smugllama's news review
Friday, June 25, 2004
Edmonds sues Ashcroft again, asserts 911-related actions were illegal (tomflocco.com)
"On behalf of former FBI contract linguist Sibel Edmonds, The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) sued Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Department of Justice (DOJ) today, seeking judicial reclassification of information that alleges corruption, incompetence and cover-ups in an FBI investigation unit. Sibel Edmonds was fired for reporting information she uncovered in the FBI's translation unit in Washington. Attorney General Ashcroft said the national interests of the United States "would be seriously impaired" if Edmonds' findings were to be made available to the public; so he made the decision to classify public information still available on the Internet."
"On behalf of former FBI contract linguist Sibel Edmonds, The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) sued Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Department of Justice (DOJ) today, seeking judicial reclassification of information that alleges corruption, incompetence and cover-ups in an FBI investigation unit. Sibel Edmonds was fired for reporting information she uncovered in the FBI's translation unit in Washington. Attorney General Ashcroft said the national interests of the United States "would be seriously impaired" if Edmonds' findings were to be made available to the public; so he made the decision to classify public information still available on the Internet."
Diplomats & Military Commanders for Change
"Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change (DMCC) is an unprecedented bipartisan coalition of 27 career chiefs of mission and retired four-star military leaders who have launched a nationwide campaign to press for the need for change in U.S. foreign and defense policy because they are deeply concerned by the damage the Bush Administration has caused to our national and international interests. DMCC is dedicated to insuring an informed public during a critical election year. On the basis of foreign and defense policy experience spanning half a century, members desire, through their participation in public forums, to share their expertize and express their deep concern over the current state of this country's diplomatic and security challenges. Never in recent years, in the view of the group, have those challenges been as serious as they are today."
"Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change (DMCC) is an unprecedented bipartisan coalition of 27 career chiefs of mission and retired four-star military leaders who have launched a nationwide campaign to press for the need for change in U.S. foreign and defense policy because they are deeply concerned by the damage the Bush Administration has caused to our national and international interests. DMCC is dedicated to insuring an informed public during a critical election year. On the basis of foreign and defense policy experience spanning half a century, members desire, through their participation in public forums, to share their expertize and express their deep concern over the current state of this country's diplomatic and security challenges. Never in recent years, in the view of the group, have those challenges been as serious as they are today."
Sunday, June 20, 2004
National Lawyers Guild Calls for prosecution of President Bush (Centre for Research on Globalization)
"The National Lawyers Guild calls for the prosecution of President George W. Bush with a 'command responsibility' theory of liability under the War Crimes Act. Bush can be prosecuted under the War Crimes Act or the Torture Statute, if he knew or should have known about the U.S. military's use of torture and failed to stop or prevent it. A comment in the President's January 2003 State of the Union Address contained an implicit admission by Bush that he had sanctioned the summary execution of many when he said: 'All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries, and many others have met a different fate.' 'Let's put it this way,' he continued, 'they are no longer a problem for the United States and our friends and allies.'"
"The National Lawyers Guild calls for the prosecution of President George W. Bush with a 'command responsibility' theory of liability under the War Crimes Act. Bush can be prosecuted under the War Crimes Act or the Torture Statute, if he knew or should have known about the U.S. military's use of torture and failed to stop or prevent it. A comment in the President's January 2003 State of the Union Address contained an implicit admission by Bush that he had sanctioned the summary execution of many when he said: 'All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries, and many others have met a different fate.' 'Let's put it this way,' he continued, 'they are no longer a problem for the United States and our friends and allies.'"
1.9 million black votes didn't count in the 2000 presidential election / It's not too hard to get your vote lost -- if some politicians want it to be lost (Greg Palast / San Francisco Gate)
".. half of the rejected ballots were cast by African Americans although black voters make up only 12 percent of the electorate. ... The U.S. Civil Rights Commission looked into the smelly pile of spoiled ballots and concluded that, of the 179,855 ballots invalidated by Florida officials, 53 percent were cast by black voters. In Florida, a black citizen was 10 times as likely to have a vote rejected as a white voter. ... In other words, in the white county, make a mistake and get another ballot; in the black county, make a mistake, your ballot is tossed."
".. half of the rejected ballots were cast by African Americans although black voters make up only 12 percent of the electorate. ... The U.S. Civil Rights Commission looked into the smelly pile of spoiled ballots and concluded that, of the 179,855 ballots invalidated by Florida officials, 53 percent were cast by black voters. In Florida, a black citizen was 10 times as likely to have a vote rejected as a white voter. ... In other words, in the white county, make a mistake and get another ballot; in the black county, make a mistake, your ballot is tossed."
Saturday, June 19, 2004
The F***ing Enron Tapes (American Politics Journal / CBS News)
"Yet another group of audiotapes obtained by CBS News may offer proof that Enron energy traders helped bring on, and cash-in on, the Western power crisis. Make up your own mind." (Wow!)
"Yet another group of audiotapes obtained by CBS News may offer proof that Enron energy traders helped bring on, and cash-in on, the Western power crisis. Make up your own mind." (Wow!)
Jared Israel on 'How the Lies of Scott Ritter Reveal the Strategic Goals of the Bizarre Iraq War'
A good read: Jared makes a good case for Scott Ritter not being who he says he is...
A good read: Jared makes a good case for Scott Ritter not being who he says he is...
Coup D'etat: The Real Reason Tenet and Pavitt Resigned from the CIA - Bush, Cheney Indictments in Plame Case Looming (Michael Ruppert / From The Wilderness)
"Both resignations, perhaps soon to be followed by resignations from Colin Powell and his deputy Richard Armitage, are about the imminent and extremely messy demise of George W. Bush and his Neocon administration in a coup d'etat being executed by the Central Intelligence Agency. The coup, in the planning for at least two years, has apparently become an urgent priority as a number of deepening crises threaten a global meltdown. Based upon recent developments, it appears that long-standing plans and preparations leading to indictments and impeachment of Bush, Cheney and even some senior cabinet members have been accelerated, possibly with the intent of removing or replacing the entire Bush regime prior to the Republican National Convention this August."
"Both resignations, perhaps soon to be followed by resignations from Colin Powell and his deputy Richard Armitage, are about the imminent and extremely messy demise of George W. Bush and his Neocon administration in a coup d'etat being executed by the Central Intelligence Agency. The coup, in the planning for at least two years, has apparently become an urgent priority as a number of deepening crises threaten a global meltdown. Based upon recent developments, it appears that long-standing plans and preparations leading to indictments and impeachment of Bush, Cheney and even some senior cabinet members have been accelerated, possibly with the intent of removing or replacing the entire Bush regime prior to the Republican National Convention this August."
US soldier accidentally beaten at Guantanamo
(BBC News)
"Sean Baker says he received injuries from fellow soldiers while posing as a detainee at the Guantanamo Bay camp for al-Qaeda and Taleban suspects. He blames officers for the botched exercise, and says he suffers seizures as a result. The army had previously said Mr Baker's injuries occurred in the line of duty. Mr Baker, 37, was a member of a military police unit based in Kentucky when it deployed to Guantanamo Bay in 2003. In January of that year he volunteered to act as an uncooperative detainee for training purposes and put on an orange prison jumpsuit. He argues that other participants were not made aware that he was a soldier. During the exercise, Mr Baker says, military police choked him and slammed his head against the floor. Mr Baker says he told them he was a US soldier but the beatings continued until the jumpsuit was yanked down, revealing his uniform"
(BBC News)
"Sean Baker says he received injuries from fellow soldiers while posing as a detainee at the Guantanamo Bay camp for al-Qaeda and Taleban suspects. He blames officers for the botched exercise, and says he suffers seizures as a result. The army had previously said Mr Baker's injuries occurred in the line of duty. Mr Baker, 37, was a member of a military police unit based in Kentucky when it deployed to Guantanamo Bay in 2003. In January of that year he volunteered to act as an uncooperative detainee for training purposes and put on an orange prison jumpsuit. He argues that other participants were not made aware that he was a soldier. During the exercise, Mr Baker says, military police choked him and slammed his head against the floor. Mr Baker says he told them he was a US soldier but the beatings continued until the jumpsuit was yanked down, revealing his uniform"
Fahrenheit 9/11 (Kirk Honeycutt / The Hollywood Reporter)
Fandango does their best to select a review that slams and attempts to discredit Michael Moore's new Fahrenheit 9/11 film in an attempt to dissuade as many people as possible from seeing this.
Fandango does their best to select a review that slams and attempts to discredit Michael Moore's new Fahrenheit 9/11 film in an attempt to dissuade as many people as possible from seeing this.
Pentagon seeks OK to spy on Americans (Christian Science Monitor)
"New bill would allow Pentagon to gather intelligence on US residents without their knowledge. Newsweek reports that the US Department of Defense is looking for the right to gather information from, and about, Americans, without having to tell them that they are doing so. "Without a public hearing or debate," the news magazine reports, "Defense officials recently slipped a provision into a bill before Congress that could vastly expand the Pentagon's ability to gather intelligence inside the United States, including recruiting citizens as informants." ... "The Pentagon came under scrutiny in several other areas this week. ... On Wednesday the Associated Press reports that the Pentagon admitted that it had "improperly" held an Iraqi prisoner (a suspected member of the terrorist group Ansar al Islam) in detention for seven months without assigning him a prisoner number or reporting his presence to the International Red Cross. The New York Times reports that Rumsfeld issued the order to "hide" the prisoner at the request of Tenet. This prisoner and other "ghost detainees" were not reported in order to keep the Red Cross from monitoring their treatment, and to avoid disclosing their location to an enemy, officials said."
"New bill would allow Pentagon to gather intelligence on US residents without their knowledge. Newsweek reports that the US Department of Defense is looking for the right to gather information from, and about, Americans, without having to tell them that they are doing so. "Without a public hearing or debate," the news magazine reports, "Defense officials recently slipped a provision into a bill before Congress that could vastly expand the Pentagon's ability to gather intelligence inside the United States, including recruiting citizens as informants." ... "The Pentagon came under scrutiny in several other areas this week. ... On Wednesday the Associated Press reports that the Pentagon admitted that it had "improperly" held an Iraqi prisoner (a suspected member of the terrorist group Ansar al Islam) in detention for seven months without assigning him a prisoner number or reporting his presence to the International Red Cross. The New York Times reports that Rumsfeld issued the order to "hide" the prisoner at the request of Tenet. This prisoner and other "ghost detainees" were not reported in order to keep the Red Cross from monitoring their treatment, and to avoid disclosing their location to an enemy, officials said."
Newspaper says Ken Lay indictment coming soon - Jun. 19, 2004 (CNN)
Yes, this is the Enron chairman that was having secret meetings in a hotel with Arnold Schwarzenegger a few years back.
Yes, this is the Enron chairman that was having secret meetings in a hotel with Arnold Schwarzenegger a few years back.
Ashcroft may face prison over 9/11 cover-up, says Daniel Ellsberg (Sibel Edmonds / breakfornews.com)
"Two whistleblowers stood side by side before a courthouse in Washington, D.C. on Monday. Veteran of the Pentagon Papers scandal, Daniel Ellsberg was backing a protest by former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, against a court gag order which has silenced her revelations about the September 11th, 2001 attacks. ... In a recent interview with BreakFornews.com, Sibel Edmonds alleged that the US State Department had blocked investigations showing links between criminal drug trafficking networks and the terror attacks on 9/11."
Friday, June 18, 2004
9/11 info gained by coercion may be suspect (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
"9/11 info gained by coercion may be suspect ... Experts say testimony of captured plot leaders may not be reliable. ... None of the high-level al-Qaida figures like Binalshibh and Mohammed was questioned under the rules of the Geneva Conventions, which require humane treatment of prisoners during questioning. Senior officials have said that Mohammed was "waterboarded," a technique in which his head was pushed under water and he was made to believe that he might drown."
"9/11 info gained by coercion may be suspect ... Experts say testimony of captured plot leaders may not be reliable. ... None of the high-level al-Qaida figures like Binalshibh and Mohammed was questioned under the rules of the Geneva Conventions, which require humane treatment of prisoners during questioning. Senior officials have said that Mohammed was "waterboarded," a technique in which his head was pushed under water and he was made to believe that he might drown."
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Rumsfeld ordered prisoner held off the books (MSNBC)
"Pentagon officials tell NBC News that late last year, at the same time U.S. military police were allegedly abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered that one Iraqi prisoner be held "off the books" - hidden entirely from the International Red Cross and anyone else - in possible violation of international law."
"Pentagon officials tell NBC News that late last year, at the same time U.S. military police were allegedly abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered that one Iraqi prisoner be held "off the books" - hidden entirely from the International Red Cross and anyone else - in possible violation of international law."
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
The Reagan Legacy (UK Indymedia)
"Anyone who thinks that former President Ronald Reagan deserves to be put on a dime or have his face chiseled into Mt. Rushmore needs to read a book called Lost History by Robert Parry. Robert Parry was an AP and subsequent Newsweek reporter who caught a considerable amount of flak from his editors and Reagan officials like Oliver North and Elliott Abrams for his efforts to tell the truth about Reagan's policies in Central America."
"Anyone who thinks that former President Ronald Reagan deserves to be put on a dime or have his face chiseled into Mt. Rushmore needs to read a book called Lost History by Robert Parry. Robert Parry was an AP and subsequent Newsweek reporter who caught a considerable amount of flak from his editors and Reagan officials like Oliver North and Elliott Abrams for his efforts to tell the truth about Reagan's policies in Central America."
Sunday, June 06, 2004
Cheney faces grilling over leak as Bush election hopes slump (Guardian Unlimited)
"Cheney faces grilling over leak as Bush election hopes slump - Scandal of naming undercover CIA agent engulfs Vice-President and puts pressure on White House"
"Cheney faces grilling over leak as Bush election hopes slump - Scandal of naming undercover CIA agent engulfs Vice-President and puts pressure on White House"
Did al-Qaida trainee warn FBI before 9/11? (MSNBC/Lisa Myers, Jim Popkin and the NBC Investigative Unit)
LONDON - More than a year before 9/11, a Pakistani-British man told the FBI an incredible tale: that he had been trained by bin Laden's followers to hijack airplanes and was now in America to carry out an attack. The FBI questioned him for weeks, but then let him go home, and never followed up. Now, the former al-Qaida insider is talking... NBC News has learned that Khan passed not one but two FBI polygraphs. A former FBI official says Newark agents believed Khan and tried to aggressively follow every lead in the case, but word came from headquarters saying, "return him to London and forget about it" -- which, critics say, is exactly what the FBI did."
LONDON - More than a year before 9/11, a Pakistani-British man told the FBI an incredible tale: that he had been trained by bin Laden's followers to hijack airplanes and was now in America to carry out an attack. The FBI questioned him for weeks, but then let him go home, and never followed up. Now, the former al-Qaida insider is talking... NBC News has learned that Khan passed not one but two FBI polygraphs. A former FBI official says Newark agents believed Khan and tried to aggressively follow every lead in the case, but word came from headquarters saying, "return him to London and forget about it" -- which, critics say, is exactly what the FBI did."
Friday, June 04, 2004
Bush Knew About Leak of CIA Operative's Name (Capitol Hill Blue)
"Witnesses told a federal grand jury President George W. Bush knew about, and took no action to stop, the release of a covert CIA operative's name to a journalist in an attempt to discredit her husband, a critic of administration policy in Iraq."
"Witnesses told a federal grand jury President George W. Bush knew about, and took no action to stop, the release of a covert CIA operative's name to a journalist in an attempt to discredit her husband, a critic of administration policy in Iraq."
