‘A 17-year-old girl who spent weeks looking for her missing dog unwrapped a box left on her doorstep and found the pet’s severed head inside, authorities said.
Homicide investigators were looking into the case because of the “implied” terroristic threat, St. Paul Police Sgt. Jim Gray said. The Humane Society of the United States said Wednesday it was offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
“This was extraordinarily heinous,” said Dale Bartlett, the Humane Society’s deputy manager for animal cruelty issues. “I deal with hundreds and hundreds of cruelty cases each year. When I read about this case, it took my breath away. It’s horrible.”‘
‘The uncoupling of American evangelism from the administration of George Bush gathered pace yesterday when one of the largest national umbrella groups of socially conservative Christians issued a statement critical of US policy towards detainees and repudiating torture as a tactic in the war on terror.
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), which represents about 45,000 churches across America, endorsed a declaration against torture drafted by 17 evangelical scholars. The authors, who call themselves Evangelicals for Human Rights and campaign for “zero tolerance” on torture, say that the US administration has crossed “boundaries of what is legally and morally permissible” in the treatment of detainees.
“Tragically, documented cases of torture and inhumane and cruel behaviour have occurred at various sites in the war on terror, and current law opens procedural loopholes for more to continue,” the NAE said last night.’
‘A Department of Justice report made public Friday highlights numerous problems with FBI’s use of national security letters (NSL), a controversial legal device whose use was greatly expanded by the 2001 Patriot Act. NSLs allow the FBI to demand customer records from credit bureaus, banks, phone companies, ISPs, and other organizations without judicial review.
The report by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), led by Glenn Fine, found that due to inadequate tracking and reporting systems, the FBI had significantly understated its use of NSLs in previous reports to Congress. After auditing a small fraction of the NSLs issued, Fine’s staff found 22 irregularities, some of them quite serious. That suggests that hundreds of NSLs have been issued in violation of the law. Perhaps worst of all, the report finds that the FBI sent over 700 “exigent letters” to three unidentified telephone companies requesting them to expedite the process by voluntarily handing over customer data without waiting for a formal subpoena or NSL.’
‘An elite group of Native American trackers is joining the hunt for terrorists crossing Afghanistan’s borders.
The unit, the Shadow Wolves, was recruited from several tribes, including the Navajo, Sioux, Lakota and Apache. It is being sent to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to pass on ancestral sign-reading skills to local border units.
In recent years, members of the Shadow Wolves have mainly tracked smugglers along the US border with Mexico.
But the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan and the US military’s failure to hunt down Osama bin Laden – still at large on his 50th birthday on Saturday – has prompted the Pentagon to requisition them.
US Defence Secretary Robert M.Gates said last month: “If I were Osama bin Laden, I’d keep looking over my shoulder.”‘
‘It could be a scene from Kafka or Brazil. Imagine a government agency, in a bureaucratic foul-up, accidentally gives you a copy of a document marked “top secret.” And it contains a log of some of your private phone calls.
You read it and ponder it and wonder what it all means. Then, two months later, the FBI shows up at your door, demands the document back and orders you to forget you ever saw it.
By all accounts, that’s what happened to Washington D.C. attorney Wendell Belew in August 2004. [..]’
‘Joshua Key, 28, was a poor, uneducated Oklahoma country boy who saw the U.S. army and its promised benefits — from free health care to career training — as the ticket to a better life. In 2002, not yet 24 but already married and the father of two , Key enlisted. He says his recruiting officer promised he’d never be deployed abroad, but a year later he was in Iraq. Only 24 hours after arriving, as Key recounts in The Deserter’s Tale (Anansi), he experienced his first doubts about what he and his fellow soldiers were doing there [..]’
‘Try to absorb as much of the radiation as possible with your groin region. The current world record is 5 minutes, 12 seconds.
If you’ve become a radiation mutant with a deformed hand, remember to close the window. No one wants to see that. [..]
Survive a biohazard attack by first standing, then begging on your knees, then rolling over and playing dead. [..]
If you see colors in the sky, grasp your throat and pretend to choke yourself. Girls go for that. [..]
Your telephone may be a practicing physician. Look for a phone with no numbers on it.’
‘A US federal appeals court on Friday upheld a refusal to hear the case of a Lebanese-born German man who says he was tortured by the
CIA, citing national security reasons.
Khaled el-Masri claims was detained by the CIA for several months in 2004 on suspicion of links to terrorism.
Masri, 43, filed suit in December 2005 saying he had been snatched while on a trip in Macedonia, taken to Afghanistan, jailed, beaten and harassed before being set free without charge after five months. [..]
The US government had urged the court to reject the appeal saying that for national security reasons it could not confirm or deny any of the allegations because they were related to the activities of the CIA.’
‘Australian David Hicks was charged with “material support for terrorism” Thursday, setting the stage for a war crimes trial in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba that has caused strains in US relations with Australia.
Judge Susan Crawford, who oversees the military commissions, dismissed a second charge of attempted murder against Hicks after concluding there was no “probable cause” to justify it, said Commander Jeffrey Gordon, a Pentagon spokesman. [..]
Major Michael Mori, Hicks’s military lawyer, said the government had abandoned all its original charges against his client, replacing them with a charge — “material support for terrorism” — that has never existed in the laws of war.’
‘Spying on Australians by law enforcement agencies intensified last year, with Australian Federal Police doubling requests for surveillance warrants.
The AFP’s use of tracking devices that allow it to closely monitor the movements of an individual, vehicle or vessel also doubled in 2005-06.
The figures, released in a federal Attorney-General’s Department report, came as ASIO chief Paul O’Sullivan warned that a small group of radicalised individuals posed a serious terrorist threat to Australia.’
‘The U.N. human rights chief expressed concern Wednesday at recent U.S. legislative and judicial actions that she said leave hundreds of detainees without any way to challenge their indefinite imprisonment. [..]
“I am very concerned that we continue to see detention without trial and with, in my opinion, insufficient judicial supervision,” Arbour told a news conference after meeting with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
“I thought there had been progress in that direction. There’s been a legislative setback now recently in my view, a judicial decision,” she said. These people have “no credible mechanism to ascertain the validity of these … suspicious or allegations.”‘
‘Thousands of Melbourne commuters were last night sent a chilling SMS from Connex telling them that ticket inspectors loved killing people and would help bomb a train.
Connex says it will prosecute those who hacked into its computer system and texted the message. The rail operator was swamped by calls from subscribers to its SMS which usually informs them when trains are cancelled or delayed. They were surprised to get the message: “ALLAHU AKBR FROM CONNEX!” which flashed across their phone screens about 9.45pm.
This was followed by: “Our inspectors love killing people – if you see one coming, run. Want to bomb a train? They will gladly help! See you in hell!”‘
‘Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols now claims a former top official in the FBI was behind the bombing plot.
Nichols says in a statement for a federal lawsuit that bomber Timothy McVeigh identified deputy FBI director Larry Potts as the man directing the scheme.
Potts says the claim is nonsense and ridiculous and the FBI calls Nichols’ allegation “completely without any factual basis.”
Nichols’ statement gives no explanation why an FBI official would want a federal building bombed.’
Tapes of various flight controller communications on September 11, 2001.
(27.3meg Windows media)
see it here »
This is a press conference given by the people behind those ‘Suspicious Packages’ That Paralyzed Boston Part of Cartoon Network Marketing Campaign. It’s pretty funny. 🙂
(12.9meg Flash video)
see it here »
‘An Italian judge has ordered 26 Americans and five Italians to stand trial for the kidnapping of a terror suspect in Milan in 2003, in what will be the first criminal court case over the CIA’s extraordinary rendition programme.
The decision, which indicts a number of senior intelligence officials from the US and Italy, concerns the abduction of a radical imam known as Abu Omar, who was flown to Egypt where he claims he was tortured under questioning on February 17 2003. Prosecutors say that five Italian intelligence officials worked with the CIA to abduct the Egyptian cleric.
All but one of the American suspects have been identified as CIA agents. [..]’
‘Prime Minister John Howard says he is glad the US military has drafted new charges against Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks.
The US military has revealed details of the drafted charges that include attempted murder and providing material support for terrorism.
Mr Howard says he is pleased there has been some progress in the case against Mr Hicks. [..]
Mr Hicks’s US military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, has questioned the charge of attempted murder, pointing out that the US military prosecutor has acknowledged that Mr Hicks never fired a shot in anger.’
‘A German court has ordered the arrest of 13 people in connection with the alleged CIA-backed kidnapping of a German citizen, regarded as one of the most notorious US “renditions” of a terror suspect, prosecutors said.
The prosecutor’s office in Munich, southern Germany, said the city’s administrative court had issued the arrest warrants against individuals thought to be CIA agents on suspicion of abduction and grievous bodily harm.
Authorities are probing allegations by Khaled el-Masri, a Lebanese-born German, that he was abducted by US agents in the Macedonian capital Skopje on New Year’s Eve 2003.’
‘With the rising use of radioisotopes in medicine and the growing use of radiation detectors in a security-conscious nation, patients are triggering alarms in places where they may not even realize they’re being scanned, doctors and security officials say.
Nearly 60,000 people a day in the United States undergo treatment or tests that leave tiny amounts of radioactive material in their bodies, according to the Society of Nuclear Medicine. It is not enough to hurt them or anyone else, but it is enough to trigger radiation alarms for up to three months.’
‘An alleged plot to kidnap and murder a British Muslim soldier in a ‘Ken Bigley-style’ execution was foiled by security forces in Birmingham today.
Eight people were arrested during a series of pre-dawn raids in the city as part of a major nationwide anti-terror investigation.
Sources said it marked a “new departure” for terrorism in the UK and that a major “close quarters” terror strike had been thwarted. [..]
The intended hostage – said to be a young Muslim soldier in the British army who had served in Afghanistan – would have been filmed, made to plead for his life and ultimately executed, sources alleged.’
‘A suspicious package alert that shut down downtown Boston Wednesday afternoon was actually part of an elaborate marketing campaign by the Cartoon Network to spark interest in its “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” show.
After state and local officials said they were launching an investigation into a series of “suspicious packages” found around the city, the Cartoon Network released a statement saying the packages were magnetic lights that pose no danger.
“They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim’s animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” the statement said.’
‘How far would you drive for a gallon of “terror-free” gas?
Consumers in Omaha, Neb., will be able to answer that question soon as the nation’s first “terror-free” gas station is scheduled to open there Thursday. [..]
The Terror-Free Oil Initiative, a group that says it is dedicated to encouraging Americans to buy gasoline that originates from countries that do not export or finance terrorism, is the driving force behind the idea.’
`The safety of Russia’s vast nuclear arsenal was called into question yesterday after Georgia said it had arrested a man trying to sell weapons-grade uranium hidden under his jacket. Officials in Tiblisi said Oleg Khintsagov had been captured after smuggling the uranium into the country. Agents posing as members of a radical Islamist group arrested the Russian businessman in a sting operation.
Mr Khintsagov, 50, had offered to sell 100 grams of enriched uranium for $1m, officials said. After producing a sample, he told agents he had a further two or three kilograms of uranium at his home in Vladikavkaz, in neighbouring southern Russia – enough to make a small nuclear bomb.’
`Mr Ruddock continues to assert that the Australian Government is doing all it can for David Hicks, and that it is working to ensure safeguards are in place for him to be given a fair trial. It is, however, difficult to imagine an outcome that could be more politically embarrassing or damaging for the Government than for David Hicks, after all this time, to be found not guilty of the charges suggested. It is surely of major importance to the Government now that he be tried and convicted of serious offences, and before this year’s election takes place.
All the evidence suggests that far from receiving anything like a fair trial, Mr Hicks will be charged and tried under procedures amounting to a kangaroo court of the most noxious kind. The fact that our Government continues to support this travesty gives the community every justification for reassessing the Government’s publicly stated view. In reality, it wants Mr Hicks convicted, and as soon as possible.’
‘The US Defence Department has drafted a manual for trying detainees at the Guantanamo Bay jail that would allow terror suspects to be imprisoned, convicted and executed on the basis of hearsay evidence or coerced testimony. [..]
According to a copy of the manual obtained by The Associated Press, a terror suspect’s defence lawyer cannot reveal classified evidence in their defence until the government has had a chance to review it.’
Also – Hicks faces flawed system:
`Australian terrorist suspect David Hicks faces trial by a fundamentally flawed and unfair system, the Law Council of Australia says.’
`Intel director John Negroponte gave Congress a sobering assessment last week of the continued threats from groups like Al Qaeda and Hizbullah. But even gloomier comments came from Henry Crumpton, the outgoing State Department terror coordinator. An ex-CIA operative, Crumpton told NEWSWEEK that a worldwide surge in Islamic radicalism has worsened recently, increasing the number of potential terrorists and setting back U.S. efforts in the terror war. “Certainly, we haven’t made any progress,” said Crumpton. “In fact, we’ve lost ground.” He cites Iraq as a factor; the war has fueled resentment against the United States.’
`Terrorists attacking British bases in Basra are using aerial footage displayed by the Google Earth internet tool to pinpoint their attacks, say Army intelligence sources.
Documents seized during raids on the homes of insurgents last week uncovered print-outs from photographs taken from Google.
The satellite photographs show in detail the buildings inside the bases and vulnerable areas such as tented accommodation, lavatory blocks and where lightly armoured Land Rovers are parked.
Written on the back of one set of photographs taken of the Shatt al Arab Hotel, headquarters for the 1,000 men of the Staffordshire Regiment battle group, officers found the camp’s precise longitude and latitude.’
`A post office in upstate New York was evacuated as Secret Service agents and the local bomb squad responded to a suspicious package addressed to former U.S. president Bill Clinton. [..]
After the post office was evacuated, a member of the bomb squad, dressed in protective gear, approached the package and checked it with a portable X-ray device. When no bomb parts were seen, the package was opened, revealing the cookies.
The cookies were then turned over to the Secret Service and the post office reopened.’