flight was arrested.

White House Adviser Briefed in October on Underwear Bomb Technique 03 Jan 2010 White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan was briefed in October on an assassination attempt by Al Qaeda that investigators now believe used the same underwear bombing technique as the Nigerian suspect who tried to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day, U.S. intelligence and administration officials tell NEWSWEEK. The briefing to Brennan was delivered at the White House by Muhammad bin Nayef, Saudi Arabia’s chief counterterrorism official. In late August, Nayef had survived an assassination attempt by an operative dispatched by the Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda who was pretending to turn himself in.

Italy aims to introduce body scanners: minister 02 Jan 2010 Italy aims to install full-body scanners at the main airports of Rome and Milan for flights considered at high risk of terrorist attacks, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said in an interview published on Saturday. Maroni, speaking after last week's failed plot to bomb a U.S. passenger jet, told Corriere della Sera newspaper that he favored the swift introduction of the scanners, which can see through clothing to spot hidden explosives or weapons. [See: Are planned airport scanners just a scam? 03 Jan 2010.]

Yemen likely to be new front in global fight against terror 04 Jan 2010 It seems Yemen has become a new front in the fight against extremism as the U.S. and British embassies in the country closed on Sunday in response to threats of possible attacks by al-Qaida affiliates. The British embassy asked its staff to stay at home on Sunday, well-placed sources told local News Yemen, citing security reasons behind the closure. Earlier in the day, the U.S. embassy in Sanaa was closed over what it said threats by Yemen's al-Qaida affiliate to attack U.S. interests in the country.

UK to follow US intervention in Yemen 03 Jan 2010 The British premier's office says that Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US President Barack Obama have agreed to fight what they call terrorism in Yemen and Somalia. The UK and the US have agreed to fund a counter-terrorism police unit in Yemen to tackle the rising threat from the country.

U.S. and U.K. Shut Embassies in Yemen Over Qaeda Threats 04 Jan 2010 The United States and Britain shut their embassies in the Yemen capital on Sunday, with the Americans citing unspecified but "ongoing threats by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," the regional branch responsible for the failed Christmas Day effort to blow up a U.S. airliner headed to Detroit. The closures came a day after a quiet visit to Yemen’s president by Gen. David H. Petraeus, the American regional commander, who delivered a message from President Obama of support for Yemen’s unity and counter-terrorism efforts.

US citizens due in Pakistan court on terror charges 04 Jan 2010 Five US nationals suspected of plotting attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan are due to appear in a Pakistani court. Police have said they would seek life sentences on terror charges against the five young Muslim men, who are from the Washington DC area. The men were arrested during a raid on a house in the eastern Pakistan city of Sargodha in early December. US officials said they were wanted by the FBI and had gone missing in the US state of Virginia in November.

Prince Charles tried to stop war --Prince thought Tony Blair was wrong on Iraq and mocked him as 'our glorious leader' 03 Jan 2010 Prince Charles was so convinced Tony Blair was WRONG to take Britain to war in Iraq he broke Royal tradition and actively campaigned against the invasion, the News of the World can reveal. Behind closed doors, the heir to the throne voiced his fears to senior politicians and mounted a staunch anti-war crusade in which he: ATTACKED the then prime minister's stance, mockingly calling him "our glorious leader". BLAMED American president George W Bush for action he believed to be misguided after reviewing secret intelligence. WARNED the war would only stir up more serious trouble in the region. ACCUSED western leaders of failing to deal with what he feels is the real cause of Islamic unrest - the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Iraq will help Blackwater victims sue 03 Jan 2010 Iraq will help victims of the 2007 shooting of civilians in Baghdad to file a lawsuit in the US against employees of security firm Blackwater, an incident that turned a spotlight on the United States' use of private contractors mercenaries in war zones. Last week, a US judge threw out charges against five guards accused of killing 14 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, saying the defendants' constitutional rights had been violated.

Blasts kill 4 US, one UK soldiers in Afghanistan 04 Jan 2010 Four American soldiers and one British soldier have been killed in two separate explosions in southern Afghanistan. The dead soldiers, who were serving under NATO's International Security Assistance Force, were killed on Sunday, NATO said in a statement Monday.

Taliban deny abducting French reporters 03 Jan 2010 The Taliban militia Sunday denied kidnapping two French television journalists and three Afghan assistants who were snatched at gunpoint five days ago in Afghanistan. "We are not involved," self-styled Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location. [Right, it was likely Blackwater mercenaries.]

General: SEALs on Trial for Cover-up 02 Jan 2010 The Army general who ordered three local Navy SEALs to trial for their involvement in an alleged case of detainee prisoner abuse says he is more upset by the men's apparent attempt to cover up the incident than by the "relatively minor" injuries inflicted on a high-value detainee. Maj. Gen. Charles T. Cleveland, head of Special Operations Command Central, wrote to lawmakers who had questioned the prosecutions that their perceptions of the case appear to be based upon "incomplete and factually inaccurate press coverage."

Top Israeli diplomat scolds ambassadors 03 Jan 2010 Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman chastised the regime's foreign envoys for their tendency to appease their host states. "I have seen that some ambassadors identify themselves with the other side to such an extent that they are all the time trying to justify and explain [the position of the other side]," Lieberman said at a conference last week with Israeli ambassadors.

Obama effigy found hanging in Georgia: report 03 Jan 2010 An effigy of President Barack Obama was found hanging in the rural hometown of former President Jimmy Carter, local media reported on Sunday, and the Secret Service said it was investigating the case. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper, citing footage seen on WALB-TV, said the large black doll was found hanging from a building by a noose in front of a red, white and blue sign that said: "Plains, Georgia. Home of Jimmy Carter, our 39th President."

Third state dinner crasher involved 04 Jan 2010 Michaele and Tareq Salahi weren’t the only uninvited guests at the White House state dinner in November. According to the Secret Service, a third interloper at the dinner honoring the Indian head of state has been identified. In a press release Monday afternoon, the Secret Service said that the person traveled from a local hotel, where the official Indian delegation was staying, and arrived at the dinner with the group, which was under the responsibility of the Department of State.

Court officer killed, federal marshal wounded in shooting inside lobby of Las Vegas courthouse 04 Jan 2010 A federal court security officer was killed and a U.S. Marshal wounded Monday when a gunman sprayed bullets inside the lobby of a courthouse in downtown Las Vegas. The man fled across the street in a hail of return gunfire. He was shot in the head and killed. The large modern building, which also houses the offices of Nevada Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, was evacuated amid confused witness accounts of up to three other gunmen.

NZ's cyber spies win new powers 03 Jan 2010 New cyber-monitoring measures have been quietly introduced giving police and Security Intelligence Service (SIS) officers the power to monitor all aspects of someone's online life. The measures are the largest expansion of police and SIS surveillance capabilities for decades, and mean that all mobile calls and texts, email, internet surfing and online shopping, chatting and social networking can be monitored anywhere in New Zealand.

Telecom firms' fury at plan for 'Stasi' checks on every phone call and email 27 Dec 2009 Telecoms firms have accused the Government of acting like the East German Stasi over plans to force them to store the details of every phone call for at least a year. Under the proposals, the details of every email sent and website visited will also be recorded to help the police and security services fight crime and terrorism. But mobile phone companies have attacked the plans as a massive assault on privacy and warned it could be the first step towards a centralised 'Big Brother' database.

Use of potentially harmful chemicals kept secret under law 04 Jan 2010 Of the 84,000 chemicals in commercial use in the United States, nearly 20 percent are secret, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, their names and physical properties guarded from consumers and virtually all public officials under a little-known federal provision. The policy was designed 33 years ago to protect trade secrets. But critics -- including the Obama administration -- say the secrecy has grown out of control, making it impossible for regulators to control potential dangers or for consumers to know which toxic substances they might be exposed to.

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