Iraq war costs more per month than Vietnam - report - Yahoo! News

"The U.S. war in
Iraq now costs more per month than the average monthly cost of military operations in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, according to a report issued on Wednesday.

The report, entitled "The Iraq Quagmire" from the Institute for Policy Studies and Foreign Policy in Focus, both liberal, anti-war organizations, put the cost of current operations in Iraq at $5.6 billion per month. This breaks down to almost $186 million a day.

"By comparison, the average cost of U.S. operations in Vietnam over the eight-year war was $5.1 billion per month, adjusting for inflation," it said.

As a proportion of gross domestic product, the Vietnam War was more significant, costing 12 percent of annual
GDP, compared to 2 percent for the Iraq War. However, economists said the Iraq war is being financed with deficit spending and may nearly double the projected federal budget deficit over the next 10 years.">Iraq war costs more per month than Vietnam - report - Yahoo! News: "The U.S. war in
Iraq now costs more per month than the average monthly cost of military operations in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, according to a report issued on Wednesday.
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The report, entitled 'The Iraq Quagmire' from the Institute for Policy Studies and Foreign Policy in Focus, both liberal, anti-war organizations, put the cost of current operations in Iraq at $5.6 billion per month. This breaks down to almost $186 million a day.

'By comparison, the average cost of U.S. operations in Vietnam over the eight-year war was $5.1 billion per month, adjusting for inflation,' it said.

As a proportion of gross domestic product, the Vietnam War was more significant, costing 12 percent of annual
GDP, compared to 2 percent for the Iraq War. However, economists said the Iraq war is being financed with deficit spending and may nearly double the projected federal budget deficit over the next 10 years."

N.Y. Judge Hesitant on Abu Ghraib Photos

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | N.Y. Judge Hesitant on Abu Ghraib Photos:

"A judge said Tuesday he was hesitant to release pictures and videotapes of detainee abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison while top government officials insisted that deaths could result."

Daily Times - Site Edition

Daily Times - Site Edition: "CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has warned he will lodge a complaint against the United States at the United Nations and other international bodies if the US government fails to act against television evangelist Pat Robertson, who has called for Chavez’s assassination. “If the US government does not take action that it must take, we will go to the United Nations and Organisation of American States to denounce the US government,” the Venezuelan leader said Sunday as he addressed participants at talks on a social charter for the Americas. He added he believed that by failing to act against Robertson, the United States was “giving protection to a terrorist, who is demanding the assassination of a legitimate president.” Robertson caused a diplomatic stir last Monday when he said on the air that if Chavez believed the United States was trying to kill him, “I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it.” afp"

Scotsman.com News - Politics - Call for anti-terror law ban on US evangelist

Scotsman.com News - Politics - Call for anti-terror law ban on US evangelist:

"Key quote
'My view is that [Mr Robertson] is frankly not the sort of person we would welcome into Britain. The new law would catch him as someone preaching hate and murder' - Nigel Griffiths MP"

A War Crime or an Act of War? - New York Times Jan 31, 2003

A War Crime or an Act of War?:

"I am in a position to know because, as the Central Intelligence Agency's senior political analyst on Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war, and as a professor at the Army War College from 1988 to 2000, I was privy to much of the classified material that flowed through Washington having to do with the Persian Gulf. In addition, I headed a 1991 Army investigation into how the Iraqis would fight a war against the United States; the classified version of the report went into great detail on the Halabja affair.

This much about the gassing at Halabja we undoubtedly know: it came about in the course of a battle between Iraqis and Iranians. Iraq used chemical weapons to try to kill Iranians who had seized the town, which is in northern Iraq not far from the Iranian border. The Kurdish civilians who died had the misfortune to be caught up in that exchange. But they were not Iraq's main target.

And the story gets murkier: immediately after the battle the United States Defense Intelligence Agency investigated and produced a classified report, which it circulated within the intelligence community on a need-to-know basis. That study asserted that it was Iranian gas that killed the Kurds, not Iraqi gas.

The agency did find that each side used gas against the other in the battle around Halabja. The condition of the dead Kurds' bodies, however, indicated they had been killed with a blood agent — that is, a cyanide-based gas — which Iran was known to use. The Iraqis, who are thought to have used mustard gas in the battle, are not known to have possessed blood agents at the time.

These facts have long been in the public domain but, extraordinarily, as often as the Halabja affair is cited, they are rarely mentioned. A much-discussed article in The New Yorker last March did not make reference to the Defense Intelligence Agency report or consider that Iranian gas might have killed the Kurds. On th"

URGENT: House Investigation of Downing Street Minutes Nears Vote Deadline :: from www.uruknet.info :: news from occupied Iraq - ch

URGENT: House Investigation of Downing Street Minutes Nears Vote Deadline :: from www.uruknet.info :: news from occupied Iraq - ch:

"Reported on Wednesday, August 24, by a meager number of media outlets (a search on Google News produced all of ONE result, this, from Political Affairs Magazine) Congressman Jim Leach (R) of Iowa has become the first Republican to publicly announce that he would cosponsor the bill (H. Res. 375) by representative Barbara Lee (D) of California.

The bill, a resolution of inquiry, introduced by Lee in the House of Representatives on July 20, 2005 and referred to the Committee on International Relations on the same day, requests (quoting directly from the bill), 'the President and directing the Secretary of State to transmit to the House of Representatives not later than 14 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution all information in the possession of the President and the Secretary of State relating to communication with officials of the United Kingdom between January 1, 2002, and October 16, 2002, relating to the policy of the United States with respect to Iraq.'

The bill was originally co-sponsored by 25 other House members, all Democrats. Since that time, another 28 have signed on as co-sponsors, including Leach, who has previously been critical of the Bush administration's policies on the War in Iraq.

The U. S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations is comprised of 50 members - 23 Democrats and 27 Republicans. As of this writing, 10 Democrat members of the committee have publicly signed on as co-sponsors. A majority of 26 committee members is needed for passage.

A vote on the resolution must take place on or before September 16.

Including Leach with all 23 Democrats on the committee (assuming that the vote will proceed along party lines), the total now seemingly in favor of passage is 24. Representative Ron Paul (R), the libertarian firebrand from Texas, is widely assumed to "

DesMoinesRegister.com

"Count on Rep. Jim Leach. He's going to make waves again as, apparently, the first Republican to sign on to a House resolution demanding disclosure of administration documents related to what's known as the Downing Street memos.

Aides to the Iowa City Republican on Friday confirmed an announcement posted on an anti-war Web site, www. afterdowningstreet.org, saying that Leach will become a co-sponsor of House Resolution 375, authored by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.

The resolution, which as of Friday had 39 Democratic co-sponsors, requests that President Bush and the secretary of state send to the House all information in their possession relating to communications with the United Kingdom between Jan. 1, 2002, and Oct. 16, 2002, in connection with Iraq.

This includes telephone and e-mail records, logs, calenders, minutes and memos.">DesMoinesRegister.com: "Count on Rep. Jim Leach. He's going to make waves again as, apparently, the first Republican to sign on to a House resolution demanding disclosure of administration documents related to what's known as the Downing Street memos.

Aides to the Iowa City Republican on Friday confirmed an announcement posted on an anti-war Web site, www. afterdowningstreet.org, saying that Leach will become a co-sponsor of House Resolution 375, authored by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.

The resolution, which as of Friday had 39 Democratic co-sponsors, requests that President Bush and the secretary of state send to the House all information in their possession relating to communications with the United Kingdom between Jan. 1, 2002, and Oct. 16, 2002, in connection with Iraq.

This includes telephone and e-mail records, logs, calenders, minutes and memos."

Latest Business News and Financial Information | Reuters.com

Latest Business News and Financial Information | Reuters.com:

"U.S. crude oil futures surged more than $4 in opening trade on Monday, hitting a new record high above $70 a barrel"

Alberta is about to get wildly rich and powerful

Macleans.ca | Top Stories | Business | Alberta is about to get wildly rich and powerful:

"If these estimates are accurate, Canada's oil reserves rank second behind only Saudi Arabia's 260 billion barrels. And there are many who believe the current oil sands assessments understate the true potential here. The AEUB has projected that rising prices and improved technology could ultimately push the oil sands yield close to 300 billion barrels, which would make it the richest petroleum field in the world. By 2015, the oil sands are expected to be producing roughly three million barrels of petroleum a day. Assuming prices will average US$40 a barrel (well below where they are today), that suggests annual revenues of close to US$43 billion."

Army Contract Official Critical of Halliburton Pact Is Demoted - New York Times

Army Contract Official Critical of Halliburton Pact Is Demoted - New York Times: "August 29, 2005

A top Army contracting official who criticized a large, noncompetitive contract with the Halliburton Company for work in Iraq was demoted Saturday for what the Army called poor job performance.

The official, Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, has worked in military procurement for 20 years and for the past several years had been the chief overseer of contracts at the Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that has managed much of the reconstruction work in Iraq.
Skip to next paragraph
Dennis Cook/Associated Press

Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, a contracting official, spoke in June before a Congressional panel studying reports of overcharges by Halliburton.
The Reach of War
Go to Complete Coverage
Readers
Forum: The Transition in Iraq

The demotion removes her from the elite Senior Executive Service and reassigns her to a lesser job in the corps' civil works division.

Ms. Greenhouse's lawyer, Michael Kohn, called the action an 'obvious reprisal' for the strong objections she raised in 2003 to a series of corps decisions involving the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, which has garnered more than $10 billion for work in Iraq.

Dick Cheney led Halliburton, which is based in Texas, before he became vice president."

Presidential Recount Dispute Back Before New Mexico's Highest Court - from TBO.com

Presidential Recount Dispute Back Before New Mexico's Highest Court - from TBO.com: "Aug 28, 2005

Advertisement

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The state's highest court is revisiting a dispute over last year's presidential election in New Mexico.

State Supreme Court justices are scheduled Monday to hear arguments from lawyers for last year's Green and Libertarian presidential candidates who say the state wrongly handled their request for a recount.

President Bush won New Mexico in the general election by a 5,988-vote margin over Democrat John Kerry.

Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb and Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik asked for a recount of presidential ballots statewide in late November, saying there were problems with voting machines and counting of paper ballots."

Sunnis Reject Draft of Iraqi Constitution - Yahoo! News

Sunnis Reject Draft of Iraqi Constitution - Yahoo! News:

"Sunni Arab negotiators also said in a joint statement that they had asked the
United Nations and Arab League to intervene.

The country's parliament speaker, Hajim al-Hassani, a Sunni Arab who was not on the negotiating panel, said he had 'some reservations' about the draft — including 'too much religion' and curbs on women's rights — and believed Shiites should have offered more concessions to the Sunnis.

Also, Sunni Vice President Ghazi al-Yawer did not attend a ceremony marking the end of the drafting process. Asked why al-Yawer was absent, President Jalal Talabani said 'he's sick,' eliciting laughter from officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi, a Shiite.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who worked furiously to try to mediate a deal, said the constitution was 'a good document,' although he said he understood Sunni concerns.

The document, which included last-minute changes aimed at easing Sunni concerns, was read to lawmakers but was not put to a vote in the assembly, where the Shiite-Kurdish bloc has an overwhelming majority.

'The constitution is left to our people to approve or reject it,' said Talabani, a Kurd. 'I hope that our people will accept it despite some flaws.'"

: Iraq delegates reject 'US' constitution [August 28, 2005]

The Australian: Iraq delegates reject 'US' constitution [August 28, 2005]: "August 28, 2005

A SUNNI Arab delegate on the committee drafting Iraq's constitution said all his colleagues on the panel objected to a draft presented to parliament overnight and would campaign against it in an October referendum.

'We have not agreed on this constitution. We have objections which are the same as we had from day one,' Hussein al-Falluji said, saying he was speaking for all Sunni delegates and denying suggestions the group was split.

'If there is no forging of the results, I believe the people will say 'No' to the American constitution,' he said, in reference to an expected referendum in October.

'This is an American constitution and we will not accept it no matter what,' he said."

Bush braces U.S. for sacrifice as protesters gather - Yahoo! News

"President George W. Bush, assailed by sagging poll numbers and criticism from anti-war protesters camped outside his ranch, called on Saturday for Americans to show resolve and brace for additional sacrifice in Iraq.

Bush, who personally intervened this week with a key Shi'ite leader in a bid to broker a deal on Iraq's constitution, said Iraqis were "making the tough choices and compromises necessary for a free and peaceful future.
...................

The latest Gallup survey showed that just two in five Americans approved of the job he was doing while 56 percent disapproved of his performance.

Compared to other post-World War Two presidents at this point in their second term, only
Richard Nixon had a lower job approval rating and he was in the midst of the Watergate scandal, Gallup said. The others were all above 50 percent."

Republican Congressman Breaks Ranks, Joins Demand for Documents on Downing Street Memos

Political Affairs Magazine - Republican Congressman Breaks Ranks, Joins Demand for Documents on Downing Street Memos:

"Congressman Jim Leach (R, Iowa) has informed Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D, California) that he will co-sponsor her Resolution of Inquiry into Bush Administration communications with the U.K. about Iraq at the time of the Downing Street Memos. Leach is the first Republican member of Congress to publicly support a demand for an inquiry into the Bush Administration's pre-war claims. The 131 congress members who have signed Congressman John Conyers' letter to the President about the Downing Street Memo are all Democrats. The 11 Senators who have asked the Senate Intelligence Committee to do the investigation it committed to in February 2004 but never did are all Democrats.

The Resolution, H. Res. 375, is a privileged resolution which must be brought to a vote in the House International Relations Committee by September 16th, or Lee is permitted to demand a vote of the full House. Fifty-two Democrats, including Lee, have co-sponsored the Resolution. Leach is the first Republican to join them, and he is a member of the International Relations Committee..

The International Relations Committee has 27 Republican members and 23 Democratic members. Thus far 10 of the Democrats have co-sponsored the Resolution. If the other 13 vote for it as well, then along with Leach, one more Republican vote will be needed for a tie, or two more for passage."

Bush urges compromise over Iraq constitution

MSN Money - Financial Times Business News: Bush urges compromise over Iraq constitution: "The White House confirmed on Friday that Mr Bush had placed a call late this week to Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, a key Shia leader, urging that efforts be continued to reach a compromise with Sunni leaders on the text of the draft constitution, which is scheduled to go to a referendum in October.

Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman, told reporters at the president's Crawford, Texas, ranch that the brief call was made 'to discuss current developments in Iraq's constitutional process'."

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Sunnis rally against Iraq charter

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Sunnis rally against Iraq charter:

PDF FILE located halfway down page

Iraq draft constitution in full (100K)

Top Venezuela Diplomat Says U.S. Reaction Leaves Doubt After Call for Chavez to Be Killed - from TBO.com

Top Venezuela Diplomat Says U.S. Reaction Leaves Doubt After Call for Chavez to Be Killed - from TBO.com: "Aug 26, 2005

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's foreign minister criticized the U.S. government for stopping short of condemning remarks by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson that the United States should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez said at a meeting in Bariloche, Argentina, on Thursday that the U.S. reaction had been 'a bit strange,' according to a Foreign Ministry statement issued in Venezuela.

'There has been no forceful condemnation by the United States as everyone expected,' Rodriguez said, according to the statement.

He also said Robertson's comments were clearly a crime of incitement but that no legal proceedings have been opened in the United States."

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | US relents on Islamic law to reach Iraq deal

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | US relents on Islamic law to reach Iraq deal: "If approved, critics say that the proposals would erode women's rights and other freedoms enshrined under existing laws. 'We understand the Americans have sided with the Shias. It's shocking. It doesn't fit with American values,' an unnamed Kurdish negotiator told Reuters. 'They have spent so much blood and money here, only to back the creation of an Islamist state.'

Dozens of women gathered in central Baghdad yesterday to protest against what the organiser, Yanar Mohammad, feared would be a 'fascist, nationalist and Islamist' constitution. 'We are fighting to avoid becoming second class citizens,' she said."

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Millions embezzled at Iraqi ministry

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Millions embezzled at Iraqi ministry: "Monday August 22, 2005
The Guardian

British officials are seriously concerned about the level of corruption in the Iraqi defence ministry, after the embezzlement of vast amounts of money earmarked for the country's security forces.

Officials from the British Ministry of Defence had already warned US and Iraqi authorities against the squandering of money - and have been proved right, on a catastrophic scale.

A report compiled by the Iraqi Board of Supreme Audit has concluded that at least half, and probably more, of $1.27bn (�700m) of Iraqi money spent on military procurement has disappeared into a miasma of kickbacks and vanished middlemen - or else has been spent on useless equipment."

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Under US noses, brutal insurgents rule Sunni citadel

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Under US noses, brutal insurgents rule Sunni citadel:

"DVDs of beheadings on the bridge are distributed free in the souk. Children prefer them to cartoons. 'They should not watch such things,' said one grandfather, but parents appeared not to object.

One DVD features a young, blond muscular man who had been disembowelled. He was said to have been a member of a six-strong US sniper team ambushed and killed on August 1. Residents said he had been paraded in town before being executed.

The US military denied that, saying six bodies were recovered and that all appeared to have died in combat. Shortly after the ambush three landmines killed 14 marines in a convoy which ventured from their base outside the town."

Under US noses, brutal insurgents rule Sunni citadel

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Under US noses, brutal insurgents rule Sunni citadel: "Omer Mahdi in Haditha and Rory Carroll in Baghdad
Monday August 22, 2005
The Guardian

The executions are carried out at dawn on Haqlania bridge, the entrance to Haditha. A small crowd usually turns up to watch even though the killings are filmed and made available on DVD in the market the same afternoon.

One of last week's victims was a young man in a black tracksuit. Like the others he was left on his belly by the blue iron railings at the bridge's southern end. His severed head rested on his back, facing Baghdad. Children cheered when they heard that the next day's spectacle would be a double bill: two decapitations. A man named Watban and his brother had been found guilty of spying.

With so many alleged American agents dying here Haqlania bridge was renamed Agents' bridge. Then a local wag dubbed it Agents' fridge, evoking a mortuary, and that name has stuck.

A three-day visit by a reporter working for the Guardian last week established what neither the Iraqi government nor the US military has admitted: Haditha, a farming town of 90,000 people by the Euphrates river, is an insurgent citadel.

That Islamist guerrillas were active in the area was no secret but only now has the extent of their control been revealed. They are the sole authority, running the town's security, administration and communications.

A three-hour drive north from Baghdad, under the nose of an American base, it is a miniature Taliban-like state. Insurgents decide who lives and dies, which salaries get paid, what people wear, what they watch and listen to."

Gas busting budgets across USA USATODAY.com -

USATODAY.com - Gas busting budgets across USA:

"Soaring gas prices are slamming cities, school districts and sheriff's departments across the USA, forcing local governments to scrimp, save and borrow to pay the price at the pump.

School buses, snowplows and squad cars, which burn millions of gallons of gas a year, can burn million-dollar holes in budgets.

'It's really wreaking havoc,' says Jeff Esser, CEO of the Government Finance Officers Association. 'They really have two choices: Raise taxes or cut back on other programs or services. That's it.'"

Islamic Slant in Charter Decried - Los Angeles Times

Islamic Slant in Charter Decried - Los Angeles Times: "For instance, the draft constitution makes Islam the 'official religion' of Iraq and 'a main source' of law rather than 'the' source, as many Shiite conservatives sought. But secularists remain concerned about a clause that prohibits any law that 'contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam.'

Critics fear the provision could be used by religious hard-liners to impose a strict version of Islamic law, such as banning alcohol, restricting women's rights and imposing harsh Koranic punishments such as stoning.

The Iraqi draft constitution also calls for gender equality and privacy rights and prohibits laws that contradict democracy or 'basic freedoms' guaranteed by the charter.

'It's not a workable document,' said Abdullahi Ahmed An-Naim, an Islamic scholar and law professor at Emory University. 'They brushed their differences under the carpet and crafted language that they could vote for. It's a time bomb that will explode as soon as it's enacted,' he said.

An-Naim said a similar move to make laws conform to Islam by Sudan's Arab-dominated government in the 1980s sparked a 20-year civil war when southern Christians rebelled. 'It was a disaster.'

In Iraq, Iyad Jamal Din, a Shiite Muslim cleric and political activist who opposes mixing religion and government, voiced similar concerns. 'It tries to preserve human rights, but within a choking religious society that is a clone of the Iranian system,' he said. 'I fear this constitution will lead us into a dark society controlled by extremists.'

Although Iraq's charter does not envision installing a 'supreme leader' like Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, questions are already emerging about certain provisions. For example, what are the 'undisputed rules' of Islam? What constitutes 'contradicting?' Since alcohol is banned in the Koran, should Iraq become a dry nation? Are women required to cover their heads? Does a prison sentence for a thief contradict the Koran, which calls for amputation of the hand?

'The problem is that there are no agreements on these questions,' said Peter W. Galbraith, a former U.S. ambassador to Croatia who advised Kurdish politicians on the constitution. 'It allows any cleric to make his own interpretation of the law and opens the door to a whole range of abuses.'

Galbraith said the draft fell well short of the sort of democratic government the Bush administration hoped to install in Iraq. 'The U.S. now has to recognize that they overthrew Saddam Hussein to replace him with a pro-Iranian state,' he said.

Kurdish negotiators had objected to many of the provisions, but they eventually agreed after securing a separate provision that would allow them to draft their own regional constitution, which could override the national charter on issues such as religion and human rights, Galbraith said.

By the same token, Shiites in the south could seek to pass a regional constitution with even stricter rules than the national one, he added."
................

The new Iraqi text is a departure from Iraqi constitutions under British rule or Saddam Hussein's regime, which generally spoke only of the "spirit of Islam" as being a part of the nation's fabric.

Iraq Versus Vietnam: A Comparison of Public Opinion

Iraq Versus Vietnam: A Comparison of Public Opinion:

"As the graph illustrates, Americans have become negative about the war in Iraq more quickly than they did for the Vietnam War.

The latest quarterly average for Iraq shows that 50% say it was a mistake to send troops (the most recent single measure on this indicator, from an Aug. 5-7 Gallup Poll, shows 54% saying the war was a mistake).

In the comparable quarter for the Vietnam War (the third quarter of the war's third year -- that is, the third quarter of 1967), Gallup found 41% saying the conflict was a mistake. It was not until the third quarter of the fourth year of the Vietnam War (August-September 1968) that a majority of Americans said the war was a mistake. In short, it took longer for a majority of Americans to view the Vietnam War as a mistake than has been the case for Iraq." GRAPH

CIA Sends Finished 9 / 11 Report to Panels - New York Times

CIA Sends Finished 9 / 11 Report to Panels - New York Times:

"CIA Director Porter Goss personally delivered to Congress the findings of the agency's inspector general report on the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, opening a debate about how much of the highly classified and critical document should be made public."

Bush: Pullout Would Hurt Iraq's Democracy - Yahoo! News

Bush: Pullout Would Hurt Iraq's Democracy - Yahoo! News: "NAMPA, Idaho -
President Bush says he has listened to but disagrees with
Iraq war critics who want U.S. troops brought home immediately, saying to pull out now would hurt that country's fledgling democracy and the United States too."

US ends opposition to Islamic law in Iraq constitution to pave way for compromise

JURIST - Paper Chase: US ends opposition to Islamic law in Iraq constitution to pave way for compromise:

"US officials have dropped their objections to Islam playing a role in Iraq's legal system, according to members of Iraq's constitutional committee [official website]."

United Press International�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

United Press International�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper: "Aug. 23, 2005 at 10:24AM

Islamic law no longer will let women in the Muslim state of Kano in Nigeria ride the motorcycle taxis to end body contact with the driver.
....
Some government officials said the new rule is the next logical step in their effort to bring the strict Islamic Sharia code of laws to Kano, the Washington Post reported."

Kurds say US 'pushed' Islamic law - Iraq - Features - In Depth - theage.com.au

Kurds say US 'pushed' Islamic law - Iraq - Features - In Depth - theage.com.au: "August 22, 2005

KURDISH politicians negotiating a draft constitution have criticised the US ambassador to Iraq for allegedly pushing them to accept too great a role for Islamic law in the US drive to complete the charter on time.

Although a Sunni delegate made similar charges, US officials declined to comment publicly while they worked with politicians as today's deadline loomed."

Ex-Halliburton worker pleads guilty to bribes - Yahoo! News

Ex-Halliburton worker pleads guilty to bribes - Yahoo! News: "Mon Aug 22, 4:24 PM ET

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A former Halliburton Co. worker pleaded guilty late last week to taking more than $110,000 in bribes from an Iraqi company in 2004 and defrauding the United States, court documents showed."

- U.S. gravestone guidelines changed - Aug 23, 2005 CNN.com

CNN.com - U.S. gravestone guidelines changed - Aug 23, 2005:

"Unlike earlier wars, nearly all Arlington National Cemetery gravestones for troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan are inscribed with the slogan-like operation names the Pentagon selected to promote public support for the conflicts."

Iraq Must Avoid a Rollback of Rights

Iraq Must Avoid a Rollback of Rights: "August 4, 2005; Page A23

Iraq's new democracy will be crippled from the outset if the drafts of the country's permanent constitution being circulated are any indication of where things are headed. In a significant rollback from language in the interim constitution, known as the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), current drafts would threaten regional stability and thwart stated U.S. goals of promoting freedom and democracy. They would establish a constitution under which dissent and debate would not be protected. As the deadline for a constitution approaches, the United States and the international community must redouble their efforts to ensure that an Iran-like theocratic state is not established in Iraq.

Current drafts would limit Iraq's international human rights obligations to those that do not contradict Islam or Islamic law. They assert that an undefined version of Islamic law, or sharia , is the main source of law. They make no reference to freedom of religion or belief for every Iraqi, and they provide no guarantee of individual freedom of thought and conscience. One clause in the constitution would forbid any law contrary to sharia, leaving the door open for interpretations by unelected Islamic 'experts' to be considered sacrosanct. In fact, the drafts authorize many of the constitutional court's justices to be sharia jurists who may have no education or experience in civil law -- placing Iraq's judiciary in the company of those in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, which allow judges without traditional legal training to decide matters pertaining to constitutional law. Basic individual rights, perhaps even the constitution itself, would be protected only if they were not viewed as contrary to judicial interpretations of Islam."

Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives

Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives:

" The head of Afghanistan’s Supreme Court is a man who has shown little regard for those who disagree with his hard-line interpretation of Islam. He told those of us visiting Afghanistan that yes, he supports international human rights standards, with the exception of three: freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and gender equality.
........................

With no guarantee of the individual right to religious freedom and a judicial system instructed to enforce Islamic principles and Islamic law, the new Afghan constitution does not fully protect individual Afghan citizens against, for example, unjust accusations of religious 'crimes' such as apostasy and blasphemy. There are also fewer protections for Afghans to debate the role and content of religion in law and society, to advocate the rights of women and members of religious minorities, and to question interpretations of Islamic precepts without fear of retribution. This could permit a harsh, unfair, or even abusive interpretation of religious orthodoxy to be officially imposed, violating numerous rights by stifling dissent, which is permissible within the Islamic tradition.

It is critical that what happened in Afghanistan not be repeated in Iraq. In the early stages of the drafting of Iraq’s interim constitution, the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), the sections on fundamental freedoms and human rights did not include guarantees of the right to freedom of religion or belief for every Iraqi. In response, as it had done in the case of Afghanistan, the Commission developed for senior U.S. policymakers a series of specific recommendations that would ensure in the TAL guarantees to the right to freedom of religion or belief for every Iraqi. The Commission met or corresponded with senior U.S. officials in the Coalition Provisional Authority, the State Department, and the National Security Council to discuss the specific concerns and recommendations regarding the TAL. The Commission wrote to then-Administrator L. Paul Bremer of the CPA expressing its concern about early drafts of the interim constitution, and the Commission also advised on the content of House Resolution 545, introduced by Representatives Dana Rohrabacher and Carolyn Maloney, expressing the sense of the House that the TAL should ensure that every Iraqi be guaranteed the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion"

Iran welcomes codification of Iraqi draft constitution - Irna

Iran welcomes codification of Iraqi draft constitution - Irna:

"Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi here Tuesday praised the codification of Iraqi constitution as 'very valuable' and expressed contentedness with this development."

Glee and Anger Greet Iraq's Draft Charter

Glee and Anger Greet Iraq's Draft Charter:

"The constitution's treatment of Islamic law and of women also drew objections and a defense.

The draft says no law can contradict the principles of Islam and leaves it open for individuals to decide whether inheritance, divorce and marriage would be governed by religious or civil law. Opponents say those provisions threaten women's rights, potentially leaving them subject to the edicts of extremist clerics.

'Women, they lost hugely in this constitution,' said National Assembly Chairman Hachim Hasani, a Sunni who represented the demands of women's groups during the constitutional debates.

'Women had more rights in the past regime than they had now,' Hasani said."

Piling on the Defenders of U.S. Policy in Iraq

Piling on the Defenders of U.S. Policy in Iraq:

"A nationwide poll released Monday by American Research Group showed Bush's approval rating at 36 percent"

Chavez offers cheap gas to poor in U.S. - Aug 23, 2005 CNN.com

CNN.com - Chavez offers cheap gas to poor in U.S. - Aug 23, 2005: "August 23, 2005; Posted: 7:29 p.m. EDT (23:29 GMT)


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HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, popular with the poor at home, offered on Tuesday to help needy Americans with cheap supplies of gasoline.

'We want to sell gasoline and heating fuel directly to poor communities in the United States,' the populist leader told reporters at the end of a visit to Communist-run Cuba.

Chavez did not say how Venezuela would go about providing gasoline to poor communities. Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA owns Citgo, which has 14,000 gas stations in the United States.

The offer may sound attractive to Americans feeling pinched by soaring prices at the pump but not to the U.S. government, which sees Chavez as a left-wing troublemaker in Latin America.

Gasoline is cheaper than mineral water in oil-producing Venezuela, where consumers can fill their tanks for less than $2. Average gas prices have risen to $2.61 a gallon in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Chavez said Venezuela could supply gasoline to Americans at half the price they now pay if intermediaries who 'speculated ... and exploited consumers' were cut out."

IOL: US televangelist calls for assassination of Venezuelan president

IOL: US televangelist calls for assassination of Venezuelan president: "23/08/2005 - 06:29:46 American televangelist Pat Robertson has called for the assassination of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez (pictured) on his religious television show, calling him a “terrific danger” to the US.

American televangelist Pat Robertson has called for the assassination of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez on his religious television show, calling him a “terrific danger” to the US.

Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former presidential candidate, said on his TV show The 700 Club that it was America’s duty to stop Chavez from making Venezuela a “launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism”.

Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of US president George Bush, accusing America of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him. US officials have called the accusations ridiculous.

“You know, I don’t know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it,” Robertson said.

“It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war … and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop.”"

August 19, 2005 Headlines | UK to test RFID-tagged license plates

August 19, 2005 Headlines | UK to test RFID-tagged license plates:

"TEHRAN — 'Oil is the lifeline of the West, and most of the West's military industries are dependent on it,” the Tehran Times suggested in an editorial last week. Irritated by a recent resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that called for a halt to Iran’s uranium conversion program, the newspaper suggested that oil-rich states form a united front and use oil as a tool to confront 'western neocolonialist countries.'

In Venezuela, Pres. Hugo Chavez has taken the idea a step further, threatening to halt oil exports if alleged attacks on his country continue, according to Agence France Press"

CNN.com - Former aide:�Powell�WMD speech�'lowest point in my life' - Aug 19, 2005

CNN.com - Former aide:�Powell�WMD speech�'lowest point in my life' - Aug 19, 2005:

"A former top aide to Colin Powell says his involvement in the former secretary of state's presentation to the United Nations on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was 'the lowest point' in his life.

'I wish I had not been involved in it,' says Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, a longtime Powell adviser who served as his chief of staff from 2002 through 2005. 'I look back on it, and I still say it was the lowest point in my life.'"

Shot Brazilian 'did not jump barrier and run'----------Telegraph | News |

Telegraph | News | Shot Brazilian 'did not jump barrier and run': "Shot Brazilian 'did not jump barrier and run'
By Philip Johnston
(Filed: 17/08/2005)

The Brazilian electrician shot dead by police on the London Underground last month was being restrained when he was killed by officers from Scotland Yard's firearms unit, according to documents leaked last night.

Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head by two plainclothes policemen who had followed him on to the train at Stockwell station in the mistaken belief that he was a potential suicide bomber.

Documents and photographs leaked to ITV News also confirmed that Mr de Menezes did not run from the police, as had been reported, had used his Tube pass to enter the station, rather than vault the barrier, and had taken a seat on the train before being grabbed by an officer.

He was wearing a light denim jacket and not as previously reported a padded coat which could have concealed explosives."

Colonel briefed 9/11 panel on Atta�-�Nation/Politics�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

Colonel briefed 9/11 panel on Atta�-�Nation/Politics�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper:

"An Army intelligence officer yesterday said he told staff members from the September 11 commission that a secret military unit had identified two of the three cells involved in the 2001 terrorist strikes more than a year before the attacks.
Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, who said he was associated with the Able Danger unit, recalled that during a 2003 meeting with commission staffers in Afghanistan, he mentioned that the unit had identified September 11 ringleader Mohamed Atta along with three other hijackers as terrorist suspects.
Three months later, in January 2004, Col. Shaffer said he was back in the United States and offered to follow up with the commission, but his offer was declined.
'I just walked away shocked that they would kind of change their mind, but I figured someone with equal or better knowledge ... probably came and talked to them, so they must've taken care of it,' Col. Shaffer said."

Questions dog 9/11 probe

Questions dog 9/11 probe: "17/08/2005 14:47 - (SA)

Washington - An army intelligence officer said on Wednesday he does not believe the 9/11 commission pressed hard enough for documentation of claims that military intelligence found a United States-based terrorist cell that included Mohamed Atta, who turned out to be the leader of the September 11 attacks, prior to the terrorist strikes.

'I don't believe they ever got all the documents, but then again I don't think that they pressed properly to get all of the documents,' Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer said on CBS' The Early Show."

Xinhua - English

Xinhua - English: "Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) --

A US military intelligence officer asserted Wednesday that the Sept. 11 Commission failed to thoroughly probe a major intelligence error related to the deadly terror attacks in 2001.

Showing up in US TV network CBS's 'the Early Show', Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer said the panel has not pressed hard enough for documentation of claims that the US Army knew about Sept. 11 hijackers as terror suspects operating within the country before the attacks.

He said he was once a member of an Army intelligence unit code-named 'Able Danger,' which had identified four future Sept. 11 hijackers as al Qaeda members by mid-2000.

However, military lawyers in the Pentagon stopped the unit from sharing the important information with the FBI, saying the four suspects were legal immigrants so information on them could not beshared with law enforcement agencies such as FBI based on relevant government codes.

Shaffer said after the Sept. 11 attacks, he provided the information to the Sept. 11 Commission staffs, but the panel did not include it in its final report released last year.

As a result, there is no suggestion in the report that the US government knew about the hijackers as early as 2000, he said.

'I don't believe they (the commission) ever got all the documents,' said Shaffer.

The officer is the second person to reveal the intelligence lapse.

US Congressman Curt Weldon, also a former member of the 'Able Danger' intelligence unit, made similar claims on Aug. 9."

ChannelOklahoma.com - News - FBI Investigating Local Homeland Security Agents

ChannelOklahoma.com - News - FBI Investigating Local Homeland Security Agents: "August 16, 2005

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Allegations that as many as six federal Homeland Security deportation agents assaulted and tortured a Nigerian man who was shackled at Oklahoma City's Immigration and Customs Enforcement office are being investigated by the FBI, according to a published report."

Leahy Lambastes Roberts' 'Radical' Stands

Leahy Lambastes Roberts' 'Radical' Stands: "August 17, 2005; 2:58 AM

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Patrick Leahy says Supreme Court nominee John Roberts holds 'radical' views and has been an 'eager, aggressive advocate' for policies of the far right."

Officer Says Military Blocked Sharing of Files on Terrorists - New York Times

Officer Says Military Blocked Sharing of Files on Terrorists - New York Times: "August 17, 2005

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 - A military intelligence team repeatedly contacted the F.B.I. in 2000 to warn about the existence of an American-based terrorist cell that included the ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a veteran Army intelligence officer who said he had now decided to risk his career by discussing the information publicly.

The officer, Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, said military lawyers later blocked the team from sharing any of its information with the bureau.

Colonel Shaffer said in an interview on Monday night that the small, highly classified intelligence program, known as Able Danger, had identified the terrorist ringleader, Mohamed Atta, and three other future hijackers by name by mid-2000, and tried to arrange a meeting that summer with agents of the Washington field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to share its information.

But he said military lawyers forced members of the intelligence program to cancel three scheduled meetings with the F.B.I. at the last minute, which left the bureau without information that Colonel Shaffer said might have led to Mr. Atta and the other terrorists while the Sept. 11 attacks were still being planned."

Update in ACLU Torture FOIA Lawsuit-----American Civil Liberties Union :

American Civil Liberties Union : Update in ACLU Torture FOIA Lawsuit: "Update in ACLU Torture FOIA Lawsuit

August 19, 2005

Contact: media@aclu.org

Following a two-hour closed hearing in New York on August 15, a federal judge ordered the government to reveal blacked-out portions of its legal papers arguing against the release of images depicting abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib. The government has told the court it will not appeal the decision and will release the documents in their entirety sometime next week.

The court will next hear arguments on August 30 to determine whether the Defense Department must release 87 photographs and four videos depicting abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib. After unsuccessfully invoking the Geneva Conventions to block the release of the images, the government is now citing a legal provision that permits the withholding of records 'compiled for law enforcement purposes,' that 'could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual.'

In a friend-of-the-court brief submitted in the case, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and several media outlets and associations, including CBS Broadcasting, NBC Universal, The Hearst Corporation, The New York Times Co. and the American Society of Newspaper Editors, object to 'the government's misdirected effort to undermine the [Freedom of Information Act] by asserting, in essence, that its own misconduct has created an indictment too damning for the public to see.' Read the brief at http://action.aclu.org/torturefoia/legal/amicus080305.pdf."

Complaint targets Hastert committee

Complaint targets Hastert committee: "Aug 16, 2005, 04:01 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A watchdog group filed a complaint today urging federal election officials to investigate whether House Speaker Dennis Hastert's campaign fund illegally accepted campaign contributions from foreign nationals."

What Did the President Know?

What Did the President Know?: "What Did the President Know?

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, July 25, 2005; 1:30 PM

Now that special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald is said to have expanded his investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's identity to encompass a possible White House coverup, what the president and the vice president knew would appear to be much more relevant.

Fitzgerald interviewed both President Bush and Vice President Cheney more than a year ago, at what seemed at the time like the tail end of his investigation into the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity.

Bush and Cheney were not placed under oath -- the reasoning apparently being that they had no direct involvement in the potential criminal activity under investigation: the leak itself. We don't know much about either interview, beyond the fact that Bush had his personal attorney at his side.

But now Fitzgerald's investigation appears to have turned its focus to discrepancies in the testimony of White House senior adviser Karl Rove and vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby. Fitzgerald may be trying to determine whether evidence exists to bring perjury or obstruction of justice charges.

And that raises the issue of what -- if anything -- Rove and Libby told Bush and Cheney about their roles.

So does that mean Fitzgerald might call Bush and Cheney to testify before the grand jury -- under oath? Might he even have done so already? We have no idea, of course, because the White House isn't saying anything at all about the investigation anymore."

U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq

U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq: "August 14, 2005; Page A01

The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to settle for far less progress than originally envisioned during the transition due to end in four months, according to U.S. officials in Washington and Baghdad.

The United States no longer expects to see a model new democracy, a self-supporting oil industry or a society in which the majority of people are free from serious security or economic challenges, U.S. officials say."

The Energy Bill's Gift to Terrorists------The New York Times> Search> Abstract

The New York Times> Search> Abstract: "The Energy Bill's Gift to Terrorists

By ALAN J. KUPERMAN (NYT) Op-Ed 884 words
Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 23 , Column 1

ABSTRACT - Op-Ed article by Alan J Kuperman says obscure provision of energy bill signed by Pres Bush shows how, even in era of heightened concern about terrorism, narrow commercial considerations can trump national security at behest of one senator; says even though amendment in bill that guts restrictions on export of atomic bomb-grade uranium was opposed by Bush administration, majority of Senate leaders and nuclear regulators, Sen Pete Domenici, chairman of Energy Committee, abused his power to get passage, seemingly at behest of lobbyists; says Congress and White House should rectify this grievous error--before it is too late; drawing (M)"

U.S. Judge Sends Blackwater Suit to N.C.

U.S. Judge Sends Blackwater Suit to N.C.: "August 15, 2005; 9:45 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A federal judge has ruled that a North Carolina court should hear a lawsuit accusing a security firm based in the state of wrongful death in the brutal slayings of four guards in Iraq.

Plaintiffs' attorneys considered the ruling a victory for survivors of the guards, who had been contracted by Blackwater Security Consulting. North Carolina allows financial compensation in wrongful death lawsuits.


The killings in March 2004 made worldwide headlines. Frenzied crowds dragged the men's charred bodies through the streets of Fallujah and strung two of them up from a bridge.

The guards' families sued the company in state court in January, alleging Blackwater cut corners that led to the men's deaths. The suit said the workers were sent into Fallujah without proper equipment and personnel to defend the supply convoy they were guarding."

Officer Says Military Blocked Sharing of Files on Terrorists - New York Times

Officer Says Military Blocked Sharing of Files on Terrorists - New York Times:

"Aug. 16 - A military intelligence team repeatedly contacted the F.B.I. in 2000 to warn about the existence of an American-based terrorist cell that included the ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a veteran Army intelligence officer who said he had now decided to risk his career by discussing the information publicly.

The officer, Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, said military lawyers later blocked the team from sharing any of its information with the bureau.

Colonel Shaffer said in an interview on Monday night that the small, highly classified intelligence program, known as Able Danger, had identified the terrorist ringleader, Mohamed Atta, and three other future hijackers by name by mid-2000, and tried to arrange a meeting that summer with agents of the Washington field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to share its information.

But he said military lawyers forced members of the intelligence program to cancel three scheduled meetings with the F.B.I. at the last minute, which left the bureau without information that Colonel Shaffer said might have led to Mr. Atta and the other terrorists while the Sept. 11 attacks were still being planned."

Update in ACLU Torture FOIA Lawsuit----American Civil Liberties Union :

American Civil Liberties Union : Update in ACLU Torture FOIA Lawsuit:

"Following a two-hour closed hearing in New York on August 15, a federal judge ordered the government to reveal blacked-out portions of its legal papers arguing against the release of images depicting abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib. The government has told the court it will not appeal the decision and will release the documents in their entirety sometime next week.

The court will next hear arguments on August 30 to determine whether the Defense Department must release 87 photographs and four videos depicting abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib. After unsuccessfully invoking the Geneva Conventions to block the release of the images, the government is now citing a legal provision that permits the withholding of records 'compiled for law enforcement purposes,' that 'could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual.'

In a friend-of-the-court brief submitted in the case, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and several media outlets and associations, including CBS Broadcasting, NBC Universal, The Hearst Corporation, The New York Times Co. and the American Society of Newspaper Editors, object to 'the government's misdirected effort to undermine the [Freedom of Information Act] by asserting, in essence, that its own misconduct has created an indictment too damning for the public to see.' Read the brief at http://action.aclu.org/torturefoia/legal/amicus080305.pdf."

Complaint targets Hastert committee

Complaint targets Hastert committee:

"A watchdog group filed a complaint today urging federal election officials to investigate whether House Speaker Dennis Hastert's campaign fund illegally accepted campaign contributions from foreign nationals.

The complaint from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Government -- a self-described progressive group -- relies upon an article published in the September issue of Vanity Fair to argue the FEC should pursue the matter.

The group suggests that Hastert's campaign committee could have received hundreds of unitemized contributions of $200 or less from foreign nationals four or five years ago. Name and address information is not required for such small donations."

What Did the President Know?

What Did the President Know?: "July 25, 2005; 1:30 PM

Now that special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald is said to have expanded his investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's identity to encompass a possible White House coverup, what the president and the vice president knew would appear to be much more relevant.

Fitzgerald interviewed both President Bush and Vice President Cheney more than a year ago, at what seemed at the time like the tail end of his investigation into the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity.

Bush and Cheney were not placed under oath -- the reasoning apparently being that they had no direct involvement in the potential criminal activity under investigation: the leak itself. We don't know much about either interview, beyond the fact that Bush had his personal attorney at his side.

But now Fitzgerald's investigation appears to have turned its focus to discrepancies in the testimony of White House senior adviser Karl Rove and vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby. Fitzgerald may be trying to determine whether evidence exists to bring perjury or obstruction of justice charges.

And that raises the issue of what -- if anything -- Rove and Libby told Bush and Cheney about their roles.

So does that mean Fitzgerald might call Bush and Cheney to testify before the grand jury -- under oath? Might he even have done so already?"

U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq

U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq: "August 14, 2005; Page A01

The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to settle for far less progress than originally envisioned during the transition due to end in four months, according to U.S. officials in Washington and Baghdad.

The United States no longer expects to see a model new democracy, a self-supporting oil industry or a society in which the majority of people are free from serious security or economic challenges, U.S. officials say."

The New York Times> Search> Abstract

The New York Times> Search> Abstract:

"- Op-Ed article by Alan J Kuperman says obscure provision of energy bill signed by Pres Bush shows how, even in era of heightened concern about terrorism, narrow commercial considerations can trump national security at behest of one senator; says even though amendment in bill that guts restrictions on export of atomic bomb-grade uranium was opposed by Bush administration, majority of Senate leaders and nuclear regulators, Sen Pete Domenici, chairman of Energy Committee, abused his power to get passage, seemingly at behest of lobbyists; says Congress and White House should rectify this grievous error--before it is too late"

Iraqi insurgents outnumber U.S. forces - (United Press International)

Iraqi insurgents outnumber U.S. forces - (United Press International):

"Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Iraq's director of intelligence says there are now more Arabic insurgents in Iraq than there are U.S.-led coalition soldiers, The Times of London said Tuesday."

U.S. Judge Sends Blackwater Suit to N.C.

U.S. Judge Sends Blackwater Suit to N.C.:

"A federal judge has ruled that a North Carolina court should hear a lawsuit accusing a security firm based in the state of wrongful death in the brutal slayings of four guards in Iraq.

Plaintiffs' attorneys considered the ruling a victory for survivors of the guards, who had been contracted by Blackwater Security Consulting. North Carolina allows financial compensation in wrongful death lawsuits.


The killings in March 2004 made worldwide headlines. Frenzied crowds dragged the men's charred bodies through the streets of Fallujah and strung two of them up from a bridge.

The guards' families sued the company in state court in January, alleging Blackwater cut corners that led to the men's deaths. The suit said the workers were sent into Fallujah without proper equipment and personnel to defend the supply convoy they were guarding."

Reuters AlertNet - Iraq war boosted Islamic extremist threat- Carter

Reuters AlertNet - Iraq war boosted Islamic extremist threat- Carter:

"Aug 12 (Reuters) - The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a mistake that has boosted the ranks and morale of extremist Islamic groups and made them a greater threat to U.S. interests, former President Jimmy Carter said on Friday.

'We have not lessened the strength of terrorists around the world and have not lessened but have increased both the number and the fervor and the organizational capabilities of terrorists,' Carter said in a news conference at this U.S. naval base in southeastern Georgia."

Ford fires salaried employees

Ford fires salaried employees:

"Ford Motor Co., for the first time in generations, has resorted to firing employees and immediately escorting them from corporate buildings -- roiling the company and compelling Chief Executive Officer Bill Ford to send a message this week to reassure the so-called Ford Family.

Until now, Detroit automakers have cut thousands of white-collar jobs almost exclusively by getting employees to voluntarily quit through early retirement, buyouts or letting open positions go unfilled.

But not nearly enough people have come off Ford's payroll to meet its initial goal of cutting 2,750 of its 35,000 North American white-collar workers."

American Civil Liberties Union : Legal Papers Unsealed Today in ACLU Quest for Government's Abu Ghraib Torture Images

American Civil Liberties Union : Legal Papers Unsealed Today in ACLU Quest for Government's Abu Ghraib Torture Images: "- In legal papers unsealed today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged a federal court to order the release of photographs and videos that depict the abuse and torture of prisoners in U.S. custody at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The ACLU also asked the court to reject the government's attempt to file some of its legal arguments in secret.

'The ACLU shares everyone's deep concern about the dangers facing American soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere,' said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. 'The actions depicted in these photos and videos demonstrate the failure of American leaders who placed our young men and women in compromising situations and are now seeking to blame them for it. The real shame here is that our leaders left our troops out on a limb and now they are hiding behind a veil of rank and government office to avoid accountability.'

Romero noted that until the first photos of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib were made public in April 2004, the government had consistently denied that any wrongdoing had taken place despite news reports to the contrary. Since then, the ACLU has obtained through a court order more than 60,000 pages of government documents regarding torture and abuse of detainees.

Despite this evidence, the government continues to minimize the extent of the torture and to describe it as the action of a few rogue soldiers. In response, the ACLU has called for an independent counsel with subpoena power to investigate the torture scandal, including the role of senior policymakers, and has filed a separate lawsuit to hold Secretary Rumsfeld and high-ranking military officers accountable."

American Civil Liberties Union : Legal Papers Unsealed Today in ACLU Quest for Government's Abu Ghraib Torture Images

American Civil Liberties Union : Legal Papers Unsealed Today in ACLU Quest for Government's Abu Ghraib Torture Images: "- In legal papers unsealed today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged a federal court to order the release of photographs and videos that depict the abuse and torture of prisoners in U.S. custody at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The ACLU also asked the court to reject the government's attempt to file some of its legal arguments in secret.

'The ACLU shares everyone's deep concern about the dangers facing American soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere,' said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. 'The actions depicted in these photos and videos demonstrate the failure of American leaders who placed our young men and women in compromising situations and are now seeking to blame them for it. The real shame here is that our leaders left our troops out on a limb and now they are hiding behind a veil of rank and government office to avoid accountability.'

Romero noted that until the first photos of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib were made public in April 2004, the government had consistently denied that any wrongdoing had taken place despite news reports to the contrary. Since then, the ACLU has obtained through a court order more than 60,000 pages of government documents regarding torture and abuse of detainees.

Despite this evidence, the government continues to minimize the extent of the torture and to describe it as the action of a few rogue soldiers. In response, the ACLU has called for an independent counsel with subpoena power to investigate the torture scandal, including the role of senior policymakers, and has filed a separate lawsuit to hold Secretary Rumsfeld and high-ranking military officers accountable."

Pentagon fights to conceal jail photos - World - smh.com.au

Pentagon fights to conceal jail photos - World - smh.com.au: "August 13, 2005
Senior Pentagon officials have opposed the release of photographs and videotapes of the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, arguing they would incite public opinion in the Muslim world and put the lives of US soldiers and officials at risk, court documents show.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Richard Myers, said in a statement to support the Pentagon's case that he believed that 'riots, violence and attacks by insurgents will result' if the images are released. The papers were filed in US District Court in Manhattan in a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union to obtain under the Freedom of Information Act the release of 87 photos and four videotapes taken at Abu Ghraib. The photos were among those turned over to army investigators last year by Joseph Darby, a reservist who was posted at Abu Ghraib.

The documents reveal the high level and the determination of the Pentagon officials engaged in the effort to block the disclosure of the images, and their alarm at the prospect the photos might become public. In his statement, dated July 21, General Myers said he became aware on June 17 that the photos' release might be imminent. He said he consulted the US central commander, John Abizaid, and the commander of the US forces in Iraq, George Casey. Both officers also opposed the release, General Myers said.
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His statement makes it clear that he has examined the images and finds them disturbing. 'I condemn in the strongest terms the misconduct and abuse depicted in these images,' he said in the statement. 'It was illegal, immoral, and contrary to American values and character.'"

Bush, Hitchens and Democracy in Iraq :: from www.uruknet.info :: news from occupied Iraq - ch

Bush, Hitchens and Democracy in Iraq :: from www.uruknet.info :: news from occupied Iraq - ch:

"This is the democracy that Bush has bestowed upon Iraq: Armed thugs from the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq -- a fundamentalist group nurtured and suckled in Iran by the Ayatollah Khomeini -- entered the office of Baghdad's mayor, Alaa al-Tamimi, yesterday and summarily removed him, at gunpoint, from his post. Then they replaced them with their own man. Now the Iraqi capital can look forward to the same kind of harsh, fundamentalist rule now gracing the streets of Basra, where death squads and religious enforcers prowl the streets, enforcing Taliban-like repression."

U.S. Fraud Charge for Top Lobbyist - New York Times

U.S. Fraud Charge for Top Lobbyist - New York Times:

"Aug. 11 - Jack Abramoff, the once-powerful Republican lobbyist involved in ethics allegations facing Representative Tom DeLay, was indicted in Florida on Thursday on unrelated fraud charges involving his purchase of a fleet of gambling boats from a businessman who was slain amid bitter wrangling over the sale.

The indictment by a federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale charges Mr. Abramoff and a business partner with conspiracy and wire fraud in the $147.5 million purchase of the shipping line, SunCruz Casinos, in 2000. They are accused of presenting lenders with a counterfeit document suggesting that they had arranged a $23 million wire transfer to the seller.
........................

Mr. DeLay has described Mr. Abramoff, a former action-movie producer and restaurateur whose entry into Republican politics on a national level began with his election as chairman of the College Republicans, as among his 'closest and dearest friends.'"

9/11 Panel Decided to Omit a Reference to Atta - New York Times

9/11 Panel Decided to Omit a Reference to Atta - New York Times: "August 11, 2005

Filed at 8:55 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Sept. 11 commission knew military intelligence officials had identified lead hijacker Mohamed Atta as a member of al-Qaida who might be part of U.S.-based terror cell more than a year before the terror attacks but decided not to include that in its final report, a spokesman acknowledged Thursday.

Al Felzenberg, spokesman for the commission's follow-up project called the 9/11 Public Discourse Project, had said earlier this week that the panel was unaware of intelligence specifically naming Atta. But he said subsequent information provided Wednesday confirmed that the commission had been aware of the intelligence."

Reuters AlertNet - Baghdad mayor says gunmen ousted him from office

Reuters AlertNet - Baghdad mayor says gunmen ousted him from office:

"Aug 9 (Reuters) - The mayor of Baghdad said on Tuesday he was ousted on Monday after 120 gunmen surrounded his office and installed the city's governor in his place."

Top News Article | Reuters.com

Top News Article | Reuters.com:

"A U.S. military intelligence team identified four Sept. 11 hijackers, including ringleader Mohammed Atta, as likely members of an al Qaeda cell in the United States over a year before the 2001 attacks, a former team member and a Republican congressman said on Tuesday.

The classified eight-member team, code-named 'Able Danger,' produced a chart with photographs of Atta and three other hijackers in 2000 and unsuccessfully sought to pass the information on to the FBI.

Rep. Curt Weldon, a Pennsylvania Republican who is vice chairman of both the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, said the information was provided to the staff of the Sept. 11 commission but some commissioners were never briefed on the material.

The panel's 2004 final report examining the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington contained no information suggesting that the U.S. government knew the hijackers were operating inside the United States as early as 2000.

Lee Hamilton, the commission's former vice chairman, said panel staff interviewed 'Able Danger' members in Afghanistan in October 2003 and later reviewed documents on the operation supplied on request by the Bush administration.

'Neither in the documents nor in the conversations was there any mention of a Mohammed Atta or his cell,' Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman from Indiana, told Reuters in an interview. 'There was no mention of Mohammed Atta and no mention of any military surveillance of him.'

The former military intelligence official insists he personally told Sept. 11 commission staff members about Atta in Afghanistan, and offered to supply them with documents upon his return to the United States, only to be rebuffed.

COMMISSION REVIEWING DOCUMENTS

Former Sept. 11 commission spokesman Al Felzenberg said on Tuesday that the panel's former staff would review internal memos and other documents to make sure information about Atta was not overlooked.

'We will know by the end of the week whether we missed something,' Felzenberg said.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he was unaware of the intelligence information."

Alabama limits eminent domain�-�Nation/Politics�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

Alabama limits eminent domain�-�Nation/Politics�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper:

"Alabama yesterday became the first state to enact new protections against local-government seizure of property allowed under a Supreme Court ruling that has triggered an explosive grass-roots counteroffensive across the country.
.......................

Besides Alabama, legislation to ban or restrict the use of eminent domain for private development has been introduced in 16 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas.
Legislators have announced plans to introduce eminent-domain bills in seven more states: Alaska, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Dakota, South Carolina and Wisconsin, and lawmakers in Colorado, Georgia and Virginia plan to act on previously introduced bills."

U.S. Newswire : Releases : "Military Families to Join Cindy Sheehan in Crawford..."

U.S. Newswire : Releases : "Military Families to Join Cindy Sheehan in Crawford...":

", Aug. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- More members of Gold Star Families for Peace (GSFP) and Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) are traveling to Texas to join the protest outside of President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he is vacationing for the month of August.

Starting today, Gold Star families from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Arkansas and other states whose loved ones have died as a result of the war in Iraq will be joining one of their members, Cindy Sheehan, at the protest. Ms. Sheehan, whose son Army Specialist Casey Sheehan was killed in Sadr City, Iraq on April 4, 2004, has been in Crawford since August 5th, demanding a meeting with the President. These families will be joined by military families with loved ones currently serving in Iraq or about to deploy or redeploy to Iraq. All of these families are coming to Crawford, Texas to share their stories about the personal costs of the war in Iraq and add their voices to the call for a meeting with President Bush.

On August 3, 2005 President Bush, speaking about the dreadful loss of life in Iraq in early August, said 'We have to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by completing the mission... The families of the fallen can be assured that they died for a noble cause.' Gold Star and military families coming to Crawford know that the cause was not noble; that their loved ones died, or are currently in harm's way, serving in a war based on lies.

In the first 8 days of August, 36 service members died in Iraq; countless Iraq children, women and men are dying each day. All of the families traveling to Crawford will carry the message to the vacationing President: Honor our fallen and honor our loved ones' service by ending the occupation, bringing the troops home now and taking care of them when they get here."

Daily Kos: Day 3 of the Peace Occupation of Crawford

Daily Kos: Day 3 of the Peace Occupation of Crawford:

"Another big story that was going on today was about my first meeting with Bush in June of 2004. For you all I would like to clarify a few things. First of all, I did meet with George, and that is not a secret. I have written about it and been interviewed about it. I will stand by my recounting of the meeting. His behavior was rude and inappropriate. My behavior in June of 2004 and is irrelevant to what is going on in 2005. I was in deep shock and deep grief. The grief is still there, but the shock has worn off and the deep anger has set in. And to remind everybody, a few things have happened since June of 2004: The 9/11 commission report; the Senate Intelligence report; the Duelfer WMD report; and most damaging and criminal: the Downing Street Memos. The VERY LAST THING I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS IS: Why do the right wing media so assiduously scrutinize the words of a grief filled mother and ignore the words of a lying president?"

Two Years ago - Briefing Depicted Saudis as Enemies (washingtonpost.com)

Briefing Depicted Saudis as Enemies (washingtonpost.com): "August 6, 2002; Page A01

A briefing given last month to a top Pentagon advisory board described Saudi Arabia as an enemy of the United States, and recommended that U.S. officials give it an ultimatum to stop backing terrorism or face seizure of its oil fields and its financial assets invested in the United States.

'The Saudis are active at every level of the terror chain, from planners to financiers, from cadre to foot-soldier, from ideologist to cheerleader,' stated the explosive briefing. It was presented on July 10 to the Defense Policy Board, a group of prominent intellectuals and former senior officials that advises the Pentagon on defense policy.

'Saudi Arabia supports our enemies and attacks our allies,' said the briefing prepared by Laurent Murawiec, a Rand Corp. analyst. A talking point attached to the last of 24 briefing slides went even further, describing Saudi Arabia as 'the kernel of evil, the prime mover, the most dangerous opponent' in the Middle East."

Of the Many Deaths in Iraq, One Mother's Loss Becomes a Problem for the President - New York Times

Of the Many Deaths in Iraq, One Mother's Loss Becomes a Problem for the President - New York Times:

"Ms. Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed last year in Iraq, after which she became an antiwar activist. She says she and her family met with the president two months later at Fort Lewis in Washington State.

But when she was blocked by the police a few miles from Mr. Bush's 1,600-acre spread on Saturday, the 48-year-old Ms. Sheehan of Vacaville, Calif., was transformed into a news media phenomenon, the new face of opposition to the Iraq conflict at a moment when public opinion is in flux and the politics of the war have grown more complicated for the president and the Republican Party.

Ms. Sheehan has vowed to camp out on the spot until Mr. Bush agrees to meet with her, even if it means spending all of August under a broiling sun by the dusty road. Early on Sunday afternoon, 25 hours after she was turned back as she approached Mr. Bush's ranch, Prairie Chapel, Ms. Sheehan stood red-faced from the heat at the makeshift campsite that she says will be her home until the president relents or leaves to go back to Washington. A reporter from The Associated Press had just finished interviewing her. CBS was taping a segment on her. She had already appeared on CNN, and was scheduled to appear live on ABC on Monday morning. Reporters from across the country were calling her cellphone."

Reuters -French report warned of al Qaeda attack on Britain

Reuters AlertNet - French report warned of al Qaeda attack on Britain:

"Aug 8 (Reuters) - French intelligence issued a report shortly before the London suicide bombings saying al Qaeda planned to attack Britain and would use Britain's large Pakistani community to strike, Le Figaro reported on Monday.
.....................

British intelligence chiefs had reduced the threat level from al Qaeda to 'substantial' from 'severe - general' in June after the May general election. The London blasts killed 56 people including the four bombers."

Abuse Cases Open Command Issues at Army Prison - New York Times

Abuse Cases Open Command Issues at Army Prison - New York Times:

"Aug. 4 - On Thursday, a 24-year-old military intelligence sergeant pleaded guilty to assault and dereliction of duty for abusing one of the prisoners during an interrogation. Another interrogator, accused of tormenting the same detainee, agreed to plead guilty two days before.
.........

Many former Bagram officers have denied knowing about any serious mistreatment of detainees before the two deaths. But others said some of the methods that prosecutors have cited as a basis for criminal charges, including chaining prisoners to the ceilings of isolation cells for long periods, were either standard practice at the prison or well-known to those who oversaw it.

None of the nine soldiers prosecuted thus far are officers. The 18 others against whom Army investigators have recommended criminal charges include two captains, the military intelligence officer in charge of the interrogation group and the reservist commander of the military police guards.

In the first interview granted by any of the accused soldiers, a former guard charged with maiming and assault said that he and other reservist military policemen were specifically instructed at Bagram how to deliver the type of blows that killed the two detainees, and that the strikes were commonly used when prisoners resisted being hooded or shackled.

'I just don't understand how, if we were given training to do this, you can say that we were wrong and should have known better,' said the soldier, Pvt. Willie V. Brand, 26, of Cincinnati, a father of four who volunteered for tours in Afghanistan and Kosovo."