CLG's BREAKING NEWS and COMMENTARY

'I have determined that you pose a security threat.' Blunt Federal Letters Tell Students They're Security Threats 13 May 2008 A German graduate student in oceanography at M.I.T. applied to the Transportation Security Administration for a new ID card allowing him to work around ships and docks. What the student, Wilken-Jon von Appen, received in return was a letter that not only turned him down but added an ominous warning from John M. Busch, a security administration official: "I have determined that you pose a security threat." Similar letters have gone to 5,000 applicants across the country who have at least initially been turned down for a Transportation Worker Identification Credential, an ID card meant to guard against acts of terrorism, agency officials said Monday.

U.S. paid bounty for Khadr: court documents 12 May 2008 The U.S. government paid Pakistan authorities a $500,000 bounty to capture Abdullah Khadr, a Toronto man facing terrorism-related charges, according to Federal Court documents made public Monday. Justice Richard Mosley ordered the release of information on Khadr, who is fighting his extradition to the U.S., including an October 2004 briefing note to the RCMP commissioner.

Canadian "torture victims" press Ottawa over probe 08 May 2008 Three Canadian men who blame Ottawa for their alleged torture in Syria protested outside Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office on Thursday to demand that a secret probe into their case be opened to the public.

Pentagon formally charges 5 with Sept. 11 conspiracy 12 May 2008 The Pentagon has formally approved death penalty charges against reputed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other men in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, setting the stage for proceedings to begin before a military commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, sometime in June. The Pentagon made no announcement that a civilian appointee known as the convening authority, Susan Crawford, had signed off on the charges. But defense attorneys for the men in Washington, D.C., said they received copies of the 93-page charge sheet by fax after the close of business Monday. Navy Capt. Prescott Prince, who's been appointed to defend Mohammaed, called the after-hours faxed delivery of the charges "arrogant."

5 Guantanamo detainees to face 9/11 capital case 12 May 2008 A Pentagon official has formally approved death penalty charges against reputed 9/11 architect Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other men for allegedly conspiring in the Sept. 11 attacks, according to their charge sheet obtained Monday night by The Miami Herald.

Feds: No credible terror threat to Indy 500 12 May 2008 The Indianapolis 500 is an attractive target for terrorists, federal authorities said, but there has been no credible or specific threat aimed at the Memorial Day weekend race. In an internal FBI/Homeland Security Department assessment released Monday to local police, officials said such sporting events, which attract hundreds of thousands of spectators, are attractive potential targets.

Ex-officials: Bush admin. ignored Iraq corruption 12 May 2008 The Bush administration repeatedly ignored corruption at the highest levels within the Iraqi government and kept secret potentially embarrassing information so as not to undermine its relationship with Baghdad, according to two former State Department employees. The State Department's policies "not only contradicted the anti-corruption mission but indirectly contributed to and has allowed corruption to fester at the highest levels of the Iraqi government," Arthur Brennan, who briefly served in Baghdad as head of the department's Office of Accountability and Transparency last year, told the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.

Congressional Democrats plan three-stage charade to pass Iraq war funds By Bill Van Auken 13 May 2008 In order to once again approve hundreds of billions of dollars to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, while posturing as opponents of "Bush’s war," the Democratic leadership in Congress has crafted an elaborate legislative charade that is set to begin unfolding this week.

Iran says to sue U.S. and Britain over mosque blast [Good!] 12 May 2008 Iran's judiciary said on Monday it would file international lawsuits against the United States and Britain, accusing them of providing financial support to those behind a blast in a mosque that killed 14 people. Iran's intelligence minister last week said Iran had arrested five or six members of a terrorist group with links to Britain and the United States who he said were involved in the explosion that also wounded 200 in the southern city of Shiraz.

White House vs white bear: Judge says Bush must decide whether to save the polar bear as the ice melts 11 May 2008 It's a classic stand-off between one of the world's best loved animals and one of its most unpopular leaders, between the planet's largest bear and its most powerful 'man.' And it comes to a head this week. On Thursday, by order of a federal judge, George W Bush must stop stalling on whether to designate the polar bear as a species endangered by global warming. [Let's see... world's best loved animal verses deranged sociopath. Ok, I'll take polar bear. Why not just toss Bush into the Polar Bear Sea and see what happens?]

'Far-away countries that a polar bear has never even heard of will have a part to play in saving this species.' Global effort needed to save bears By Sophia Dore & Andrew Laursen 12 May 2008 A symbol has emerged in the fight against global warming -- the polar bear... It is within the power of the Canadian government to protect the habitat of the polar bear, to ensure that oil and gas exploration in the Arctic is limited. But the main threat to the polar bear cannot be eliminated by passing a single law or by hiring enforcement agents to prevent poaching or by setting aside land for habitat. It is going to take a global effort to save the polar bear.

Rove refuses to testify before Congress about Siegelman case --Former Bush adviser tells House panel he'll answer questions in writing 12 May 2008 Former White House political adviser Karl Rove has declined a request to testify before Congress about the criminal case against former Gov. Don Siegelman and instead made a counteroffer to answer questions in writing, Rove's attorney said Monday. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee had given Rove until Monday to agree to appear voluntarily, and said they would issue a subpoena if he declined. Siegelman, a Democrat, has alleged that Rove influenced the federal investigation that led to his conviction in 2006 on corruption charges.

Army Corps says Condition of many levees a mystery 12 May 2008 Across America, earthen flood levees protect big cities and small towns, wealthy suburbs and rich farmland. But the Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency that oversees levees, lacks an inventory of thousands of them and has no idea of their condition, the corps' chief levee expert told The Associated Press. [Sounds like Bush is trolling for a catastrophe, so that he can give billions to KBR to 'rebuild' them.]

Government asks court to block wider testing for mad cow 09 May 2008 The Bush regime on Friday urged a federal appeals court to stop meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease, but a skeptical judge questioned whether the government has that authority. The government seeks to reverse a lower court ruling that allowed Kansas-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef to conduct more comprehensive testing. Less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows are currently tested for the disease under Agribusiness Department guidelines.

Gasoline and diesel prices soar to records: EIA 12 May 2008 U.S. drivers dug deeper into their pockets to fill up at the pump, as the average price for gasoline skyrocketed 10.9 cents over the last week to a record of $3.72 a gallon, the federal Energy Information Administration said on Monday.

U.S. Outlook Is Worst Since '92, Poll Finds --Results Give Democrats Edge 13 May 2008 Americans are gloomier about the direction of the country than they have been at any point in 15 years, and Democrats hold their biggest advantage since early 1993 as the party better able to deal with the nation's main problems, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. More than eight in 10 now saying the country is headed in the wrong direction, coupled with growing disaffection with the Republican Party.

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Who's That Hiding In My Fox 5 News Logo? Video posted by fliesinthek 02 May 2008 Fox 5 News WNYW (New York) has subliminally inserted images of John McCain and his wife, Cindy, into their opening animation.

Up to 700 arrests estimated in Postville raid 12 May 2008 (IA) Four Homeland Security buses with U.S. Immigration and Customs tags on them have entered the Agriprocessors Inc. complex. The buses, along with a trail of SUVs and vans with Minnesota license plates, arrived at about 11:45 a.m. Tim Counts, a Midwest ICE spokesman, declined to confirm where people who are arrested will be detained. Federal officials have leased the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo, but they declined to explain last week whether the property was being prepared for use as a detention center.

'Activists discussed today possible strategies to help after a raid, including locating children and identifying detainees.' Fearing raid, immigration-rights activists meet in Waterloo 11 May 2008 Several Iowa immigration-rights activists gathered today at a Waterloo church and the home of a local social worker to discuss what they consider to be an impending immigration raid. The discussions were prompted by federal officials' lease last week of the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo. Local immigration-rights activists fear the fairgrounds will be used as a detention center.

Questions Surround Homeland Security's Presence in Waterloo --Many people in Waterloo believe the site is being transformed into a detention center. 09 May 2008 People in Waterloo are trying to figure out what sort of operation federal officials are conducting in town. This week, the Department of Homeland Security took-over and sealed-off the grounds of the National Cattle Congress on the west side of Waterloo. Thursday night, our crew went to investigate, but security guards told them to stay across the street from the property. Our camera caught pictures of elaborate ventilation systems going into the buildings. There were dozens of cars coming in and out with license plates from surrounding states, and even as far away as Georgia and Texas. A guard at the gate told us they are preparing for training exercises, but a Homeland Security spokesman would not confirm that. Many people in Waterloo believe the site is being transformed into a detention center.

A once ailing private-prison sector is now a revenue maker 12 May 2008 "The private prison industry was on the verge of bankruptcy in the late 1990s, until the feds bailed them out with the immigration-detention contracts," said Michele Deitch, an expert on prison privatization with the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. As increasingly tough immigration laws have called for the detention and deportation of ever more immigrants [and soon-to-be bird flu vaccine refuseniks], the demand for bed space by immigration authorities has helped turn what was once a dying business into a multibillion-dollar industry with record revenue and stock prices several times higher than they were eight years ago. In San Diego, CCA [Corrections Corporation of America] is in the permitting process to build a nearly 3,000-bed facility that the company hopes will be used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. It would hold more than four times the detainees held in San Diego now.

Deadly Animal Virus May Soon Come to U.S. Mainland 02 May 2008 The nation’s food supply may soon be under significant threat as the result of a Bush administration decision to move its research on one of the most contagious animal diseases from an isolated island laboratory to the U.S. mainland, placing it near herds of livestock.

Families will make case for vaccine link to autism 12 May 2008 Families claiming that a mercury-based preservative in vaccines triggers autism will challenge mainstream medicine Monday as they take their case to a federal court. Overall, nearly 4,900 families have filed claims with the U.S. Court of Claims alleging that vaccines caused autism and other neurological problems in their children.

'No thanks to Americans for their effort to bring us democracy that killed half of us by their bombs and is now apparently killing the other half by starvation.' Iraq: Food Crisis Hits Fallujah 12 May 2008 Sharp increases in food prices have generated a new wave of anti-occupation and anti-U.S. sentiment in Fallujah. "This is a country that was damned by the Americans the moment they stepped on our soil," Burhan Jassim, a farmer from Sichir village just outside Fallujah told IPS. "This is Iraqi land that has always been blessed by Allah with the best production in quality and quantity, but now see how it has been turned into a wasteland." Fallujah faces this new crisis after much of the city was destroyed by U.S. military operations in 2004.

Iraqi water supply in jeopardy 09 May 2008 Conflict, warm summer weather and a lack of electricity forced many agricultural sectors of Iraq's Diyala province into near-drought conditions. The central pumping station in Diyala is plagued by frequent power disruptions, and its position near a conflict zone pitting Shiite and Sunni fighters against each other means little clean water reaches the surrounding community, the Inter Press News Service said.

'Ghost city' Mosul braces for assault on last bastion of al-Qa'ida in Iraq 12 May 2008 Mosul looks like a city of the dead. American and Iraqi troops have launched an attack aimed at crushing the last bastion of al- Qa'ida [al-CIAduh] in Iraq and in doing so have turned the country's northern capital into a ghost town. Soldiers shoot at any civilian vehicle on the streets in defiance of a strict curfew. Two men, a woman and child in one car which failed to stop were shot dead yesterday by US troops, who issued a statement saying the men were armed and one made "threatening movements".

Official survives attempt on his life in Baghdad 11 May 2008 The Iraqi undersecretary of finance survived an attempt on his life on Sunday when an improvised explosive device went off near his motorcade in central Baghdad, leaving six civilians wounded, police said.

10 policemen referred to judiciary 11 May 2008 Ten policemen, including one officer, were referred to the judiciary for abusing the law during raid operations, the Karbala police & operations chief said on Sunday. "We ordered the referral of ten policemen, including one officer, to the judiciary for abusing the law in dealing with human rights issues," Maj. General Raed Shakir Jawdat told Aswat al-Iraq.

Heavy bombardment on Sadr city despite ceasefire 10 May 2008 Three large parts of Sadr city were subjected to heavy bombardment that was continuously carried out by U.S. helicopters, starting from Saturday 3:30 p.m. until now, despite the Iraqi government and representatives of the Sadr movement having signed an agreement to stop confrontations in the city.

Tony Blair used Cherie's grief to protect Iraq strategy 12 May 2008 Cherie Blair was astonished by the ruthless manner in which her husband made public within hours the fact that she had lost the baby she was carrying. In her autobiography, serialised in The Times today, she reveals that Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell, his communications chief, insisted on informing the media almost immediately in 2002. In an emotional account of losing her baby, she writes of her disbelief that her husband and Mr Campbell telephoned to discuss the announcement as she lay in pain and still bleeding. They did so in order that a delay in their holiday did not trigger false speculation of an early invasion of Iraq.

Iran arrests group for mosque blast, blames West 08 May 2008 Iran has arrested members of a terrorist group with links to Britain and the United States who were behind a blast at a mosque last month that killed 14 and wounded 200 in the southern city of Shiraz, a news agency said. Iranian officials had previously said the April 12 blast, in the Shohada mosque during an evening prayer sermon by a prominent local cleric, was caused by explosives left over from an exhibition commemorating the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. "The blast ... was caused by a bombing by a terrorist group with links to Western countries, especially Britain and America," ISNA news agency quoted Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei as saying late on Wednesday.

Blast kills Gaza teacher in front of her children 12 May 2008 The UN is demanding an investigation into how the Israeli military killed one of its Palestinian school teachers by blasting open the front door of her Gaza home with explosives in the presence of three of her children.

2 Humvees missing from US base in Afghanistan 12 May 2008 Two armored Humvees were missing from a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, a military spokesman said Monday. The military was investigating whether the vehicles were stolen, although officials believed they were likely still in the possession of U.S. personnel but simply unaccounted for [!], said Lt. Col. Paul Fanning.

More Fort Campbell Soldiers Die In Afghanistan 10 May 2008 Another Ft. Campbell soldier has been killed while serving in Afghanistan. The department of defense said Pfc. Ara T. Deysie was killed when his unit came under rocket-propelled grenade fire. The 18-year old soldier was assigned to the 101st division. The military said Sgt. Isaac Palomarez, 26, was killed Friday in the Kapisa Province.

Surge in disabled vets to cost U.S. billions 11 May 2008 Increasing numbers of U.S. troops have left the military with damaged bodies and minds, an ever-larger pool of disabled veterans that will cost the nation billions for decades to come -- even as the total population of America's vets shrinks.

Post-War Suicides May Exceed Combat Deaths, U.S. Says 05 May 2008 The number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care, the U.S. government's top psychiatric researcher said. The government expects to be spending $59 billion a year to compensate injured warriors in 25 years, up from today's $29 billion, according to internal documents obtained by the Associated Press. And the Veterans Affairs Department concedes the bill could be much higher.

US lawyer barred for Guantanamo bias 12 May 2008 A military judge has disqualified the Pentagon's top legal adviser in the Office of Military Commissions from participating in the prosecution of a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay because he exerted improper influence over a team of prosecutors and may have compromised the case's fairness. Naval Captain Keith Allred, who is presiding over hearings in preparation for the military's trial of an alleged driver for Osama bin Laden, determined that Air Force Brigadier General Thomas Hartmann was too closely tied to prosecutors.

Gen Hood's withdrawal leaves red faces at Pentagon --New York Times says Hood was assigned to Pakistan since he was believed to be ‘crisis-tested’ 10 May 2008 There are quite a few red faces at the Pentagon this week since it became known that the controversial Maj Gen Jay W Hood the "commissar" of the Guantanamo detention colony, which lies beyond the jurisdiction of American courts, was being withdrawn as the senior military official based in Pakistan. The credit for the cancellation to Gen Hood’s ill-considered appointment goes to the Pakistani print and electronic media, which decried the appointment and demanded that it be cancelled.

Ex-Guantanamo head's name withdrawn for Pakistan post 10 May 2008 An army general who led the Guantanamo detention center at a time when alleged mishandling of Korans sparked Muslim riots has been withdrawn as the US military's proposed top representative in Pakistan, a military spokeswoman said Friday. Major General Jay Hood was named in March to the post of US defense representative in Pakistan, a key position at a time of mounting US concern over Al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] and the Taliban activities in Pakistani safe havens.

Police in Gun Searches Face Disbelief in Court 12 May 2008 Over the last six years, the police and prosecutors have cooperated in a broad effort that allows convicted felons found with a firearm to be tried in federal court, where sentences are much harsher than in state court... A closer look at those prosecutions reveals something that has not been trumpeted: more than 20 cases in which judges found police officers’ testimony to be unreliable, inconsistent, twisting the truth, or just plain false. The judges’ language was often withering: "patently incredible," "riddled with exaggerations," "unworthy of belief." The outrage usually stopped there.

Voter ID Battle Shifts to Proof of Citizenship 12 May 2008 The battle over voting rights will expand this week as lawmakers in Missouri are expected to support a proposed constitutional amendment to enable election officials to require proof of citizenship from anyone registering to vote. The measure would allow far more rigorous demands than the voter ID requirement recently upheld by the Supreme Court, in which voters had to prove their identity with a government-issued card.

Federal rules give corporation-backed conservative radio all the local voices By Sue Wilson 11 May 2008 There's a mournful hush in Sacramento these days, the empty sound of an entire political viewpoint quieted. More than 32,000 weekly listeners who once tuned to KSAC (1240 AM) to hear partisan Democrats beat up on President [sic] George W. Bush, now hear only Christian hip-hop. There's nothing wrong with Christian hip-hop... But there are six other commercial radio stations licensed in the Sacramento area programming the Christian message. In the political realm, three local radio stations program 264 hours of partisan Republican radio talkers beating up on Democrats every week. Now, zero stations program any Democratic view whatsoever: 264-0.

Obama Takes Superdelegate Lead 12 May 2008 Barack Obama has overtaken Hillary Clinton in the NBC NEWS superdelegate count with the endorsement of Hawaii's Dolly Strazar. This is his second of the day and puts him now officially over the top, 277-276.5. The NBC NEWS delegate counts: Pledged: Obama 1,590, Clinton 1,426; Supers: Obama 277, Clinton 276.5; Total: Obama 1,867, Clinton 1,702.5.

Clinton holds big leads in West Virginia and Kentucky 12 May 2008 Even as her campaign appears to be in its final stages, Hillary Clinton is headed for two sweeping victories in West Virginia and Kentucky, the next two states to weigh in on the prolonged Democratic presidential race. According to new polls released Monday, Clinton holds a 34 point lead in West Virginia and a 27 point lead in Kentucky.

McCain Pushed Land Swap That Benefits Backer 09 May 2008 Sen. John McCain championed legislation that will let an Arizona rancher trade remote grassland and ponderosa pine forest here for acres of valuable federally owned property that is ready for development, a land swap that now stands to directly benefit one of his top presidential campaign fundraisers. Initially reluctant to support the swap, the Arizona Republican became a key figure in pushing the deal through Congress after the rancher [Steven A. Betts] and his partners hired lobbyists that included McCain's 1992 Senate campaign manager, two of his former Senate staff members (one of whom has returned as his chief of staff), and an Arizona insider who was a major McCain donor and is now bundling campaign checks.

The Most Important Piece of Paper in America By Jared Bernstein 11 May 2008 I hold in my hand one of the most important pieces of paper in America: Table T08-0071, an analysis of candidate John McCain's tax plan... It is a table constructed by the Tax Policy Center's steely-eyed tax analysts, and it reveals nothing less than McCain's secret plan to diminish the US government beyond recognition... The numbers in the table show the revenue loss to the Federal government from McCain's proposed tax cuts. In the far right corner is the 10-year total: -$5.7 trillion.

Bush Comment on Food Crisis Brings Anger, Ridicule in India 08 May 2008 A comment by President [sic] Bush about the role of India in the world food crisis has set off a firestorm of criticism in this country. Speaking in St. Louis over the weekend, Bush said that [in India] "middle class is larger than our entire population." But "when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food," he said. "And so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up." Overnight, Indians reacted with outrage at what they saw as a suggestion that they were to blame for inflation. Politicians lashed out at Bush. Newspapers excoriated him. "India is not a net food importer. It is a food exporter. The assumption that prices are increasing because of a changed India is completely erroneous," said Manish Tewari, a spokesman for the ruling Congress party.

Oil could hit $200 in 'super-spike' 10 May 2008 Oil prices threaten to hit $200 a barrel in a final "super-spike" over coming months as 'producers fail to keep pace with blistering demand from China and the Middle East,' according to a controversial report by Goldman Sachs.

Two foreign groups bid for Pa. Turnpike lease: WSJ 11 May 2008 At least two groups submitted undisclosed cash offers for the 75-year lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. One group is led by Spanish toll-road operator Abertis Infraestructuras SA, while the second group includes Spain's Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructura de Transporte SA and Australia's Macquarie Infrastructure Group, the newspaper said in a report on its website.

Tornado season deadliest in a decade 12 May 2008 The USA has been ravaged through mid-May by a near-record number of tornadoes that has pushed the death toll -- including 47 killer twisters over the weekend -- to a 10-year high.

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DHS activity at Waterloo fairgrounds raises questions --ICE declines to say if whole area will be used as detention center --National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo, Iowa, is prepared for a 'federal project.' 06 May 2008 Federal officials have imposed a news blackout at the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo, where they have leased almost the entire property through May 25. The Waterloo Courier on Sunday reported that contractors have installed generators adjacent to many buildings at the fairgrounds. In addition, windows on many buildings have been covered up, blocking views inside. A number of mobile-home-size trailers have been transported to the privately owned grounds. Doug Miller, general manager of the Cattle Congress, declined Monday to release a copy of his group's rental contract with U.S. General Services Administration. He also indicated he was in the dark about what's happening inside the fairgrounds.

ICE presence at fairgrounds 'remains a mystery' 08 May 2008 The presence of immigration officials at National Cattle Congress has stoked fears of an impending raid. Four days after The Courier first reported the installation of trailers, generators and ventilation equipment on the grounds, the presence of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement remains a mystery. On April 24, FEMA announced it was conducting a national-level training exercise in May "to prepare and respond to multiple incidents including both natural disasters and terrorist incidents." The FEMA release did not specify the location or locations of the exercise. While the release indicated "a combined functional and full-scale exercise" would be conducted May 1-8, the government has leased the NCC grounds through May 25. Neither NCC nor the federal government would confirm whether federal officials are using the NCC grounds as part of the national exercise.

Operation Iraqi Freedom Fascism: Iraqi government closes the Sadr radio station 10 May 2008 U.S. and Iraqi forces closed on Thursday the Sadr movement's al-Ahad radio station office, and stopped its broadcast, at orders from the Iraqi government, said the station's manager. "An Iraqi-U.S. force stopped al-Ahad radio station's broadcast, according to a memo that carried Premier Nouri al-Maliki's signature," Abid Abu-Zahra told Aswat al-Iraq. "The force did not show a legal memo to stop the station," he said. "This step made by the government is a dangerous measure that deprives people from the voice that represents their pains," he added.

Judge: Woman's rape case against Halliburton can go to trial 09 May 2008 A woman who said she was raped by co-workers while employed by a contractor in Iraq can take her claims to trial, a federal judge ruled Friday. Jamie Leigh Jones filed a federal lawsuit last year, saying she was attacked while working for a Halliburton Co. subsidiary at Camp Hope, Baghdad, in 2005. Her lawsuit claims that after she endured harassment from some of the men where she lived in coed barracks, she was drugged and raped by Halliburton and KBR firefighters. Jones, a former Conroe resident, said a KBR representative imprisoned her in a shipping container for a day so she wouldn't report the assault. [I'll stand with whoever will fight KBR, Halliburton and Blackwater - and the regime that spawned them. --LRP]

US war dead cremated in same facility as pets: Pentagon 10 May 2008 US Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered a review of the handling of the remains of US war dead and apologized after learning that some were cremated in a commercial facility that also cremates pets, the Pentagon said. The facility, owned by the Torbit's Funeral Home Crematory, had been contracted by the air force to cremate remains of soldiers brought back from Iraq and Afghanistan through Dover, officials said.

Turkey says it has attacked Kurdish rebels in Iraq 11 May 2008 Turkey said on Sunday it had launched air and artillery attacks against Kurdish separatist rebels in northern Iraq overnight after an insurgent strike on a military base.

Clashes in Baghdad kill 19, wound 116: hospitals 10 May 2008 Nineteen people have been killed and 116 wounded in clashes between security forces and militants in eastern Baghdad's Sadr City district in the past 24 hours, the two hospitals in the Shi'ite city said on Saturday.

Iraq: US soldier dies in 'non-combat incident' 11 May 2008 The U.S. military says a soldier has died in a vehicle accident near al-Asad. The military says the soldier was killed when the vehicle he was traveling in rolled over near al-Asad, home to the second largest air base in Iraq.

Report: US coalition kills civilians in Afghanistan 10 May 2008 Dozens of protesters blocked a road Saturday in eastern Afghanistan, claiming that US-led 'coalition' forces killed three civilians. Villagers from the area carried the three bodies to a major highway during the protest, in which police allegedly opened fire, killing one and wounding three.

US says Syria, Iran behind Lebanon violence 09 May 2008 The Bush regime accused Iran and Syria on Friday of fueling ongoing violence in Lebanon by inciting members of the radical Shiite Hezbollah movement to take up arms against the country's western-backed government.

Brazil sees no Iranian threat, despite US warning 09 May 2008 Brazil sees no threat from Iran, despite U.S. concerns that the Tehran government is courting allies in Latin America, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said on Friday. Thomas Shannon, the senior U.S. official for Latin America, said on Wednesday that Iran was making allies in the region to counter Washington's traditional influence imperialism and could use them to threaten U.S. security.

Lebanese opposition ends west Beirut takeover 10 May 2008 Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition on Saturday said it was ending its takeover of west Beirut after the army revoked government moves against the Shiite group that sparked days of deadly fighting.

Adviser Barred From Detainee Case Over Bias Concerns 11 May 2008 The Pentagon's top legal adviser in the Office of Military Commissions was disqualified late last week from participating in the prosecution of a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by a Navy officer who ruled that the adviser exerted improper influence over a team of prosecutors and may have compromised the case's fairness. Capt. Keith J. Allred, who is presiding over hearings in preparation for the military's 'trial' of an alleged driver for Osama bin Laden, determined that Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Hartmann was too closely tied to prosecutors. In a 13-page ruling issued Friday, Allred found that Hartmann pressured prosecutors to present certain cases because they were "sexy," suggesting that factors other than a case's merits "were at play." He also found that Hartmann appeared to be pushing for prosecutors to use evidence derived by coercion, something Allred found to be "an effort to influence the professional judgment" of the prosecutors.

Judge Drops General From Trial of Detainee 10 May 2008 In a new blow to the Bush regime’s troubled military commission system, a military judge has disqualified a Pentagon general who has been centrally involved in overseeing Guantánamo war crimes tribunals from any role in the first case headed for 'trial.' The judge said the general was too closely aligned with the prosecution, raising questions about whether he could carry out his role with the required neutrality and objectivity. Military defense lawyers said that although the ruling was limited to one case, they expected the issue to be raised in other cases, potentially delaying prosecutions, including the death-penalty prosecution of six prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for the [Bush] Sept. 11 attacks.

U.S. denies Khadr probe was halted prematurely 10 May 2008 The Pentagon disputes claims that political pressure prematurely halted an investigation into the alleged abuse of Omar Khadr when he was detained in Afghanistan. Pentagon spokesperson Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon said army investigators did not substantiate the allegations of harsh interrogations torture at the U.S. base in Bagram. Following a court hearing Thursday at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Khadr's military lawyer accused the government of a cover-up since the investigation appeared to stop in October 2006 – the same month U.S. President [sic] George W. Bush signed the military law under which Khadr is charged. Khadr was 15 when he was brought to the U.S. base camp at Bagram after he was captured in a firefight on July 27, 2002. He had been shot twice in the back by U.S. forces.

Guantanamo prisoners spead word to boycott trials 09 May 2008 The message travels among Guantanamo prisoners in whispers between recreation areas and shouts through slots in cell doors: Don't trust the Americans. Boycott. Guards call it the Detainee News Network, and it is now prompting inmates to turn their backs on their war-crimes 'trials' at this U.S. Naval station in southeast Cuba. Six prisoners currently at Guantanamo have appeared before a military judge, and five of those have joined the boycott, which is expected to spread as more suspected terrorists are arraigned.

U.S. looks set to offer Israel powerful new radar 10 May 2008 The Bush regime appears set to offer Israel a powerful radar system that could greatly boost Israeli defenses against enemy ballistic missiles while tying it directly into a growing U.S. missile shield.

Olmert defies calls to resign over bribe probe 09 May 2008 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert defied a barrage of calls to resign on Friday after he admitted taking cash from an American businessman at the centre of a police inquiry into allegations of bribery.

The mouse that roared --The line in the sand has been drawn on Georgia and NATO. Beware pushing the limits of Russia's patience too far, worries Eric Walberg 08 May 2008 While Georgians see themselves as part of Europe, "the whole history of Georgia is of Georgian kings writing to Western kings for help, or for understanding. And sometimes not even getting a response," said its thoroughly Westernised president, Mikheil Saakashvili, in a recent interview. "Not just being an isolated, faraway country, but part of something bigger."

Narrow escapes for CNN reporter in Myanmar 10 May 2008 A CNN reporter who left Myanmar Friday was chased by authorities as he reported on the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis but escaped primarily because of the incompetence of the people after him. Dan Rivers hid under a blanket at one police checkpoint and casually covered up his name on a passport to avoid detection another time.

U.S. (forgetting Katrina) "outraged" by Myanmar's response to cyclone By Lori Price 09 May 2008 'The United States expressed outrage on Thursday at the delays in allowing in aid.' Really? Well, I am outraged that they are outraged! This is the 'Pot-Kettle' moment of the decade. Heckova job, Brownie Burma! [The item is 'Diggable' now, please click so that the media finally reports on this outrageous Bush hypocrisy!]

McCain hit with lobbyist scandal 11 May 2008 The McCain-picked leader of the Republican national convention has resigned after a report revealed his lobbying ties with Myanmar. Doug Goodyear, chief executive of the lobbying firm DCI Group, resigned a few hours after Newsweek revealed on Saturday that his company was paid to represent Myanmar's junta in 2002 and 2003. DCI has reportedly been a pioneer in running 'independent' expenditure campaigns by so-called 527 groups. Senator McCain supposedly denounces this kind of operations.

Leader of GOP convention quits after Myanmar ties reported 10 May 2008 The man picked by the John McCain campaign to run the 2008 Republican National Convention resigned Saturday after a report that his lobbying firm used to represent the military regime in Myanmar. Doug Goodyear resigned as convention coordinator.

McCain's Convention Chair Worked for Burma's Military Junta 10 May 2008 John McCain's campaign recently tapped Doug Goodyear manage this summer's GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn. Goodyear is CEO of DCI Group, a consulting firm that earned $3 million last year lobbying for ExxonMobil, General Motors and other clients. Potentially more problematic: the firm was paid $348,000 in 2002 to represent Burma's military junta, which had been strongly condemned by the State Department for its human-rights record and remains in power today. Justice Department lobbying records show DCI pushed to "begin a dialogue of political reconciliation" with the regime. It also led a PR campaign to burnish the junta's image, drafting releases praising Burma's efforts to curb the drug trade and denouncing "falsehoods" by the Bush administration that the regime engaged in rape and other abuses.

McCain to Me in 1999: Bush "As Dumb as a Stump" By Al Meyerhoff 10 May 2008 Over the Fourth of July weekend of 1999, I had the good fortune to accompany my then fiancée (and now happily my wife) to the McCain vacation home in Sedona where she was interviewing them for a Home and Garden Television show. ...[A]s McCain flipped burgers, I could not help but ask his views about then candidate George W. Bush. "He's as dumb as a stump," McCain offered. We then went on to discuss other matters (including Vietnam) but that quote remains seared in my memory. So how the McCains actually voted that November is between them and their voting booth. But if John McCain did end up voting for Bush, then by his own admission he voted for a stump.

Obama Launches 50-State Voter Registration Drive 10 May 2008 Sen. Barack Obama may not yet be the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, but Saturday morning his campaign launched in more than 100 other locations across the country a national voter registration drive intended to transform the electorate - or at least register more Democrats -- in advance of November's general 'election.'

Obama Overtakes Clinton in Race for Superdelegate Endorsements 11 May 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama won endorsements from five superdelegates yesterday, erasing rival Hillary Clinton's long-held lead in backing from party officials and lawmakers.

E-Mails Show Derogatory Banter at Secret Service 10 May 2008 Secret Service supervisors shared crude sexual jokes and engaged in racially derogatory banter about blacks, and passed around an anecdote about a possible assassination of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, according to internal e-mail disclosed in a federal court filing on Friday by lawyers for black Secret Service agents. The messages were written mainly from 2003 through 2005, and were sent to and from e-mail accounts of at least 20 Secret Service supervisors. Eric Zahren, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said that an internal inquiry had been opened and that the inspector general at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, had been alerted.

Federal regulators close Arkansas bank ANB Financial 09 May 2008 Federal regulators says they've closed ANB Financial National Association banks after discovering "unsafe and unsound" business practices there. David Barr, a spokesman for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. says many customers served by the bank's nine locations had accounts under $100,000, which will be fully insured by the government.

U.S. Naval medical lab 'not transparent' in its operations: Indonesia health minister --'We don't know what happened to the [bird flu] viruses that we sent.' 07 May 2008 Indonesia is trying to defend the interests of poorer nations by refusing to share bird flu samples with the West and is locked in a cultural misunderstanding over the issue, Jakarta's health minister said on Wednesday. Siti Fadillah Supari also said in an interview that a U.S. naval medical lab based in Indonesia for research into tropical diseases was barely benefiting its host country and was not being transparent in its operations... The minister said the U.S. U.S. naval lab in Jakarta had been receiving virus samples from across Indonesia, but that had been stopped. "We don't know what happened to the viruses that we sent," she said, adding the U.S. lab had also received samples from Indonesian soldiers deployed in Papua.

Swan tests positive for bird flu 10 May 2008 Japanese officials are worried that the H5N1 bird flu virus may be spreading among wild birds in the north after the body of a swan tested positive for the disease, the third case in recent weeks. No poultry have been affected so far, said Shigeki Oda, a farm official in the northern island of Hokkaido.

San Francisco to Test Drinking Water Security System 09 May 2008 Improving the security of U.S. drinking water systems has gathered urgency since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an $8 million grant to San Francisco to help the city develop and evaluate a contamination warning system for its drinking water supply.

$423 Million Settlement Reached in Groundwater Contamination Lawsuit Against Oil Behemoths 08 May 2008 Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. has secured a landmark settlement against some of the country's biggest oil companies, which have agreed to pay $423 million in a suit involving the contamination of 153 public water systems nationally. The MTBE litigation, brought by Weitz & Luxenberg and Baron & Budd, addressed the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE.

Bush Sets New Record in Refusing to Protect Endangered Species --Polar Bear Decision Looms 09 May 2008 Today marks two years since the Department of the Interior last protected a new U.S. species under the Endangered Species Act. "The Bush administration has been an unmitigated disaster for the nation’s endangered species, delaying and denying protection for hundreds of animals and plants," said Noah Greenwald, science director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

Kalluk the polar bear looks a little blue 09 May 2008 Zookeepers at San Diego Zoo have painted the seven-year-old and his favourite toy, a burlap doll, a light shade of blue as part of the zoo's annual Bear Awareness Days. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the plight of the world's bears and the threats they face from climate change and rising sea levels. Unfazed by his new look, Kalluk spent the morning playing in his enclosure before falling asleep on his new blue friend.

18 reported dead in Missouri, Oklahoma tornadoes 11 May 2008 At least 18 people were killed on Saturday in Missouri and Oklahoma after tornadoes swept through the area, authorities in the two states said. There were at least 12 storm-related deaths in Missouri, 10 of those in Newton County on the border with Oklahoma, according to Susie Stonner of the Missouri Emergency Management Agency.

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"Citizens for Legitimate Government, whenever they discuss the President, put in brackets the [P], so it is the resident. So I've adopted that as my own standard." --US Rep. Cynthia McKinney, (D-GA) 30 Sep 2006

"We want either a hammer or a fire, to break the spell or dissolve the ice." Artisan radical freethinker, George Jacob Holyoake, Reasoner V (1848): 2.

CLG's Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D. and Lori Price receive the Patrick Henry Think Tank's American Hero Award 02 Nov 2005 The Patrick Henry Democratic Club --A Think Tank working to give the government back to the people. "Give me liberty or give me death!"

Ready for Revolution? Join CLG's Revolution Tactics Group and get ready to overthrow the Establishment.

CLG: Was a "Bomber" Superimposed onto Metropolitan Police Surveillance Camera Photo? 24 Jul 2005

CLG Interview with Joseph Wilson: The Bush Crowd: "A Real Threat to Our Republic" Statement of Joseph Wilson on the sentencing of New York Times reporter Judith Miller 06 Jul 2005

Petition to Senate to Investigate Oddities of 9/11 -- Best comment on entire petition: "Muster a firing squad."