Bin Laden 'alive and in Afghanistan' | The World | The Australian

Bin Laden 'alive and in Afghanistan' | The World | The Australian: "September 29, 2006
PAKISTAN has intelligence suggesting Osama bin Laden is hiding in the eastern Afghanistan province of Kunar, possibly with the help of an Afghan warlord, President Pervez Musharraf said, dismissing a French intelligence report that the al-Qa'ida leader had died of typhoid.

'It's not a hunch,' General Musharraf said. 'Kunar province borders on Bajaur Agency. We know there are some pockets of al-Qa'ida in Bajaur Agency. We have set a good intelligence organisation. We have moved some army elements. We did strike them twice there. We located and killed a number ofthem.'

Interviewed at his hotel in New York, General Musharraf said he believed that bin Laden was in Afghanistan, and suggested a possible link with Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar."

Fastow's 6-year sentence confuses some experts

Fastow's 6-year sentence confuses some experts: "Fastow's 6 years has a few experts scratching heads

By KRISTEN HAYS and TOM FOWLER
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Andrew Fastow's six-year prison sentence caught many longtime observers of the case off guard this week, including a former member of the government team that negotiated his 2004 plea agreement.

Fastow had agreed to a 10-year prison sentence in the plea deal with the understanding that he would not ask for a lesser sentence later."

Retired officers blast Rumsfeld

Retired officers blast Rumsfeld: "Three recently retired military officers who served in Iraq blamed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday for the morass there. They said he should resign, and urged senators to subpoena active generals to testify about their concerns.

'I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq,' retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste said at a forum held by Senate Democrats.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton assessed Rumsfeld as 'incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically.'

'Mr. Rumsfeld and his immediate team must be replaced or we will see two more years of extraordinarily bad decision making,' Eaton said.

Batiste, Eaton and retired Marine Col. Thomas Hammes suggested anger at the way the military had been treated.

Batiste, who commanded the Army's 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, said Rumsfeld at one point had threatened to fire the next person who mentioned the need for a postwar plan. Batiste also said Congress had failed to ask 'the tough questions.'"

Democracy Now! | Headlines for September 26, 2006

Democracy Now! | Headlines for September 26, 2006: "Senate Moves to OK Detention of U.S. Citizens
The Bush administration has slipped in a major change to the Senate bill on interrogations that would allow U.S. citizens to be detained as enemy combatants. Initially the bill defined an enemy combatant as anyone who engaged in hostilities against the United States or its allies but the definition has been expanded to include anyone who has materially supported hostilities against the United States or its allies. The Washington Post reports that human rights experts expressed concern that the language in the new provision would be a precedent-setting congressional endorsement for the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens."

Think Progress » VIDEO: Clinton Sets The Record Straight On Terrorism, Smacks Down Fox News

Think Progress » VIDEO: Clinton Sets The Record Straight On Terrorism, Smacks Down Fox News: "VIDEO: Clinton Sets The Record Straight On Terrorism, Smacks Down Fox News

Here’s the key portion of the Fox News Sunday interview with President Clinton. He sets the record straight on his efforts to combat terrorism, the Bush administration’s record and the tactics of Fox News.

Watch it:

We fact-check Wallace’s claim that he asked Bush administration officials tough questions about their pre-9/11 efforts to combat terrorism here, here and here.

Transcript here."

Scoop: Zogby - Voters Question Outcome Of '04 Election

Scoop: Zogby - Voters Question Outcome Of '04 Election: "Zogby - Voters Question Outcome Of '04 Election
Monday, 25 September 2006, 1:25 pm
Opinion: Michael Collins
ZOGBY POLL:
VOTERS QUESTION OUTCOME OF 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Only 45% of Voters “Very Confident” Bush Won Election “fair and square”
By Michael Collins
Part II of a II Part Series (Part I)
“Scoop” Independent News
Washington, DC

At their lowest points of popularity, do you recall anyone who claimed that Presidents’ Carter and Nixon stole their elections or that they didn’t win fair and square? Did any analysts or activist groups clam massive election fraud in the elections that brought these ultimately very unpopular presidents to office?

How confident are you that George Bush really won the 2004 presidential election? If you are a typical American voter and you have doubts, how did those doubts arise? A mid August Zogby Poll of 1018 likely voters answered the first of these two very important questions (The author was a contributing sponsor for the survey.)

How confident are you that George W. Bush really won the 2004 presidential election?

Very confident that Bush won fair and square…….. 45.2%
Somewhat confident that Bush won fair and square… 20.0%
Not at all confident that he won fair and square…… 32.4%
Other/not sure………………………………………. 2.4%"

This is a remarkable result. Nearly two years into the second term of his presidency, less than half of those polled think that the 2004 election victory was “fair and square.” 20% say they are “somewhat” confident, which is hardly an endorsement of legitimacy. Webster’s defines “somewhat” as follows: “…in some degree or measure: SLIGHTLY.“ This does not exactly qualify as an endorsement of a critical democratic process. The 32% who are “not at all confident” represent a major portion of the population holding the belief that Bush failed to win without cheating. Combining “not at all confident” with “somewhat” “slightly”, according to Webster’s, produces a category of 52% who “doubt” the legitimacy of the election. Altogether, these results are a clear vote of no confidence.

Iraq Agrees Committee to Amend Constitution

Iraq Agrees Committee to Amend Constitution: "Under the deal reached on Sunday, majority Shi'ites and minority Sunnis agreed to create a constitutional committee and pass a law allowing autonomy for regions, while postponing the creation of any new autonomous region until at least 2008."

Study of Iraq War and Terror Stirs Strong Political Response - New York Times

Study of Iraq War and Terror Stirs Strong Political Response - New York Times: "September 25, 2006

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 — Democratic lawmakers, responding to an intelligence report that found that the Iraq war has invigorated Islamic radicalism and worsened the global terrorist threat, said the assessment by American spy agencies demonstrated that the Bush administration needed to devise a new strategy for its handling of the war."

Home Prices Drop After 11-Year Ascent - New York Times

Home Prices Drop After 11-Year Ascent - New York Times: "September 25, 2006

The median price of a previously owned home fell for the first time in 11 years last month, and inventories of unsold homes swelled to levels not seen in more than a decade."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Top China leader fired for graft

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Top China leader fired for graft: "The most senior Chinese Communist Party official in Shanghai has been sacked for corruption, state media reported.

Party secretary Chen Liangyu was dismissed after a high-level probe into alleged misuse of the city's pension fund, Xinhua news agency said."

Pentagon to delay departure of brigade from Iraq - Yahoo! News

Pentagon to delay departure of brigade from Iraq - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military, seeking to maintain its current elevated troop levels in
Iraq, will delay the departure of roughly 3,500 soldiers serving in the volatile Ramadi area, defense officials said on Monday."

FBI Is Casting A Wider Net in Anthrax Attacks - washingtonpost.com

FBI Is Casting A Wider Net in Anthrax Attacks - washingtonpost.com:

"Specifically, law enforcement authorities have refuted the widely reported claim that the anthrax spores had been 'weaponized' -- specially treated or processed to allow them to disperse more easily. They also have rejected reports that the powder was milled, or ground, to create finer particles that can penetrate deeply into the lungs. Such processing or additives might have suggested that the maker had access to the recipes of biological weapons made by the United States in the 1950s and 1960s.

In fact, the anthrax powder used in the 2001 attacks had no additives, writes Douglas J. Beecher, a scientist in the FBI laboratory's Hazardous Materials Response Unit, in an article in the science journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

'A widely circulated misconception is that the spores were produced using additives and sophisticated engineering supposedly akin to military weapons production,' Beecher writes in the journal's August edition, in what is believed to be the most expansive public comment on the nature of the powder by any FBI official. 'The idea is usually the basis for implying that the powders were inordinately dangerous compared to spores alone.'

The FBI would not allow Beecher to be interviewed about his article. But other scientists familiar with the forensic investigation echoed his description. Whoever made the powder produced a deadly project of exceptional purity and quality -- up to a trillion spores per gram -- but used none of the tricks known to military bioweapons scientists to increase the lethality of the product. Officials stressed that the terrorist would have had to have considerable skills in microbiology and access to equipment.

'It wasn't weaponized. It was just nicely cleaned up,' said one knowledgeable scientist who spoke on the condition he not be identified by name because the investigation is continuing. 'Whoever did it was proud of their biology. They grew the spores, spun them down, cleaned up the debris. But there were no additives.'"

Officials Wary of Electronic Voting Machines - New York Times

Officials Wary of Electronic Voting Machines - New York Times: "Less than two months before voters head to the polls, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. of Maryland this week became the most recent official to raise concerns publicly. Mr. Ehrlich, a Republican, said he lacked confidence in the state’s new $106 million electronic voting system and suggested a return to paper ballots."

The Corner on National Review Online

The Corner on National Review Online: "'This is a compromise of America's commitment to the rule of law. The proposal would make the core protections of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions irrelevant and unenforceable. It deliberately provides a 'get out of jail free card' to the administration's top torture officials, and backdates that card nine years. These are tactics expected of repressive regimes, not the American government.

'Also under the proposal, the president would have the authority to declare what is - and what is not - a grave breach of the War Crimes Act, making the president his own judge and jury. This provision would give him unilateral authority to declare certain torture and abuse legal and sound. In a telling move, during a call with reporters today, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley would not even answer a question about whether waterboarding would be permitted under the agreement.

'The agreement would also violate time-honored American due process standards by permitting the use of evidence coerced through cruel and abusive treatment. We urge lawmakers to stand firm in their commitment to American values and reject this charade of a compromise.'"

NPR : Detainee Legislation Driven by Court Decision

NPR : Detainee Legislation Driven by Court Decision: "The compromise legislation would narrow the range of offenses prohibited under the War Crimes Act. This would protect civilians (such as CIA interrogators and White House officials) from being prosecuted for committing acts that would have been considered war crimes under the old definition. The change is retroactive to 1997, which means any crimes committed since 1997 would be prosecuted under the new standard, not the old one."

NPR : Detainee Legislation Driven by Court Decision

NPR : Detainee Legislation Driven by Court Decision: "The bill prohibits 'grave breaches' of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. That includes 'cruel or inhuman treatment.' But it's unclear whether the definition of cruel or inhuman treatment encompasses waterboarding, stress positions, hypothermia, and the other interrogation tactics that the CIA has reportedly used against terrorism suspects."

NPR : Detainee Legislation Driven by Court Decision

NPR : Detainee Legislation Driven by Court Decision: "detainees held by the United States at any overseas location cannot file a lawsuit challenging their detention. This wipes out both pending and future lawsuits. The bill also says no one can file a lawsuit claiming a violation of their rights under the Geneva Conventions."

NPR : Detainee Legislation Driven by Court Decision

NPR : Detainee Legislation Driven by Court Decision: "Evidence obtained through coercive interrogation tactics that the Bush administration doesn't consider torture (such as 'waterboarding,' where a detainee is made to believe he's drowning, or 'stress positions,' where a detainee is made to sit or stand in a painful position for extended periods of time) may be used under some circumstances.

The bill also addresses statements that were obtained before Congress passed a ban on coercive interrogation tactics in 2005. In those instances, a judge must rule on the admissiability of the statement, determining if it is 'reliable and possessing sufficient probative value,' and if it serves 'the interests of justice.'"

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Worsens Terror Threat - New York Times

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Worsens Terror Threat - New York Times: "September 24, 2006

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 — A stark assessment of terrorism trends by American intelligence agencies has found that the American invasion and occupation of Iraq has helped spawn a new generation of Islamic radicalism and that the overall terrorist threat has grown since the Sept. 11 attacks.

The classified National Intelligence Estimate attributes a more direct role to the Iraq war in fueling radicalism than that presented either in recent White House documents or in a report released Wednesday by the House Intelligence Committee, according to several officials in Washington involved in preparing the assessment or who have read the final document."

Iraq war spawned terrorism, radicals: U.S. report - Yahoo! News

Iraq war spawned terrorism, radicals: U.S. report - Yahoo! News: "Sun Sep 24, 12:36 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The
Iraq war gave birth to a new generation of Islamic radicals and the terrorist threat has grown since the September 11 attacks, according to a U.S. intelligence report cited in The New York Times on Saturday.
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A National Intelligence Estimate completed in April says Islamic radicalism has mushroomed worldwide and cites the Iraq war as a reason for the spread of jihad ideology, the newspaper reported."

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting U.S. Terror Fight - washingtonpost.com

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting U.S. Terror Fight - washingtonpost.com: "September 24, 2006; Page A01

The war in Iraq has become a primary recruitment vehicle for violent Islamic extremists, motivating a new generation of potential terrorists around the world whose numbers may be increasing faster than the United States and its allies can reduce the threat, U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded.

A 30-page National Intelligence Estimate completed in April cites the 'centrality' of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the insurgency that has followed, as the leading inspiration for new Islamic extremist networks and cells that are united by little more than an anti-Western agenda. It concludes that, rather than contributing to eventual victory in the global counterterrorism struggle, the situation in Iraq has worsened the U.S. position, according to officials familiar with the classified document."

The Pro-Torture Pact - Yahoo! News

The Pro-Torture Pact - Yahoo! News: "Fri Sep 22, 10:22 AM ET

The Nation -- Democrats chose to outsource their policy on military tribunals to John McCain. And McCain did what he's done best the last year: capitulate to Bush.
ADVERTISEMENT
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'Senators Snatch Defeat From Jaws of Victory: US to be First Nation to Authorize Violations of Geneva,' Georgetown University law professor Marty Lederman writes of the so-called 'compromise' between Senators McCain/Graham/Warner and
President Bush.

Says Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU's Washington legislative office:

'The proposal would make the core protections of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions irrelevant and unenforceable. It deliberately provides a 'get out of jail free card' to the administration's top torture officials, and backdates that card nine years.

'Also under the proposal, the president would have the authority to declare what is - and what is not - a grave breach of the War Crimes Act, making the president his own judge and jury. This provision would give him unilateral authority to declare certain torture and abuse legal and sound. In a telling move, during a call with reporters today, National Security Advisor
Stephen Hadley would not even answer a question about whether waterboarding would be permitted under the agreement.

'The agreement would also violate time-honored American due process standards by permitting the use of evidence coerced through cruel and abusive treatment. We urge lawmakers to stand firm in their commitment to American values and reject this charade of a compromise.'

Adds the Washington Post editorial page:

'In effect, the agreement means that US violations of international human rights law can continue as long as Mr. Bush is president, with Congress's tacit assent.'

In the end, McCain got loads of admiring press coverage. And Bush got almost everything he wanted."

The Pro-Torture Pact - Yahoo! News

The Pro-Torture Pact - Yahoo! News: "Fri Sep 22, 10:22 AM ET

The Nation -- Democrats chose to outsource their policy on military tribunals to John McCain. And McCain did what he's done best the last year: capitulate to Bush.


'Senators Snatch Defeat From Jaws of Victory: US to be First Nation to Authorize Violations of Geneva,' Georgetown University law professor Marty Lederman writes of the so-called 'compromise' between Senators McCain/Graham/Warner and
President Bush.

Says Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU's Washington legislative office:

'The proposal would make the core protections of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions irrelevant and unenforceable. It deliberately provides a 'get out of jail free card' to the administration's top torture officials, and backdates that card nine years.

'Also under the proposal, the president would have the authority to declare what is - and what is not - a grave breach of the War Crimes Act, making the president his own judge and jury. This provision would give him unilateral authority to declare certain torture and abuse legal and sound. In a telling move, during a call with reporters today, National Security Advisor
Stephen Hadley would not even answer a question about whether waterboarding would be permitted under the agreement.

'The agreement would also violate time-honored American due process standards by permitting the use of evidence coerced through cruel and abusive treatment. We urge lawmakers to stand firm in their commitment to American values and reject this charade of a compromise.'

Adds the Washington Post editorial page:

'In effect, the agreement means that US violations of international human rights law can continue as long as Mr. Bush is president, with Congress's tacit assent.'

In the end, McCain got loads of admiring press coverage. And Bush got almost everything he wanted."

McCain praises deal over detainees - Politics - MSNBC.com

McCain praises deal over detainees - Politics - MSNBC.com:

"During those trials, coerced testimony would be admissible if a judge allows and if it was obtained before cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment was forbidden by a 2005 law."

The Super-Rich Get Richer: Forbes 400 Are All Billionaires - washingtonpost.com

The Super-Rich Get Richer: Forbes 400 Are All Billionaires - washingtonpost.com: "Dean Baker, a macroeconomist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington. 'If the U.S. had experienced really extraordinary growth, then maybe that would be the reason' for all the billionaires. Baker pointed out that U.S. economic growth in the past 25 years -- the period that hatched this crop of billionaires -- is actually slower than in the preceding quarter-century, which produced only 13 billionaires.

'If these people pull away so much wealth,' he said, 'that means everyone else has less.'"

Branson to Invest Billions To Combat Global Warming - washingtonpost.com

Branson to Invest Billions To Combat Global Warming - washingtonpost.com: "September 22, 2006; Page D01

LONDON, Sept. 21 -- Iconoclastic British billionaire Richard Branson pledged Thursday to invest all profit from his Virgin Group airline and train businesses over the next decade -- an estimated $3 billion -- to fight global warming and promote alternative energy."

New air pollution rules rankle health groups - Yahoo! News

New air pollution rules rankle health groups - Yahoo! News: "EPA's decision to keep annual standards for soot particles at the same levels they have been since 1997 -- 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air -- drew the ire of environmentalists, who had sought to have these strengthened.

'TRULY BREATH-TAKING'

'EPA's action is truly breath-taking in ignoring the dangerous impact of particulate pollution on Americans' hearts and lungs,' Dr. John Balbus, health program director of the group Environmental Defense, said in a statement.

'By ignoring medical science, EPA is fundamentally failing to protect Americans from the serious death and disease associated with particulate pollution,' Balbus said.

Dozens of health groups -- including the American Medical Association, American Lung Association,
American Heart Association,
American Cancer Society and American Academy of Pediatrics -- had urged the agency to set tougher standards for short-term and long-term exposure to particle pollution.

Particle pollution comes from vehicle tailpipes and factory smokestacks, and can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature death from various heart and lung ailments."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey abuse claims 'on the rise'

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey abuse claims 'on the rise': "An EU delegation on a fact-finding mission to Turkey has reported a 'worrying' increase in allegations of torture and abuse in the country."

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bush 'unaware' of Pakistan threat

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bush 'unaware' of Pakistan threat: "In excepts from an interview with CBS released on Thursday, Gen Musharraf said the US had threatened to bomb Pakistan 'back to the Stone Age' unless it joined the fight against al-Qaeda.

He said the warning had been delivered by former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage to Pakistan's intelligence director."

FT.com / US / Rendition - CIA ‘refused to operate’ secret jails

FT.com / US / Rendition - CIA ‘refused to operate’ secret jails: "September 20 2006 22:07 | Last updated: September 20 2006 22:07

The Bush administration had to empty its secret prisons and transfer terror suspects to the military-run detention centre at Guantánamo this month in part because CIA interrogators had refused to carry out further interrogations and run the secret facilities, according to former CIA officials and people close to the programme."

US Attorney-General got it wrong - World - smh.com.au

US Attorney-General got it wrong - World - smh.com.au: "September 22, 2006
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WASHINGTON: The US Justice Department has backed away from a denial by the Attorney-General, Alberto Gonzales, of responsibility for the treatment of a Canadian seized by US authorities in 2002. The man, Maher Arar, was deported to Syria, where he was tortured.

Mr Gonzales had said on Tuesday that the US was not responsible for his removal to Syria.

The Attorney-General's comments caused puzzlement because they followed front-page news of a Canadian commission finding that US officials ordered him taken to Syria, an action documented in public records."

Ehrlich Wants Paper Ballots For Nov. Vote - washingtonpost.com

Ehrlich Wants Paper Ballots For Nov. Vote - washingtonpost.com: "September 21, 2006; Page A01

A week after the primary election was plagued by human error and technical glitches, Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) called yesterday for the state to scrap its $106 million electronic voting apparatus and revert to a paper ballot system for the November election."

Suits Say U.S. Impeded Audits for Oil Leases - New York Times

Suits Say U.S. Impeded Audits for Oil Leases - New York Times: "September 21, 2006

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 — Four government auditors who monitor leases for oil and gas on federal property say the Interior Department suppressed their efforts to recover millions of dollars from companies they said were cheating the government."

ABC News: Film Shows Youths Training to Fight for Jesus

ABC News: Film Shows Youths Training to Fight for Jesus: "An in-your-face documentary out this weekend is raising eyebrows, raising hackles and raising questions about evangelizing to young people.

Speaking in tongues, weeping for salvation, praying for an end to abortion and worshipping a picture of President Bush -- these are some of the activities at Pastor Becky Fischer's Bible camp in North Dakota, 'Kids on Fire,' subject of the provocative new documentary, 'Jesus Camp.'

'I want to see them as radically laying down their lives for the gospel as they are in Palestine, Pakistan and all those different places,' Fisher said. 'Because, excuse me, we have the truth.'

'A lot of people die for God,' one camper said, 'and they're not afraid.'

'We're kinda being trained to be warriors,' said another, 'only in a funner way.'"

Toyota hybrid tax credits to be halved - Green Machines - MSNBC.com

Toyota hybrid tax credits to be halved - Green Machines - MSNBC.com: "The announcement means that federal tax credits for Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles will be cut in half beginning in October, the IRS said."

Bloomberg.com: U.K.

Bloomberg.com: U.K.: "Sept. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Richard Branson, the U.K. billionaire who controls Virgin Group Ltd., said he will contribute $3 billion over 10 years to combat global warming.
....................

``Al Gore came to my home in London and said, `You are in a position to make a difference, and if you make a giant step forward, other people will follow,''' Branson said.

Gore, the former U.S. vice president under Clinton, is a leading proponent of measures to reduce the emission of climate- changing pollutants and use more kinds of renewable energy.

Virgin is working to power its Virgin Air planes using renewable energy, he said. Earlier this month, Branson announced the creation of Virgin Fuels and said he would investment as much as $400 million to fund renewable-energy projects to reduce dependence on traditional fuels.

"

'A Changed' Fastow Requests Leniency for His Role at Enron - washingtonpost.com

'A Changed' Fastow Requests Leniency for His Role at Enron - washingtonpost.com: "September 21, 2006; D03

Lawyers for former Enron Corp. finance chief Andrew S. Fastow are asking a judge for leniency in advance of his sentencing on conspiracy charges next week, according to court papers filed in Houston."

Only 25% in Poll Approve of the Congress - New York Times

Only 25% in Poll Approve of the Congress - New York Times: "In one striking finding, 77 percent of respondents — including 65 percent of Republicans — said most members of Congress had not done a good enough job to deserve re-election and that it was time to give a new people a chance. That is the highest number of voters saying it is “time for new people” since the fall of 1994.

“You get some people in there, and they’re in there forever,” said Jan Weaver, of Aberdeen, S.D., who described herself as a Republican voter, in a follow-up interview. “They’re so out of touch with reality.”

In the poll, 50 percent said they would support a Democrat in the fall Congressional elections, compared with 35 percent who said they would support a Republican. But the poll found that Democrats continued to struggle to offer a strong case for turning government control over to them; only 38 percent said the Democrats had a clear plan for how they would run the country, compared with 45 percent who said the Republicans had offered a clear plan."

Innocent Man Sent to Syria and Tortured, Probe Finds - AOL News

Innocent Man Sent to Syria and Tortured, Probe Finds - AOL News: "TORONTO (Sept. 19) - The United States 'very likely' sent a Canadian software engineer to Syria, where he was tortured, based on the false accusation by Canadian authorities that he was suspected of links to al-Qaida, according to a new government report.

'I have waited a long time to have my name cleared. I was tortured and lost a year of my life. I will never be the same,' said Maher Arar, who was wrongly accused of having al-Qaida ties.
Syrian-born Maher Arar was exonerated of all suspicion of terrorist activity by the 2 1/2-year commission of inquiry into his case, which urged the Canadian government to offer him financial compensation. Arar is perhaps the world's best-known case of extraordinary rendition -- the U.S. transfer of foreign terror suspects to third countries without court approval.

'I am able to say categorically that there is no evidence to indicate that Mr. Arar has committed any offense or that his activities constitute a threat to the security of Canada,' Justice Dennis O'Connor said Monday in a three-volume report on the findings of the inquiry, part of which was made public."

Suit: Texas voting law used to scare minorities

Suit: Texas voting law used to scare minorities: "Planned lawsuit to argue Texas AG is trying to dilute their poll strength

By POLLY ROSS HUGHES
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN — Willie Ray, 69, said she thought she was teaching her granddaughter civic lessons in democracy, but instead the two black women in Texarkana ended up with criminal records for voter fraud.

Gloria Meeks of Fort Worth, also 69, said she stepped out of her morning bath last month and screamed.

Two voter fraud investigators from Attorney General Greg Abbott's office were peeking in her bathroom window, Meeks said in a sworn statement."

Chambliss, Democrats clash on Civil War | ajc.com

Chambliss, Democrats clash on Civil War | ajc.com: "09/18/06

Washington – Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia has Democrats sniping at him for a comment he made last week suggesting that if the South had had better intelligence, it would have won the Civil War.

Democrats leaked a story to a Capitol Hill newspaper, published Monday, that Chambliss, a Republican, had said in a closed-door meeting of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday that had the South won, 'We'd be quoting Jefferson Davis, not Lincoln.'"

U.S. FCC chief seeks probe into draft media studies - Yahoo! News

U.S. FCC chief seeks probe into draft media studies - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has asked the agency's inspector general to investigate why two draft reports on television and radio ownership never saw the light of day until now.
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Martin, a Republican, said Monday evening he sought the review after Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer (news, bio, voting record) questioned whether the agency suppressed the reports, dated 2003 and 2004, and if so, why."

Canadians Fault U.S. for Its Role in Torture Case - New York Times

Canadians Fault U.S. for Its Role in Torture Case - New York Times: "September 19, 2006

OTTAWA, Sept. 18 — A government commission on Monday exonerated a Canadian computer engineer of any ties to terrorism and issued a scathing report that faulted Canada and the United States for his deportation four years ago to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured.

The report on the engineer, Maher Arar, said American officials had apparently acted on inaccurate information from Canadian investigators and then misled Canadian authorities about their plans for Mr. Arar before transporting him to Syria.

“I am able to say categorically that there is no evidence to indicate that Mr. Arar has committed any offense or that his activities constituted a threat to the security of Canada,” Justice Dennis R. O’Connor, head of the commission, said at a news conference."

Thai Military Launches Coup, Backs King - washingtonpost.com

Thai Military Launches Coup, Backs King - washingtonpost.com: "September 19, 2006; 1:16 PM

BANGKOK, Thailand -- The Thai military launched a coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday night, circling his offices with tanks, seizing control of TV stations and declaring a provisional authority pledging loyalty to the king."

Independent Online Edition > Environment

Independent Online Edition > Environment: "17 September 2006

President Bush is preparing an astonishing U-turn on global warming, senior Washington sources say.

After years of trying to sabotage agreements to tackle climate change he is drawing up plans to control emissions of carbon dioxide and rapidly boost the use of renewable energy sources.
......

Over the past few days rumours swept the capital that the 'Toxic Texan' would announce his conversion this week, in an attempt to reduce the impact of a major speech tomorrow by Al Gore on solutions to climate change.

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Dalai Lama Tells Youths: War Is Outdated

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Dalai Lama Tells Youths: War Is Outdated: "Associated Press Writer

DENVER (AP) - The Dalai Lama urged thousands of teenagers at a world peace conference Saturday to embrace globalization and accept people from all countries as neighbors and collaborators, not rivals.

``There are no national boundaries. The whole globe is becoming one body,'' he said at the PeaceJam convention. ``In these circumstances, I think war is outdated ... Destruction of your neighbor is actually destruction of yourself.''

War creates environmental problems, trade gaps and humanitarian suffering that everyone must bear, he said, speaking for more than an hour at the convention, which brought together 10 Nobel Peace Prize laureates. He won the honor in 1989."

Pope Sorry for Reaction to His Remarks - washingtonpost.com

Pope Sorry for Reaction to His Remarks - washingtonpost.com: "September 17, 2006; 12:04 PM

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy -- Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that he was 'deeply sorry' about the angry reaction to his recent remarks about Islam, which he said came from a text that did not reflect his personal opinion.

Despite the statement, protests and violence persisted across the Muslim world, with churches set ablaze in the West Bank and a hard-line Iranian cleric saying the pope was united with President Bush to 'repeat the Crusades.'"

Major Problems At Polls Feared - washingtonpost.com

Major Problems At Polls Feared - washingtonpost.com: "Beyond technical bugs, questions remain about whether the machines are vulnerable to vote fraud by hackers.

For several years, prominent computer scientists have taken aim at the electronic voting machines, which in essence are computers. In analyses of the software that runs widely used models of the machines, and in tests on specific brands, the scientists have shown how they could manipulate the machine to report a vote total that differed from the actual total cast by voters."

General Coucil of th Navy Memo on Detainee Treatment (Mora Memo)

http://www.newyorker.com/images/pdfs/moramemo.pdf

This memo explains why torture is wrong, and how the administration is complicit in torture.

Center for Information Technology Policy » Voting Videos

Center for Information Technology Policy » Voting Videos: "Demonstration Videos"

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY VIDEO ON HOW EASILY DIEBOLD VOTING MACHINES CAN BE HACKED.

Senators Defy Bush On Terror Measure - washingtonpost.com

Senators Defy Bush On Terror Measure - washingtonpost.com: "September 15, 2006; Page A01

A Senate committee rebuffed the personal entreaties of President Bush yesterday, rejecting his proposed strategies for interrogating and trying enemy combatants and approving alternative legislation that he has strenuously opposed."

American Buddhism on the rise | csmonitor.com

American Buddhism on the rise | csmonitor.com: "Though the religion born in India has been in the US since the 19th century, the number of adherents rose by 170 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to the American Religious Identity Survey. An ARIS estimate puts the total in 2004 at 1.5 million, while others have estimated twice that. 'The 1.5 million is a low reasonable number,' says Richard Seager, author of 'Buddhism in America.'"

Senators Defy Bush On Terror Measure - washingtonpost.com

Senators Defy Bush On Terror Measure - washingtonpost.com: "two key sections of the administration-backed bill that would reinterpret U.S. obligations under the Geneva Conventions and protect U.S. intelligence agents from war crimes prosecutions."

Bush Urges Congress to Back Terror Legislation - washingtonpost.com

Bush Urges Congress to Back Terror Legislation - washingtonpost.com: "Bush said that it was vital to change the law to protect intelligence professionals who are called on to question detainees to obtain vital information. 'They don't want to be tried as war criminals. ... They expect our government to give them clarity about what is right and what is wrong.'"

Rep. Ney Agrees to Plead Guilty - washingtonpost.com

Rep. Ney Agrees to Plead Guilty - washingtonpost.com: "September 15, 2006; 12:50 PM

Rep. Robert Ney (R-Ohio) agreed today to plead guilty to conspiring to commit multiple official acts for lobbyists in exchange for campaign contributions, meals and luxury travel, sports tickets and gambling chips. He became the first elected official to face charges in the ongoing influence-peddling investigation of former lobbying powerhouse Jack Abramoff.

After insisting for more than a year that he had broken no laws in his dealings with Abramoff, Ney signed a plea deal Wednesday that was entered into federal court today. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 27 months in prison."

Bush in bid to twist Republican arms on security - Yahoo! News

Bush in bid to twist Republican arms on security - Yahoo! News:

"McCain released a letter from Bush's former secretary of state,
Colin Powell, that said the 'world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism' and said he opposed Bush's bid to redefine the Geneva Conventions that require humane treatment of prisoners.

Back at the White House, Bush told reporters: 'We have proposed legislation that will enable the
Central Intelligence Agency to be able to conduct a program to get information from high-value detainees in a lawful way.'"

Newly Banned Items Often Fly Past Airport Screeners - washingtonpost.com

Newly Banned Items Often Fly Past Airport Screeners - washingtonpost.com: "Like Shanker, many people are inadvertently taking banned liquids and gels through security in their pockets and carry-on luggage, according to interviews with several dozen travelers at local airports and with pilots and security officials.

Others, however, say they're simply not going to tolerate the new rules. They admit that they ignore the restrictions, slipping expensive cologne, perfume, lip gloss, lotion and other ointments into their carry-on bags or into their pockets in hopes of sneaking them past security. Some of the items get flagged by screeners, others do not."

Taliban adopting Iraq-style jihad | csmonitor.com

Taliban adopting Iraq-style jihad | csmonitor.com: "'That's part of our strategy - we are trying to bring [the Iraqi model] to Afghanistan,' says the fighter. 'Things will get worse here.'

Those 'things' include suicide attacks, assassinations of government officials, moderate clerics, and civilians, along with guerrilla tactics now in use against Western forces in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, where NATO claims to have killed more than 500 insurgents in 10 days of intense fighting.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, speaking in Brussels Tuesday, said the Taliban now pose a greater danger than Al Qaeda. 'The center of gravity of terrorism has shifted from al Qaeda to the Taliban,' he told European lawmakers.'

'This is a new element, a more dangerous element, because it [the Taliban] has its roots in the people. Al Qaeda didn't have roots in the people,' he said."

From Baltimore Suburbs to a Secret CIA Prison

From Baltimore Suburbs to a Secret CIA Prison:

"Khan, now 26, is one of the 14 'high-value' terrorism suspects transferred Monday to the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, men the government considered so dangerous they had been held by the CIA at secret foreign prisons for years. Khan is expected to stand trial on terrorism charges after Congress approves a new set of rules for the special military courts that will decide the fates of the 14 suspects.

This week's allegations stunned Sanford, who said the young man she taught in her English-as-a-second-language class could not, as alleged, have plotted to blow up gas stations or poison drinking water in U.S. reservoirs.

'It doesn't make any sense to me,' said Sanford, who taught many of the school's foreign students. 'I can't imagine it."

FBI Role in Terror Probe Questioned

FBI Role in Terror Probe Questioned

Not only did government informants provide money and a meeting place for Batiste and his followers, but they also gave them video cameras for conducting surveillance, as well as cellphones, and suggested that their first target be a Miami FBI office, court records show.