Citizens for Legitimate Government, News Archives

Recent News Articles
See: CLG News Archives for archived items.

Dozen juveniles held at Guantanamo Bay --Pentagon revises upward number of children imprisoned at Guantanamo 16 Nov 2008 The number of juveniles held at Guantanamo Bay was revised upwards by US military officials. Twelve juvenile prisoners have been held at the US camp on Cuba, up from eight reported in May to a United Nations committee on child rights, the Pentagon said.

Obama 'will close Guantanamo Bay' 17 Nov 2008 In his first major interview since polling day, President-elect Barack Obama said last night that upon taking office he would close Guantanamo Bay and ban torture by the American military.

'This agreement hands Iraq over (to the US) on a golden platter and for an indefinite period.' Iraq's cabinet agrees deal for US troops to remain for three more years 16 Nov 2008 Iraq's cabinet today approved a security pact with the United States that will allow American forces to stay in Iraq for three years after their UN mandate expires at the end of this year. Followers of Iraq's Shia leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, have objected to the pact. "This agreement hands Iraq over (to the US) on a golden platter and for an indefinite period," said Ahmed al-Massoudi, spokesman for the 30-seat Sadrist bloc in parliament.

Iraqi cabinet approves accord setting U.S. troop withdrawal 16 Nov 2008 Iraq's cabinet on Sunday approved a security pact that sets a timetable for the nearly complete withdrawal of American forces within three years, but the agreement faces an uncertain outlook in Iraq's parliament. Followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al Sadr, meanwhile, view the agreement as an affirmation of the American occupation and oppose it outright.

Pakistan closes NATO's supply line into Afghanistan 16 Nov 2008 Pakistan has closed the Torkham border crossing in the Khyber tribal agency resulting in temporary suspension of NATO's primary supply line into Afghanistan. The closure has suspended movement of fuel tankers and food trucks to NATO and US-led forces in Afghanistan for security reasons, media reports said here today. [What a shame!]

British Army soldier killed by road bomb in Afghanistan 16 Nov 2008 A British Army soldier has been killed by a road bomb in southern Afghanistan. The Gurkha soldier was taking part in a routine road patrol in Musa Qala, Helmand province, when the vehicle in which he was travelling struck an improvised explosive device (IED).

Toxic Chemicals Blamed for Gulf War Illness 17 Nov 2008 Gulf War illness, dismissed by some as a psychosomatic disorder, is a very real illness that affects at least 25 percent of the 700,000 U.S. veterans who took part in the 1991 Gulf War. It's likely cause was exposure to toxic chemicals that included pesticides that were often overused during the war, as well as a [deadly] drug given to U.S. troops to protect them from nerve gas, a frequent weapon of choice of [supplied by the US to] former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Panel finds widespread Gulf War illness 16 Nov 2008 At least one in four U.S. veterans of the 1991 Gulf War suffers from a multi-symptom illness caused by exposure to toxic chemicals during the conflict, a congressionally mandated report being released Monday found. For much of the past 17 years, government officials have maintained that these veterans -- more than 175,000 out of about 697,000 deployed -- are merely suffering the effects of wartime stress, even as more have come forward recently with severe ailments.

Why Obama Will Continue Star Wars 16 Nov 2008 Missile-defense skeptics yearning for a fresh look at the wisdom of pumping $10 billion annually into missile defense aren't going to get it from Barack Obama when he moves into the Oval Office. Even in a Democratic-run Pentagon the push for missile defense is going to continue. If Obama keeps Defense Secretary Robert Gates on, as some advisers are arguing he should, that would come as no surprise. [Uh, where's the 'change we can believe in?']

Confirmed: Air Force Flunks Nuke Inspection By Noah Shachtman 13 Nov 2008 It's confirmed: The atomic missile team at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana "failed its nuclear surety inspection" earlier this week, Air Force Times is reporting. Inspectors found problems that 341st Missile Wing’s "weapons storage area and its personnel reliability program, which monitors who can work with nuclear weapons."

'That loophole lets a known terrorist who is on a government watch list board a plane without needing a fake ID. All that's needed is a home computer, a printer and a little skill at HTML.' Chertoff: We're Closing that Boarding-Pass Loophole By Ryan Singel 17 Nov 2008 There’s a hole in airline security big enough to get Osama bin Laden himself onto a domestic flight, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff acknowledges, but that’s no reason to ditch watch lists or ID checks at the airport, he says. Chertoff told Threat Level in an interview last week that the government was aware of, and patching, the so-called boarding-pass loophole, which just came back into the public eye after a recent Atlantic magazine story where a reporter got though security using a fake boarding pass.

Auditors go easy on contractors --Department officials overruled auditors who objected to nearly $1 billion in payments to KBR, the Houston-based contractor that supplies U.S. troops with food and housing. 09 Nov 2008 Instead of seeing red, Pentagon audit managers saw business as usual after being told that a major military contractor failed to open all its books for review. At a meeting of Defense Contract Audit Agency staff in California last May, auditor Acacia Rodriguez used a 24-page PowerPoint briefing to describe how she and her co-workers struggled with the Bechtel Group's "chronic failure" to provide the financial records required to prove tax dollars were being spent properly. "Mtn View, we have a problem!!!" said one of Rodriguez's briefing charts, a shorthand reference to the audit agency's branch office in Mountain View, outside San Francisco.

Grand jury investigating another House GOP contract 15 Nov 2008 A state grand jury is investigating a second computer services contract by the House Republican caucus, trying to determine if a multimillion-dollar database was used illegally for political purposes. Investigators from the office of Attorney General Tom Corbett have questioned House employees about a contract with GCR & Associates, a computer consulting firm with offices in New Orleans and Birmingham, Ala., sources said. The company received $9 million in state business from 2002 to this year for computer programming that provided detailed information on registered voters, their patterns and analyses.

Rather's Lawsuit Shows Role of G.O.P. in Inquiry --Bush's media whores at CBS used used Republican operatives to vet the names of potential members of a panel that had been billed as independent 17 Nov 2008 When Dan Rather filed suit against CBS 14 months ago -- claiming, among other things, that his former employer had commissioned a politically biased investigation into his work on a "60 Minutes" segment about President [sic] Bush’s National Guard service -- the network predicted the quick and favorable dismissal of the case... But Mr. Rather has unearthed evidence that would seem to support his assertion that CBS intended its investigation, at least in part, to quell Republican criticism of the network. Internal CBS memorandums turned over to his lawyers show that network executives used Republican operatives to vet the names of potential members of a panel that had been billed as independent and charged with investigating the "60 Minutes" segment.

2 DemocRATs to Submit Compromise on Lieberman 18 Nov 2008 A pair of Senate Democrats will offer a compromise plan today to sanction Sen. Joseph I. LIEberman (R-Israel) for his support of the Republican presidential ticket but allow him to keep a key committee chairmanship and remain in the party caucus. Senators and aides said yesterday that Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.) and Ken Salazar (Colo.) will present a plan at a caucus meeting that would strip Lieberman of a low-profile subcommittee chairmanship, possibly one on global warming. But LieberBush would retain the gavel of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

McCain backer LIEberman may keep committee chair 17 Nov 2008 Sen. Joe LieberBush appears increasingly likely to hold onto his prized chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee as he meets Tuesday with Democratic colleagues unhappy over his vocal support for GOP nominee John McCain during this year's presidential campaign.

Gag me with a chainsaw *and* mega barf alert: Obama, McCain pledge to work together 17 Nov 2008 U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and vanquished rival John McCain met for the first time since the Nov. 4 election on Monday, pledging to work together to face the financial crisis and other national challenges. "We're going to have a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country," Obama said before the two began their closed-door meeting, adding that he wanted to offer his thanks to McInsane for "outstanding service" already rendered to the United States.

Rahm Emanuel apologizes for father's disparaging remarks about Arabs 14 Nov 2008 Rahm Emanuel U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel apologized to an Arab-American group on Thursday for comments disparaging Arabs made by his father.

Dershowitz: I helped keep Carter silent 13 Nov 2008 Why didn't Jimmy Carter speak from the podium at the Democratic National Convention? Alan Dershowitz said he had something to do with it. In an interview with Shalom TV, the Harvard Law School professor says he "pushed" Barack Obama "very hard to make that decision," Dershowitz said in an interview with Shalom TV. "Barack Obama had to make a choice between his Jewish supporters and his anti-Israel supporters like Jimmy Carter, and he did not choose Jimmy Carter. And that was an embarrassment for Jimmy Carter and a show of disrespect."

Satire: Obama Victory Starts Hot New Trend: Palling Around With Terrorists By R J Shulman 17 Nov 2008 The decisive victory of Barack Obama in the presidential election has made a once taboo topic the talk of the town, associating with a terrorist. "Everybody wants to have their picture taken with a terrorist," said Sandy Holsteder of US Magazine, "William Ayers has so many invites, he will never have to buy lunch or dinner again." (Satire)

Priest: No communion for Obama supporters --Priest says it's because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion 13 Nov 2008 South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil." The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote. [And, parishioners are putting their sanity at risk, listening to this Reichwing nutjobs.]

Several presidents of private colleges earn more than $1 million 17 Nov 2008 A dozen presidents of private colleges earned more than $1 million in compensation during the 2006-07 year, including Northwestern University chief Henry Bienen, who was the second-highest paid college executive in the nation. The annual survey of presidential pay released Monday by The Chronicle of Higher Education found that 89 private college presidents took home more than $500,000 in annual compensation, more than double those who did five years earlier.

Henry Paulson abandons plan to purchase bad mortgages and will invest $700bn bailout in banks 13 Nov 2008 Henry Paulson announced a $700 billion U-turn on Wednesday when he said that Washington would no longer be using taxpayer money to buy distressed assets from troubled banks. The Treasury Secretary's change of heart marks a dramatic shift, given that the primary purpose of the $700 billion bailout fund, approved in Washington only in September, had been to purchase mortgage-backed securities from troubled lenders.

Inhofe: Cancel the 'blank check' --Senator criticizes Henry Paulson for changing $700 billion bailout plan 16 Nov 2008 U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe said Saturday that Congress was not told the truth about the bailout of the nation's financial system and should take back what is left of the $700 billion "blank check'' it gave the Bush administration. "It is just outrageous that the American people don't know that Congress doesn't know how much money he (Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson) has given away to anyone,'' the Oklahoma Republican told the Tulsa World.

Goldman Targeted by Investor Complaints of Naked Short-Selling --Investors: Goldman is acting against its clients by trying to profit at their expense. 17 Nov 2008 Investors in the $591 billion high- yield, high-risk loan market are accusing Goldman Sachs Group Inc. of naked short selling to profit from record price declines. At least two fund managers complained verbally to officials of the Loan Syndications and Trading Association, saying they believe Goldman helped drive down prices by using the technique, according to people with knowledge of the objections.

Lehman's administrators paid more than the bankers 14 Nov 2008 The administrators of the UK and European arm of bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers are making better money than the bankers. PricewaterhouseCoopers, which has around 300 employees working on the Lehman administration, is being paid £4m a week, the accounting firm revealed yesterday. By contrast, the monthly wage bill for Lehman's remaining 1,100 bankers is £8m – £2m a week – though that does not include planned "small retention bonuses".

Citigroup to slash 52,000 jobs 17 Nov 2008 Citigroup revealed plans to cut 52,000 jobs by early next year in a dramatic move to restore the No. 2 U.S. bank to health [?!?] as it combats mounting debt losses and sagging economies worldwide. The cuts announced by Chief Executive Vikram Pandit on Monday will shrink Citigroup's work force by 15 percent, and are in addition to 23,000 jobs eliminated between January and September.

Our Home-Grown Melamine Problem By James E. McWilliams 17 Nov 2008 China's food supply appears to be awash in the industrial chemical melamine. Dangerous levels have been detected not only in milk and eggs, but also in chicken feed and wheat gluten, meaning that melamine is almost impossible to avoid in processed foods... For all the outrage about Chinese melamine, what American consumers and government agencies have studiously failed to scrutinize is how much melamine has pervaded our own food system.

*****

Major international drill based at D-M to involve U.S. Army, Air Force, foreign troops --Some practice runs are classified by DoD; few details are being released 15 Nov 2008 Personnel from around the globe will converge at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base from Dec. 1 to Dec. 12 for the largest rescue exercise of its kind. The effort, dubbed Angel Thunder 08, will involve the U.S. Army and Air Force, troops from Germany, Chile, Colombia and observers from Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Pakistan. Several non-military U.S. agencies such as the State and Justice departments, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office, also will take part in the drills, which aim to smooth interaction between military branches, allied nations and civilian agencies.

George W Bush could pardon spies involved in torture 15 Nov 2008 George W Bush is considering issuing pardons for US spies embroiled in allegations of torture just before he leaves the White House. Senior intelligence officers are lobbying the outgoing president [sic] to look after the men and women who could face charges for following his orders in the war on [of] terrorism.

FBI informant testifies suspect refused to plan attack 13 Nov 2008 The FBI informant who infiltrated a band of alleged South Jersey terrorists complained in September 2006 that one suspect "was gonna have a problem with me" because he kept refusing to plan, train or arrange meetings to discuss an attack. The comment by the informant, Mahmoud Omar, was recounted for jurors this morning in Camden, where five Muslim immigrants are being tried on charges of plotting to kill U.S. soldiers. [Remind me again: Why are the five Muslim immigrants on trial?]

Iraq Cabinet to vote on U.S. security deal --Pact would keep U.S. forces in the country for another three years 15 Nov 2008 Iraq's Cabinet will vote Sunday on a security pact with Washington that would keep U.S. forces in the country for another three years.

Maliki tells Bush he now backs new U.S. troop deal 14 Nov 2008 After months of tough negotiations and multiple revisions, Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has decided to back the controversial U.S.-Iraq security agreement that calls for the complete withdrawal of American troops by the end of 2011, Iraqi and U.S. officials said Friday.

Iraq car bombs kill 10 15 Nov 2008 At least 10 people were killed and scores more injured in a series of bomb attacks across Iraq on Saturday, Iraqi police said. A car bomb in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar killed seven people and wounded more than three dozen when it exploded near an auto dealership, police said.

Calls for more helicopters as Afghanistan and Iraq toll hits 300 16 Nov 2008 The Ministry of Defence faces fresh calls to provide more helicopters in Afghanistan as it investigates how two marine commandos died while patrolling in one of the British Army's best new road vehicles. The deaths of Neil Dunstan and Robert McKibben in a bomb blast on Wednesday afternoon brought the numbers of British personnel who have died during the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to 300.

Britons against troop surge in Afghanistan 14 Nov 2008 A new opinion poll in the UK has highlighted the political challenge Gordon Brown would face if he agrees to send more troops to Afghanistan next year, with 68 per cent of Britons saying the UK should withdraw within 12 months.

Over 2,700 foreigners arrested for suspected militant links so far 16 Nov 2008 Law enforcing agencies have so far arrested more than 2,700 foreigners for their suspected links with Al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] or other militant organisations in Pakistan or Afghanistan. In an interview Friday with Daily Times, World Prisoners Relief Commission of Pakistan chairman Javed Ibrahim Paracha said that hundreds of foreigners were arrested in Pakistan for their suspected links with Al-Qaeda and under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

Iran detains 10 spies near Pakistan border 15 Nov 2008 Iran detained 10 spies carrying $500,000 in cash who had entered the Islamic Republic illegally from neighbouring Pakistan, state television said on Saturday. Modern espionage cameras and maps of sensitive regions in Iran were found when the group was detained in Iran's south-eastern Sistan-Baluchestan province bordering Pakistan, the report said.

More Allegations of Misconduct in Alabama Governor Case 14 Nov 2008 Next month in Atlanta, a federal court will hear the high-profile appeal of former Alabama governor Don E. Siegelman, whose conviction on corruption charges in 2006 became one of the most publicly debated cases to emerge from eight years of controversy at the Bush Justice Department. Now new documents highlight alleged misconduct by the Bush-appointed U.S. Attorney and other prosecutors in the case, including what appears to be extensive and unusual contact between the prosecution and the jury. The documents, obtained by TIME, include internal prosecution e-mails given to the Justice Department and Congress by a whistle-blower during the past 18 months. John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which investigated the Siegelman case as part of a broader inquiry into alleged political interference in the hiring and firing of U.S. Attorneys by the Bush Justice Department, last week sent an eight-page letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey citing the new material.

Election spurs 'hundreds' of race threats, crimes --Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony. 15 Nov 2008 Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting "Assassinate Obama." Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars. From California to Maine, police have documented a range of alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack... There have been "hundreds" of incidents since the election, many more than usual, said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate crimes.

Gregory Craig to be White House counsel 15 Nov 2008 Gregory B. Craig, a well-known Washington lawyer who quarterbacked President Bill Clinton’s impeachment defense, has been chosen White House counsel by President-elect Barack Obama, according to Democratic officials.

Obama First President to Record Weekly Radio Address On Video 15 Nov 2008 President-elect Barack Obama spent Friday recording the weekly Democratic radio address on video. His transition team said he will continue to do so when he officially moves into the White House, becoming the first president to have video recordings of the radio address.

Northeast lawmakers want Lieberman ousted as chair 14 Nov 2008 Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman's chances of holding onto his committee chairmanship suffered a blow Friday when two key New England Democratic senators came out against him. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and his Vermont colleague, Sen. Bernie Sanders, said Democrat-turned-independent Lieberman [R-Israel] doesn't deserve to keep his Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chairmanship because of his campaign attacks on President-elect Barack Obama.

Stevens falls further back in Alaska Senate count 14 Nov 2008 Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, a stalwart of Alaska politics who was convicted of felony charges last month, fell further behind his Democratic rival Friday, and most remaining ballots come from parts of the state that have favored the challenger. Mark Begich, the two-term mayor of Anchorage, increased his lead from 814 votes to 1,022 as state election workers counted 17,100 ballots.

George W Bush's dog bites two people 15 Nov 2008 With his master's party in disarray after defeat by the Democrats, Barney the terrier is forging an unlikely new role as the fiercest Republican attack dog in the White House. President [sic] George W Bush's personal pet is facing the prospect of leaving the Oval Office in disgrace after biting not one, but two people during the administration's final weeks. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a canine whose boss has not always enjoyed the most sympathetic media profile, the black-haired Scottish terrier's victims have been a television journalist and a PR woman.

Summit a 'first step' in crisis, Bush says [Bush leaving office would actually be the first step] 15 Nov 2008 The leaders of the world's industrial powers have concluded a hasty summit on a global economic crisis with a commitment to strengthen regulation of financial markets, bolster international funds and avert any new trade barriers in the face of a spreading worldwide recession.

Chrysler leaders get millions --Automaker defends payouts amid looming bailout talks 13 Nov 2008 As Detroit's crumbling auto industry asks Congress for a bailout, Chrysler is in the awkward position of paying about $30 million in retention bonuses to keep top executives while the company cuts thousands of jobs. Documents obtained by the Free Press show that at least six Chrysler executives are due to receive bonuses of more than $1 million apiece to stay through August 2009, the two-year anniversary mark of when private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management bought an 80.1% stake in Chrysler.

GM Collapse at $200 Billion May Exceed Bailout Plan 14 Nov 2008 General Motors Corp., seeking a federal bailout as its cash dwindles, would cost the government as much as $200 billion should the biggest U.S. automaker be forced to liquidate, a forecasting firm estimated.

110 US banks have asked for $170B from bailout 15 Nov 2008 At least 110 banks have requested more than $170 billion from the Treasury Department's rescue fund, and many more are expected to have submitted applications before Friday's deadline. The requests would come from the $250 billion the Treasury set aside from the $700 billion fund to purchase stock in banks.

Employers Offer Workers Fewer Health Care Plans 15 Nov 2008 It’s the annual "open enrollment" season in corporate America, when employees choose their medical plans for the coming year. But this time, even if they are fortunate enough to have a job at a company that still offers health benefits, many workers are finding that the buffet of options has been trimmed to a very short menu.

Tens of thousands across America protest marriage ban --Gay marriage supporters rally across United States 15 Nov 2008 Thousands of gay marriage advocates held boisterous rallies Saturday across the United States and abroad in a coordinated protest of California's vote this month to ban same-sex marriage.

Prop. 8 opponents rally across California to protest gay-marriage ban 15 Nov 2008 Gay-rights advocates gathered across the state by the thousands today to protest California's passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. In Los Angeles, protesters clustered shoulder to shoulder near City Hall before setting off on a downtown march, chanting and carrying rainbow flags and signs bearing messages such as "No More Mr. Nice Gay" and "No on Hate."

*****

Barack Obama is warned to beware of a 'huge threat' from al-Qaeda --Security officials fear a 'spectacular' attack during the transition period 15 Nov 2008 Barack Obama is being given ominous advice from leaders on both sides of the Atlantic to brace himself for an early assault from terrorists. General Michael Hayden, director of the CIA, this week acknowledged that there were dangers during a presidential transition when new officials were coming in and getting accustomed to the challenges. But he added that no "real or artificial spike" in intercepted transmissions from terror suspects had been detected. President [sic] Bush has repeatedly described the acute vulnerability of the US during a transition.

British travellers could be banned from flying to America 13 Nov 2008 Under the new scheme, tourists will be advised to apply online for approval for travel from the US Department of Homeland Security at least three days before they leave. Anyone denied permission will be barred when they attempt to check in at the airport. Known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), it was introduced in a soft launch in August but will be compulsory from January 12.

Crimes by air marshals raise questions about hiring --Michael McGowan used his position as an air marshal to lure a young boy to his hotel room, where he showed him child porn, took pictures of him naked and sexually abused him. 13 Nov 2008 Since 9/11, more than three dozen federal air marshals have been charged with crimes, and hundreds more have been accused of misconduct, an investigation by ProPublica, a non-profit journalism organization, has found. Cases range from drunken driving and domestic violence to aiding a human-trafficking ring and trying to smuggle explosives from Afghanistan.

Two U.S. soldiers die in Iraq 14 Nov 2008 Two American soldiers died in separate non-combat related incidents in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Friday. A soldier died as a result of non-combat related cause at around midday on Thursday in western Iraq, a military statement said. Another soldier died early in the same day in non-combat related incident in Baghdad, the military said in a separate statement.

Muslim Scholars hail deaths of U.S. troops --US soldiers violated personal privacy of Iraqi girl in public 13 Nov 2008 The influential Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq praised the actions of an Iraqi soldier who turned his weapon on American soldiers, killing at least two. An Iraqi soldier on patrol with U.S. forces in the northern province of Ninawa opened fire on his American counterparts Wednesday following an altercation in Mosul... The Sunni AMSI issued a statement on its Web site Thursday praising the "heroic" deed by the Iraqi soldier, which the group identified as Barzan Muhammad Abdullah. AMSI said the American soldiers had violated the personal privacy of an Iraqi girl in public, prompting Abdullah to fire all of his ammunition at the U.S. troops.

New Blackwater Iraq Scandal: Guns, Silencers and Dog Food --Ex-employees Tell ABC News the Firm Used Dog Food Sacks to Smuggle Unauthorized Weapons to Iraq 14 Nov 2008 A federal grand jury in North Carolina is investigating allegations the controversial private security firm Blackwater illegally shipped assault weapons and silencers to Iraq, hidden in large sacks of dog food, ABCNews.com has learned. "The only reason you need a silencer is if you want to assassinate someone," said former CIA intelligence officer John Kiriakou, an ABC News consultant.

Indictment drafted in Blackwater shooting 14 Nov 2008 Federal prosecutors have drafted an indictment against six Blackwater Worldwide ~~security guards~~ mercenaries in last year's deadly Baghdad shootings of 17 Iraqi civilians, The Associated Press has learned. The draft is being reviewed by senior Justice Department officials but no charging decisions have been made.

British troops out of Iraq by end of 2009: Iraqi official 14 Nov 2008 All British troops will be out of Iraq by the end of next year and a controversial Iraq-US security pact is likely to be approved by Baghdad this weekend, Iraq's national security adviser said Friday. Anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, meanwhile, announced the activation of a new militia against the American "occupier," and urged Muslim countries to join in protests against the proposed security accord.

Afghanistan war: '2,000 more British troops next year' 14 Nov 2008 Up to 2,000 more British troops are likely to be sent to fight in Afghanistan next year, it has been reported. The Government is considering sending extra reinforcements in order to meet an anticipated request from Barack Obama, the US president-elect, after he takes office in January, according to the BBC.

Taliban will 'never' negotiate with West: spokesman 13 Nov 2008 The Taliban will never enter into peace negotiations with any Afghan or Western authorities while foreign forces still remain in Afghanistan, and will continue to fight for the country's "freedom," a spokesman told CBC's As It Happens on Thursday.

C.I.A. Chief Says Qaeda Is Extending Its Reach 14 Nov 2008 Even as Al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] strengthens its hub in the Pakistani mountains, its leaders are building closer ties to regional militant groups in order to launch attacks in Africa and Europe and on the Arabian Peninsula, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency said Thursday. The director, Michael V. Hayden, identified North Africa and Somalia as places where Qaeda leaders were using partnerships to establish new bases.

Japanese journalist shot in Pakistan --Third attack on a foreigner in 3 days; suspected U.S. missile attack kills 12 14 Nov 2008 A Japanese journalist was shot Friday in the frontier city of Peshawar -- the third attack on a foreigner there in three days, and missiles apparently fired by U.S. unmanned aircraft near the Afghan border killed at least 12 people, including several ~~foreign militants~~ civilians, Pakistani officials said.

U.S. missile attack kills at least 12 in Pakistan 14 Nov 2008 U.S. drones fired missiles into a Pakistani tribal region on Friday, killing 12 people, including five foreigners. Pakistani officials said the attack targeted a house in a remote village on the border between North and South Waziristan.

Air Force finds nuclear deficiencies at Mont. base 12 Nov 2008 Air Force officials said Wednesday that a recent nuclear inspection found deficiencies in a unit responsible for 150 ICBMs in Montana, but added that there was no threat to public safety. [!?!] The inspection of the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, near Great Falls, evaluated the unit's readiness to execute nuclear operations and found "deficiencies in several areas", according to an Air Force statement.

Obama has more threats than other presidents-elect 14 Nov 2008 Threats against a new president historically spike right after an election, but from Maine to Idaho law enforcement officials are seeing more against Barack Obama than ever before. The Secret Service would not comment or provide the number of cases they are investigating. But since the Nov. 4 election, law enforcement officials have seen more potentially threatening writings, Internet postings and other activity directed at Obama than has been seen with any past president-elect, said officials aware of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue of a president's security is so sensitive.

Remarks against Obama probed --Durham police conducting internal investigation 13 Nov 2008 Derogatory remarks toward President-elect Barack Obama made on a social networking Web site are now the subject of an internal police investigation. A police department employee claims the statements were made on the MySpace pages of two Durham officers.

Obama Met With Clinton to Discuss Possible Role 14 Nov 2008 President-elect Barack Obama met late Thursday in Chicago with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to discuss what role she might play in his administration, advisers to both Democrats said on Friday. Neither side disclosed details of the conversation, and it was unclear how seriously Mr. Obama was considering bringing Mrs. Clinton, his onetime rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, into his cabinet.

Barack Obama may tap Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State 14 Nov 2008 A secret meeting between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton yesterday has set rumors swirling that the president-elect might tap his former rival to be his secretary of State. The pair met Thursday afternoon at Obama's office in downtown Chicago, Times staff writers confirm. Neither politician has spoken publicly about the meeting, but unidentified aides have told media outlets like CNN that Obama offered Clinton the role.

Gag me with a chainsaw! Obama, McCain to meet Monday to talk cooperation 14 Nov 2008 President-elect Barack Obama will meet with his former rival, Republican Sen. John McCain, on Monday to talk about ways they can work together, an Obama spokeswoman said on Friday.

GOP governors unhappy with Palin press conference 13 Nov 2008 Some Republican governors tell CNN they were not particularly happy with the way the Republican Governors Association press conference was executed Thursday, saying that they agreed to go as a show of GOP governors’ unity -- but they ended up feeling like silent Palin supporters, since it was clearly a press conference called for her. The GOP governors spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity. One called it awkward: "I'm sure you could see it on some of our faces." Another Republican governor eyeing a presidential run in 2012 told CNN the event was "odd" and "weird," and said it "unfortunately sent a message that she was the de facto leader of the party."

Boxer aide accused of distributing child porn 14 Nov 2008 An aide to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has been charged in federal court in Virginia with receiving and distributing child pornography. Jeff Rosato of Arlington, Va., was arrested Friday on a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Virginia. Boxer's office fired him the same day.

U.S. begins pursuing drilling off Virginia coast 13 Nov 2008 Months after President [sic] George W. Bush and Congress lifted bans on offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean, the federal government moved Thursday to pursue oil and natural gas exploration off the coast of Virginia. The environmental work is the first step in [insanely] opening 2.9 million acres of waters to a lease sale scheduled for 2011.

FDIC, U.S. Treasury clash on anti-foreclosure plan 14 Nov 2008 A top U.S. banking regulator unveiled a plan on Friday to prevent about 1.5 million foreclosures, breaking ranks with the Bush regime by demanding bailout funds be diverted from banks to consumers. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp said the plan would modify millions of delinquent mortgages and the government would reward participating lenders by sharing the cost of defaults on restructured loans.

Mayor Daley: Prepare For Mass Layoffs --CEOs Tell Mayor They Plan Huge Layoffs In November, December 13 Nov 2008 (Chicago, IL) The warning is out – Mayor Richard M. Daley says a parade of corporate chief executives have told him huge layoffs are planned around the city and will carry into next year.

Canada consents to meeting on polar bear hunting 15 Nov 2008 Canada's environment minister agreed on Friday to host a round-table meeting to address what environmentalists charge is overhunting of polar bears in the Arctic region straddling Canada and Greenland.

State of Emergency in California as Blaze Rages --Thirteen Injured and More Than 100 Homes Destroyed in Fast-Moving Fire 14 Nov 2008 California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County, Calif., as firefighters have been unable to control a wildfire that has already damaged at least 100 homes and injured 13 people.

*****

Sen. Clinton reported considered for top U.S. diplomat 14 Nov 2008 Sen. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary, is being considered to serve as secretary of state in the Obama administration, NBC News reported on Thursday. The report cited two unnamed advisers to President-elect Obama.

Bush, Out of Office, Could Oppose Inquiries 13 Nov 2008 When a Congressional committee subpoenaed Harry S. Truman in 1953, nearly a year after he left office, he made a startling claim: Even though he was no longer president, the Constitution still empowered him to block subpoenas... As Congressional Democrats prepare to move forward with investigations of the Bush regime, they wonder whether that claim may be invoked again. Topics of open investigations include the ~~harsh interrogation~~ torture of detainees, the prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama, secret legal memorandums from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel and the role of the former White House aides Karl Rove and Harriet E. Miers in the firing of federal prosecutors. [*etc.*]

Blackwater likely to be fined millions in Iraq weapons case 12 Nov 2008 The State Department is preparing to slap a multi-million dollar fine on private military contractor Blackwater USA for shipping hundreds of automatic weapons to Iraq without the necessary permits. Some of the weapons are believed to have ended up on the country's black market [i.e., the 'insurgency'], department officials told McClatchy, but no criminal charges have been filed in the case.

Israeli Bombs Are Source of Uranium at Shelled Site, Syria Says 13 Nov 2008 Israeli missiles are the source of traces of uranium that diplomats at the International Atomic Energy Agency say were found at a suspected nuclear site in Syria, according to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem. "The basis of American complaint and allegations, presented to the IAEA seven months after the Israeli raid, is that a reactor was under construction, not operating, so where did the uranium particles come from?" al-Moallem said late yesterday, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency.

Construction of Negev missile defense base run by U.S. troops completed 12 Nov 2008 Pictures of an American anti-missile radar installed in southern Israel were released earlier this week, depicting a recently completed military base, which will house the first permanent U.S. force to be deployed on Israeli soil.

Suicide bomber targets US soldier and Afghan civilians 13 Nov 2008 A market bombing in Afghanistan has killed at least 20 civilians and an American soldier. The suicide bombing, against a US convoy in eastern Afghanistan, occurred when the attacker detonated an explosives-laden vehicle close to the convoy outside Jalalabad.

Most Britons want troops out of Afghanistan: poll 12 Nov 2008 More than two-thirds of Britons believe British troops should be pulled out of Afghanistan next year, according to an opinion poll released on Wednesday. Sixty-eight percent said Britain should withdraw while 24 percent said British soldiers should stay in the violence-wrecked country.

Six killed in attacks across Iraq 13 Nov 2008 Six people were killed in attacks across Iraq on Thursday, including three when a suicide car bomber targeted police in the Anbar province west of Baghdad, security officials said.

Civilian killed, 13 injured in bomb attacks in Baghdad 13 Nov 2008 A civilian was killed and 13 others were injured in two bomb explosions in central Baghdad on Thursday, an Interior Ministry source said. An explosive charge stuck in a KIA minibus carrying passengers detonated in the morning in a Baghdad highway, killing a passenger and wounding seven others aboard, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Hoax NY Times newspaper declares end of Iraq war 12 Nov 2008 A group of pranksters handed out more than 1.2 million fake New York Times newspapers mainly in New York City and Los Angeles on Wednesday with a front page story declaring "Iraq War Ends." The elaborate 14-page edition, dated July 4, 2009, is said to be the work of a group called the Yes Men.

Gates prepared to stay on, but will Obama ask him to? 13 Nov 2008 Defense Secretary [war criminal] Robert Gates, who said not long ago that it was inconceivable that he'd remain at his post under a Democratic administration, is likely to remain for a time if President-elect Barack Obama asks him to, defense officials told McClatchy.

Internet filter to block 10,000-plus "unwanted" sites 13 Nov 2008 Readers of The Courier-Mail online have blasted plans for Australia's mandatory internet filter to block as many as 10,000 websites. The websites form a blacklist of unspecified "unwanted content", Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy revealed in Federal Parliament. The 10,000 blacklisted websites would be blocked in addition to 1300 websites identified by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

10,000 websites to be blocked in filter test 13 Nov 2008 Australia's mandatory internet filter is being primed to block 10,000 websites as part of a blacklist of unspecified "unwanted content". Some 1300 websites have already been identified by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Exit polls: Clinton would have beaten McCain by wider margin 12 Nov 2008 As voters left the polls on Election Day, many were asked how they would have voted if the election match-up were between Hillary Clinton and John McCain rather than Barack Obama and McCain. 52 percent said they would have backed the former Democratic candidate; 41 percent would have voted for McCain, wider than Obama’s 7-point margin over McCain.

Obama resigns Senate seat effective Sunday 13 Nov 2008 President-elect Barack Obama said on Thursday he would resign his U.S. Senate seat effective Sunday, which means he will not participate in next week's post-election session that could address the ailing economy and struggling auto industry.

Cheney meets Biden at VP residence --Biden and wife, Jill, join Cheneys at Naval Observatory 13 Nov 2008 The high-profile White House meeting this week between outgoing [sic] and incoming presidents was followed Thursday night by a much lower-key get-together hosted by Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney for his successor, Democrat Joe Biden.

Biden picks former Gore aide as chief of staff 13 Nov 2008 Vice President-elect Joe Biden has picked former Al Gore aide Ron Klain to be his chief of staff, a Democratic official said on Thursday. Klain is the latest ex-Clinton administration official selected for a high-profile job in the coming Barack Obama presidency.

Democrat takes 800-vote lead in Alaska U.S. Senate race 13 Nov 2008 Mark Begich made a dramatic comeback Wednesday to overtake incumbent Ted Stevens for the lead in Alaska's U.S. Senate race. Begich, who was 'losing' after election night, now leads Stevens by 814 votes -- 132,196 to 131,382 -- with the state still to count roughly 40,000 more ballots over the next week.

Dow sees 911-point swing to close on third-biggest point gain on record 13 Nov 2008 U.S. stocks raced higher Thursday as a downtrodden market in one crazed session nearly recouped three days of stiff losses, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average tallying its third-biggest point gain after wild swings in both directions.

Illegal tax scheme gives $140 billion to biggest US banks By Bill Van Auken 13 Nov 2008 An extra-legal measure quietly enacted by the Treasury Department in the shadow of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout package will hand the country's biggest banks another $140 billion windfall, the Washington Post reported this week. In a five-sentence memo issued on September 30, on the eve of the first House vote on the bailout bill, the Treasury Department unilaterally overturned a two-decade-old tax law passed by Congress.

Jobless claims jump unexpectedly to 7-year high 13 Nov 2008 The number of newly laid-off individuals seeking unemployment benefits has jumped to a level not seen since just after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as companies cut more jobs in the face of a slowing economy. The Labor Department on Thursday reported that jobless claims last week increased by 32,000 to a 'seasonally adjusted' 516,000.

Bush Warns Against 'Too Much' Government in Markets 13 Nov 2008 President [sic] George W. Bush today urged leaders of the world's biggest economies not to abandon free- market [predatory] capitalism as they seek an escape from the financial crisis, calling it the "best system" for delivering growth.

Whitehead sees slump worse than Depression 13 Nov 2008 The economy faces a slump deeper than the Great Depression and a growing deficit threatens the credit of the United States itself, former Goldman Sachs chairman John Whitehead, said at the Reuters Global Finance Summit on Wednesday.

Brown clouds dim Asia, threaten world's food --U.N.: Pollution haze could lead to extreme weather, harm farming 13 Nov 2008 Thick brown clouds of soot, particles and chemicals stretching from the Persian Gulf to Asia threaten health and food supplies in the world, the U.N. reported Thursday, citing what it called the newest threat to the global environment.

Visiting photographer documents the plight of the polar bear 13 Nov 2008 He traveled to the ends of the Earth to photograph polar bears, fearing that one day, the only place he would be able to see the Arctic creatures would be in a zoo. Wildlife and nature photographer Steven Kazlowski spent the majority of eight years in the Alaskan Arctic, capturing images of polar bears. He will discuss his experiences on the ice -- and the resulting book, "The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World" -- tonight at the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History.

Youths accused of bashing Adelaide Zoo flamingo run from court 13 Nov 2008 Two teenagers have sprinted from an Adelaide court after appearing for the first time over the bashing of a flamingo at Adelaide Zoo last month. The youths, both 17, were charged along with two other men aged 18 and 19 after the attack that prompted outrage across the state. AdelaideNow was inundated with emails after the attack on the male greater flamingo, which is blind in one eye and believed by zoo staff to be about 78 years old.

*****

CLG News Archives



Citizens For Legitimate Government™ is a multi-partisan activist group established to expose the Bush coup d'etat, and to oppose the Bush occupation in all of its manifestations.
	Recent News Articles See: CLG News Archives for archived items. Dozen juveniles held at Guantanamo Bay --Pentagon revises upward number of children imprisoned at Guantanamo 16 Nov 2008 The number of juveniles held at Guantanamo Bay was revised upwards by US military officials. Twelve juvenile prisoners have been held at the US camp on Cuba, up from eight reported in May to a United Nations committee on child rights, the Pentagon said. Obama 'will close Guantanamo Bay' 17 Nov 2008 In his first major interview since polling day, President-elect Barack Obama said last night that upon taking office he would close Guantanamo Bay and ban torture by the American military. 'This agreement hands Iraq over (to the US) on a golden platter and for an indefinite period.' Iraq's cabinet agrees deal for US troops to remain for three more years 16 Nov 2008 Iraq's cabinet today approved a security pact with the United States that will allow American forces to stay in Iraq for three years after their UN mandate expires at the end of this year. Followers of Iraq's Shia leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, have objected to the pact. "This agreement hands Iraq over (to the US) on a golden platter and for an indefinite period," said Ahmed al-Massoudi, spokesman for the 30-seat Sadrist bloc in parliament. Iraqi cabinet approves accord setting U.S. troop withdrawal 16 Nov 2008 Iraq's cabinet on Sunday approved a security pact that sets a timetable for the nearly complete withdrawal of American forces within three years, but the agreement faces an uncertain outlook in Iraq's parliament. Followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al Sadr, meanwhile, view the agreement as an affirmation of the American occupation and oppose it outright. Pakistan closes NATO's supply line into Afghanistan 16 Nov 2008 Pakistan has closed the Torkham border crossing in the Khyber tribal agency resulting in temporary suspension of NATO's primary supply line into Afghanistan. The closure has suspended movement of fuel tankers and food trucks to NATO and US-led forces in Afghanistan for security reasons, media reports said here today. [What a shame!] British Army soldier killed by road bomb in Afghanistan 16 Nov 2008 A British Army soldier has been killed by a road bomb in southern Afghanistan. The Gurkha soldier was taking part in a routine road patrol in Musa Qala, Helmand province, when the vehicle in which he was travelling struck an improvised explosive device (IED). Toxic Chemicals Blamed for Gulf War Illness 17 Nov 2008 Gulf War illness, dismissed by some as a psychosomatic disorder, is a very real illness that affects at least 25 percent of the 700,000 U.S. veterans who took part in the 1991 Gulf War. It's likely cause was exposure to toxic chemicals that included pesticides that were often overused during the war, as well as a [deadly] drug given to U.S. troops to protect them from nerve gas, a frequent weapon of choice of [supplied by the US to] former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Panel finds widespread Gulf War illness 16 Nov 2008 At least one in four U.S. veterans of the 1991 Gulf War suffers from a multi-symptom illness caused by exposure to toxic chemicals during the conflict, a congressionally mandated report being released Monday found. For much of the past 17 years, government officials have maintained that these veterans -- more than 175,000 out of about 697,000 deployed -- are merely suffering the effects of wartime stress, even as more have come forward recently with severe ailments. Why Obama Will Continue Star Wars 16 Nov 2008 Missile-defense skeptics yearning for a fresh look at the wisdom of pumping $10 billion annually into missile defense aren't going to get it from Barack Obama when he moves into the Oval Office. Even in a Democratic-run Pentagon the push for missile defense is going to continue. If Obama keeps Defense Secretary Robert Gates on, as some advisers are arguing he should, that would come as no surprise. [Uh, where's the 'change we can believe in?'] Confirmed: Air Force Flunks Nuke Inspection By Noah Shachtman 13 Nov 2008 It's confirmed: The atomic missile team at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana "failed its nuclear surety inspection" earlier this week, Air Force Times is reporting. Inspectors found problems that 341st Missile Wing’s "weapons storage area and its personnel reliability program, which monitors who can work with nuclear weapons." 'That loophole lets a known terrorist who is on a government watch list board a plane without needing a fake ID. All that's needed is a home computer, a printer and a little skill at HTML.' Chertoff: We're Closing that Boarding-Pass Loophole By Ryan Singel 17 Nov 2008 There’s a hole in airline security big enough to get Osama bin Laden himself onto a domestic flight, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff acknowledges, but that’s no reason to ditch watch lists or ID checks at the airport, he says. Chertoff told Threat Level in an interview last week that the government was aware of, and patching, the so-called boarding-pass loophole, which just came back into the public eye after a recent Atlantic magazine story where a reporter got though security using a fake boarding pass. Auditors go easy on contractors --Department officials overruled auditors who objected to nearly $1 billion in payments to KBR, the Houston-based contractor that supplies U.S. troops with food and housing. 09 Nov 2008 Instead of seeing red, Pentagon audit managers saw business as usual after being told that a major military contractor failed to open all its books for review. At a meeting of Defense Contract Audit Agency staff in California last May, auditor Acacia Rodriguez used a 24-page PowerPoint briefing to describe how she and her co-workers struggled with the Bechtel Group's "chronic failure" to provide the financial records required to prove tax dollars were being spent properly. "Mtn View, we have a problem!!!" said one of Rodriguez's briefing charts, a shorthand reference to the audit agency's branch office in Mountain View, outside San Francisco. Grand jury investigating another House GOP contract 15 Nov 2008 A state grand jury is investigating a second computer services contract by the House Republican caucus, trying to determine if a multimillion-dollar database was used illegally for political purposes. Investigators from the office of Attorney General Tom Corbett have questioned House employees about a contract with GCR & Associates, a computer consulting firm with offices in New Orleans and Birmingham, Ala., sources said. The company received $9 million in state business from 2002 to this year for computer programming that provided detailed information on registered voters, their patterns and analyses. Rather's Lawsuit Shows Role of G.O.P. in Inquiry --Bush's media whores at CBS used used Republican operatives to vet the names of potential members of a panel that had been billed as independent 17 Nov 2008 When Dan Rather filed suit against CBS 14 months ago -- claiming, among other things, that his former employer had commissioned a politically biased investigation into his work on a "60 Minutes" segment about President [sic] Bush’s National Guard service -- the network predicted the quick and favorable dismissal of the case... But Mr. Rather has unearthed evidence that would seem to support his assertion that CBS intended its investigation, at least in part, to quell Republican criticism of the network. Internal CBS memorandums turned over to his lawyers show that network executives used Republican operatives to vet the names of potential members of a panel that had been billed as independent and charged with investigating the "60 Minutes" segment. 2 DemocRATs to Submit Compromise on Lieberman 18 Nov 2008 A pair of Senate Democrats will offer a compromise plan today to sanction Sen. Joseph I. LIEberman (R-Israel) for his support of the Republican presidential ticket but allow him to keep a key committee chairmanship and remain in the party caucus. Senators and aides said yesterday that Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.) and Ken Salazar (Colo.) will present a plan at a caucus meeting that would strip Lieberman of a low-profile subcommittee chairmanship, possibly one on global warming. But LieberBush would retain the gavel of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. McCain backer LIEberman may keep committee chair 17 Nov 2008 Sen. Joe LieberBush appears increasingly likely to hold onto his prized chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee as he meets Tuesday with Democratic colleagues unhappy over his vocal support for GOP nominee John McCain during this year's presidential campaign. *Gag me with a chainsaw and* mega barf alert: Obama, McCain pledge to work together 17 Nov 2008 U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and vanquished rival John McCain met for the first time since the Nov. 4 election on Monday, pledging to work together to face the financial crisis and other national challenges. "We're going to have a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country," Obama said before the two began their closed-door meeting, adding that he wanted to offer his thanks to McInsane for "outstanding service" already rendered to the United States. Rahm Emanuel apologizes for father's disparaging remarks about Arabs 14 Nov 2008 Rahm Emanuel U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel apologized to an Arab-American group on Thursday for comments disparaging Arabs made by his father. Dershowitz: I helped keep Carter silent 13 Nov 2008 Why didn't Jimmy Carter speak from the podium at the Democratic National Convention? Alan Dershowitz said he had something to do with it. In an interview with Shalom TV, the Harvard Law School professor says he "pushed" Barack Obama "very hard to make that decision," Dershowitz said in an interview with Shalom TV. "Barack Obama had to make a choice between his Jewish supporters and his anti-Israel supporters like Jimmy Carter, and he did not choose Jimmy Carter. And that was an embarrassment for Jimmy Carter and a show of disrespect." Satire: Obama Victory Starts Hot New Trend: Palling Around With Terrorists By R J Shulman 17 Nov 2008 The decisive victory of Barack Obama in the presidential election has made a once taboo topic the talk of the town, associating with a terrorist. "Everybody wants to have their picture taken with a terrorist," said Sandy Holsteder of US Magazine, "William Ayers has so many invites, he will never have to buy lunch or dinner again." (Satire) Priest: No communion for Obama supporters --Priest says it's because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion 13 Nov 2008 South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil." The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote. [And, parishioners are putting their sanity at risk, listening to this Reichwing nutjobs.] Several presidents of private colleges earn more than $1 million 17 Nov 2008 A dozen presidents of private colleges earned more than $1 million in compensation during the 2006-07 year, including Northwestern University chief Henry Bienen, who was the second-highest paid college executive in the nation. The annual survey of presidential pay released Monday by The Chronicle of Higher Education found that 89 private college presidents took home more than $500,000 in annual compensation, more than double those who did five years earlier. Henry Paulson abandons plan to purchase bad mortgages and will invest $700bn bailout in banks 13 Nov 2008 Henry Paulson announced a $700 billion U-turn on Wednesday when he said that Washington would no longer be using taxpayer money to buy distressed assets from troubled banks. The Treasury Secretary's change of heart marks a dramatic shift, given that the primary purpose of the $700 billion bailout fund, approved in Washington only in September, had been to purchase mortgage-backed securities from troubled lenders. Inhofe: Cancel the 'blank check' --Senator criticizes Henry Paulson for changing $700 billion bailout plan 16 Nov 2008 U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe said Saturday that Congress was not told the truth about the bailout of the nation's financial system and should take back what is left of the $700 billion "blank check'' it gave the Bush administration. "It is just outrageous that the American people don't know that Congress doesn't know how much money he (Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson) has given away to anyone,'' the Oklahoma Republican told the Tulsa World. Goldman Targeted by Investor Complaints of Naked Short-Selling --Investors: Goldman is acting against its clients by trying to profit at their expense. 17 Nov 2008 Investors in the $591 billion high- yield, high-risk loan market are accusing Goldman Sachs Group Inc. of naked short selling to profit from record price declines. At least two fund managers complained verbally to officials of the Loan Syndications and Trading Association, saying they believe Goldman helped drive down prices by using the technique, according to people with knowledge of the objections. Lehman's administrators paid more than the bankers 14 Nov 2008 The administrators of the UK and European arm of bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers are making better money than the bankers. PricewaterhouseCoopers, which has around 300 employees working on the Lehman administration, is being paid £4m a week, the accounting firm revealed yesterday. By contrast, the monthly wage bill for Lehman's remaining 1,100 bankers is £8m – £2m a week – though that does not include planned "small retention bonuses". Citigroup to slash 52,000 jobs 17 Nov 2008 Citigroup revealed plans to cut 52,000 jobs by early next year in a dramatic move to restore the No. 2 U.S. bank to health [?!?] as it combats mounting debt losses and sagging economies worldwide. The cuts announced by Chief Executive Vikram Pandit on Monday will shrink Citigroup's work force by 15 percent, and are in addition to 23,000 jobs eliminated between January and September. Our Home-Grown Melamine Problem By James E. McWilliams 17 Nov 2008 China's food supply appears to be awash in the industrial chemical melamine. Dangerous levels have been detected not only in milk and eggs, but also in chicken feed and wheat gluten, meaning that melamine is almost impossible to avoid in processed foods... For all the outrage about Chinese melamine, what American consumers and government agencies have studiously failed to scrutinize is how much melamine has pervaded our own food system. * Major international drill based at D-M to involve U.S. Army, Air Force, foreign troops --Some practice runs are classified by DoD; few details are being released 15 Nov 2008 Personnel from around the globe will converge at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base from Dec. 1 to Dec. 12 for the largest rescue exercise of its kind. The effort, dubbed Angel Thunder 08, will involve the U.S. Army and Air Force, troops from Germany, Chile, Colombia and observers from Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Pakistan. Several non-military U.S. agencies such as the State and Justice departments, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office, also will take part in the drills, which aim to smooth interaction between military branches, allied nations and civilian agencies. George W Bush could pardon spies involved in torture 15 Nov 2008 George W Bush is considering issuing pardons for US spies embroiled in allegations of torture just before he leaves the White House. Senior intelligence officers are lobbying the outgoing president [sic] to look after the men and women who could face charges for following his orders in the war on [of] terrorism. FBI informant testifies suspect refused to plan attack 13 Nov 2008 The FBI informant who infiltrated a band of alleged South Jersey terrorists complained in September 2006 that one suspect "was gonna have a problem with me" because he kept refusing to plan, train or arrange meetings to discuss an attack. The comment by the informant, Mahmoud Omar, was recounted for jurors this morning in Camden, where five Muslim immigrants are being tried on charges of plotting to kill U.S. soldiers. [Remind me again: Why are the five Muslim immigrants on trial?] Iraq Cabinet to vote on U.S. security deal --Pact would keep U.S. forces in the country for another three years 15 Nov 2008 Iraq's Cabinet will vote Sunday on a security pact with Washington that would keep U.S. forces in the country for another three years. Maliki tells Bush he now backs new U.S. troop deal 14 Nov 2008 After months of tough negotiations and multiple revisions, Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has decided to back the controversial U.S.-Iraq security agreement that calls for the complete withdrawal of American troops by the end of 2011, Iraqi and U.S. officials said Friday. Iraq car bombs kill 10 15 Nov 2008 At least 10 people were killed and scores more injured in a series of bomb attacks across Iraq on Saturday, Iraqi police said. A car bomb in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar killed seven people and wounded more than three dozen when it exploded near an auto dealership, police said. Calls for more helicopters as Afghanistan and Iraq toll hits 300 16 Nov 2008 The Ministry of Defence faces fresh calls to provide more helicopters in Afghanistan as it investigates how two marine commandos died while patrolling in one of the British Army's best new road vehicles. The deaths of Neil Dunstan and Robert McKibben in a bomb blast on Wednesday afternoon brought the numbers of British personnel who have died during the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to 300. Britons against troop surge in Afghanistan 14 Nov 2008 A new opinion poll in the UK has highlighted the political challenge Gordon Brown would face if he agrees to send more troops to Afghanistan next year, with 68 per cent of Britons saying the UK should withdraw within 12 months. Over 2,700 foreigners arrested for suspected militant links so far 16 Nov 2008 Law enforcing agencies have so far arrested more than 2,700 foreigners for their suspected links with Al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] or other militant organisations in Pakistan or Afghanistan. In an interview Friday with Daily Times, World Prisoners Relief Commission of Pakistan chairman Javed Ibrahim Paracha said that hundreds of foreigners were arrested in Pakistan for their suspected links with Al-Qaeda and under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act. Iran detains 10 spies near Pakistan border 15 Nov 2008 Iran detained 10 spies carrying $500,000 in cash who had entered the Islamic Republic illegally from neighbouring Pakistan, state television said on Saturday. Modern espionage cameras and maps of sensitive regions in Iran were found when the group was detained in Iran's south-eastern Sistan-Baluchestan province bordering Pakistan, the report said. More Allegations of Misconduct in Alabama Governor Case 14 Nov 2008 Next month in Atlanta, a federal court will hear the high-profile appeal of former Alabama governor Don E. Siegelman, whose conviction on corruption charges in 2006 became one of the most publicly debated cases to emerge from eight years of controversy at the Bush Justice Department. Now new documents highlight alleged misconduct by the Bush-appointed U.S. Attorney and other prosecutors in the case, including what appears to be extensive and unusual contact between the prosecution and the jury. The documents, obtained by TIME, include internal prosecution e-mails given to the Justice Department and Congress by a whistle-blower during the past 18 months. John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which investigated the Siegelman case as part of a broader inquiry into alleged political interference in the hiring and firing of U.S. Attorneys by the Bush Justice Department, last week sent an eight-page letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey citing the new material. Election spurs 'hundreds' of race threats, crimes --Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony. 15 Nov 2008 Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting "Assassinate Obama." Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars. From California to Maine, police have documented a range of alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack... There have been "hundreds" of incidents since the election, many more than usual, said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate crimes. Gregory Craig to be White House counsel 15 Nov 2008 Gregory B. Craig, a well-known Washington lawyer who quarterbacked President Bill Clinton’s impeachment defense, has been chosen White House counsel by President-elect Barack Obama, according to Democratic officials. Obama First President to Record Weekly Radio Address On Video 15 Nov 2008 President-elect Barack Obama spent Friday recording the weekly Democratic radio address on video. His transition team said he will continue to do so when he officially moves into the White House, becoming the first president to have video recordings of the radio address. Northeast lawmakers want Lieberman ousted as chair 14 Nov 2008 Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman's chances of holding onto his committee chairmanship suffered a blow Friday when two key New England Democratic senators came out against him. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and his Vermont colleague, Sen. Bernie Sanders, said Democrat-turned-independent Lieberman [R-Israel] doesn't deserve to keep his Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chairmanship because of his campaign attacks on President-elect Barack Obama. Stevens falls further back in Alaska Senate count 14 Nov 2008 Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, a stalwart of Alaska politics who was convicted of felony charges last month, fell further behind his Democratic rival Friday, and most remaining ballots come from parts of the state that have favored the challenger. Mark Begich, the two-term mayor of Anchorage, increased his lead from 814 votes to 1,022 as state election workers counted 17,100 ballots. George W Bush's dog bites two people 15 Nov 2008 With his master's party in disarray after defeat by the Democrats, Barney the terrier is forging an unlikely new role as the fiercest Republican attack dog in the White House. President [sic] George W Bush's personal pet is facing the prospect of leaving the Oval Office in disgrace after biting not one, but two people during the administration's final weeks. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a canine whose boss has not always enjoyed the most sympathetic media profile, the black-haired Scottish terrier's victims have been a television journalist and a PR woman. Summit a 'first step' in crisis, Bush says [Bush leaving office would actually be the first step] 15 Nov 2008 The leaders of the world's industrial powers have concluded a hasty summit on a global economic crisis with a commitment to strengthen regulation of financial markets, bolster international funds and avert any new trade barriers in the face of a spreading worldwide recession. Chrysler leaders get millions --Automaker defends payouts amid looming bailout talks 13 Nov 2008 As Detroit's crumbling auto industry asks Congress for a bailout, Chrysler is in the awkward position of paying about $30 million in retention bonuses to keep top executives while the company cuts thousands of jobs. Documents obtained by the Free Press show that at least six Chrysler executives are due to receive bonuses of more than $1 million apiece to stay through August 2009, the two-year anniversary mark of when private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management bought an 80.1% stake in Chrysler. GM Collapse at $200 Billion May Exceed Bailout Plan 14 Nov 2008 General Motors Corp., seeking a federal bailout as its cash dwindles, would cost the government as much as $200 billion should the biggest U.S. automaker be forced to liquidate, a forecasting firm estimated. 110 US banks have asked for $170B from bailout 15 Nov 2008 At least 110 banks have requested more than $170 billion from the Treasury Department's rescue fund, and many more are expected to have submitted applications before Friday's deadline. The requests would come from the $250 billion the Treasury set aside from the $700 billion fund to purchase stock in banks. Employers Offer Workers Fewer Health Care Plans 15 Nov 2008 It’s the annual "open enrollment" season in corporate America, when employees choose their medical plans for the coming year. But this time, even if they are fortunate enough to have a job at a company that still offers health benefits, many workers are finding that the buffet of options has been trimmed to a very short menu. Tens of thousands across America protest marriage ban --Gay marriage supporters rally across United States 15 Nov 2008 Thousands of gay marriage advocates held boisterous rallies Saturday across the United States and abroad in a coordinated protest of California's vote this month to ban same-sex marriage. Prop. 8 opponents rally across California to protest gay-marriage ban 15 Nov 2008 Gay-rights advocates gathered across the state by the thousands today to protest California's passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. In Los Angeles, protesters clustered shoulder to shoulder near City Hall before setting off on a downtown march, chanting and carrying rainbow flags and signs bearing messages such as "No More Mr. Nice Gay" and "No on Hate." * Barack Obama is warned to beware of a 'huge threat' from al-Qaeda --Security officials fear a 'spectacular' attack during the transition period 15 Nov 2008 Barack Obama is being given ominous advice from leaders on both sides of the Atlantic to brace himself for an early assault from terrorists. General Michael Hayden, director of the CIA, this week acknowledged that there were dangers during a presidential transition when new officials were coming in and getting accustomed to the challenges. But he added that no "real or artificial spike" in intercepted transmissions from terror suspects had been detected. President [sic] Bush has repeatedly described the acute vulnerability of the US during a transition. British travellers could be banned from flying to America 13 Nov 2008 Under the new scheme, tourists will be advised to apply online for approval for travel from the US Department of Homeland Security at least three days before they leave. Anyone denied permission will be barred when they attempt to check in at the airport. Known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), it was introduced in a soft launch in August but will be compulsory from January 12. Crimes by air marshals raise questions about hiring --Michael McGowan used his position as an air marshal to lure a young boy to his hotel room, where he showed him child porn, took pictures of him naked and sexually abused him. 13 Nov 2008 Since 9/11, more than three dozen federal air marshals have been charged with crimes, and hundreds more have been accused of misconduct, an investigation by ProPublica, a non-profit journalism organization, has found. Cases range from drunken driving and domestic violence to aiding a human-trafficking ring and trying to smuggle explosives from Afghanistan. Two U.S. soldiers die in Iraq 14 Nov 2008 Two American soldiers died in separate non-combat related incidents in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Friday. A soldier died as a result of non-combat related cause at around midday on Thursday in western Iraq, a military statement said. Another soldier died early in the same day in non-combat related incident in Baghdad, the military said in a separate statement. Muslim Scholars hail deaths of U.S. troops --US soldiers violated personal privacy of Iraqi girl in public 13 Nov 2008 The influential Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq praised the actions of an Iraqi soldier who turned his weapon on American soldiers, killing at least two. An Iraqi soldier on patrol with U.S. forces in the northern province of Ninawa opened fire on his American counterparts Wednesday following an altercation in Mosul... The Sunni AMSI issued a statement on its Web site Thursday praising the "heroic" deed by the Iraqi soldier, which the group identified as Barzan Muhammad Abdullah. AMSI said the American soldiers had violated the personal privacy of an Iraqi girl in public, prompting Abdullah to fire all of his ammunition at the U.S. troops. New Blackwater Iraq Scandal: Guns, Silencers and Dog Food --Ex-employees Tell ABC News the Firm Used Dog Food Sacks to Smuggle Unauthorized Weapons to Iraq 14 Nov 2008 A federal grand jury in North Carolina is investigating allegations the controversial private security firm Blackwater illegally shipped assault weapons and silencers to Iraq, hidden in large sacks of dog food, ABCNews.com has learned. "The only reason you need a silencer is if you want to assassinate someone," said former CIA intelligence officer John Kiriakou, an ABC News consultant. Indictment drafted in Blackwater shooting 14 Nov 2008 Federal prosecutors have drafted an indictment against six Blackwater Worldwide ~~security guards~~ mercenaries in last year's deadly Baghdad shootings of 17 Iraqi civilians, The Associated Press has learned. The draft is being reviewed by senior Justice Department officials but no charging decisions have been made. British troops out of Iraq by end of 2009: Iraqi official 14 Nov 2008 All British troops will be out of Iraq by the end of next year and a controversial Iraq-US security pact is likely to be approved by Baghdad this weekend, Iraq's national security adviser said Friday. Anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, meanwhile, announced the activation of a new militia against the American "occupier," and urged Muslim countries to join in protests against the proposed security accord. Afghanistan war: '2,000 more British troops next year' 14 Nov 2008 Up to 2,000 more British troops are likely to be sent to fight in Afghanistan next year, it has been reported. The Government is considering sending extra reinforcements in order to meet an anticipated request from Barack Obama, the US president-elect, after he takes office in January, according to the BBC. Taliban will 'never' negotiate with West: spokesman** 13 Nov 2008 The Taliban will never enter into peace negotiations with any Afghan or Western authorities while foreign forces still remain in Afghanistan, and will continue to fight for the country's "freedom," a spokesman told CBC's As It Happens on Thursday. C.I.A. Chief Says Qaeda Is Extending Its Reach 14 Nov 2008 Even as Al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] strengthens its hub in the Pakistani mountains, its leaders are building closer ties to regional militant groups in order to launch attacks in Africa and Europe and on the Arabian Peninsula, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency said Thursday. The director, Michael V. Hayden, identified North Africa and Somalia as places where Qaeda leaders were using partnerships to establish new bases. Japanese journalist shot in Pakistan --Third attack on a foreigner in 3 days; suspected U.S. missile attack kills 12 14 Nov 2008 A Japanese journalist was shot Friday in the frontier city of Peshawar -- the third attack on a foreigner there in three days, and missiles apparently fired by U.S. unmanned aircraft near the Afghan border killed at least 12 people, including several ~~foreign militants~~ civilians, Pakistani officials said. U.S. missile attack kills at least 12 in Pakistan 14 Nov 2008 U.S. drones fired missiles into a Pakistani tribal region on Friday, killing 12 people, including five foreigners. Pakistani officials said the attack targeted a house in a remote village on the border between North and South Waziristan. Air Force finds nuclear deficiencies at Mont. base 12 Nov 2008 Air Force officials said Wednesday that a recent nuclear inspection found deficiencies in a unit responsible for 150 ICBMs in Montana, but added that there was no threat to public safety. [!?!] The inspection of the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, near Great Falls, evaluated the unit's readiness to execute nuclear operations and found "deficiencies in several areas", according to an Air Force statement. Obama has more threats than other presidents-elect 14 Nov 2008 Threats against a new president historically spike right after an election, but from Maine to Idaho law enforcement officials are seeing more against Barack Obama than ever before. The Secret Service would not comment or provide the number of cases they are investigating. But since the Nov. 4 election, law enforcement officials have seen more potentially threatening writings, Internet postings and other activity directed at Obama than has been seen with any past president-elect, said officials aware of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue of a president's security is so sensitive. Remarks against Obama probed --Durham police conducting internal investigation 13 Nov 2008 Derogatory remarks toward President-elect Barack Obama made on a social networking Web site are now the subject of an internal police investigation. A police department employee claims the statements were made on the MySpace pages of two Durham officers. Obama Met With Clinton to Discuss Possible Role 14 Nov 2008 President-elect Barack Obama met late Thursday in Chicago with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to discuss what role she might play in his administration, advisers to both Democrats said on Friday. Neither side disclosed details of the conversation, and it was unclear how seriously Mr. Obama was considering bringing Mrs. Clinton, his onetime rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, into his cabinet. Barack Obama may tap Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State 14 Nov 2008 A secret meeting between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton yesterday has set rumors swirling that the president-elect might tap his former rival to be his secretary of State. The pair met Thursday afternoon at Obama's office in downtown Chicago, Times staff writers confirm. Neither politician has spoken publicly about the meeting, but unidentified aides have told media outlets like CNN that Obama offered Clinton the role. Gag me with a chainsaw! Obama, McCain to meet Monday to talk cooperation 14 Nov 2008 President-elect Barack Obama will meet with his former rival, Republican Sen. John McCain, on Monday to talk about ways they can work together, an Obama spokeswoman said on Friday. GOP governors unhappy with Palin press conference 13 Nov 2008 Some Republican governors tell CNN they were not particularly happy with the way the Republican Governors Association press conference was executed Thursday, saying that they agreed to go as a show of GOP governors’ unity -- but they ended up feeling like silent Palin supporters, since it was clearly a press conference called for her. The GOP governors spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity. One called it awkward: "I'm sure you could see it on some of our faces." Another Republican governor eyeing a presidential run in 2012 told CNN the event was "odd" and "weird," and said it "unfortunately sent a message that she was the de facto leader of the party." Boxer aide accused of distributing child porn 14 Nov 2008 An aide to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has been charged in federal court in Virginia with receiving and distributing child pornography. Jeff Rosato of Arlington, Va., was arrested Friday on a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Virginia. Boxer's office fired him the same day. U.S. begins pursuing drilling off Virginia coast 13 Nov 2008 Months after President [sic] George W. Bush and Congress lifted bans on offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean, the federal government moved Thursday to pursue oil and natural gas exploration off the coast of Virginia. The environmental work is the first step in [insanely] opening 2.9 million acres of waters to a lease sale scheduled for 2011. FDIC, U.S. Treasury clash on anti-foreclosure plan 14 Nov 2008 A top U.S. banking regulator unveiled a plan on Friday to prevent about 1.5 million foreclosures, breaking ranks with the Bush regime by demanding bailout funds be diverted from banks to consumers. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp said the plan would modify millions of delinquent mortgages and the government would reward participating lenders by sharing the cost of defaults on restructured loans. Mayor Daley: Prepare For Mass Layoffs --CEOs Tell Mayor They Plan Huge Layoffs In November, December 13 Nov 2008 (Chicago, IL) The warning is out – Mayor Richard M. Daley says a parade of corporate chief executives have told him huge layoffs are planned around the city and will carry into next year. Canada consents to meeting on polar bear hunting 15 Nov 2008 Canada's environment minister agreed on Friday to host a round-table meeting to address what environmentalists charge is overhunting of polar bears in the Arctic region straddling Canada and Greenland. State of Emergency in California as Blaze Rages --Thirteen Injured and More Than 100 Homes Destroyed in Fast-Moving Fire 14 Nov 2008 California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County, Calif., as firefighters have been unable to control a wildfire that has already damaged at least 100 homes and injured 13 people. *** Sen. Clinton reported considered for top U.S. diplomat 14 Nov 2008 Sen. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary, is being considered to serve as secretary of state in the Obama administration, NBC News reported on Thursday. The report cited two unnamed advisers to President-elect Obama. Bush, Out of Office, Could Oppose Inquiries** 13 Nov 2008 When a Congressional committee subpoenaed Harry S. Truman in 1953, nearly a year after he left office, he made a startling claim: Even though he was no longer president, the Constitution still empowered him to block subpoenas... As Congressional Democrats prepare to move forward with investigations of the Bush regime, they wonder whether that claim may be invoked again. Topics of open investigations include the ~~harsh interrogation~~ torture of detainees, the prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama, secret legal memorandums from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel and the role of the former White House aides Karl Rove and Harriet E. Miers in the firing of federal prosecutors. [etc.] Blackwater likely to be fined millions in Iraq weapons case 12 Nov 2008 The State Department is preparing to slap a multi-million dollar fine on private military contractor Blackwater USA for shipping hundreds of automatic weapons to Iraq without the necessary permits. Some of the weapons are believed to have ended up on the country's black market [i.e., the 'insurgency'], department officials told McClatchy, but no criminal charges have been filed in the case. Israeli Bombs Are Source of Uranium at Shelled Site, Syria Says 13 Nov 2008 Israeli missiles are the source of traces of uranium that diplomats at the International Atomic Energy Agency say were found at a suspected nuclear site in Syria, according to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem. "The basis of American complaint and allegations, presented to the IAEA seven months after the Israeli raid, is that a reactor was under construction, not operating, so where did the uranium particles come from?" al-Moallem said late yesterday, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency. Construction of Negev missile defense base run by U.S. troops completed 12 Nov 2008 Pictures of an American anti-missile radar installed in southern Israel were released earlier this week, depicting a recently completed military base, which will house the first permanent U.S. force to be deployed on Israeli soil. Suicide bomber targets US soldier and Afghan civilians 13 Nov 2008 A market bombing in Afghanistan has killed at least 20 civilians and an American soldier. The suicide bombing, against a US convoy in eastern Afghanistan, occurred when the attacker detonated an explosives-laden vehicle close to the convoy outside Jalalabad. Most Britons want troops out of Afghanistan: poll 12 Nov 2008 More than two-thirds of Britons believe British troops should be pulled out of Afghanistan next year, according to an opinion poll released on Wednesday. Sixty-eight percent said Britain should withdraw while 24 percent said British soldiers should stay in the violence-wrecked country. Six killed in attacks across Iraq 13 Nov 2008 Six people were killed in attacks across Iraq on Thursday, including three when a suicide car bomber targeted police in the Anbar province west of Baghdad, security officials said. Civilian killed, 13 injured in bomb attacks in Baghdad 13 Nov 2008 A civilian was killed and 13 others were injured in two bomb explosions in central Baghdad on Thursday, an Interior Ministry source said. An explosive charge stuck in a KIA minibus carrying passengers detonated in the morning in a Baghdad highway, killing a passenger and wounding seven others aboard, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Hoax NY Times newspaper declares end of Iraq war 12 Nov 2008 A group of pranksters handed out more than 1.2 million fake New York Times newspapers mainly in New York City and Los Angeles on Wednesday with a front page story declaring "Iraq War Ends." The elaborate 14-page edition, dated July 4, 2009, is said to be the work of a group called the Yes Men. Gates prepared to stay on, but will Obama ask him to? 13 Nov 2008 Defense Secretary [war criminal] Robert Gates, who said not long ago that it was inconceivable that he'd remain at his post under a Democratic administration, is likely to remain for a time if President-elect Barack Obama asks him to, defense officials told McClatchy. Internet filter to block 10,000-plus "unwanted" sites 13 Nov 2008 Readers of The Courier-Mail online have blasted plans for Australia's mandatory internet filter to block as many as 10,000 websites. The websites form a blacklist of unspecified "unwanted content", Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy revealed in Federal Parliament. The 10,000 blacklisted websites would be blocked in addition to 1300 websites identified by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. 10,000 websites to be blocked in filter test 13 Nov 2008 Australia's mandatory internet filter is being primed to block 10,000 websites as part of a blacklist of unspecified "unwanted content". Some 1300 websites have already been identified by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Exit polls: Clinton would have beaten McCain by wider margin 12 Nov 2008 As voters left the polls on Election Day, many were asked how they would have voted if the election match-up were between Hillary Clinton and John McCain rather than Barack Obama and McCain. 52 percent said they would have backed the former Democratic candidate; 41 percent would have voted for McCain, wider than Obama’s 7-point margin over McCain. Obama resigns Senate seat effective Sunday 13 Nov 2008 President-elect Barack Obama said on Thursday he would resign his U.S. Senate seat effective Sunday, which means he will not participate in next week's post-election session that could address the ailing economy and struggling auto industry. Cheney meets Biden at VP residence --Biden and wife, Jill, join Cheneys at Naval Observatory 13 Nov 2008 The high-profile White House meeting this week between outgoing [sic] and incoming presidents was followed Thursday night by a much lower-key get-together hosted by Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney for his successor, Democrat Joe Biden. Biden picks former Gore aide as chief of staff 13 Nov 2008 Vice President-elect Joe Biden has picked former Al Gore aide Ron Klain to be his chief of staff, a Democratic official said on Thursday. Klain is the latest ex-Clinton administration official selected for a high-profile job in the coming Barack Obama presidency. Democrat takes 800-vote lead in Alaska U.S. Senate race 13 Nov 2008 Mark Begich made a dramatic comeback Wednesday to overtake incumbent Ted Stevens for the lead in Alaska's U.S. Senate race. Begich, who was 'losing' after election night, now leads Stevens by 814 votes -- 132,196 to 131,382 -- with the state still to count roughly 40,000 more ballots over the next week. Dow sees 911-point swing to close on third-biggest point gain on record 13 Nov 2008 U.S. stocks raced higher Thursday as a downtrodden market in one crazed session nearly recouped three days of stiff losses, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average tallying its third-biggest point gain after wild swings in both directions. Illegal tax scheme gives $140 billion to biggest US banks By Bill Van Auken 13 Nov 2008 An extra-legal measure quietly enacted by the Treasury Department in the shadow of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout package will hand the country's biggest banks another $140 billion windfall, the Washington Post reported this week. In a five-sentence memo issued on September 30, on the eve of the first House vote on the bailout bill, the Treasury Department unilaterally overturned a two-decade-old tax law passed by Congress. Jobless claims jump unexpectedly to 7-year high 13 Nov 2008 The number of newly laid-off individuals seeking unemployment benefits has jumped to a level not seen since just after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as companies cut more jobs in the face of a slowing economy. The Labor Department on Thursday reported that jobless claims last week increased by 32,000 to a 'seasonally adjusted' 516,000. Bush Warns Against 'Too Much' Government in Markets 13 Nov 2008 President [sic] George W. Bush today urged leaders of the world's biggest economies not to abandon free- market [predatory] capitalism as they seek an escape from the financial crisis, calling it the "best system" for delivering growth. Whitehead sees slump worse than Depression 13 Nov 2008 The economy faces a slump deeper than the Great Depression and a growing deficit threatens the credit of the United States itself, former Goldman Sachs chairman John Whitehead, said at the Reuters Global Finance Summit on Wednesday. Brown clouds dim Asia, threaten world's food --U.N.: Pollution haze could lead to extreme weather, harm farming 13 Nov 2008 Thick brown clouds of soot, particles and chemicals stretching from the Persian Gulf to Asia threaten health and food supplies in the world, the U.N. reported Thursday, citing what it called the newest threat to the global environment. Visiting photographer documents the plight of the polar bear 13 Nov 2008 He traveled to the ends of the Earth to photograph polar bears, fearing that one day, the only place he would be able to see the Arctic creatures would be in a zoo. Wildlife and nature photographer Steven Kazlowski spent the majority of eight years in the Alaskan Arctic, capturing images of polar bears. He will discuss his experiences on the ice -- and the resulting book, "The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World" -- tonight at the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History. Youths accused of bashing Adelaide Zoo flamingo run from court 13 Nov 2008 Two teenagers have sprinted from an Adelaide court after appearing for the first time over the bashing of a flamingo at Adelaide Zoo last month. The youths, both 17, were charged along with two other men aged 18 and 19 after the attack that prompted outrage across the state. AdelaideNow was inundated with emails after the attack on the male greater flamingo, which is blind in one eye and believed by zoo staff to be about 78 years old. *** CLG News Archives**



CONTRIBUTE TO CLG VIA or You can make credit card donations/T-shirt charges via PayPal, you don't need a PayPal account to make credit card payments through them. donate[at]legitgov.org - inquiries or, pls. mail a check or money order to CLG
HOME \|COUP 2004 \| PRESS RELEASES \| PRESS RECEIVED \|IMPORTANT CALLS TO ACTION \| LINKS \| JOIN CLG™ \| WELCOME TO CLG \| CONTRIBUTE \| CONTACT US Copyright © 2008, Citizens For Legitimate Government ® All rights reserved.