Citizens for Legitimate Government

CLG's BREAKING NEWS and COMMENTARY

New Guidelines Would Give F.B.I. Broader Powers --New guidelines would allow the F.B.I. to open an investigation of an American, conduct surveillance, pry into private records and take other investigative steps 'without any basis for suspicion.' 20 Aug 2008 A Justice Department plan would loosen restrictions on the Federal Bureau of Investigation to allow agents to open a national security or criminal investigation against someone without any clear basis for suspicion, Democratic lawmakers briefed on the details said Wednesday. Little is known about its precise language, but civil liberties advocates say they fear it could give the government even broader license to open terrorism investigations. Congressional staff members got a glimpse of some of the details in closed briefings this month, and four Democratic senators told Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey in a letter on Wednesday that they were troubled by what they heard.

Russia sends aircraft carrier to Syria 20 Aug 2008 The Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" is ready to head from Murmansk towards the Mediterranean and the Syrian port of Tartus. The mission comes after Syrian President Bashar Assad said he is open for a Russian base in the area. The "Admiral Kuznetsov", part of the Northern Fleet and Russia�s only aircraft carrier, will head a Navy mission to the area.

Russia to keep soldiers in Georgia 21 Aug 2008 Russia plans to establish a long-term presence in Georgia and one of its breakaway republics by adding 18 checkpoints, including at least eight within undisputed Georgian territory outside the pro-Russian enclave of South Ossetia, a ranking Russian military official told reporters Wednesday. The checkpoints will be staffed by hundreds of Russian troops, the official said, and those within Georgia proper will have supplies ferried to them from breakaway South Ossetia.

Pentagon can't find $2.3 trillion, wasting trillions on 'national defense' --'America's Outrageous War Economy!' By Paul B. Farrell 18 Aug 2008 We've lost our moral compass: The contrast between today's leaders and the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 shocks our conscience. Today war greed trumps morals. During the Revolutionary War our leaders risked their lives and fortunes; many lost both. Today it's the opposite: Too often our leaders' main goal is not public service but a ticket to building a personal fortune in the new "America's Outrageous War Economy," often by simply becoming a high-priced lobbyist.

Key U.S. Iraq strategy in danger of collapse --US paying $300 a month to former insurgents, many of them part of al-Qaeda 20 Aug 2008 A key pillar of the U.S. 'strategy' to pacify Iraq is in danger of collapsing because the Iraqi government is failing to absorb tens of thousands of former Sunni Muslim 'insurgents' who'd joined U.S.-allied militia groups into the country's security forces. Under the program, the United States pays each militia [known as the Sons of Iraq or Awakening councils] member a stipend of about $300 a month and promised that they'd get jobs with the Iraqi government. But the Iraqi government has brought only a relative handful of the more than 100,000 militia members into the security forces. Now officials are making it clear that they don't intend to include most of the rest. "We cannot stand them, and we detained many of them recently," said one senior Iraqi commander in Baghdad, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the issue. "Many of them were part of al Qaida despite the fact that many of them are helping us to fight al Qaida."

U.S. military frees Reuters cameraman in Iraq 21 Aug 2008 The U.S. military freed a Reuters television cameraman on Thursday after holding him for three weeks in Iraq without charges. Ali al-Mashhadani, who also works freelance for the BBC and Washington-based National Public Radio, was detained in Baghdad on July 30 while he was in the Green Zone government compound for routine checks for a U.S. military press card.

UK accused of Musharraf exit deal 20 Aug 2008 One of Pakistan's most prominent pro-democracy leaders, Aitzaz Ahsan, has accused a senior British diplomat of undermining his country's rule of law. Sir Mark Lyall Grant was in Pakistan recently and reportedly urged the government to give President Musharraf immunity if he resigned. Mr Ahsan said that any deal to give the president "safe passage" was wrong. Mr Musharraf stepped down on Monday after nine years in power to avoid a move by the government to impeach him.

No lawyers permitted inside 'Gitmo on the Platte' --Inside Denver's temporary DNC jail 20 Aug 2008 Denver's Arrestee Processing Site, or APS, is built to replicate what you'd normally see at the city jail... Denver County Undersheriff Bill Lovingier invited the cameras inside on Wednesday to counter activists' claims that the city was trying to hide a secret jail. No lawyers are permitted inside the APS. The city says the arrestees can meet with their attorneys when they go to court. However, the ACLU says that's illegal. The civil rights group also wants assurances that once people post bond, they won't be held for several more hours.

No razor wire at Denver convention holding cells 20 Aug 2008 Police have dropped plans to top the holding cells in place for use during next week's Democratic convention with razor wire after some groups started comparing the site to the detention facility for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. "We rethought those plans and came up with a way to put a lid on the cells instead of the razor wire," Denver Undersheriff William Lovingier said Wednesday as he led reporters on a tour of the cells in a city warehouse that will be the "Temporary Arrestee Processing Site."

FEMA phones hacked; calls made to Mideast, Asia 20 Aug 2008 A hacker broke into a Homeland Security Department telephone system over the weekend and racked up about $12,000 in calls to the Middle East and Asia. The hacker made more than 400 calls on a Federal Emergency Management Agency voicemail system in Emmitsburg, Md., on Saturday and Sunday, according to FEMA spokesman Tom Olshanski. FEMA is part of Homeland Security, which in 2003 put out a warning about this very vulnerability.

Ohio Rep. Tubbs Jones dies after aneurysm 20 Aug 2008 Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives, died Wednesday after suffering an aneurysm, medical officials said. Tubbs Jones, who was in her fifth term representing parts of Cleveland and its suburbs, was 58.

Vitter may be able to pay some fees with campaign money 20 Aug 2008 A draft opinion prepared for the Federal Elections Commission says money from Senator David Vitter's campaign committee can be used to pay some, but not all, of legal costs that arose after his name was linked to a Washington, D.C., escort service. Campaign money cannot be used to pay for Vitter's effort to fight subpoenas in the trial of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the escort service owner convicted of running a prostitution ring, or for having lawyers monitor Palfrey's trial.

US food prices to post biggest rise since '90: USDA 20 Aug 2008 U.S. consumers should brace for the biggest increase in food prices in nearly 20 years in 2008 and even more pain next year due to surging meat and produce prices, the ~~Agriculture~~ Agribusiness Department said on Wednesday. Food prices are forecast to rise by 5 percent to 6 percent this year, making it the largest annual increase since 1990.

It could be the wettest August for 100 years 21 Aug 2008 Britain could be heading for it wettest August for a century as forecasters predicted more heavy rain today, but held out the hope of a drier bank holiday.

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Mr Rumsfeld wrote at the bottom "I stand for 8-10 hours a day. Why is standing limited to four hours?". US accused of war crimes over torture methods --In his new book, lawyer Philippe Sands argues that the responsible officials, and the lawyers who advised them, should be charged with war crimes. 20 Aug 2008 The use of torture by the US Government in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001 has come under increasing criticism. In 1863 at the height of the US civil war, president Abraham Lincoln set the principles for interrogation of prisoners with a famous instruction "military necessity does not admit of cruelty". It took the September 11 attacks to change those principles and Vice-President [sic] Dick Cheney said the US would now have to work through the dark side.

U.S. Is Tracking Citizens At Border Checkpoints --Data From Checkpoints to Be Kept for 15 Years 20 Aug 2008 The federal government has been using its system of border checkpoints to greatly expand a database on travelers entering the country by collecting information on all U.S. citizens crossing by land, compiling data that will be stored for 15 years and may be used in criminal and intelligence investigations. Officials say the Border Crossing Information system, disclosed last month by the Department of Homeland Security in a Federal Register notice, is part of a broader effort to guard against terrorist threats.

Moscow promises response to U.S. missile deal 20 Aug 2008 The United States and Poland signed a deal on Wednesday to station parts of a U.S. missile defense shield on Polish soil, drawing a sharp response from Moscow. Despite U.S. assurances to the contrary, Russia sees the ballistic missile shield as a threat to its own security and some Russian politicians and generals have said Poland must be prepared for a preventive attack on the site in the future.

Rice Signs Missile Deal With Poland 20 Aug 2008 Despite fierce opposition from Moscow, the United States and Poland signed a long-stalled agreement on Wednesday to place an American missile defense base on Polish territory. The Kremlin has leveled sustained criticism against the American plan, characterizing it as a hostile act near the Russian border.

Missile shield puts Warsaw in crosshairs 15 Aug 2008 Russia's deputy chief of general staff says Poland's missile deal with the US would allow Moscow to use nuclear weapons against Warsaw. "Poland, by deploying (the system) is exposing itself to a strike� 100 percent," Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn was quoted by AP as saying.

The US missile defence system is the magic pudding that will never run out --Poland is just the latest fall guy for an American foreign policy dictated by military industrial lobbyists in Washington By George Monbiot 19 Aug 2008 US politics, because of the failure by both Republicans and Democrats to deal with the problems of campaign finance, is rotten from head to toe. But under Bush, the corruption has acquired Nigerian qualities. Federal government is a vast corporate welfare programme, rewarding the industries that give millions of dollars in political donations with contracts worth billions. Missile defence is the biggest pork barrel of all, the magic pudding that won't run out, however much you eat. The funds channelled to defence, aerospace and other manufacturing and service companies will never run dry because the system will never work. To keep the pudding flowing, the administration must exaggerate the threats from nations that have no means of nuking it - and ignore the likely responses of those that do.

Fear of new Mid East 'Cold War' as Syria strengthens military alliance with Russia 20 Aug 2008 Syria sought to revive its security alliance with Russia today, when President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Moscow to clinch a series of military agreements, raising fears that the new Cold War that has erupted in the Caucasus will spill over into the Middle East. "Our position is that we are ready to co-operate with Russia in any project that can strengthen its security," the Syrian leader told Russian newspapers at the start of his two-day trip.

Norway: Russia to freeze NATO military ties --NATO had suspended formal contacts with Russia Tuesday 20 Aug 2008 Norway's Defense Ministry said Russia has informed it that it plans to cut all military ties with NATO... NATO foreign ministers Tuesday suspended formal contacts with Russia as punishment for sending troops into Georgia.

NATO planes killed French troops 20 Aug 2008 Ten French troops who were killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday have been hit by NATO planes that had come to help them escape an ambush. The soldiers were killed on Tuesday during fierce fighting in Sarobi district, about 50 km (30 miles) east of the capital Kabul. French daily Le Monde quoted soldiers who survived the attack as saying that alliance planes missed the target and opened friendly fire.

Pentagon Plans to Send Up to 15,000 Additional Troops to Afghanistan 19 Aug 2008 The Pentagon will be sending 12,000 to 15,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, possibly as soon as the end of this year, with planning underway for a further force buildup in 2009. A request by Gen. David McKiernan, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, for three U.S. brigades with support staff has been approved.

Iran rocket launch 'troubles' US [Too bad.] 20 Aug 2008 Iran said it had sent a rocket carrying a dummy satellite into space on Sunday, triggering fresh concern in Washington that the technology could be diverted to ballistic missiles. The launch is likely to further exacerbate tensions with the West over its nuclear drive, which Iran's arch-foe Washington [hypocrites] and its allies claim is a cover for atomic weapons ambitions.

Russia and Georgia in tense exchange of prisoners 19 Aug 2008 Russia and Georgia have exchanged 20 prisoners of war in a gesture of goodwill despite continued tension over Russia's promised withdrawal. The 15-minute handover took place on a highway 30 miles west of the capital Tbilisi in the village of Igoeti, where Russian troops are firmly entrenched.

U.S. Trainers Say Georgian Troops Weren't Ready 20 Aug 2008 U.S. military trainers -- the only American boots on the ground -- say the Georgian soldiers they knew who were sent to battle the Russians had fighting spirit but were not ready for war. The Georgians were "beginning to walk, but by no means were they running," said U.S. Army Captain Jeff Barta, who helped train a Georgian brigade for peacekeeping service in Iraq. "If that was a U.S. brigade, it would not have gone into combat."

Bush Defends US 'War on Terror' 20 Aug 2008 U.S. President [sic] George Bush has defended the U.S. war on [of] terror and his administration's efforts to keep pressure on terrorists. Mr. Bush Wednesday addressed the same veterans group that U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain addressed in the southeastern state of Florida earlier this week.

Senators: FBI rules could target innocent people 20 Aug 2008 Some Democratic senators say proposed rules to help the FBI catch terrorists could allow the government to spy on innocent Americans "without any basis for suspicion." Known as the "attorney general guidelines," the rules have not been approved or even publicly released yet, but lawmakers are raising concerns after being briefed on what they say.

MI5 report challenges views on terrorism in Britain --Sophisticated analysis says there is no single pathway to violent extremism 20 Aug 2008 MI5 has concluded that there is no easy way to identify those who become involved in terrorism in Britain, according to a classified internal research document on radicalisation seen by the Guardian. The "restricted" MI5 report takes apart many of the common stereotypes about those involved in British terrorism. They are mostly British nationals, not illegal immigrants and, far from being Islamist fundamentalists, most are religious novices. Nor, the analysis says, are they "mad and bad".

Revealed: The CCTV cameras spying on hundreds of classrooms 18 Aug 2008 CCTV monitors classrooms at one in 14 schools, according to a survey. The poll of teachers also found that almost a quarter feared there might be more cameras hidden around the campus that they did not know about. Most said their schools were fitted with surveillance cameras. Almost 80 per cent said there were cameras at the entrance and more than 7 per cent said there were some in classrooms.

White House missing as many as 225 days of e-mail 20 Aug 2008 The White House ~~is missing~~ destroyed as many as 225 days of e-mail dating back to 2003 and there is little if any likelihood a recovery effort will be completed by the time the Bush administration leaves office, according to an internal White House draft document obtained by The Associated Press. The nine-page outline of the White House's e-mail problems invites companies [LOL!] to bid on a project to recover the missing electronic messages.

Get ready for Coup 2008! We see it happening. The offshore drilling, the "attack" on Georgia, the "success" of the "surge," the disappearance of Iraq war footage from the media, the escalation in Afghanistan -- all spun in McCain's favor, making another stolen election "credible." --MDR and LRP

Poll shows McCain in 5-point lead over Obama [That's what happens when you continue to surrender to Reichwing/NWO management.] 20 Aug 2008 In a sharp turnaround, Republican John McInsane has opened a 5-point lead on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race and is seen as a stronger manager of the economy [OMFG], according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday. McCain leads Obama among likely U.S. voters by 46 percent to 41 percent, wiping out Obama's solid 7-point advantage in July and taking his first lead in the monthly Reuters/Zogby poll.

Mega barf alert! Lieberman to Speak at GOP Convention 20 Aug 2008 Sen. Joe LieberBush (R-Israel), completing a dramatic political transformation over the last eight years, is now scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention next month, according to GOP sources.

Obama and veep choice to campaign on Saturday 19 Aug 2008 Barack Obama's newly minted running mate will join the Democratic hopeful onstage Saturday at a rally in this capital city where Obama launched his White House bid, a campaign official said. A senior Obama adviser told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday that Obama and his veep choice will appear in front of the former state Capitol where Abraham Lincoln once served.

Sen. Stevens loses bid to move trial to Alaska 20 Aug 2008 Sen. Ted Stevens cannot move his corruption trial from Washington to his home state of Alaska, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in a decision that could hamstring the powerful Republican's re-election bid. Stevens had hoped to stand trial by day and campaign on nights and weekends. <g>

Merrill, Wachovia in Danger of Failing: Strategist 18 Aug 2008 Merrill Lynch, Wachovia and other financial companies are at risk of failure as the cost of raising capital soars at a time when the banks need to pay settlements over auction rate securities, David Kotok, chairman & chief investment officer from Cumberland Advisors, told CNBC Monday.

Credit squeeze hits college students, families --With tuition bills rising, lenders cutting back, education financing is tight 20 Aug 2008 Paying for a college education -- with a price tag now north of $50,000 a year at some top-priced private schools -- has never been easy. But this year, on top of the... hit to college savings accounts from the turmoil in the financial markets, parents and students have another obstacle to overcome. The ongoing credit crunch has prompted dozens of private lenders to stop making student loans.

Trace arsenic in water may be linked with diabetes 19 Aug 2008 A new analysis of government data is the first to link low-level arsenic exposure, possibly from drinking water, with Type 2 diabetes, researchers say. The study's limitations make more research necessary. And public water systems were on their way to meeting tougher U.S. arsenic standards as the data were collected.

Prince Charles seen as 'guardian of countryside' 19 Aug 2008 The Prince of Wales is seen by many as the saviour of Britain's countryside, a survey has found. He was rated the best individual guardian of rural areas by readers of Country Life magazine. It comes just days after the prince warned in a Daily Telegraph interview that genetically modified crops risk causing the world's biggest environmental disaster, and that small farmers could be driven to the wall by "gigantic corporations" taking over food production.

Court: Bush Administration Rule on Air Pollution Is Illegal 20 Aug 2008 A federal appeals court yesterday struck down a Bush administration rule that prevented states and local governments from imposing stricter monitoring of pollution generated by power plants, factories and oil refineries than required by the federal government. In a 2 to 1 decision, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that the Environmental Protection Agency rule violated a provision of the Clean Air Act, which requires adequate monitoring of emissions to ensure compliance with pollution limits.

Carla Bruni tries to save 15 remaining local brown bears 20 Aug 2008 Carla Bruni, France�s First Lady, has drawn the wrath of Pyrenean farmers by taking up the cause of local brown bears. Ms Bruni, the epitome of the Parisian left-wing upper class, agreed in 2006 to be "godmother" to Hvala, one of five bears brought in from Slovenia to replenish a population that had dwindled to about 15. Mr Chirac ordered the repopulation after a hunter shot dead Cannelle, the last pure-blood native Pyrenean bear, in 2004. He called the shooting an environmental disaster. The hunter was acquitted on appeal last April of charges of illegally killing the animal. [Too bad the hunter didn't shoot himself, instead.]

Cannelle, the last pure-blood native Pyrenean bear, was killed in 2004, in what President Chirac called an environmental disaster

The Evidence Gap: Drug Makers' Push Leads to Cancer Vaccines' Rise 20 Aug 2008 It is not hard to hear about ~~Gardasil~~ Gardakill. In television advertisements, a cast of hip people in their 20s -- artists, writers and professionals -- describe why they got the shots, in the language of liberation, such as, "I chose to get vaccinated because my dreams don�t include cervical cancer." The advertisements direct viewers to gardasil.com, which includes patients� stories, buddy icons and downloads for holding an event at sororities. Girls of any age who have had one dose of the vaccine can ask for text-message "reminders" from Merck to get the next two shots.

Lion and Tiger and Fay, Oh My 20 Aug 2008 (The Acreage, FL) Two escapee's are back behind bars after a major manhunt, or in this case 'cat-hunt.' A tiger and a lion got loose from McCarthy's Wildlife Sanctuary and for a short time, schools were on lockdown and residents were urged to stay inside.

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UN draft text urges Russia withdrawal from Georgia 19 Aug 2008 A Western draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Georgia demands compliance with the cease-fire and an immediate Russian withdrawal to lines held before the conflict, according to a text obtained by Reuters on Tuesday. The draft, due to be considered by the council later on Tuesday, also calls for the return of Georgian forces to their usual bases and refers to "the territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders." [Where's the U.N. draft text for the US to get the f*ck out of Iraq and Afghanistan?]

Russia seizes US vehicles 19 Aug 2008 Russian soldiers today held blindfolded Georgian servicemen at gunpoint and commandeered US Humvees in a dramatic sequence of events in Poti, a key Black Sea port. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe stated that if Russia has seized any US military equipment in Georgia, it must return it immediately.

NATO Ministers Warn Russia, No 'Business as Usual' 19 Aug 2008 After emergency talks here, NATO foreign ministers on Tuesday urged Russia to pull its troops immediately out of Georgia, saying there could be no "business as usual" between the alliance and the Kremlin until it withdraws. After the meeting, NATO announced a new commission between the alliance and Georgia, intended to strengthen the country�s ties with the organization.

Rice warns Moscow about its bomber runs off Alaska 18 Aug 2008 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday ruled out accelerating Georgia's admission to NATO in response to the Russian invasion. But she warned Moscow that it is playing "a very dangerous game" by resuming Cold War-era strategic bomber patrols close to the Alaskan coast. [What about the 'very dangerous game' of the US to fund Georgia scientists to research, clone deadly viruses for 'outbreak response'?]

Rice warns Russia not to redraw European map 19 Aug 2008 Condoleezza Rice today warned Russia not to try to redraw the map of Europe in the wake of its invasion of Georgia. After a Nato foreign ministers' meeting, the US Secretary of State said that the alliance "intends to support the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Georgia."

Biden calls for $1 billion in emergency aid to Georgia 18 Aug 2008 Fresh off a trip to the Republic of Georgia, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden said he will ask for $1 billion in emergency 'aid' for the war torn country. Biden, who is rumored to be very high on Sen. Barack Obama�s list of running mates, met with Georgia's president and prime minister on the trip, further burnishing his foreign policy credentials [*puke*] ahead of Obama�s decision.

War � la carte --The US is inventing wars aplenty these days. Will it be Iran or Ossetia this month, asks Eric Walberg 20 Aug 2008 Last week, Georgia launched a major military offensive against the rebel province South Ossetia, just hours after President Mikhail Saakashvili had announced a unilateral ceasefire... The timing -- and subterfuge -- suggest the unscrupulous Saakashvili was counting on surprise. "Most decision-makers have gone for the holidays," he said in an interview with CNN. "Brilliant moment to attack a small country." Apparently he was referring to Russia invading Georgia, despite the fact that it was Georgia which had just launched a full-scale invasion of the "small country" South Ossetia, while Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was in Beijing for the Olympics.

Taliban Forces Kill 10 French Soldiers and Raid U.S. Base 19 Aug 2008 Taliban 'insurgents' mounted their most serious attacks in six years of fighting, one a complex attack with multiple suicide bombers on an American military base on Monday night, and another by some 100 insurgents on French forces in a district east of the capital, killing 10 French soldiers and wounding 21 others, military officials said Tuesday.

Militants try to storm US base in Afghanistan 19 Aug 2008 An Afghan governor says militants wearing vests packed with explosives tried to storm a main U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan. Arsallah Jamal, the governor of Khost province, says the militants failed to gain entry into Camp Salerno in Khost city, next to Pakistan's border.

SAS spearheads new surge against Taliban 19 Aug 2008 Britain's special forces are to play a key role in a newly-planned "surge" against Taliban forces in Afghanistan, The Independent has learnt. SAS and SBS troops are to be used to dramatically expand the Army's "decapitation" strategy working alongside US Marines against the Taliban leadership.

U.S. to Build Missiles On Polish Soil 19 Aug 2008 The U.S. and Polish governments have decided to fast-track a missile defense program. The tensions between Georgia and Russia sped the talks that brought about the move. Alex Chadwick talks to Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radek Sikorski about the plans.

Israel, U.S. reportedly close radar deal 19 Aug 2008 Israel and the United States reportedly have closed a deal to incorporate Israel into the U.S. missile defense system. The deal, reported this week in Defense News and Ha'aretz, for the first time would station U.S. military personnel permanently in Israel manning X-Band radars.

Military technology: MoD announces winner of robot challenge 19 Aug 2008 British forces could soon be launching teams of autonomous spy robots to scope out enemy-held villages and towns. The technology was developed for the Ministry of Defence's Grand Challenge, a contest to find the best robotic air and ground vehicles for identifying threats such as snipers and roadside bombs. If future work goes well, the technology could be at the disposal of the army within 18 months. The Grand Challenge winner, announced today, was Team Stellar.

Soldiers: Mold infests Okla. barracks for wounded 18 Aug 2008 Mold infests the barracks that were set up here a year ago for wounded soldiers after poor conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center triggered a systemwide overhaul, soldiers say. Twenty soldiers, who spoke to USA TODAY early last week, said their complaints about mold and other problems went unheeded for months. They also said they had been ordered not speak about the conditions at Fort Sill.

Costs soar for National Guard training overhaul 19 Aug 2008 Revamping the Army National Guard training program so soldiers can spend more time at home will cost at least $128 million this year, and officials say they need nearly double that amount next year to properly train and equip their forces, The Associated Press has learned.

NY judge wants CIA to reveal torture documents 18 Aug 2008 A judge ordered the CIA to prepare a list of witnesses and documents relating to the destruction of videotapes of prisoner interrogations. Judge Alvin Hellerstein says he is growing impatient with delays to resolving requests by the American Civil Liberties Union for the information. The judge says he will order production of a list of witnesses and documents unless the Central Intelligence Agency can convince him it will interfere with a criminal probe. He gave the agency 10 days to do so.

A push to ban psychologists' role in torture 17 Aug 2008 (Boston) Holding signs that read, "Do no harm" and "Abolish torture," about 100 people attended a rally outside the American Psychological Association's annual convention yesterday, urging the organizations to ban its members from being involved in military interrogations and torture as part of the war on [of] terrorism.

Terrorism charges: Court can use Georgia Tech student's statement --Judge's ruling in case against Syed Haris Ahmed is a victory for federal prosecutors 19 Aug 2008 Atlanta terrorism defendant Syed Haris Ahmed�s acknowledgments to agents that he considered planning a terrorist attack and dying a martyr waging jihad can be used against him at trial, a federal judge has ruled. Handing federal prosecutors a major victory, U.S. Magistrate Gerrilyn Brill turned aside arguments that the former Georgia Tech student was coerced by agents into making the statements.

Schools roll out terrorism rule book 19 Aug 2008 Schools have become the new battleground in the police's fight to combat terrorism among Britain's youth. Measures designed to stamp out Islamic extremism [?] at the earliest opportunity have been agreed by senior officers and are now being rolled out across the country. They include guidance for parents on how to stop children searching for extremist websites, and an anti-extremism agenda in "all state-maintained educational establishments" by 2009.

Terrorism cyber-recruiter jailed 19 Aug 2008 A man described by prosecutors as a terrorism "Mr Fix-it" who recruited young people to al Qaeda's ideology over the Internet, was jailed for 12 years on Tuesday while one of his accomplices received a 10 year term. Aabid Hussain Khan, 23, and Sultan Muhammad, 23, were found guilty on Monday of possessing a huge array of articles and information [Gitmo me now], ranging from extremist propaganda to practical guides on how to make poisons and suicide vests.

Support grows for independent reviewer of terrorism laws 19 Aug 2008 A key Federal Labor MP has thrown his support behind a bill to introduce a watchdog to scrutinise Australia's anti-terrorism laws. Labor Caucus Chairman Daryl Melham says he backs a private members bill from Liberal MP Petro Georgiou for an independent reviewer of the laws.

Senators seek delay in FBI's expanded spy powers 18 Aug 2008 Two senior senators [Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa.] urged Attorney General Michael Mukasey Monday to delay a change to FBI rules that critics say would weaken checks on the bureau's investigative powers. Mukasey wants to loosen restrictions on the FBI's national security and criminal investigations, saying the changes are necessary to improve the bureau's ability to detect would-be-terrorists.

Court: Passengers can challenge no-fly list 19 Aug 2008 Critics of the government's secret no-fly list scored a potentially important victory Monday when a federal appeals court ruled that would-be passengers can ask a judge and jury to decide whether their inclusion on the list violates their rights. The ruling is apparently the first to allow a challenge to the no-fly list to proceed in a federal trial court, said the plaintiff's lawyer, Marwa Elzankaly.

Reactor shut down after fire at Calif. nuke plant 18 Aug 2008 Authorities are investigating a fire at a California nuclear plant that forced a reactor to be shut down. The blaze was in a non-nuclear part of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

Anti-Regulation Aide to Cheney Is Up for Energy Post 19 Aug 2008 A senior aide to Vice President [sic] Cheney is the leading contender to become a top official at the Energy Department, according to several current and former administration officials, a promotion that would put one of the administration's most ardent opponents of environmental regulation in charge of forming department policies on climate change.

Warming climate threatens Alaska's vast forests 19 Aug 2008 Here in a 13,700-year-old peat bog, ecologist Ed Berg reaches into the moss and pulls out more evidence of the drastic changes afoot due to the Earth's warming climate. Rooting through a handful of mossy duff, Berg, an ecologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, shows remains of shrubs and other plants taking hold over the last 30 years in a patch of ground that has long been too soggy for woody plants to grow. In other words, the ground is drying out, and the peat bog is turning into forest.

Interior starts counting off 30-day comment period on Endangered Species act 18 Aug 2008 The clock has started ticking down for anyone who wants to comment on the Department of Interior's proposed ~~overhaul~~ destruction of the Endangered Species Act, which could cut out the independent reviews of whether a government decision will affect species in danger of extinction. The notice was posted in the Federal Register on Friday, giving anyone who wants to weigh in on the changes until Sept. 15. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 'Service' will accept comments through the eRulemaking portal but won't accept e-mail or faxes.

EPA Buzz Kill: Is the Agency Hiding Colony Collapse Disorder Information? NRDC Forced to Sue to Get Public Records on Bee Mystery 18 Aug 2008 The Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit today to uncover critical information that the US government is withholding about the risks posed by pesticides to honey bees. NRDC legal experts and a leading bee researcher are convinced that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evidence of connections between pesticides and the mysterious honey bee die-offs reported across the country. The phenomenon has come to be called "colony collapse disorder," or CCD, and it is already proving to have disastrous consequences for American agriculture and the $15 billion worth of crops pollinated by bees every year.

Metropolitan Wastewater Ends Up In Urban Agriculture 18 Aug 2008 As developing countries confront the first [created] global food crisis since the 1970s as well as unprecedented water scarcity, a new 53-city survey conducted by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) indicates that most of those studied (80 percent) are using untreated or partially treated wastewater for agriculture.

Obama Ready to Announce Running Mate 18 Aug 2008 Senator Barack Obama has all but settled on his choice for a running mate and set an elaborate rollout plan for his decision, beginning with an early morning alert to supporters, perhaps as soon as Wednesday morning, aides said.

McCain weighs a Lieberman surprise 19 Aug 2008 John McInsane is seriously considering choosing a pro-abortion-rights running mate despite vocal resistance from conservatives, with former Democratic vice presidential nominee Joseph I. LieberBush (R-Israel) very much in the mix, close McCain advisers say. One obstacle for Lieberman may be legal. A GOP official said that since he is not a Republican, Lieberman may have a challenge being certified on some state ballots. [LIEberman is detested in Connecticut. He has no future in the state (despite the Hartford Courant pushing for him 24/7), so he crawled up McCain's a**.]

McCain nets $1.75 million at Reed-linked event 18 Aug 2008 John McCain raised more than $1.75 million for Republicans Monday at a fundraiser clouded by confusion over the role of a political operative connected to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The downtown event was promoted by Ralph Reed, a former head of the Christian Coalition. McCain's campaign said the event was organized by the Republican National Committee -- not Reed, who was linked to the Abramoff scandal that McCain investigated in the Senate.

Roseanne Barr: Angelina Jolie 'Evil,' Brad Pitt 'Vacuous' 18 Aug 2008 "Your evil spawn Angelina Jolie and her vacuous hubby Brad Pitt make about $40 million a year in violent, psychopathic movies and give away three of it to starving children, trying to look as if they give a crap about humanity as they spit out more dunces that will consume more than their fair share and wreck the earth even more," Roseanne writes in a post titled "Jon Voight." She also attacks the actress for recently saying she is undecided about the presidential election. "Miss Jolie says she likes [John] McCain too and hasn't decided who to endorse....huh? Aren't you supposed to be somewhat enlightened, or do you not know that the African daughter you hold in every picture had parents who suffered and died because of the Republican party's worldwide economic assault on Africa over the last few decades since Reagan?" [Well-said!]

Obama Suggests $2 Billion In New Funding for NASA 19 Aug 2008 Sen. Barack Obama has detailed a comprehensive space plan that includes $2 billion in new funding to reinvigorate NASA and a promise to make space exploration and science a significantly higher priority if he is elected president... Obama criticized administration policies that will lead to a five-year period after 2010 when "the United States will have to depend on foreign rockets and spacecraft to send Americans to orbit" -- even to the largely U.S.-funded $100 billion international space station.

Credit crunch may take out large US bank warns former IMF chief 19 Aug 2008 The deepening toll from the global financial crisis could trigger the failure of a large US bank within months, a respected former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund claimed today, fuelling another battering for banking shares. Professor Kenneth Rogoff, a leading academic economist, said there was yet worse news to come from the worldwide credit crunch and financial turmoil, particularly in the United States, and that a high-profile casualty among American banks was highly likely.

Tropical Storm Fay Hits Florida, May Enter Atlantic 19 Aug 2008 Tropical Storm Fay swept across South Florida with 60 mph winds as forecasters said it may move back over open water in the Atlantic later this week before striking the state a third time.

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FBI had, then destroyed anthrax strain used in attacks 18 Aug 2008 FBI scientists early on had -- but destroyed -- the unique strain of anthrax used in the [Cheney] deadly 2001 attacks that years later would lead them to Dr. Bruce Ivins, now the government's top suspect. FBI Assistant Director Vahid Majidi said the initial anthrax sample that Ivins took from his Army lab in February 2002 and gave investigators did not meet court-ordered conditions for its preparation and collection. Majidi said the sample kept at the FBI lab was destroyed because the bureau believed it might have been allowed as evidence at trial.

Journalist says U.S. target was Al-Jazeera 17 Aug 2008 After more than six years as a prisoner of the United States, former TV cameraman Sami al-Hajj is back at work with Al-Jazeera, the largest broadcaster in the Arab world... and, by most indications, a target of deep hostility from the Bush regime. Al-Jazeera has also been hit twice by U.S. artillery fire. One shelling destroyed its Kabul bureau in November 2001. The second struck a Baghdad office in April 2003, killing correspondent Tareq Ayoub.

Suicide car bomb kills 5 in western Iraq 18 Aug 2008 A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at a police checkpoint in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi on Monday, killing five policemen and wounding seven, police said.

Fifteen dead in suicide bombing in Baghdad 17 Aug 2008 Iraqi officials say a suicide bombing in a Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad has killed 15 people and wounded about 30 others.

Suicide bombing near U.S. base kills 10 Afghan civilians 18 Aug 2008 A suicide car bombing has killed 10 people and wounded at least 13 others in eastern Afghanistan, as the country observes its 'Independence' Day. U.S. and Afghan officials say the bomber detonated his explosives outside a U.S. military base in the eastern province of Khost Monday.

British troops kill four Afghan civilians in Helmand province 17 Aug 2008 An investigation is under way after a rocket attack by British troops killed four civilians and injured three more in southern Afghanistan.

British soldier dies in Afghanistan 18 Aug 2008 A British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan. The soldier was part of a joint British-Afghan unit which was hit by an improvised explosive device in the Gereshk region of Helmand province.

Pervez Musharraf resigns as president of Pakistan 18 Aug 2008 Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, today announced his resignation after robustly defending his record. Expectations that the former army chief and firm US ally would go had been mounting since the coalition government said this month it planned to impeach him.

U.S.'s Gates scoffs at Russian warnings to Poland 17 Aug 2008 Pentagon chief Robert Gates dismissed as "empty rhetoric" on Sunday Russian warnings that Moscow would target Poland for a possible military strike because Warsaw agreed to host part of a U.S. missile shield. "Russia is not going to launch nuclear missiles at anybody," Defense Secretary Gates said on ABC News' "This Week." "The Poles know that. We know it."

Russia Seizes Arsenal of US Weapons In Georgia 15 Aug 2008 Russian forces have seized a "large arsenal" of U.S.-made weapons in the western Georgian city of Senaki including hundreds of assault rifles, a military spokesman said Friday. "In Senaki, we seized a large arsenal of weapons including 664 U.S.-made M-16 rifles" and a number of M-40 sniper rifles, General Anatoly Nogovitsyn told a news conference in Moscow. "There were 1,728 weapons total."

USDA website 'help wanted' notice: US to fund Georgia scientists to research, clone deadly viruses for 'outbreak response' --Posed 01 Jun 2008, updated 15 Aug 2008 African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) has been identified by USDA and DHS as an emerging agricultural pathogen due to the 2007, outbreaks in Eurasia and is now a high priority for biological countermeasure research. Objectives: Identify and recruit a qualified scientist from the Republic of Georgia to come to ARS, PIADC for the purpose of acquiring knowledge of ASF, and development of molecular biology skill sets... necessary for the successful ASF knowledge transfer in the future to other Republic of Georgia scientists. This scientist will be supported through USDA-DOE interagency agreement administered through ORISE. The identified Republic of Georgia scientist will be trained by ARS, PIADC in foreign animal disease molecular biology skills through on-going ARS Classical Swine Fever research. This training includes: vaccine discovery, inclusive of cell culture, virus titration, virus cloning, viral analysis, sequencing, tissue collection and necropsy. DHS, PIADC will coordinate ASFV related activities between ARS, PIADC and the Republic of Georgia, including access to viral samples and genomic sequencing support. The identified Republic of Georgia scientist, with assistance from ARS, PIADC and DHS, PIADC collaborators, will prepare and submit an ASF basic research and vaccine discovery proposal targeting the Eurasian outbreak response.

1918 flu survivors' antibodies helpful for anti-bird flu fight 18 Aug 2008 Antibodies from survivors of the most devastating 1918 influenza pandemic still protect against the virus, providing a new approach to ~~battle~~ foment future epidemics that could be triggered by bird flu. American scientists studied [!] 32 people who lived through the 1918 flu, and found all had antibodies in their blood to kill the virus with surprising efficiency, reported the journal Nature Sunday. The antibodies from the survivors, now aged 91 to 101, also protected mice from the killer virus, showing that 90 years on, the survivors of the epidemic are still protected.

UK's Youngest Terrorist Convicted 18 Aug 2008 A teenager has been found guilty of possessing a guide to making napalm [OMG! Why don't they convict the US of *using* it?] - making him Britain's youngest terrorist. Hammaad Munshi was 16 when police found a guide to death and explosives at his home. The guide contained instructions for making napalm, other high explosives, detonators, grenades and "how to kill". Co-defendants Aabid Khan and Sultan Muhammad were also found guilty of possessing terror-related documents.

English jury convicts 3 of terror offences; defendants include 1 teenager 18 Aug 2008 A British teenager and two other men have been convicted of possessing documents useful to terrorists. They are to be sentenced Tuesday. The prosecution says the two older men had computer files promoting violence [!?!], documents with practical information on making and using weapons and explosives, and one that urged assassinations.

Britain's terror laws have left me and my family shattered --I am innocent yet was detained without charge in solitary confinement for days on end. By Hicham Yezza 18 Aug 2008 On May 14 I was arrested under section 41 of the Terrorism Act - on suspicion of the "instigation, preparation and commission of acts of terrorism": an absurdly nebulous formulation that told me nothing about the sin I had apparently committed. Once in custody, almost 48 hours passed before it was confirmed that the entire operation... was triggered by the presence on my University of Nottingham office computer of an equally absurd document called the "al-Qaida Training Manual", a declassified open-source document... Rizwaan Sabir, a politics student friend of mine (who was also arrested), had downloaded the file from the US justice department website [Insert eyeroll here.] while conducting research on terrorism for his upcoming PhD. An extended version of the same document (which figures on the politics department's official reading list) was also available on Amazon.

Mamdouh Habib fined $400 for outburst 19 Aug 2008 Former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Mamdouh Habib has been fined $400 for offensive language and behaviour during an incident at a McDonald's restaurant in which police said he called them "smelly" and a "piece of shit".

573,639: The disturbing number of Britons with no criminal record but now registered on Labour's DNA database 16 Aug 2008 Nearly 600,000 people never convicted of any crime now have their details stored on Labour�s DNA database, shock figures reveal. More than 400,000 of those were added in the past two years, further fuelling the belief that the Government is building a genetic record of the entire population by stealth.

Security officials to scan DC area license plates --Plan will be funded by federal homeland security grants 17 Aug 2008 Homeland security officials in the Washington area plan to dramatically expand the use of automated license plate readers to 'prevent' possible terrorist attacks. Officials from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia have agreed to install 200 license plate readers on police vehicles, at airports and along roads.

A Toxic Proposal --The Labor Department politicizes the regulation of workplace health. (The Washington Post) 18 Aug 2008 For 7 1/2 YEARS, the Labor Department has neglected the workers it's supposed to protect. Now it is rushing to make its pro-industry stand official policy. The Post's Carol D. Leonnig reported that the Labor Department has fast-tracked a proposal that would make it more difficult to regulate workplace safety... The plan is an attempt by Labor's policymakers to wrest control of the risk assessment process from scientists at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Doing so would add another layer to a byzantine regulatory process that would be difficult for future administrations to untangle. It would also undermine OSHA, an agency that already has too many procedural hurdles to clear.

Despite Assurances, McCain Wasn't in a 'Cone of Silence' 17 Aug 2008 Senator John McInsane was not in a "cone of silence" on Saturday night while his rival, Senator Barack Obama, was being interviewed at the Saddleback Church in California. Members of the McCain campaign staff, who flew here Sunday from California, said Mr. McCain was in his motorcade on the way to the church as Mr. Obama was being interviewed by the Rev. Rick Warren. Mr. McCain, who followed Mr. Obama�s hourlong appearance in the forum, was asked virtually the same questions as Mr. Obama. Mr. McCain�s performance was well received, raising speculation among some viewers, especially supporters of Mr. Obama, that he was not as isolated during the Obama interview as Mr. Warren implied.

Did McCain Steal His "Cross in the Dirt" Story at the Saddleback Forum From Solzhenitsyn? By Mark Nickolas 18 Aug 2008 The blogosphere is abuzz right now over the discovery that a POW story told by John McCain (R) at Saturday night�s presidential forum is eerily similar to one told by Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his famous book The Gulag Archipelago which chronicled his time in a Soviet labor camp in the 1950s and 1960s... What is going on here? Did McCain lie to Pastor Rick Warren in a church this weekend about his POW experience in an attempt to kiss-up to Evangelicals who are already very concerned about his bona fides on faith and religion?

Obama rips McCain for $5 million "rich" definition 18 Aug 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama ripped Republican rival John McCain on Monday for joking during a televised discussion on values that $5 million fit the definition for being monetarily rich. "I guess if you're making $3 million a year, you're middle class," Obama told a campaign event in New Mexico. "That's reflected in ... his policies," Obama said, adding McCain would give a $500,000 tax credit to people making more than $2.5 million.

McCain's Mansions: The Houses That Greed Built (Brave New Films) 18 Aug 2008 The REAL McCain is a multimillionaire who owns ten luxurious homes. The REAL McCain backs President [sic] Bush's tax cuts for big corporations. The REAL McCain empathizes only with the interests of our nation's wealthy minority, not its money-strapped majority.

Just Asking By Taegan Goddard 18 Aug 2008 During his weekend interview with Rev. Rick Warren, Sen. John McCain said that if he were president he would have never nominated Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, David Souter or John Paul Stevens to the Supreme Court. McCain wasn't a senator when Stevens was nominated, but why did he nevertheless vote to confirm Ginsburg, Breyer, and Souter? It seems he was for them before he was against them.

The Candidate We Still Don't Know By Frank Rich 17 Aug 2008 With the exception of McCain�s imprisonment in Vietnam, every aspect of this profile in courage is inaccurate or defunct... Though the McCain campaign announced a new no-lobbyists policy three months after The Washington Post�s February report that lobbyists were "essentially running" the whole operation, the fact remains that McCain�s top officials and fund-raisers have past financial ties to nearly every domestic and foreign flashpoint, from Fannie Mae to Blackwater to Ahmad Chalabi to the government of Georgia. No sooner does McCain flip-flop on oil drilling than a bevy of Hess Oil family members and executives, not to mention a lowly Hess office manager and his wife, each give a maximum $28,500 to the Republican Party. While reporters at The Post and The New York Times have been vetting McCain, many others give him a free pass.

Obama raises $7.8 million in San Francisco 18 Aug 2008 Barack Obama raked $7.8 million Sunday at three separate fundraisers in San Francisco, telling a VIP dinner crowd -- many of whom paid $28,500 to attend -- that he would win the presidency in November but to expect a tough battle with Republicans in the meantime.

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