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HavenWorks.com/military/archive/2007 |
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/ Archive
/ 2007
Dennis
Kucinich - 
Joe
Biden
- 
Chris
Dodd
- 
Ron
Paul
- 
Duncan
Hunter
- 
Television
- 
Politics
- 
US
- 
Iraq
- Military
- 
2008
Election - 
New
Hampshire - "FOX,
ABC to reduce debate fields." ... "This weekend’s
[New Hampshire] presidential debates and forum will not include some nationally-known
candidates, and the chairmen of the state Republican and Democratic parties
are not happy." ... "Fergus Cullen and Raymond Buckley say the decisions
by ABC News, WMUR and, in Cullen’s case, FOX News, are inconsistent with
the New Hampshire primary’s tradition of providing a level playing field
for all candidates." ... "ABC News and WMUR-TV (Channel 9) confirmed today
that they have established performance-based criteria for Saturday night's
pair of presidential debates. Those rules could leave several relatively
well-known candidates on the outside looking in, including [2008 Election
Democratic Presidential Candidates] Democrats Dennis Kucinich, Joe Biden
and Chris Dodd." ... "And Cullen confirmed that FOX News has invited only
five presidential candidates to a GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican]
forum scheduled for Sunday night, leaving out [2008 Election Republican
Presidential Candidates] Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter." ... "GOP candidate
Paul has said that FOX News is “scared of me” and has called the network
“propagandists for this (Iraq) war, and I challenge them on the notion
that they are conservative.”" -By John Distaso
-UnionLeader.com
John
Edwards
- 
Mike
Huckabee - 
Hillary
Clinton
- 
Barack
Obama
- 
Mitt
Romney
- 
Money- Religion
- 
People
- US
- Iraq
- Military
- 
Iowa
- 2008
Election - Poll
- "Iowa:
Edwards surges, Huckabees bubble bursts." ... "[2008
Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] John Edwards has clawed his
way into contention to win Iowa's caucuses on Thursday in the first vote
for the Democratic presidential nomination, gaining strength even as rivals
[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Hillary Clinton and [2008
Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama have lost ground,
according to a new McClatchy-MSNBC poll." ... "At the same time, [2008
Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Mitt Romney has regained the
lead among Iowa Republicans as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate]
Mike Huckabee has lost momentum and support, even among the evangelical
Christians who had propelled him into the top spot just weeks ago." ...
"If all second-tier Democratic candidates fall short [in Iowa’s Democratic
caucuses] and their supporters switch to other candidates, Edwards gains
the most, rolling up a clear lead at 33 percent to 26 percent each for
Clinton and Obama." ... "Edwards, pushing a people-versus-the powerful
message, owes his gains to voters looking for a general election winner,
someone who agrees with them on the issues, and those who rank Iraq their
top concern." -By Steven Thomma
-McClatchyDC.com
Ron
Paul
- Television
- Politics- New
Hampshire - Iowa
- US
- Iraq
- Military
- 2008
Election - "Paul:
Fox News is 'scared of me'." ... "[2008 Election
Republican Presidential Candidate] Ron Paul said the decision to exclude
him from a debate on Fox News Sunday the weekend before the New Hampshire
Primary is proof that the network "is scared" of him." ... ""They are scared
of me and don't want my message to get out, but it will," Paul said in
an interview at a diner here. "They are propagandists for this war and
I challenge them on the notion that they are conservative."" ... "Paul,
the Republican Texas Congressman, was wrapping up his final day of campaigning
in New Hampshire until the Iowa Caucuses on Thursday." -By
James Pindell -BostonGlobe
US
- Iraq
- 
Afghanistan
- Military- Money
- 
Legislation
- Reconstruction
- "Bush
rejects defense bill by pocket veto." ... "[Republican]
President Bush on Friday used a "pocket veto" to reject a sweeping defense
bill because he dislikes a provision that would expose the Iraqi government
to expensive lawsuits seeking damages from the Saddam Hussein era." ...
"In a statement, Bush said the legislation "would imperil billions of dollars
of Iraqi assets at a crucial juncture in that nation's reconstruction efforts.""
... "The president's objections were focused on a provision deep within
legislation that sets defense policy for the coming year and approves $696
billion in spending, including $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Also in the legislation were improved veterans benefits and tighter oversight
of contractors and weapons programs." ... "The pocket veto means that troops
will get a 3 percent raise Jan. 1 instead of the 3.5 percent authorized
by the bill." -By Ben Feller
-AP via -Yahoo
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- 
Worldwide
- Military
- 
Government
- 
Accounting
- 
Terrorism
- Politics
- 
History
- 
Alaska
- 
Ted
Stevens - "Wars
Cost $15 Billion a Month, GOP Senator Says." ...
"The latest estimate of the growing costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
and the worldwide battle against terrorism -- nearly $15 billion a month
-- came last week from one of the Senate's leading proponents of a continued
U.S. [United States] military presence in Iraq." ... ""This cost of this
war is approaching $15 billion a month, with the Army spending $4.2 billion
of that every month," [Alaska GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican Senator] Sen.
Ted Stevens (Alaska), the ranking Republican on the Appropriations defense
subcommittee, said in a little-noticed floor speech Dec. [December] 18."
... "While most of the public focus has been on the political fight over
troop levels, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reported this month
that the [Republican President] Bush administration's request for the 2008
fiscal year of $189.3 billion [$189.3/12=$15.775 billion per month] for
Defense Department operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and worldwide counterterrorism
activities was 20 percent higher than for fiscal 2007 and 60 percent higher
than for fiscal 2006." (1, 2)
-By Walter Pincus -WashingtonPost
US
- Iraq
- Military
- "
US
military deaths in Iraq at 3,900." ... "As of Thursday,
Dec. 27, 2007, at least 3,900 members of the U.S. military have died since
the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated
Press count." -AP
via -Yahoo
John
Edwards
- Barack
Obama
- Hillary
Clinton
- Iowa
- Manufacturing
- 
Jobs
- 
Family
- 
Health-Care
- 
Environment
- Human
Rights - US
- 
China
- Corporations
- Iraq
- Military
- 
Indiana
- 
Idaho
- 
Illinois
- 
Homes
- Consumers
- 2008
Election - "Behind
the Edwards Surge: Right Message at the Right Time."
... "To a far greater extent than [2008 Election Democratic Presidential
Candidates Barack] Obama or [Hillary] Clinton, [John] Edwards has struck
at the heart of issues that should matter most in the race to replace not
just [Republican President] George W. Bush, but the Bush agenda of corporate
giveaways, job-crushing free trade deals, war profiteering in Iraq, and
subprime mortgage profiteering in Indiana, Idaho, Illinois and, yes, Iowa."
... "Edwards summed up his increasingly aggressive and powerful anti-corporate
themes with a declaration: "What makes America America is at stake: jobs,
the middle class, health care, preserving the environment in the world
for future generations."" ... ""But all those things are at risk. And why
are they at risk? Because of corporate power and corporate greed in Washington,
D.C. And we have to take them on. You can't make a deal with them. You
can't hope that they're going to go away. You have to actually be willing
to fight. And I want every caucus-goer to know I've been fighting these
people and winning my entire life. And if we do this together, rise up
together, we can actually make absolutely certain, starting here in Iowa,
that we make this country better than we left it."" ... "Edwards got to
know workers in Iowa. He stood with them in their struggles." ... "Turning
a broad question about human rights toward the specific issue of trade
policy, the former senator said that human rights, human needs and human
values "should be central to our trade policy."" ... ""But," he added,
"if you look at what's happened with American trade policy, look at what
America got: Big corporations made a lot of money, are continuing to make
a lot of money in China. But what did America get in return? We got millions
of dangerous Chinese toys. We lost millions of jobs." ... ""And right here
in Iowa, the Maytag plant in Newton [Iowa] closed. A guy named Doug Bishop,
who I got to know very well, had worked in that plant, and his family had
worked in that plant literally for generations. And his job is now gone.
The same thing, by the way, happened in the plant that my father worked
in when I was growing up. It is so important that we stop allowing these
corporate powers and corporate profits to run America's policy, whether
it's trade policy, how we engage with China. This is not good for America.
It's not good for American jobs. And it's not good for working people in
this country."" ... "That's an issue Edwards has taken far, far more seriously
than his opponents in what is now a three-way race in Iowa. And that seriousness
has benefitted the former senator." -By John Nichols
-TheNation
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Family
- Poll
- Idaho
- 
Oregon
- Afghanistan
- "Military
family members share public's division on Iraq war, Bush:Polls:
Almost half say invasion was a mistake." ... "Close family members of U.S.
[United States] troops are split on whether the Iraq invasion was a mistake,
and 55% disapprove of [Republican] President Bush's job performance, according
to USA TODAY/Gallup Polls focusing on immediate relatives of servicemembers."
... ""They've maxed out on the troops. You've got guys who are over there
on their fourth or fifth tours. It's ridiculous," says Jeanette Knowles,
40, of Mountain Home, Idaho, whose brother, Jeff, served a tour in Iraq
with the Oregon National Guard." ... "More than 1.5 million servicemembers
have been sent to Iraq or Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, and Army combat
tours last up to 15 months." -By Gregg Zoroya-USATODAY
Mike
Huckabee - Prisoners
- Guantanamo
- 
Cuba
- US
- Military
- Law
- 
Arkansas
- 2008
Election - "Huckabee:
Gitmo Is "Too Nice"." ... "Asked about Guantanamo
[American military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba], [2008 Election Republican
Presidential Candidate] Mike Huckabee said he had visited the facility
and said it was “disappointing” that military personnel were eating meals
that averaged $1.60 while the detainees were eating Halal meals that cost
over $4 each." ... "“The inmates there were getting a whole lot better
treatment than my prisoners in Arkansas. In fact, we left saying, ‘I hope
our guys don’t see this. They’ll all want to be transferred to Guanatanmo.
If anything, it’s too nice.”" ... "Huckabee has said Guantanamo is more
a “symbolic issue” than anything else since the detainees are treated better
than prisoners in the US. Today Huckabee said, “Where they are detained
is of less importance to me than that they are detained…until we know they
are of no threat to us.”" -By Joy Lin and Mary Hood
-CBSNews
Secret
- 
Intelligence
- War- 
Criminal
- Videotapes
- Censorship
- Politics
- Military
- Terrorism
- 
Texas
- "Subpoena
of CIA officials threatened: Justice Dept. [department]
action in tape destruction probe angers House panel chairman, who expects
testimony from two top intelligence agency officials." ... "The chairman
of the House Intelligence Committee, chafing at the Justice Department's
handling of a probe into missing CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] interrogation
tapes, threatened Wednesday to subpoena two top CIA officials to jump-start
the panel's own investigation." ... "The department, which is conducting
a criminal inquiry with the CIA inspector general into revelations that
a CIA official destroyed videotapes of two terrorism suspects being interrogated
in 2005, asked the panel last week to defer its inquiry." ... "Committee
Chairman [Texas Democratic Representative] Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas)
has called a hearing for Jan. 16. He said he expected testimony from both
acting CIA general counsel John Rizzo and Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., the former
head of the agency's operations branch, who authorized destroying the tapes."
-By Richard B. Schmitt
-LAtimes
Secret
- 
Alberto
R Gonzales - 
David
S Addington - 
Dick
Cheney
- 
Harriet
E Miers
- Torture
- War
- Crimes
- Tapes- Censorship
- Law
- Politics
- Military
- Government
- Intelligence
- Terrorism
- History
- US- Iraq
- "Bush
Lawyers Discussed Fate of C.I.A.Tapes." ... "At least
four top [Republican President Bush] White House lawyers took part in discussions
with the Central Intelligence Agency between 2003 and 2005 about whether
to destroy videotapes showing the secret interrogations of two operatives
from Al Qaeda, according to current and former administration and intelligence
officials." ... "The accounts indicate that the involvement of White House
officials in the discussions before the destruction of the tapes in November
2005 was more extensive than [Republican President] Bush administration
officials have acknowledged." ... "Those who took part, the officials said,
included Alberto R. Gonzales, who served as White House counsel until early
2005; David S. Addington, who was the counsel to [Republican] Vice President
Dick Cheney and is now his chief of staff; John B. Bellinger III, who until
January 2005 was the senior lawyer at the National Security Council; and
Harriet E. Miers, who succeeded Mr. Gonzales as White House counsel." ...
"It was previously reported that some administration officials had advised
against destroying the tapes, but the emerging picture of White House involvement
is more complex. In interviews, several administration and intelligence
officials provided conflicting accounts as to whether anyone at the White
House expressed support for the idea that the tapes should be destroyed."
... "One former senior intelligence official with direct knowledge of the
matter said there had been “vigorous sentiment” among some top White House
officials to destroy the tapes. The former official did not specify which
White House officials took this position, but he said that some believed
in 2005 that any disclosure of the tapes could have been particularly damaging
after revelations a year earlier of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq."
... "The current and former officials also provided new details about the
role played in November 2005 by Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., then the chief of
the agency’s clandestine branch, who ultimately ordered the destruction
of the tapes." ... "The officials said that before he issued a secret cable
directing that the tapes be destroyed, Mr. Rodriguez received legal guidance
from two C.I.A. [Central Intelligence Agency] lawyers, Steven Hermes and
Robert Eatinger. The officials said that those lawyers gave written guidance
to Mr. Rodriguez that he had the authority to destroy the tapes and that
the destruction would violate no laws." ... "Current and former officials
said the two lawyers informed the C.I.A.’s top lawyer, John A. Rizzo, about
the legal advice they had provided." (1, 2)
-By Mark Mazzetti and Scott Shane with contributions
by David Johnston -NYTimes
Iran
- 
Russia
- 
Fuel
- Business
- Construction
- US
- International
- Military
- Politics
- "Russia
starts nuclear fuel deliveries to Iran." ... "Iran
passed a significant milestone in its quest for nuclear power status yesterday
when it received a first delivery of enriched uranium from Russia, allowing
for the completion of a long-delayed reactor at Bushehr [Iran]." ... "The
head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, announced
that 80 tonnes of fuel had been received, with further consignments expected
in the next two months." ... "The delivery appeared to signal a weakening
of the international coalition opposing Iranian nuclear ambitions which
the US and its allies suspect are aimed at building an atomic bomb." ...
"It also means Iran is just months away from having its first nuclear power
station, after years of delays. The Russian contractors building the Bushehr
plant, which will be used to generate electricity, say it could be operational
within six months." -By Robert Tait
-Guardian.co.uk
Mitt
Romney
- Mike
Huckabee - US
- Foreign
- Military
- Mentality
- 2008
Election - "Romney
Again Seeks Huckabee Apology." ... "At a campaign
stop here on Monday, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate]
Mitt Romney continued his blunt criticism of his Republican rival [2008
Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Mike Huckabee, renewing a call
for Mr. Huckabee to apologize for characterizing the [Republican President]
Bush administration’s foreign policy as “arrogant.”" ... "Mr. Romney once
again accused Mr. Huckabee of using “the language of a Democrat” in an
article
he wrote for the January/February 2008 issue of Foreign Affairs in which
he asserts that “the Bush administration’s arrogant bunker mentality has
been counterproductive at home and abroad.”" -By Michael
Falcone -NYTimes
John
Edwards
- Barack
Obama- Hillary
Clinton
- 
North
Carolina - Illinois
- 
New
York
- 2008
Election - Government
- Oil
- 
Drug- Companies
- Health-Care
- US
- Iraq
- Military
- Iowa
- Fields-
"Edwards
cuts sharper edge in Iowa trail speeches." ... ""The
few, the powerful, the well-financed, they now control the government,"
[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] John Edwards told a tight
crowd of about 350 last week. "They've taken over your democracy. And it
affects everything that happens in this country."" ... ""Everything," he
emphasized." ... "During an 18-minute span, the former North Carolina senator
took aim and fired freely at insurance, oil and drug companies and failed
chief executives rewarded with golden parachutes. He described the Republican
field as [Republican President] "George Bush on steroids" and said his
Democratic competitors are talkers, not fighters." ... "In what has often
been portrayed as a two-Democrat battle between [2008 Election Democratic
Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois
and [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York Senator]
Hillary Clinton of New York the populist Edwards is making an eight-day
blitz across the frozen fields of Iowa, a sort of red-meat express to convince
the middle class that he is the one who will wrest the country from the
clutches of "corporate power and greed."" ... ""I know some people suggest
we'll be able to sit at the table with drug companies and oil companies
and think they can get their power away. Right," Edwards said dismissively,
indirectly referring to the approaches he says Obama and Clinton would
take." ... ""I'll tell you when they'll [corporations] lose their power:
when we take it away from them," he told a cheering crowd at the [Iowa]
Grinnell Eagles Club." ... ""There's been a change in America. We have
greater concentration of wealth and power in a few. We have an increasingly
dysfunctional health-care system. We have this war in Iraq that has gotten
much worse," he said. "I think we need a president who's willing to be
tough and to go after these things."" -By Tim Jones
-ChicagoTribune
Mitt
Romney
- Mike
Huckabee - Foreign
- US
- Military
- Illegal
- Immigrants
- People
- Baptist
- Iowa
- 
Massachusetts
- Arkansas
- Ads
- 2008
Election - "Romney
Hits Huckabee for Criticizing Bush." ... "Sensing
an opening in his desperate effort to retake the lead in Iowa, [2008 Election
Republican Presidential Candidate and] former Massachusetts governor Mitt
Romney on Saturday pounced on comments by [2008 Election Republican Presidential
Candidate and] former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in which he characterized
[Republican] President Bush's foreign policy as an "arrogant bunker mentality.""
... "Romney has started heaping criticism on Huckabee as the former baptist
minister has climbed into a comfortable lead in Iowa caucuses. On television
and in mailings to voters, Romney has attacked Huckabee's position on illegal
immigrants in the hopes of halting his momentum." -By
Michael D. Shear -WashingtonPost
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Police
- Terrorism
- Politics
- 
Christmas
- "Christians
in Basra told not to celebrate to protest 2 deaths."
... "The Christian archbishop of Basra on Tuesday canceled the celebration
of Christmas in that southern city to protest the deaths of a brother and
sister, both Christians, as bombings and mayhem struck at cities throughout
Iraq." ... "Archbishop Imad al Banna said Christians in Basra should still
pray to mark Christmas, but should forgo such celebratory trappings as
trees, gift-swapping and family gatherings to protest the deaths of Maysoon
Farid, a 30-year-old cashier at a local pharmacy, and her brother Osama,
33. The two were found dead Monday night, dumped in a neighborhood controlled
by the Shiite Muslim Mahdi Army militia." ... "Meanwhile, two police officers
in Baghdad [Iraq's capital] were killed by a car bomb that struck near
the homes of two prominent politicians, while south of Fallujah, in the
west, family members mourned a 9-year-old girl who they said was killed
by U.S. troops." -By Leila Fadel and Ali al Basri
with contributions by Hussein Kadhim in Baghdad and Jamal al Dulaimy
-McClatchy
John
Edwards
- US
- Iraq
- Military
- Corporate
- Government
- Energy
- Drug
- Health
- Family
- Farmers
- 2008
Election - "AP
Interview: Edwards on Iraq and Dems." ... "While
[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate John] Edwards continues
to invoke ending the [Iraq] war as one of the major challenges facing the
nation, the thrust of his message is that entrenched corporate power has
prevented the government from tackling long-standing domestic problems."
... ""You hear a lot more questions about corporate power, health care,
energy, family farmers," he said. "Those are the things people ask about.""
... ""My focus for these last few weeks is on a positive agenda," he said.
"That's what America rising is all about."" ... "That's not to say Edwards'
message doesn't have an edge." ... "His culprits are "powerful, well-entrenched,
well-financed interests that are distorting the democracy in their favor
and against the interests of most Americans."" ... ""The specific examples
are oil companies, drug companies, insurance companies, power companies,
there are lots more examples," he said. "They've used money and power to
spread their influence and have kept the democracy from working for most
people."" (1, 2)
-By Jim Kuhnhenn -AP
via -NOLA.com
Joe
Biden
- Investigate- Military
- Government
- Intelligence
- Terrorism
- Videotapes
- Censorship
- Politics
- 
Delaware
- 2008
Election - "Biden
calls for Special Counsel to investigate CIA." ...
"[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Delaware Senator]
Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, says the Justice Department needs to go further
than it has, by calling for the appointment of Special Counsel to investigate
the CIA's destruction of videotapes that included the interrogation of
terrorism suspects." ... "“Under federal law, the Attorney General may
appoint a Special Counsel to prosecute matters when he or she determines
that an investigation by the Department itself would present a conflict
of interest, or there are other extraordinary circumstances and it would
be in the public interest to do so. I believe these conditions are met,"
the Democratic presidential hopeful said in a news release Sunday." ...
"“This is a White House that has sanctioned and pushed for the kind of
interrogation techniques captured on those video tapes," Biden said. "This
is a White House that was informed of the CIA’s desire to destroy those
tapes. Thus, it is possible this investigation could lead to the [Republican
President Bush] White House."" -By Jamie Crawford
-CNN
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Families
- Politics
- Poll
- "Bush
loses ground with military families." ... "Families
with ties to the military, long a reliable source of support for wartime
presidents, disapprove of [Republican] President Bush and his handling
of the war in Iraq, with a majority concluding the invasion was not worth
it, a Los
Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll has found." ... "The views of the military
community, which includes active-duty service members, veterans and their
family members, mirror those of the overall adult population, a sign that
the strong military endorsement that the [Republican President Bush] administration
often pointed to has dwindled in the war's fifth year." ... "Nearly six
out of every 10 military families disapprove of Bush's job performance
and the way he has run the war, rating him only slightly better than the
general population does." ... "And among those families with soldiers,
sailors and Marines who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, 60% say that
the war in Iraq was not worth the cost, the same result as all adults surveyed."
... "Military families are only slightly more patient: 35% are willing
to stay until victory; 58% want the troops home within a year or sooner."
... "When military families were asked which party could be trusted to
do a better job of handling issues related to them, respondents divided
almost evenly: 39% said Democrats and 35% chose Republicans." -By
Faye Fiore -LAtimes
Howard
Krongard
- US
- Iraq
- 
Blackwater
- Corporate
- Military
- Law-
"Official
in Blackwater probe quits." ... "State Department
Inspector General Howard Krongard, under scrutiny for his brother's link
to the Blackwater security firm, has decided to resign, U.S. officials
said on Friday." ... "Krongard, the State Department's top investigator,
has been accused by current and former subordinates of thwarting probes
into waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq, including alleged arms smuggling by
Blackwater." -By Arshad Mohammed and Andy Sullivan
with contributions by Bill Trott -Reuters
Secret
- 
Porter
J Goss
- 
Michael
V Hayden - Military
- Government
- Terrorism
- Intelligence
- Videotapes
- Censorship
- Officers
- Safety
- Prisoner
- Torture
- War
Crimes - Law
- Politics-
"C.I.A.
Destroyed Tapes of Interrogations." ... "The Central
Intelligence Agency in 2005 destroyed at least two videotapes documenting
the interrogation of two Al Qaeda operatives in the agency’s custody, a
step it took in the midst of Congressional and legal scrutiny about the
C.I.A’s [Central Intelligence Agency] secret detention program, according
to current and former government officials." ... "The videotapes showed
agency operatives in 2002 subjecting terror suspects — including Abu Zubaydah,
the first detainee in C.I.A. custody — to severe interrogation techniques.
They were destroyed in part because officers were concerned that tapes
documenting controversial interrogation methods could expose agency officials
to greater risk of legal jeopardy, several officials said." ... "The C.I.A.
said today that the decision to destroy the tapes had been made “within
the C.I.A. itself,” and they were destroyed to protect the safety of undercover
officers and because they no longer had intelligence value. The agency
was headed at the time by Porter J. Goss. Through a spokeswoman, Mr. Goss
declined this afternoon to comment on the destruction of the tapes." ...
"The existence and subsequent destruction of the tapes are likely to reignite
the debate over the use of severe interrogation techniques on terror suspects,
and their destruction raises questions about whether C.I.A. officials withheld
information about aspects of the program from the courts and from the Sept.
11 commission appointed by [Republican] President Bush and Congress. It
was not clear who within the C.I.A. authorized the destruction of the tapes,
but current and former government officials said it had been approved at
the highest levels of the agency." ... "General [CIA Director, General
Michael V Hayden] Hayden said in a statement that leaders of Congressional
oversight committees were fully briefed on the matter, but some Congressional
officials said notification to Congress had not been adequate." (1, 2)
-By Mark Mazzetti with contributions by Eric Lichtblau
and Scott Shane -NYTimes
US
- Iran
- 
Nuclear
- Military
- Intelligence
- Politics
- "Bush
told in August that Iran nuke program 'may be suspended'."
... "[Republican] President Bush was told in August that Iran's nuclear
weapons program "may be suspended," the White House said Wednesday, which
seemingly contradicts the account of the meeting given by Bush Tuesday."
... "[Admiral] Adm. Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence,
told Bush the new information might cause intelligence officials to change
their assessment of the Iranian program, but said analysts needed to review
the new data before making a final judgment, White House press secretary
Dana Perino said late Wednesday." ... ""Director McConnell said that the
new information might cause the intelligence community to change its assessment
of Iran's covert nuclear program, but the intelligence community was not
prepared to draw any conclusions at that point in time, and it wouldn't
be right to speculate until they had time to examine and analyze the new
data," Perino said in a statement issued by the White House." ... "The
new account from Perino seems to contradict the president's version of
his August conversation with McConnell and raised new questions about why
Bush continued to warn the American public about a threat from Iran two
months after being told a new assessment was in the works." -By
Ed Henry -CNN
Curt
Weldon - Federal
- Military
- Money
- Family
- Politics
- 
Pennsylvania
- "Ex-Congressman's
Aide to Plead Guilty to Conspiracy." ... "Former
[Pennsylvania Republican] representative Curt Weldon's chief of staff has
agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges for allegedly helping a consulting
firm that Weldon championed obtain federal funds and for concealing money
the firm paid him and his wife, according to court papers unsealed today."
... "According to the court document, Russell James Caso and a top official
at the unnamed consulting firm met repeatedly with Weldon to seek the Pennsylvania
Republican's help in obtaining federal funds for the organization's defense
projects." -By Carol D. Leonnig
-WashingtonPost
Joe
Biden
- US
- Iran
- Military
- Nuclear
- Intelligence
- History
- Delaware
- 2008
Election - "Democrats
incredulous over Bush's account of Iran report."
... "[2008 Election] Democratic presidential candidate [Delaware Senator]
Sen. Joe Biden on Tuesday said he can't believe [Republican] President
Bush hasn't known for months about a recent intelligence estimate that
downplays the nuclear threat from Iran." ... "On Tuesday the president
acknowledged he had given a speech warning that Iran's nuclear development
risked "World War III" about two months after his intelligence chief told
him a reassessment of Tehran's nuclear ambitions was under way." ... "Bush
told reporters during a White House news conference that he was not told
the details of the new assessment until last week and he said the new report,
which found that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons work in 2003, will
not change U.S. policy toward Iran." ... "The Democratic presidential candidates
were incredulous that Bush did not know about the assessment's new finding."
... "Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called
that explanation "unbelievable."" ... ""Are you telling me a president
that's briefed every single morning, who's fixated on Iran, is not told
back in August that the tentative conclusion of 16 intelligence agencies
in the U.S. government said they had abandoned their effort for a nuclear
weapon in '03?" Biden asked in a conference call with reporters." ... ""I
refuse to believe that," he added. "If that's true, he has the most incompetent
staff in modern American history, and he's one of the most incompetent
presidents in modern American history."" -CNN
US
- Iran
- Nuclear
- Military
- Intelligence
- Politics
- Secret
- History
- "U.S.
Finds Iran Halted Its Nuclear Arms Effort in 2003."
... "A new assessment by American intelligence agencies released Monday
concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that
the program remains frozen, contradicting a judgment two years ago that
Tehran [Iran's capital] was working relentlessly toward building a nuclear
bomb." ... "The conclusions of the new assessment are likely to reshape
the final year of the [Republican President] Bush administration, which
has made halting Iran’s nuclear program a cornerstone of its foreign policy."
... "The assessment, a National Intelligence Estimate that represents the
consensus view of all 16 American spy agencies, states that Tehran is likely
to keep its options open with respect to building a weapon, but that intelligence
agencies “do not know whether it currently intends to develop nuclear weapons.”"
... "Iran is continuing to produce enriched uranium, a program that the
Tehran government has said is intended for civilian purposes. The new estimate
says that the enrichment program could still provide Iran with enough raw
material to produce a nuclear weapon sometime by the middle of next decade,
a timetable essentially unchanged from previous estimates." ... "But the
new report essentially disavows a judgment that the intelligence agencies
issued in 2005, which concluded that Iran had an active secret arms program
intended to transform the raw material into a nuclear weapon. The new estimate
declares instead with “high confidence” that the military-run program was
shut in 2003, and it concludes with “moderate confidence” that the program
remains frozen. The report judges that the halt was imposed by Iran “primarily
in response to increasing international scrutiny and pressure.”" (1, 2)
-By Mark Mazzetti -NYTimes
US
- Iraq- Military
- Pennsylvania
- "Murtha
clarifies surge remarks." ... "Following a headline-grabbing
uproar, [Pennsylvania Democratic Representative] Rep. John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania,
moved swiftly Friday to clarify earlier remarks that seemed to suggest
the Iraq surge policy was working." ... "The surge, he said in a statement,
“has created a window of opportunity for the Iraqi government,’’ but so
far the Iraqi government has “failed to capitalize on the political and
diplomatic steps that the surge was designed to provide.”" ... "“The fact
remains that the war in Iraq cannot be won militarily, and that we must
begin an orderly redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq as soon as practicable,”
said the chair of the House Appropriations Committee’s Defense Subcommittee."
-CNN
Joe
Biden
- US
- Iran
- Military
- Law
- Cheney
- Delaware
- 2008
Election - "Biden:
Impeachment if Bush bombs Iran." ... "[Delaware Democratic
Senator and 2008 Election] Presidential hopeful Delaware Sen. Joe Biden
stated unequivocally that he will move to impeach [Republican] President
Bush if he bombs Iran without first gaining congressional approval." ...
""The president has no authority to unilaterally attack Iran, and if he
does, as Foreign Relations Committee chairman, I will move to impeach,"
said Biden, whose words were followed by a raucous applause from the local
audience." ... "Biden said he is in the process of meeting with constitutional
law experts to prepare a legal memorandum saying as much and intends to
send it to the president." ... "When local resident Joel Carp asked Biden
why not impeach now, given what has already been done, Biden said it was
a valid point, but might not be constitutionally valid and potentially
counterproductive. A case for impeachment must have clear evidence, Biden
said, and blame should be directed at the right parties." ... ""If you're
going to impeach George Bush, you better impeach (Vice President Dick)
Cheney first," said Biden, again drawing applause." -By
Adam Leech -SeacoastOnline.com
Rudy
Giuliani
- Terrorism
- Money
- Politics
- US
- 
Qatar
- Military
- Intelligence
- Osama
bin Laden
- Law
- Enforcement
- 2008
Election - "Giuliani's
Ties to Qatar Raise Questions for Mr. 9/ll." ...
"Contracts awarded to [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate]
Rudy Giuliani's private security firm in the Gulf state of Qatar were overseen
by a government minister suspected of harboring the al Qaeda terrorist
who planned the 9/ll attacks, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, according to security
consultants in the region." ... "Since 2005, Giuliani Partners and its
Giuliani Security & Safety (GS&S) unit has provided security consulting
and advice in Qatar through contracts overseen by the country's Interior
Ministry, which is currently run by a member of the royal family who has
long been accused of supporting al Qaeda, according to security consultants
familiar with the area." ... "The current interior minister, Sheik Abdullah
Bin Khalid al-Thani, was suspected of sheltering Mohammed at his farm and
tipping him off to the arrival of CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] and
FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] teams coming to arrest the al Qaeda
strategist back in 1996, according to the National Security Council's former
chief counterterrorism adviser and ABC News consultant Richard A. Clarke,
former CIA agent Robert Baer and a 2004 Congressional Research Service
report." ... "Khalid al-Thani is also believed to have welcomed Osama bin
Laden on two visits to the farm, according to an Oct. 10, 2007 CRS study."
... "The firm's work in Qatar was too close for comfort to former law enforcement
agents familiar with the country." ... ""We have a guy who could be president
who's taking money from the same accounts that harbored terrorists," said
Baer, the former CIA agent." -By Marcus Baram-ABCNEWS.com
Noteworthy
- 
Scott
Bloch
- 
Karl
Rove
- Military
- Government- 
Computer
- Intelligence
- Company
- Hacking
- 2006
Election - Politics
- Employee
- Justice
- Investigation
- 
Kan
- "Head
of Rove Inquiry in Hot Seat Himself: Bloch Used Private
Company, Geeks on Call, to Delete Files On His Office Computer." ... "The
head of the federal agency investigating [Republican President Bush's former
aide] Karl Rove's White House political operation is facing allegations
that he improperly deleted computer files during another probe, using a
private computer-help company, Geeks on Call." ... "TScott Bloch runs the
Office of Special Counsel, an agency charged with protecting government
whistleblowers and enforcing a ban on federal employees engaging in partisan
political activity. Mr. Bloch's agency is looking into whether Mr. Rove
and other White House officials used government agencies to help re-elect
Republicans in 2006." ... "TAt the same time, Mr. Bloch has himself been
under investigation since 2005. At the direction of the White House, the
federal Office of Personnel Management's inspector general is looking into
claims that Mr. Bloch improperly retaliated against employees and dismissed
whistleblower cases without adequate examination." ... "TRecently, investigators
learned that Mr. Bloch erased all the files on his office personal computer
late last year. They are now trying to determine whether the deletions
were improper or part of a cover-up, lawyers close to the case said." ...
"In an interview, the 49-year-old former labor-law litigator from Lawrence,
Kan., confirmed that he contacted Geeks on Call but said he was trying
to eradicate a virus that had seized control of his computer." ... "Mr.
Bloch believes the White House may have a conflict of interest in pressing
the inquiry into his conduct while his office investigates the White House
political operation." ... "Depending on circumstances, erasing files or
destroying evidence in a federal investigation can be considered obstruction
of justice." ... "Mr. Bloch had his computer's hard disk completely cleansed
using a "seven-level" wipe: a thorough scrubbing that conforms to Defense
Department data-security standards. The process makes it nearly impossible
for forensics experts to restore the data later. He also directed Geeks
on Call to erase laptop computers that had been used by his two top political
deputies, who had recently left the agency." -By John
R. Wilke -WSJ.com
US
- Iraq
- Blackwater
- Corporate
- Military
- Politics
- Steroids- North
Carolina - "Witnesses
testify in Blackwater lawsuit." ... "A federal grand
jury investigating Blackwater Worldwide heard witnesses Tuesday as a private
lawsuit accused the government contractor's bodyguards of ignoring orders
and abandoning their posts shortly before taking part in a Baghdad [Iraq's
capital] shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead." ... "Filed this week
in U.S. District Court in Washington, the civil complaint also accuses
North Carolina-based Blackwater of failing to give drug tests to its guards
in Baghdad — even though an estimated one in four of them was using steroids
or other "judgment altering substances."" ... "Before the shootings in
Baghdad last September, the three teams of an estimated dozen Blackwater
bodyguards had already dropped off the State Department official they were
tasked with protecting when they headed to Nisoor Square, according to
the lawsuit filed by lawyers working with the Center for Constitutional
Rights." ... "Blackwater and State Department personnel staffing a tactical
operations center "expressly directed the Blackwater shooters to stay with
the official and refrain from leaving the secure area," the complaint says.
"Reasonable discovery will establish that the Blackwater shooters ignored
those directives."" ... "Additionally, the lawsuit notes: "One of Blackwater's
own shooters tried to stop his colleagues from indiscriminately firing
upon the crowd of innocent civilians but he was unsuccessful in his efforts.""
-By Lara Jakes Jordan with contributions by Matthew
Lee and Matt Apuzzo -APvia
-Yahoo
Mitt
Romney
- Religious
- Politics
- Government
- National-Security
- 2008
Election - People
- Massachusetts
- US
- Foreign
- "Religious
Minority Candidate Mitt Romney Comes Out In Favor Of Religious Bigotry."
... "In a recent interview with [2008 Election] Republican presidential
candidate Mitt Romney, former conservative Fox News pundit Mansoor Ijaz
asked the former [Massachusetts] governor whether he would consider nominating
a Muslim to be a member of his national security cabinet. Ijaz reports:"
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Oil
- Money
- 
UN
- "Iraqis
may offer US deal to stay longer." ... "Iraq's government,
seeking protection against foreign threats and internal coups, will offer
the U.S. a long-term troop presence in Iraq in return for U.S. security
guarantees as part of a strategic partnership, two Iraqi officials said
Monday." ... "In Washington, [Republican] President Bush's adviser on the
Iraqi war, [Lieutenant General] Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, confirmed the proposal,
calling it "a set of principles from which to begin formal negotiations.""
... "As part of the package, the Iraqis want an end to the current U.N.-mandated
multinational forces mission, and also an end to all U.N.-ordered restrictions
on Iraq's sovereignty." ... "The Americans appeared generally favorable
subject to negotiations on the details, which include preferential treatment
for American investments, according to the Iraqi officials involved in
the discussions." ... "Preferential treatment for U.S. investors could
provide a huge windfall if Iraq can achieve enough stability to exploit
its vast oil resources." -By Qassim Abdul-Zahra
-AP via -Yahoo
United
States - Iraq
- Military
- Politics
- Economic
- History
- "Ex-coalition
leader says Bush failed to have plan: Sanchez: It's
time to withdraw troops, let Iraq take responsibility." ... "Retired Army
[Lieutenant General] Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who led coalition forces
through the first critical year of Iraq's insurgency, said Saturday in
a nationally broadcast radio address that [Republican] President Bush had
failed to "devise a strategy for victory" and that the time had come to
withdraw U.S. troops." ... "In the Democratic rebuttal to Bush's weekly
radio address, Sanchez offered conditional support to a House war funding
bill that requires combat troops to be out of Iraq by the end of 2008."
... "As the coalition commander, Sanchez said in Saturday's broadcast,
he personally witnessed "the administration's failure to devise a strategy
for victory in Iraq that employed, in a coordinated manner, the political,
economic, diplomatic and military power of the United States. That failure
continues today."" ... "He predicted it would take at least a decade to
reverse the damage done to the Army's ability to fight future wars." ...
"The service, he added, is at its "lowest level"of force readiness since
Vietnam." -By Sig Christenson
-MySanAntonio.com via -Chron
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- People
- Brain
- 
Science
- Accounting
- Politics
- 
NJ
- "20,000
vets' brain injuries not listed in Pentagon tally."
... "At least 20,000 U.S. troops who were not classified as wounded during
combat in Iraq and Afghanistan have been found with signs of brain injuries,
according to military and veterans records compiled by USA TODAY." ...
"The data, provided by the Army, Navy and Department of Veterans Affairs,
show that about five times as many troops sustained brain trauma as the
4,471 officially listed by the Pentagon through Sept. 30. These cases also
are not reflected in the Pentagon's official tally of wounded, which stands
at 30,327." ... "More than 150,000 troops may have suffered head injuries
in combat, says [New Jersey Democratic Representative] Rep. Bill Pascrell,
D-N.J., founder of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force." ... "About
1.5 million troops have served in Iraq, where traumatic brain injury can
occur despite heavy body armor worn by troops." -By
Gregg Zoroya -USATODAY
Iraq
- United
States - 
Saudi
Arabia - 
Libya
- 
Syria
- Military
- Terrorism
- Computer
- Intelligence
- Religious
- Politics
- "Foreign
Fighters in Iraq Are Tied to Allies of U.S.." ...
"Saudi Arabia and Libya, both considered allies by the United States in
its fight against terrorism, were the source of about 60 percent of the
foreign fighters who came to Iraq in the past year to serve as suicide
bombers or to facilitate other attacks, according to senior American military
officials." ... "The data come largely from a trove of documents and computers
discovered in September, when American forces raided a tent camp in the
desert near Sinjar, close to the Syrian border. The raid’s target was an
insurgent cell believed to be responsible for smuggling the vast majority
of foreign fighters into Iraq." ... "The most significant discovery was
a collection of biographical sketches that listed hometowns and other details
for more than 700 fighters brought into Iraq since August 2006." ... "The
records also underscore how the insurgency in Iraq remains both overwhelmingly
Iraqi and Sunni. American officials now estimate that the flow of foreign
fighters was 80 to 110 per month during the first half of this year and
about 60 per month during the summer. The numbers fell sharply in October
to no more than 40, partly as a result of the Sinjar raid, the American
officials say." ... "In contrast to the comparatively small number of foreigners,
more than 25,000 inmates are in American detention centers in Iraq. Of
those, only about 290, or some 1.2 percent, are foreigners, military officials
say." ... "About four out of every five detainees in American detention
centers are Sunni Arab, even though Sunni Arabs make up just one-fifth
of Iraq’s population." (1, 2)
-By Richard A. Oppel Jr.
-NYTimes
Afghanistan
- Terrorism
- Politics
- American
- UN
- "Afghanistan
'falling into hands of Taliban'." ... "The Taliban
has a permanent presence in 54% of Afghanistan and the country is in serious
danger of falling into Taliban hands, according to a report by an independent
thinktank with long experience in the area." ... "Despite tens of thousands
of Nato-led troops and billions of dollars in aid poured into the country,
the insurgents, driven out by the American invasion in 2001, now control
"vast swaths of unchallenged territory, including rural areas, some district
centres, and important road arteries", the Senlis Council says in a report
released yesterday." ... "On the basis of what it calls exclusive research,
it warns that the insurgency is also exercising a "significant amount of
psychological control, gaining more and more political legitimacy in the
minds of the Afghan people who have a long history of shifting alliances
and regime change"." ... "It says the territory controlled by the Taliban
has increased and the frontline is getting closer to Kabul [Afghanistan's
capital] - a warning echoed by the UN which says more and more of the country
is becoming a "no go" area for western aid and development workers." -By
Richard Norton-Taylor -Guardian.co.uk
Military
- People
- Money
- Politics
- "Wounded
Soldier: Military Wants Part Of Bonus Back." ...
"The U.S. Military is demanding that thousands of wounded service personnel
give back signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their commitments."
... "To get people to sign up, the military gives enlistment bonuses up
to $30,000 in some cases." ... "Now men and women who have lost arms, legs,
eyesight, hearing and can no longer serve are being ordered to pay some
of that money back." -By Marty Griffin
-KDKA.com
United
Arab Emirates - US
- Military
- Computer
- Technology
- "Abu
Dhabi buys stake in AMD." ... "Abu Dhabi's [United
Arab Emirates' capital] Mubadala Development Co said on Friday it had bought
8.1 percent of U.S.-based Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD.N: Quote,
Profile,
Research),
the second-largest maker of computer processors." ... ""We have already
bought the stake as of today," Mubdala's chief operating officer, Waleed
al-Mokarrab al-Muhairi, told Reuters in a text message." ... "He did not
say how much Mubadala, owned by the government of the world's sixth-largest
oil exporter, had paid for the stake." ... "Still the deal could attract
the attention of the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment, which vets acquisitions
by overseas investors, particularly in technology and defense companies,
on national security grounds, it said." (1, 2)
-By Dayan Candappa with contributions by Valerie Lee,
Justin Grant and Quentin Bryar -Reuters
Saudi
Arabia - Oil
- Industry- Terrorism
- Osama
bin Laden
- US
- Politics
- "Saudi
builds security force of 35,000 to guard oil." ...
"Saudi Arabia is building up a special 35,000-strong rapid reaction force
to protect its energy installations from attacks by militants targeting
the world's largest oil exporter." ... "The kingdom started recruiting
and training the industrial security force a year ago, after a failed al
Qaeda attack on the world's largest oil processing plant at Abqaiq in February
2006." ... "The network's Saudi branch vowed more strikes on oil facilities
after the attack, the first to directly target the kingdom's oil sector
since militants began a campaign against the U.S.-allied Saudi royals in
May 2003." ... "Al Qaeda's Saudi-born leader, Osama bin Laden, has called
for it to take aim specifically at oil." ... "The new force already has
around 9,000 personnel either in training or already active, and will reach
full strength of up to 35,000 in three to four years, Mansour said." (1,
2,
3)
-By Simon Webb with contributions by Samira Kawar
-Reuters
Iraq- 
British
- Politics-
"In
Basra, violence is a tenth of what it was before British pullback, general
says." ... "Attacks against British and Iraqi forces
have plunged by 90 percent in southern Iraq since London [Britain's capital]
withdrew its troops from the main city of Basra, the commander of British
forces there said Thursday." ... "The presence of British forces in downtown
Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, was the single largest instigator of
violence, Maj. Gen. Graham Binns told reporters Thursday on a visit to
Baghdad's Green Zone." ... ""We thought, 'If 90 percent of the violence
is directed at us, what would happen if we stepped back?'" Binns said."
... "Britain's 5,000 troops moved out of a former Saddam Hussein palace
at Basra's heart in early September, setting up a garrison at an airport
on the city's edge. Since that pullback, there's been a "remarkable and
dramatic drop in attacks," Binns said." ... ""The motivation for attacking
us was gone, because we're no longer patrolling the streets," he said."-AP
via -IHT.com
US
- Iraq
- Religion
- Military
- Terrorism
- "Iraqis
Wasting An Opportunity, U.S. Officers Say: With Attacks
Ebbing, Government Is Urged to Reach Out to Opponents." ... "Senior military
commanders here [in Camp Liberty, Iraq] now portray the intransigence of
Iraq's Shiite-dominated government as the key threat facing the U.S. effort
in Iraq, rather than al-Qaeda terrorists, Sunni insurgents or Iranian-backed
militias." ... "In more than a dozen interviews, U.S. military officials
expressed growing concern over the Iraqi government's failure to capitalize
on sharp declines in attacks against U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians. A
window of opportunity has opened for the government to reach out to its
former foes, said Army [Lieutenant General] Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno,
the commander of day-to-day U.S. military operations in Iraq, but "it's
unclear how long that window is going to be open."" ... "The lack of political
progress calls into question the core rationale behind the troop buildup
[Republican] President Bush announced in January, which was premised on
the notion that improved security would create space for Iraqis to arrive
at new power-sharing arrangements." ... "The latest news of declining violence
comes as the U.S. troop contingent in Iraq has reached an all-time high.
This week, the U.S. troop number will hit 175,000 -- the largest presence
so far in the 4 1/2 -year war -- as units that are rotating in and out
overlap briefly. But those numbers are scheduled to come down rapidly over
the next several months, which will place an increasing burden on Iraqi
security forces and an Iraqi government that has yet to demonstrate it
is up to the challenge, senior military officials said." ... "Indeed, after
years of seizing on every positive development and complaining that the
good news wasn't being adequately conveyed, American military officials
now warn against excessive optimism. "It's never as bad as it was, and
it's not as good as it's being reported now," said Army [Major General]
Maj. Gen. Michael Barbero, chief of strategic operations for U.S. forces
in Iraq." (1, 2)
-By Thomas E. Ricks with contributions by Karen DeYoung
-WashingtonPost
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Money
- Legislation
- Opinion- Torture
- War
Crimes - Terrorism
- "House
passes Iraq bill calling for troops out by December '08."
... "The Democratic-controlled U.S. House Wednesday approved a war-funding
bill with a timeline for troop withdrawal from Iraq and substantially less
funds to conduct the war than [Republican] President Bush has requested."
... "It demands that Bush begin withdrawing troops from Iraq within 30
days of passage, with a goal of having American combat troops out of Iraq
by December 15, 2008." ... "The $50 billion "bridge fund" is about a quarter
of the nearly $200 billion the Bush administration has requested to pay
for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for 2008. Most of the money is slated
for Iraq, where the Pentagon estimates the cost of its operations at about
$10 billion a month." ... "A CNN-Opinion Research poll conducted in early
November found 68 percent of Americans polled oppose the war, and 62 percent
consider the conflict a stalemate." ... "The legislation also would require
the Pentagon to give troops the same amount of time at home as they were
deployed into combat, and bans government agents from using "waterboarding"
-- a technique the United States once prosecuted as a war crime -- against
suspected terrorists." -CNN
Howard
Krongard
- US
- Iraq
- Blackwater
- Business
- Military
- Law
- Politics
- 
Calif
- "State's
inspector general defends record." ... "In a stunning
move, the State Department official responsible for ensuring the agency
operates ethically recused himself Wednesday from any investigations related
to Blackwater Worldwide after admitting to lawmakers that his brother is
a member of the embattled security contractor's advisory board." ... "The
revelation by Howard Krongard, the department's inspector general, came
as Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee were
defending him from what they said were politically motivated attacks."
... "[California Democratic Representative] Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.,
and other Democrats on the committee seized on the admission as further
evidence Krongard has politicized his office and undermined inquiries that
targeted Blackwater or that might embarrass [Republican President] Bush
administration officials." ... "Krongard first told the committee his brother,
Alvin Krongard, had assured him several weeks ago that he had no financial
interest or connections to Blackwater, which is the subject of several
federal investigations related to its work in Iraq." ... "Before the break,
committee Democrats produced a July 26 letter from Blackwater CEO Erik
Prince inviting Alvin Krongard to join his company's advisory board." -By
Richard Lardner -AP
via -SeattlePI
Money
- Politics
- 
School
- Healthcare
- US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Christmas
- National_Debt
- 
Maryland
- "Bush
vetoes domestic spending bill: His first rejection
of an appropriations measure steps up his budget battle with congressional
Democrats, who deride as hypocritical his complaints about the price tag."
... "Intensifying his battle with Congress over federal spending, [Republican]
President Bush on Tuesday vetoed an appropriations bill for the first time,
rejecting $150.7 billion in spending for school aid, healthcare and other
domestic programs." ... "But as he complained about the cost of that bill,
which would have increased spending on these programs by 4.3% over last
year, Bush signed a $471-billion defense appropriations bill that pushed
up military spending by more than 9.5%." ... "And he urged Congress to
quickly appropriate $196 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."
... ""Congress' responsibility is clear: It should not go home for the
Christmas holidays without giving our troops on the front lines the funds
they need to succeed," Bush told business leaders in southern Indiana after
excoriating Democrats for mismanaging the federal budget." ... "The president's
veto and his complaints were greeted with derision by congressional Democrats,
who were quick to point out Bush's six-year record of approving unbalanced
budgets passed by Republican Congresses." ... ""It is patently absurd that
President Bush, whose irresponsible policies instigated record budget deficits
and added more than $3 trillion to the national debt, now wants to pretend
that he is somehow an exemplar of fiscal responsibility," said House Majority
Leader [and Maryland Democratic Representative] Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.)."
(1, 2)
-By Noam N. Levey and James Gerstenzang
-LAtimes
Michael
B Mukasey
- US
- Iraq
- Blackwater
- Business
- Military
- Law
- Politics
- North
Carolina - "F.B.I.
Says Guards Killed 14 Iraqis Without Cause." ...
"Federal agents investigating the Sept. 16 episode in which Blackwater
security personnel shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians have found that at
least 14 of the shootings were unjustified and violated deadly-force rules
in effect for security contractors in Iraq, according to civilian and military
officials briefed on the case." ... "The F.B.I. investigation into the
shootings in Baghdad [Iraq's capital] is still under way, but the findings,
which indicate that the company’s employees recklessly used lethal force,
are already under review by the Justice Department." ... "Prosecutors have
yet to decide whether to seek indictments, and some officials have expressed
pessimism that adequate criminal laws exist to enable them to charge any
Blackwater employee with criminal wrongdoing. Spokesmen for the Justice
Department and the F.B.I. declined to discuss the matter." ... "The case
could be one of the first thorny issues to be decided by Michael B. Mukasey,
who was sworn in as attorney general last week. He may be faced with a
decision to turn down a prosecution on legal grounds at a time when a furor
has erupted in Congress about the administration’s failure to hold security
contractors accountable for their misdeeds." ... "Representative David
E. Price, a North Carolina Democrat who has sponsored legislation to extend
American criminal law to contractors serving overseas, said the Justice
Department must hold someone accountable for the shootings." ... "“Just
because there are deficiencies in the law, and there certainly are,” Mr.
Price said, “that can’t serve as an excuse for criminal actions like this
to be unpunished. I hope the new attorney general makes this case a top
priority. He needs to announce to the American people and the world that
we uphold the rule of law and we intend to pursue this.”" (1, 2)
-By David Johnston and John M. Broder with contributions
by Paul von Zielbauer -NYTimes
Veterans
- Mental
- Health
- Science
- "The
Veteran Suicide Epidemic: A CBS News Investigation
Uncovers A Suicide Rate For Veterans Twice That Of Other Americans." ...
"Beyond the individual loss, it turns out little information exists about
how widespread suicides are among these who have served in the military.
There have been some studies, but no one has ever counted the numbers nationwide."
... "So CBS News did an investigation - asking all 50 states for
their suicide data, based on death records, for veterans and non-veterans,
dating back to 1995. Forty-five states sent what turned out to be a mountain
of information." ... "And what it revealed was stunning." ... "In 2005,
for example, in just those 45 states, there were at least 6,256 suicides
among those who served in the armed forces. That’s 120 each and every week,
in just one year." -By Armen Keteyian
-CBSNews
Soldiers
- Mental
- Health- Science
- "Later
Army test finds more mental health issues." ... "U.S.
soldiers are significantly more likely to report mental health problems
six months after returning home from combat than on initial assessments,
Army researchers said on Tuesday." ... "Soldiers reported greater concern
about interpersonal conflicts, post-traumatic stress, depression and alcohol
problems in the second mental health screening, the researchers said."
... "They also found that one in five active-duty soldiers and almost half
of reserve soldiers were receiving or in need of mental health services
after combat." ... ""The rates that we previously reported based on surveys
taken immediately upon return from deployment substantially underestimate
the mental health burden," the military authors wrote in the report published
in the Journal of the American Medical Association." (1, 2)
-By Kristin Roberts with contributions by Xavier Briand
-Reuters
Michael
Mukasey
- Torture
- Law
- Politics
- Doctors
- Human
Rights - "U.S.
Army reiterates waterboarding ban." ... "With Congress'
approval of a new [Republican President Bush] attorney general who refused
to describe waterboarding as torture, the U.S. Army has sent out a message
to its leaders repeating that the interrogation technique is prohibited
in the military." ... "The service issued the Nov. 6 message "to eliminate
any confusion that may have arisen as a result of recent public discourse
on the subject."" ... "The U.S. military formally banned waterboarding
as an interrogation technique in September 2006." ... "However, at Senate
confirmation hearings last month, then-attorney general nominee Michael
Mukasey repeatedly refused to say whether he considers waterboarding a
form of torture, as claimed by an unlikely coalition of military officials,
doctors and humans rights groups." -By Pamela Hess
-AP via -SeattlePI
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Jobs- Oil- Medical
- Politics
- "'Hidden
Costs' Double Price Of Two Wars, Democrats Say."
... "The economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, according to a new study by congressional
Democrats that estimates the conflicts' "hidden costs"-- including higher
oil prices, the expense of treating wounded veterans and interest payments
on the money borrowed to pay for the wars." ... "That amount is nearly
double the $804 billion the White House has spent or requested to wage
these wars through 2008, according to the Democratic staff of Congress's
Joint Economic Committee. Its report, titled "The Hidden Costs of the Iraq
War," estimates that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have thus far cost
the average U.S. family of four more than $20,000." ... "The report argues
that war funding is diverting billions of dollars away from "productive
investment" by American businesses in the United States. It also says that
the conflicts are pulling reservists and National Guardsmen away from their
jobs, resulting in economic disruptions for U.S. employers that the report
estimates at $1 billion to $2 billion." ... "Oil prices have more than
tripled since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the report notes,
to a peak of more than $90 per barrel. "The war in Iraq is certainly not
responsible for all of this increase," the report states, but it estimates
that declining Iraqi production "has likely raised oil prices in the U.S.
by between $4 and $5 a barrel." The report added that "because of the many
factors affecting oil markets, this should be seen as a highly approximate
estimate."" ... "The committee's Democrats estimated that injuries due
to the wars could add more than $30 billion in future disability and medical
care costs, including billions in lost earnings for veterans who cannot
work because of post-traumatic stress disorder." (1, 2)
-By Josh White with contributions by Julie Tate-WashingtonPost
John
Edwards
- US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Counseling
- Money
- Politics
- New
Hampshire - North
Carolina - 2008
Election - "Edwards
unveils plan for vets with PTSD." ... "[2008 Election
Democratic] Presidential contender John Edwards is introducing a $400 million
plan Monday to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, including
those recently returned from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan." ... "Under
Edwards' plan, veterans could seek counseling for post-traumatic stress
disorder outside the Veterans Health Administration system; the number
of counselors would increase; and family members would be employed to identify
cases of PTSD." ... "Edwards, a North Carolina Democrat, was scheduled
to introduce the five-point plan during a speech at New Hampshire's Plymouth
State University." ... ""I strongly believe we must restore the sacred
contract we have with our veterans and their families, and that we must
begin by reforming our system for treating PTSD. We also must act to remove
the stigma from this disorder," Edwards said in prepared remarks his campaign
provided to The Associated Press. "Warriors should never be ashamed to
deal with the personal consequences of war."" -By
Philip Elliott -AP
via -Yahoo
US
- Iraq
- Criminal
- Business
- Military
- Politics
- Accounting
- "Broken
Supply Channel Sent Weapons for Iraq Astray." ...
"As the insurgency in Iraq escalated in the spring of 2004, American officials
entrusted an Iraqi businessman with issuing weapons to Iraqi police cadets
training to help quell the violence." ... "By all accounts, the businessman,
Kassim al-Saffar, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, did well at distributing
the Pentagon-supplied weapons from the Baghdad Police Academy armory he
managed for a military contractor. But, co-workers say, he also turned
the armory into his own private arms bazaar with the seeming approval of
some American officials and executives, selling AK-47 assault rifles, Glock
pistols and heavy machine guns to anyone with cash in hand — Iraqi militias,
South African security guards and even American contractors." ... "“This
was the craziest thing in the world,” said John Tisdale, a retired Air
Force master sergeant who managed an adjacent warehouse. “They were taking
weapons away by the truckload.”" ... "Activities at that armory and other
warehouses help explain how the American military lost track of some 190,000
pistols and automatic rifles supplied by the United States to Iraq’s security
forces in 2004 and 2005, as auditors discovered in the past year." ...
"These discoveries prompted criminal inquiries by the Pentagon and the
Justice Department, and stoked fears that the arms could fall into enemy
hands and be used against American troops. So far, no missing weapons have
been linked to any American deaths, but investigators say that in a country
awash with weapons, it may be impossible to trace where some ended up."
... "While the Pentagon has yet to offer its own accounting of how the
weapons channel broke down, it is clear from interviews with two dozen
military and civilian investigators, contracting officers, warehouse managers
and others that military expediency sometimes ran amok, the lines between
legal and illegal were blurred and billions of dollars in arms were handed
over to shoestring commands without significant oversight." ... "Some investigators
said that because military suppliers to the war zone were not required
to record serial numbers, it was unlikely that the authorities would ever
be able to tell where the weapons went." ... "Many of those weapons were
issued when [General] Gen. David H. Petraeus, now the top American commander
in Iraq, was responsible for training and equipping Iraqi security forces
in 2004 and 2005. " (1, 2,
3)
-By Eric Schmitt and Ginger Thompson with contributions
by Margot Williams and James Glanz -NYTimes
US
- Iraq
- Blackwater
- Business- Military
- Politics
- "Rice's
Management at Issue: Critics Cite Blackwater, Baghdad
Embassy and Passports." ... "Shortly after Condoleezza Rice took charge
of the 57,000-person State Department in 2005, she said she relished the
challenge of "line responsibility" in leading a large organization. "I
really enjoy that," she said in an interview. "Some of my favorite times
here have been my budget and high-level management reviews."" ... "Nearly
three years later, Rice is under fire from inside and outside the State
Department for a range of crises that are largely managerial in nature
-- the failure to monitor private security guards in Iraq, the delays in
opening the huge U.S. Embassy under construction in Baghdad [Iraq's capital]
and the resistance of some Foreign Service officers to being forced to
serve there. Over the summer, the department also fell woefully short in
processing passport applications, resulting in ruined vacation plans for
many Americans." ... "Within the department, Rice is viewed by many rank-and-file
employees as an aloof manager who relies on a tight circle of aides, leaving
her out of touch with the rest of the staff, in contrast to her predecessor,
Colin L. Powell, a retired Army general who won praise from workers for
treating them as though they were his "troops." At her last town hall meeting
with employees 2 1/2 years ago, Rice told staffers: "I consider myself
the chief management officer of this department." But a poll by the American
Foreign Service Association indicated that an overwhelming majority did
not feel that Rice was their advocate." (1, 2)
-By Glenn Kessler -WashingtonPost
US
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Terrorism
- "2007
Deadliest for US in Afghanistan." ... "Six U.S. troops
were killed when insurgents ambushed their foot patrol in the high mountains
of eastern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday." ... "The six deaths brings
the total number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan this year to at least
101, according to a count by the AP. That makes this year the deadliest
for Americans here since the 2001 invasion, a war initially launched to
oust Taliban and al-Qaida fighters after the terror attacks of Sept. 11,
but one that has evolved into an increasingly bloody counterinsurgency
campaign." ... "Overall violence in Afghanistan this year has been the
deadliest since the Taliban's ouster. More than 5,800 people, mostly militants,
have died in insurgency-related violence, according to an AP count based
on figures from Afghan and Western officials." (1, 2)
-By Jason Straziuso with contributions by Amir Shah
-AP via -ABCNEWS.com
John
McCain
- Rudolph
Giuliani
- 
Bernard
Kerik
- US
- Iraq
- Police
- Military
- Torture
- Prisoner
- Law
- Politics
- 2008
Election - New
York
- World
- Religion
- "McCain
questions Giuliani's judgment." ... "[2008 Election
Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain told reporters he had never
approved of [former New York City, New York police commissioner Bernard]
Kerik as a candidate for head of the DHS [Department of Homeland Security]."
... ""I went to Baghdad [Iraq's capital] shortly after the initial victory
and met in Baghdad with Bremer, Sanchez and Kerik was there,” McCain said
referencing former L. Paul Bremmer and [Lieutenant General] Lt. Gen. Ricardo
Sanchez. “Kerik was supposed to be there to help train the police force.
He stayed two months and one day just left.”" ... ""That's why I never
would have supported him to be the head of Homeland Security because of
his irresponsible act when he was over there in Baghdad to try to help
train the police."" ... "McCain also rebuked the [2008 Election Republican
Presidential Candidate Rudolph Giuliani and former] New York mayor for
his unwillingness to categorize water boarding as torture." ... ""He doesn't
understand. He doesn't have the experience or judgment to lead this nation,"
McCain, a former prisoner of war, told reporters." ... ""I mean this is
a defining issue about America. It means that he clearly does not understand
the moral implications of torturing someone and what it does to our standing
in the world and what it does to our ability to win this struggle to win
radical Islamic extremism," he continued." -By Sareena
Dalla -CNN
Edwards
- Obama- Hillary
- Giuliani
- Military
- Money
- Terrorism
- Safety
- Des-Moines
- Iowa
- North
Carolina - Illinois
- 2008
Election - "Edwards
Picked Over Obama as 'The Un-Hillary': Former North
Carolina Senator Nabs Coveted Iowa Endorsement." ... "Caucus4Priorities,
a group seeking to redirect spending from the Pentagon to domestic needs,
plans to endorse [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] John
Edwards Friday in Des Moines [Iowa]." ... "The decision to endorse Edwards
over Illinois [Senator and 2008 Election Democratic Presidential
Candidate] Sen. Barack Obama came down to "courage versus caution," according
to the group's executive director." ... "He impressed the group on Oct.
26 when he demonstrated during an Iowa town-hall meeting that he would
not back down in the face of Republican attacks. The day before, during
an interview with a conservative talk-show host, [2008 Election Republican
Presidential Candidate Rudolph] Giuliani said that Democratic support for
lower Pentagon spending showed a lack of concern for what Giuliani calls
"the terrorists' war on us."" ... ""Edwards gave an excellent answer,"
said Huppert. "He said we have to stop buying into their frame which equates
spending money on the Pentagon with keeping us safe. He also said we can't
have a Democratic candidate who cowers and runs away from this issue.""
... ""For whatever reason," she said, "John Edwards has decided he is going
to take this on and he has staked out the position quite convincingly of
being the un-Hillary."" (1, 2)
-By Teddy Davis -ABCNEWS.com
Water
- Politics
- Legislation
- Construction
- Money
- Children's
- Health
- Stem-Cell
- Science
- Iraq
- US
- Military
- "Congress
Overrides Bush for First Time on Water Bill (Update3)."
... "Congress handed [Republican] President George W. Bush the first veto
override of his presidency, voting to revive a $23 billion water-projects
measure he rejected last week on grounds it was too expensive." ... "The
Senate voted 79 to 14 today, a two-thirds majority including dozens of
the chamber's Republicans, to approve plans to fund some 800 projects across
the country. Because the House voted 361 to 54 earlier this week to override
Bush, also a two- thirds majority, the bill now becomes law." ... "Lawmakers
defended the plan as critical to maintaining the nation's dams, sewers,
levees, flood-control projects and erosion prevention efforts." ... "It
was Bush's first defeat in a series of veto fights this year with Democrats.
He rejected Democratic proposals to expand a children's health insurance
program, increase federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research and
legislation placing various conditions on Iraq war funding." -By
Brian Faler -Bloomberg
Russia
- Lawmakers
- Military
- History
- US
- "Russian
Lawmakers Vote to Suspend Arms Treaty (Update2)."
... "Russian lawmakers voted to suspend participation in a key Cold War
arms treaty, seeking to raise pressure on the U.S. to compromise on its
plans for a missile shield in Europe." ... "The State Duma, the lower house
of parliament, today unanimously backed suspension of Russia's observance
of the treaty, which limits the size of forces in Europe. The bill now
goes to the upper house, the Federation Council, and then to President
Vladimir Putin, who set the move in motion in July." ... "``Russia is threatening
to withdraw from the treaty in response to the U.S. position on pressing
ahead with the installation'' of the two missile defense bases, Masha Lipman,
an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said by telephone. The U.S. has
tried to reach a compromise on the Treaty for Conventional Armed Forces
in Europe, Lipman said, ``but Russia isn't in the mood to cut deals.''"
... "The treaty, signed in 1990, set limits on tanks, artillery and other
conventional weapons in Europe." -By Patrick Henry
and Henry Meyer -Bloomberg
Dick
Cheney
- Dennis
Kucinich - US
- Iraq
- Military
- Intelligence
- Law
- 
Ohio- 2008
Election - "Debate
on Cheney impeachment averted." ... "House Democrats
on Tuesday narrowly managed to avert a bruising debate on a proposal to
impeach [Republican Vice President] Dick Cheney after Republicans, in a
surprise maneuver, voted in favor of taking up the measure." ... "Republicans,
changing course midway through a vote, tried to force Democrats into a
debate on the resolution sponsored by longshot [2008 Election Democratic]
presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich." ... "The anti-war Ohio Democrat,
in his resolution, accused Cheney of purposely leading the country into
war against Iraq and manipulating intelligence about Iraq's ties with al-Qaida."
... "The resolution said that Cheney, "in violation of his constitutional
oath to faithfully execute the office of vice president," had "purposely
manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress
of the United States by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction
to justify the use of the U.S. Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq
in a manner damaging to our national security interests."" -By
Jim Abrams -AP
via -Yahoo
Dick
Cheney
- Dennis
Kucinich - Ohio
- US
-Iraq
- Politics
- 2008
Election - "House
tied in knots over resolution to impeach Cheney."
... "[Ohio Democratic Representative and 2008 Election Presidential Candidate]
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, is trying to impeach [Republican] Vice President
Cheney for what he describes
as "high crimes and misdemeanors" before the invasion of Iraq."
-USATODAY
US
- Iraq
- Iran
- Military-
"2007
Deadliest Year For U.S. In Iraq: Deaths Of 6 U.S.
Forces Push Toll To 853 During Year Of Massive Troop Buildup." ... "With
nearly two months remaining, 2007 became the bloodiest year of the Iraq
war for American troops - 853 dead. The U.S. military on Tuesday announced
the deaths of five more soldiers and one sailor, pushing the toll past
the previous worst - 850 in 2004." ... "While 2007 became the war's deadliest
year, there has been a sharp downturn in both Iraqi and American deaths
over the past two months and a decline in Iranian weapons deliveries could
be one of several factors for the decrease." ... "Iran publicly denies
that it has sent weapons to Shiite militias in Iraq." ... "The grim milestone
for American forces was passed despite a noticeable drop in U.S. and Iraqi
deaths here in recent months, after a 30,000-strong U.S. force buildup.
There were 39 deaths in October, compared to 65 in September and 84 in
August. " (1, 2)
-AP via -CBSNews
John
McCain
- Rudy
Giuliani
- Michael
B Mukasey
- Torture
- Military
- Intelligence
- Law
- New
York
- 2008
Election - "Torture
debate between McCain, Giuliani, gets personal."
... "The Republican debate over torture has become a debate over resumes,
as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain warns
from personal experience about the dangers of harsh questioning and [2008
Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Rudy Giuliani takes credit
for his skill with it as a prosecutor." ... "“When someone says waterboarding
is similar to harsh interrogation techniques used against the mafia in
New York City, they do not have enough experience to lead our military,”
McCain said Sunday night at a town-hall meeting here." ... "McCain, a leading
critic of attorney-general nominee Michael B. Mukasey’s refusal to define
waterboarding as illegal, was responding to comments made Friday by Giuliani
in which the former U.S. attorney – in broad, unspecific terms – appeared
to defend the practice. " -By Sasha Issenberg
-Boston/Globe
Michael
B Mukasey
- Water
- Torture
- Law
- Politics
- Military
- Government
- Intelligence
- "Bush
Administration Blocked Waterboarding Critic: Former
DOJ Official Tested the Method Himself, in Effort to Form Torture Policy."
... "A senior Justice Department official, charged with reworking the administration's
legal position on torture in 2004 became so concerned about the controversial
interrogation technique of waterboarding that he decided to experience
it firsthand, sources told ABC News." ... "Daniel Levin, then acting assistant
attorney general, went to a military base near Washington [DC] and underwent
the procedure to inform his analysis of different interrogation techniques."
... "After the experience, Levin told [Republican President] White House
officials that even though he knew he wouldn't die, he found the experience
terrifying and thought that it clearly simulated drowning." ... "Levin,
who refused to comment for this story, concluded waterboarding could be
illegal torture unless performed in a highly limited way and with close
supervision. And, sources told ABC News, he believed the [Republican President]
Bush Administration had failed to offer clear guidelines for its use."
... "According to retired Rear [Admiral] Adm. John Hutson, "There is no
question this is torture -- this is a technique by which an individual
is strapped to a board, elevated by his feet and either dunked into water
or water poured over his face over a towel or a blanket."" ... "The legal
justification of waterboarding has come to the forefront in the debate
swirling around Michael B. Mukasey's nomination for attorney general. "
(1,
2)
-By Jan Crawford Greenburg and Ariane de Vogue
-ABCNEWS.com
Ron
Paul
- Military
- Law
- History
- MA
- NC
- TX
- MD
- 2008
Election - "Ron
Paul co-sponsoring Constitutional War Powers Resolution."
... "At a press conference last Thursday, [Massachusetts Democratic] Congressmen
Bill Delahunt (D-MA) and [North Carolina Republican] Walter Jones (R-NC)
announced the introduction of House Joint Resolution 53, the Constitutional
War Powers Resolution. Joined by co-sponsors [Texas Republican] Ron Paul
(R-TX) and [Maryland Republican] Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), the resolution
attempts to curtail what some believe to be the expanding war powers wielded
by presidents since the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin resolution[.]" ... "H. J. Res.
53 looks to modify the 1973 War Powers Resolution, itself a response to
President's Nixon assertive stance as commander-in-chief, by requiring
Congressional approval for military action that is not a direct result
of attack. It also allows for greater oversight by Congress by providing
avenues for judicial review and by permitting federal funding for action
approved by Congress." ... "Speaking from the House floor on Saturday,
Rep. Jones said "our Constitution states that – while the commander-in-chief
has the power to conduct wars, only Congress has the power to declare war.
Too many times this Congress has not met its constitutional duty of oversight
and has abdicated its constitutional authorities to the executive branch.""
-KCRG.com
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Government
- Law- Politics
- Blackwater
- Criminal
- Business
- "Exclusive:
ABC News Obtains Text of Blackwater Immunity Deal:
State Department Grants Immunity to Guards Investigated for Shooting Iraqi
Civilians." ... "ABC News has learned the exact wording of the immunity
deal the State Department granted Blackwater security guards involved in
a September shooting incident that left 17 Iraqis dead." ... "The security
guards were given a limited immunity called "use immunity" in exchange
for giving sworn statements about their involvement in the Sept. 16 shooting
incident." ... "The wording of the immunity is included at the beginning
of the Blackwater guards' sworn statements, which have been obtained by
ABC News." ... "In each of the statements, the guards begin by saying "I
understand this statement is being given in furtherance of an official
administrative inquiry," and that, "I further understand that neither my
statements nor any information or evidence gained by reason of my statements
can be used against me in a criminal proceeding, except that if I knowingly
and willfully provide false statements or information, I may be criminally
prosecuted for that action under 18 United States Code, Section 1001.""
... "The immunity deal was granted in the immediate aftermath of the shooting
by State Department officials in Iraq who were under intense pressure to
quickly explain what happened in the face of allegations by Iraqi officials
that the contractors murdered civilians in cold blood." ... "The immunity
granted to the Blackwater guards is more limited in scope than so-called
"transactional immunity" which would prevent any proscution for the alleged
crimes. But the immunity granted to the guards means that anything said
in the statements -- and anything learned as a result of the statements
-- cannot be used by prosecutors." ... ""It's a nightmare for prosecutors,"
said legal expert Eugene Fidell. " (1, 2)
-By Jonathan Karl and Kirit Radia
-ABCNEWS.com
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Government
- Politics
- Blackwater
- Criminal
- Business
- "U.S.
promised Blackwater guards immunity, officials say."
... "State Department investigators promised Blackwater guards immunity
from prosecution for last month's deadly shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians
in Baghdad [Iraq's capital], according to officials familiar with the matter."
... "That could potentially complicate any attempt to bring criminal charges
in the case, the officials said." ... ""They were told their statements
can't be used against them," said one U.S. government official. "But this
doesn't necessarily mean charges can never be brought against these guys.""
... "A second official called the limited immunity "surprising and confusing"
and questioned the authority of the State Department's diplomatic security
investigators to unilaterally make immunity decisions." -By
Terry Frieden with contributions by Elise Labott
-CNN
Dennis
Kucinich - US
- Iran
- Nuclear
- Military
- Mental
- Health
- 2008
Election - Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- "Kucinich
questions Bush's mental health." ... "[2008 Election]
Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich questioned President
Bush's mental health in light of comments he made about a nuclear Iran
precipitating World War III." ... ""I seriously believe we have to start
asking questions about his mental health," Kucinich, an Ohio congressman,
said in an interview with [Pennsylvania's] The Philadelphia Inquirer's
editorial board on Tuesday. "There's something wrong. He does not seem
to understand his words have real impact."" ... "He [Republican President
Bush] said: "I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World
War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran)
from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.""
-AP via -Yahoo
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Government
- Politician
- 
EMail
- 2008
Election - Computer
- 
Web
- Hacking
- "Gen.
Petraeus' Spokesman Denies Sending Angry Email -- Plot Thickens."
... "A disturbing email allegedly sent by a top U.S. military spokesman
to a leading blogger at Salon.com this past weekend is just starting to
draw mainstream attention. Howard Kurtz at The Washington Post mentioned
it today, for example. It requires a good deal of background information
to fully appreciate it, so I will provide a link to Glenn Greenwald’s blog
page at Salon where he offered extensive postings (and updates) Sunday
[*]
and today [*]
about the email purportedly from Army [Colonel] Col. Steven Boylan. But
E&P has its own correspondence from Boylan, and I want to focus on
that." ... "The long and short of the Greenwald postings: For months the
popular blogger -- a former attorney and author of the recent bestseller
"A Tragic Legacy" -- has criticized the growing “politicization” of the
military attached to Iraq, starting earlier this year and peaking around
the appearance of [General] Gen. David Petraeus before Congress (and the
media) in September. This was even before William Safire declared, this
past weekend, that the general ought to be considered as a running mate
for a [2008 Election] Republican candidate for president next year." ...
"In the past, Greenwald had received, and printed, emails from Boylan,
a public affairs officer and chief spokesman for Gen. Petraeus, denying
this trend and/or defending the general. So when he received an angry email
from Boylan yesterday, he posted much of it on his blog (and linked to
the entire message), while asserting that the views and language in it
proved his point about “politicization.”" ... "Then it got really interesting.
Boylan in another note to Greenwald seemed to deny that he wrote the email,
while denouncing Greenwald for publishing it. But he did not state this
clearly and refused to respond to Greenwald’s subsequent request for clarity.
Meanwhile, various purported computer experts compared past and present
emails from Boylan to Greenwald and suggested (to the latter) that they
did seem to come from the same military email address. But no one was certain
and, at the least, it raised troubling questions about someone "hijacking"
the email account of Gen. Petraeus's chief spokesman. " -By
Greg Mitchell
-EditorAndPublisher.com
Mitch
McConnell - Criminal
- Money
- Politics
- Military
- 
KY
- US
- Britain
- Saudi
Arabia - "McConnell
marks funds for contractor: Firm Under Investigation
for Bribery." ... "[Kentucky Reputlican Senator] Sen. Mitch McConnell,
R-Ky., is pushing $25 million in earmarked federal funds for a British
defense contractor that is under criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice
Department and suspected by American diplomats of a "longstanding, widespread
pattern of bribery allegations."" ... "McConnell tucked money for three
weapons projects for BAE Systems into the defense appropriations bill,
which the Senate approved Oct. 3. The Defense Department failed to include
the money in its own budget request, which required McConnell to intercede,
said BAE spokeswoman Susan Lenover." ... "BAE is based in Great Britain
but has worldwide operations, including a Louisville [Kentucky] facility
that makes naval guns and employs 322. McConnell has taken at least $53,000
in campaign donations from BAE's political action committees and employees
since his 2002 re-election. United Defense Industries, which BAE purchased
two years ago, pledged $500,000 to a political-science foundation the senator
created, the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville." ... "In
June, BAE confirmed that the Justice Department is investigating possible
corruption in its Saudi Arabian deals. According to British media reports,
BAE set up a slush fund with hundreds of millions of dollars in a Washington,
D.C., bank to bribe Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan in order to win weapons
contracts. Bandar, who heads the Saudi National Security Council, has denied
the allegation." -By John Cheves
-Kentucky.com
California
- 
Wildfire
- Politics
- Government
- Military
- 
Weather
- 
Winds
- "Aircraft
sat as California wildfires took hold." ... "As wildfires
were charging across Southern California, nearly two dozen water-dropping
helicopters and two massive cargo planes sat idly by, grounded by government
rules and bureaucracy." ... "How much the aircraft would have helped will
never be known, but their inability to provide quick assistance raises
troubling questions about California's preparations for a fire season that
was widely expected to be among the worst on record." ... "It took as long
as a day for Navy, Marine and California National Guard helicopters to
get clearance early this week, in part because state rules require all
firefighting choppers to be accompanied by state forestry "fire spotters"
who coordinate water or retardant drops. By the time those spotters arrived,
the powerful Santa Ana winds stoking the fires had made it too dangerous
to fly." ... "The National Guard's C-130 cargo planes, among the most powerful
aerial firefighting weapons, never were slated to help. The reason: They've
yet to be outfitted with tanks needed to carry thousands of gallons of
fire retardant, though that was promised four years ago."
-AP via -CNN
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Politics
- "War
costs may total $2.4 trillion." ... "The cost of
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could total $2.4 trillion through the
next decade, or nearly $8,000 per man, woman and child in the country,
according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate scheduled for release
Wednesday." ... "A previous CBO estimate put the wars' costs at more than
$1.6 trillion. This one adds $705 billion in interest, taking into account
that the conflicts are being funded with borrowed money." -By
Ken Dilanian -USATODAY
China
- Military
- "Hu
Stronger As China Communists Regroup." ... "President
Hu Jintao emerged politically stronger after the Communist Party handed
him a second five-year term on Monday, allowing him a freer hand to manage
tensions over a rising wealth gap and boost spending on long-neglected
social services." ... "Yet, in a potentially ominous sign, the country's
top communists also promoted two potential successors as part of a new
leadership lineup." ... "The move, likely a compromise adopted to postpone
a final decision, conjured up the potential for internal divisions, an
old bugbear for a party obsessed with unity but which has repeatedly suffered
near-lethal splits during its history." ... "``We are keenly aware of our
difficult tasks and great responsibilities,'' Hu said while introducing
the new nine-man Politburo Standing Committee, the party's highest body."
... "Hu was also reappointed chairman of the commission controlling China's
2.3 million-member armed forces, which are officially loyal to the Communist
Party, not the Chinese state. Hu wrested that position from his predecessor
Jiang Zemin in 2004 as part of a consolidation of his power." -By
Christopher Bodeen -AP
via -Guardian.co.uk
US
- Guantanamo
Bay - Cuba
- Political
- Military
- Prisoner
- Terrorism
- Secret
- Law
- 2008
Election - "Pressure
Alleged in Detainees' Hearings: Ex-Prosecutor Says
Pentagon Pushing 'Sexy' Cases in '08." ... "Politically motivated officials
at the Pentagon have pushed for convictions of high-profile detainees ahead
of the 2008 elections, the former lead prosecutor for terrorism trials
at Guantanamo Bay [Cuba] said last night, adding that the pressure played
a part in his decision to resign earlier this month." ... "Senior defense
officials discussed in a September 2006 meeting the "strategic political
value" of putting some prominent detainees on trial, said Air Force Col.
Morris Davis. He said that he felt pressure to pursue cases that were deemed
"sexy" over those that prosecutors believed were the most solid or were
ready to go." ... "Davis said his resignation was also prompted by newly
appointed senior officials seeking to use classified evidence in what would
be closed sessions of court, and by almost all elements of the military
commissions process being put under the Defense Department general counsel's
command, something he believes could present serious conflicts of interest."
... ""There was a big concern that the election of 2008 is coming up,"
Davis said. "People wanted to get the cases going. There was a rush to
get high-interest cases into court at the expense of openness."" -By
Josh White -WashingtonPost
US
- Iraq
- 
Kuwait
- Charles
E Williams - Howard
Krongard
- Military
- Government
- Construction
- Corporation
- Criminal
- "Criminal
probe into U.S. Embassy in Iraq construction." ...
"A mortar shell smashed into the hulking new U.S. [United States] Embassy
that's under construction in Baghdad [Iraq's capital] last May, damaging
a wall and causing minor injuries to people inside the building. It also
exposed enormous problems in the management of what's become a $592 million
government construction project." ... "The State Department contractor
in charge of the project, James L. Golden, attempted to alter the scene
of the blast, according to government officials familiar with the incident.
The State Department inspector general prevented Department officials from
investigating the incident, according to interviews and documents." ...
"A congressional committee is examining whether the walls of the still-unfinished
embassy complex, which are supposed to be blast-resistant, performed as
they should have during the mortar attack." ... "U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker
banished Golden from Iraq, but he continues to oversee the construction
of the embassy in Baghdad; to be the liaison with the contractor, Kuwait-based
First Kuwaiti General Trading and Contracting Co.; and to supervise other
projects for the State Department's Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO)
bureau." ... "McClatchy Newspapers has also learned that:" ... "— Aspects
of the embassy's construction are the subject of at least one U.S. government
criminal investigation, according to officials in Congress and the administration."
... "— In order to rush the project, the long-time head of OBO, retired
Army Maj. Gen. [Major General] Charles Williams, signed a waiver in July
2005 allowing a sole-source contract to be awarded to First Kuwaiti." ...
"In a letter to State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard last
month, [California Democratic Representative Henry] Waxman said that former
and current staff members in Krongard's office told the committee that
he'd refused to help investigate alleged wrongdoing by First Kuwaiti and
an unnamed top State Department official." -By Warren
P. Strobel and
Jonathan S.
Landay -McClatchyDC.com
Iraq
- Iran
- China
- US
- Construction
- Power
- Politics
- Military
- "Iraqi
Contracts With Iran and China Concern U.S.." ...
"Iraq has agreed to award $1.1 billion in contracts to Iranian and Chinese
companies to build a pair of enormous power plants, the Iraqi electricity
minister said Tuesday. Word of the project prompted serious concerns among
American military officials, who fear that Iranian commercial investments
can mask military activities at a time of heightened tension with Iran."
... "The Iraqi electricity minister, Karim Wahid, said that the Iranian
project would be built in Sadr City, a Shiite enclave in Baghdad that is
controlled by followers of the anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr. He
added that Iran had also agreed to provide cheap electricity from its own
grid to southern Iraq, and to build a large power plant essentially free
of charge in an area between the two southern Shiite holy cities of Karbala
and Najaf." ... "The expansion of ties between Iraq and Iran comes as the
United States and Iran clash on nuclear issues and about what American
officials have repeatedly said is Iranian support for armed groups in Iraq.
American officials have charged that Iranians, through the international
military wing known as the Quds Force, are particularly active in support
of elite elements of the Mahdi Army, a militia largely controlled by Mr.
Sadr." ... "At the same time, it is possible to view Iranian and Chinese
investment as giving those countries a stake in Iraqi stability. The power
plants could also boost a troubled reconstruction effort in Iraq." ...
"The agreements between Iraq and Iran come after the American-led reconstruction
effort, which relied heavily on large American contractors, has spent nearly
$5 billion of United States taxpayer money on Iraq’s electricity grid.
Aside from a few isolated bright spots, there was little clear impact in
a nation where in many places electricity is still available only for a
few hours each day." (1, 2)
-By James Glanz with contributions by Alissa J. Rubin
and Ahmad Fadam -NYTimes
Randy
"Duke" Cunningham
- 
Brent
Wilkes - 
Jerry
Lewis - Duncan
Hunter
- 
Tom
DeLay
- 
Roy
Blunt
- 
Dennis
Hastert - Money
- Politics
- Lawmakers
- Travel
- 
Flying
- Government
- Military
- Intelligence
- San
Diego - California
- Texas
- 
Missouri
- 
Hawaii
- 
Florida
- 
Nevada
- Idaho
- Illinois
- "Witness:
Contractor Gave Lawmaker Perks." ... "[Former California
Republican Representative Randy "Duke"] Cunningham, a San Diego Republican
who held seats on the powerful House intelligence and defense appropriations
committees, was elected to eight terms before resigning in 2005. He pleaded
guilty that year to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from [Brent] Wilkes
and others and is serving an eight-year prison sentence." ... "[Wilkes
nephew and employee Joel] Combs testified Wednesday that his uncle communicated
with other prominent lawmakers, including California Republicans Jerry
Lewis and Duncan Hunter, former House Majority Leader [Republican] Tom
DeLay of Texas, Republican Whip [Missouri Representative] Roy Blunt, and
Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Hawaii Democrat." ... "But the relationship with
Cunningham was at the center of Wilkes' success in Washington, and Combs
said his uncle worked to keep the lawmaker happy - efforts that included
staking his nephew money to purposely lose in poker games with the lawmaker."
... "Combs recalled dinners at Washington's fancy Capital Grille restaurant,
shooting lessons, and trips to Florida, Las Vegas [Nevada] and Idaho provided
by Wilkes for the congressman from 1998 until 2002. During that period,
Cunningham made calls to Pentagon officials on Wilkes' behalf and helped
secure about $90 million in federal contracts for Wilkes' company." ...
"The perks included a $20,000 stay in a private villa at a resort in Hawaii,
where Wilkes, Combs and the congressman went diving - an expedition captured
in an underwater video that was played for jurors. Combs said he also hired
women from an escort service for his uncle and the congressman." ... "Wilkes
also paid to fly Cunningham and former House Speaker [Illinois Republican
Representative] Dennis Hastert from a golf outing in Palm Springs [California]
to San Diego [California] for a reception and then back to Washington on
private jets, Combs testified." -By Allison Hoffman
-AP via -Guardian.co.uk
Randy
"Duke" Cunningham
- Brent
Wilkes - Money
- Politics
- Government
- Military
- Ca.
- Hawaii
- "Prostitutes
testify in Ca. bribery trial." ... "A prostitute
whom prosecutors say a defense contractor provided to former Rep. [California
Republican Representative] Randy "Duke" Cunningham testified Wednesday
that the congressman fed her grapes as she sat naked in a hot tub before
they headed to a bedroom at a Hawaiian resort." ... "The woman spoke at
the trial of Brent Wilkes, who is accused bribing Cunningham with $700,000
in cash and perks in exchange for help securing about $90 million in government
contracts. Wilkes has denied the charges." ... "Donna Rosetta said she
was chauffeured to a private villa at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel in
Kamelua, Hawaii, in August 2003 by an escort service she worked for. Cunningham
and Wilkes invited her and a second woman to undress and slide into a hot
tub before Cunningham invited her upstairs, Rosetta said." ... ""They were
smoking cigars and talking about some meeting they had earlier," Rosetta
said." ... "She and Cunningham went to a bedroom, and he tipped her $50
to $80, she said." ... "The other woman, Tammy McFadden, testified that
Wilkes and Cunningham appeared to be arguing about who would go upstairs
with which woman." ... ""The one I ended up with was the one who was running
the show," said McFadden, referring to Wilkes. She described Cunningham
as "the boisterous one" and said he was overbearing." -By
Allison Hoffman -AP
via -NewsObserver.com
US
- Iraq
- International
- Blackwater
- War
Crimes - Business
- Military
- Politics
- "America's
own unlawful combatants? Using private guards in
Iraq could expose the U.S. to accusations of treaty violations, some experts
think." ... "As the [Republican President] Bush administration deals with
the fallout from the recent killings of civilians by private security firms
in Iraq, some officials are asking whether the contractors could be considered
unlawful combatants under international agreements." ... "The question
is an outgrowth of federal reviews of the shootings, in part because the
U.S. officials want to determine whether the administration could be accused
of treaty violations that could fuel an international outcry." ... "Unresolved
questions are likely to touch off new criticism of Bush's conduct of the
unpopular Iraq war, especially given the broad definition of unlawful combatants
the president has used in justifying his detention policies at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba." ... "The designation of lawful and unlawful combatants is set
out in the Geneva Convention. Lawful combatants are nonmilitary personnel
who operate under their military's chain of command. Others may carry weapons
in a war zone but may not use offensive force. Under the international
agreements, they may only defend themselves." ... "For a guard who is only
allowed to use defensive force, killing civilians violates the law of war,
said Michael N. Schmitt, a professor of international law at the Naval
War College and a former Air Force lawyer. "It is a war crime to kill civilians
unlawfully in an armed conflict," he said." -By Julian
E. Barnes -LAtimes
US
- Iraq
- Blackwater
- Company
- Politics
- "Blackwater
Is Soaked: An arrogant attitude only adds fuel to
the criticism." ... "The colonel was furious. "Can you believe it? They
actually drew their weapons on U.S. soldiers." He was describing a 2006
car accident, in which an SUV full of Blackwater operatives had crashed
into a U.S. Army Humvee on a street in Baghdad's [Iraq's capital] Green
Zone. The colonel, who was involved in a follow-up investigation and spoke
on the condition he not be named, said the Blackwater guards disarmed the
U.S. Army soldiers and made them lie on the ground at gunpoint until they
could disentangle the SUV. His account was confirmed by the head of another
private security company. Asked to address this and other allegations in
this story, Blackwater spokesperson Anne Tyrrell said, "This type of gossip
has led to many soap operas in the press."" ... "Whatever else Blackwater
is or isn't guilty of—a topic of intense interest in Washington—it has
a well-earned reputation in Iraq for arrogance and high-handedness. Iraqis
naturally have the most serious complaints; dozens have been killed by
Blackwater operatives since the beginning of the war." (1, 2)
-By Rod Nordland and Mark Hosenball with contributions
by Larry Kaplow and Michael Hastings -Newsweek
via -MSNBC
United
States - Iraq
- Military
- Politics
- Kansas
- Illinois
- "At
an Army School for Officers, Blunt Talk About Iraq."
... "Here at the intellectual center of the United States Army [Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas], two elite officers were deep in debate at lunch on a recent day
over who bore more responsibility for mistakes in Iraq — the [Republican
President Bush's] former defense secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld, or the
generals who acquiesced to him." ... "“The secretary of defense is an easy
target,” argued one of the officers, Maj. [Major] Kareem P. Montague, 34,
a Harvard graduate and a commander in the Third Infantry Division, which
was the first to reach Baghdad [Iraq's capital] in the 2003 invasion. “It’s
easy to pick on the political appointee.”" ... "“But he’s the one that’s
responsible,” retorted Maj. [Major] Michael J. Zinno, 40, a military planner
who worked at the headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority,
the former American civilian administration in Iraq." ... "No, Major Montague
shot back, it was more complicated: the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the top
commanders were part of the decision to send in a small invasion force
and not enough troops for the occupation. Only Gen. [General] Eric K. Shinseki,
the Army chief of staff who was sidelined after he told Congress that it
would take several hundred thousand troops in Iraq, spoke up in public."
... "“You didn’t hear any of them at the time, other than General Shinseki,
screaming, saying that this was untenable,” Major Montague said." ... "Much
of the debate at Leavenworth has centered on a scathing article, “A Failure
in Generalship,” written last May for Armed Forces Journal by Lt. Col.
[Lieutenant Colonel] Paul Yingling, an Iraq veteran and deputy commander
of the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment who holds a master’s degree in political
science from the University of Chicago [Illinois]. “If the general remains
silent while the statesman commits a nation to war with insufficient means,
he shares culpability for the results,” Colonel Yingling wrote." -By
Elisabeth Bumiller -NYTimes
US
- Iraq
- Political
- Economic
- History
- "'No
end in sight' in Iraq, retired general says." ...
"Retired Army Lt. Gen. [Lieutenant General] Ricardo S. Sanchez, who led
U.S. forces in Iraq for a year after the March 2003 invasion, accused the
Bush administration Friday of going to war with a "catastrophically flawed"
plan and said the United States is "living a nightmare with no end in sight.""
... "Sanchez described the current troop increase in Iraq as "a desperate
attempt by the administration that has not accepted the political and economic
realities of this war."" ... ""The administration, Congress and the entire
interagency, especially the State Department, must shoulder the responsibility
for this catastrophic failure, and the American people must hold them accountable,"
Sanchez told military reporters and editors. "There has been a glaring
unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership within our national
leaders."" -WashingtonPost
via -LAtimes
US
- Iraq
- Politics
- "Sanchez,
former U.S. commander in Iraq, calls war 'a nightmare with no end in sight'."
... "The former top commander of U.S. troops in Iraq slammed the handling
of the war and gave a bleak assessment of the current situation in Iraq."
... "“There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end
in sight,” retired Lt. Gen. [Lieutenant General] Ricardo Sanchez told a
convention of military journalists on Friday." ... "But Sanchez reserved
most of his venom Friday for U.S. officials, saying the U.S. government
still has not brought all the resources needed to win in Iraq." ... "“From
a catastrophically flawed, unrealistically optimistic war plan, to the
administration’s latest surge strategy, this administration has failed
to employ and synchronize the political, economic and military power,”
Sanchez said." ... "Continuing changes to military strategy alone will
not achieve victory, rather it will only “stave off defeat,” he said."
... "“The administration, Congress and the entire inter-agency, especially
the State Department, must shoulder the responsibility for this catastrophic
failure and the American people must hold them accountable.”" -By
Jeff Schogol -Stripes.com
Russia
- US
- 
Czech
Republic - 
Poland
- Military
- Technology
- Nuclear
- "Russia
urges US missile 'freeze': Russia has called on the
US to "freeze" plans to employ missile defence facilities in eastern Europe."
... "After high-level talks in Moscow [Russia's capital], Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said Russia saw the shield as a "potential threat" and wanted
to "neutralise" it." ... "US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denied
any threat to Russia, saying she wanted both countries to work together."
... "Earlier, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin signalled he would
not support American plans." ... "He urged Washington "not to force" a
planned deployment - of a radar in the Czech Republic and interceptors
in Poland - on Russia." ... "Mr Putin also threatened to abandon a key
nuclear missile treaty which he said was outdated."" ... "President Putin
said at the start of the talks that it would be difficult to remain part
of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty unless it was expanded
to include more countries than just the US and Russia." ... "The treaty,
which limits US and Russian short and medium range missiles, was signed
20 years ago and led to the elimination of almost 3,000 Russian and American
missiles." -BBC/News
Secret
- Osama
bin Laden
- TV
- Web
- 
Communications
- Terrorist
- 
Surveillance
- Company
- Military
- Intelligence
- Politics
- "Leak
Severed a Link to Al-Qaeda's Secrets: Firm Says [Republican
President Bush's] Administration's Handling of Video Ruined Its Spying
Efforts." ... "A small private intelligence company that monitors Islamic
terrorist groups obtained a new Osama bin Laden video ahead of its official
release last month, and around 10 a.m. on Sept. 7, it notified the Bush
administration of its secret acquisition. It gave two senior officials
access on the condition that the officials not reveal they had it until
the al-Qaeda release." ... "Within 20 minutes, a range of intelligence
agencies had begun downloading it from the company's Web site. By midafternoon
that day, the video and a transcript of its audio track had been leaked
from within the Bush administration to cable television news and broadcast
worldwide." ... "The founder of the company, the SITE Intelligence Group
[Search for International Terrorist Entities], says this premature disclosure
tipped al-Qaeda to a security breach and destroyed a years-long surveillance
operation that the company has used to intercept and pass along secret
messages, videos and advance warnings of suicide bombings from the terrorist
group's communications network." ... ""Techniques that took years to develop
are now ineffective and worthless," said Rita Katz, the firm's 44-year-old
founder, who has garnered wide attention by publicizing statements and
videos from extremist chat rooms and Web sites, while attracting controversy
over the secrecy of SITE's methodology. Her firm provides intelligence
about terrorist groups to a wide range of paying clients, including private
firms and military and intelligence agencies from the United States and
several other countries." ... "She spoke first with White House counsel
Fred F. Fielding, whom she had previously met, and then with Joel Bagnal,
deputy assistant to the president for homeland security. Both expressed
interest in obtaining a copy, and Bagnal suggested that she send a copy
to Michael Leiter, who holds the No. 2 job at the National Counterterrorism
Center." (1, 2)
-By Joby Warrick -WashingtonPost
British
- Iraq
- Kuwait
- US
- Oil
- Sea
- Transportation
- Politics
- "British
pullout in Iraq leaves Basra in chaos." ... "The
British troop pullout from Iraq announced yesterday leaves Basra, Iraq's
second largest and most strategically important city, in near total chaos
both politically and militarily." ... "It comes at a time when at least
four Shia militias are fighting over the city, which is surrounded by most
of the nation's tremendous oil reserves and provides Iraq's only gateway
to the sea." ... "Equally vital for U.S. strategists, the city also controls
the southern portion of the road from Kuwait to Baghdad [Iraq's capital],
along which mostly all U.S. supplies are brought in." ... "[British] Prime
Minister Gordon Brown said yesterday Britain will cut its forces in Iraq
by half in the spring, shrinking the commitment of America's leading coalition
partner to just 2,500 troops engaged mainly in "training and mentoring"
of Iraqi forces. UK troops have been based solely in and around Basra."
-By Timothy M. Phelps
-Newsday.com
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- "Army
needs three to four years to recover from Iraq strains: chief."
... "The US Army will need three or four years to recover from the strains
of repeated deployments to Iraq even with a planned drawdown of US forces
next year, the service's chief said Monday." ... "General George Casey
said the army is "out of balance" after six years of warfare in Afghanistan
and Iraq, and facing unpredictable demands in an era of "persistent conflict.""
... "The long deployments and short time at home has left army units with
little time to train for conventional warfare or contingencies other than
Iraq." ... "Casey said it will take the army three to four years to gain
the additional troops, training time and equipment needed to field an army
ready for all kinds of warfare." -AFP.com
via -Yahoo
US
- Iraq
- Kuwait
- Construction
- Homes
- Health
- Safety
- Blackwater
- Military
- Politics
- "Iraq
Embassy Cost Rises $144 Million Amid Project Delays:
Planning, Workmanship Cited as Problems." ... "The massive U.S. embassy
under construction in Baghdad [Iraq's capital] could cost $144 million
more than projected and will open months behind schedule because of poor
planning, shoddy workmanship, internal disputes and last-minute changes
sought by State Department officials [under Republican President Bush],
according to U.S. officials and a department document provided to Congress."
... "The embassy, which will be the largest U.S. diplomatic mission in
the world, was budgeted at $592 million." ... "The growing price tag and
delayed opening have alarmed members of Congress, some of whom regard the
troubled project as the latest in a series of State Department management
problems in Iraq. The department has been criticized for failing to send
enough reconstruction specialists to assist U.S. forces in Baghdad and
for not providing adequate oversight of its principal private security
force, Blackwater USA, whose personnel have been accused of using excessive
force to protect U.S. diplomats." ... "Department officials contend that
some of the delays are a result of poor workmanship by the project's primary
contractor, First Kuwaiti General Trade and Contracting, a Middle Eastern
firm. Apparent building and safety blunders in a facility to house embassy
security guards have made it unsafe to open. Originally due to open last
December, the facility is still not operational because of formaldehyde
fumes in 252 prefabricated residential trailers." ... "A Sept. 18 internal
report on problems with the guard facility's electrical system, prepared
for Charles E. Williams, the director of building operations, suggested
that KBR, the former Halliburton subsidiary hired to run the facility,
was responsible for overloading the system." (1, 2)
-By Glenn Kessler -WashingtonPost
Noteworthy
- US
- Iraq
- Religious
- Freedom
- Censorship
- Military
- Politics
- 
Thanksgiving
- "Are
U.S. troops being force-fed Christianity? A watchdog
group alleges that improper evangelizing is occurring within the ranks."
... "At Speicher base in Iraq, US Army Spec. Jeremy Hall got permission
from a chaplain in August to post fliers announcing a meeting for atheists
and other nonbelievers. When the group gathered, Specialist Hall alleges,
his Army major supervisor disrupted the meeting and threatened to retaliate
against him, including blocking his reenlistment in the Army." ... "Months
earlier, Hall charges, he had been publicly berated by a staff sergeant
for not agreeing to join in a Thanksgiving Day prayer." ... "On Sept. 17,
the soldier and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) filed
suit against Army Maj. Freddy Welborn and US Secretary of Defense Robert
Gates, charging violations of Hall's constitutional rights, including being
forced to submit to a religious test to qualify as a soldier." ... "The
MRFF plans more lawsuits in coming weeks, says Michael "Mikey" Weinstein,
who founded the military watchdog group in 2005. The aim is "to show there
is a pattern and practice of constitutionally impermissible promotions
of religious beliefs within the Department of Defense."" ... "For Mr. Weinstein
– a former Air Force judge advocate and assistant counsel in the Reagan
White House – more is involved than isolated cases of discrimination. He
charges that several incidents in recent years – and more than 5,000 complaints
his group has received from active-duty and retired military personnel
– point to a growing willingness inside the military to support a particular
brand of Christianity and to permit improper evangelizing in the ranks.
More than 95 percent of those complaints come from other Christians, he
says." ... "Weinstein insists, however, that there are improper actions
at high levels that not only infringe on soldiers' rights but, at a very
dangerous time, also send the wrong message to people in the Middle East
that those in the US military see themselves engaged in Christian warfare."
-By Jane Lampman -CSMonitor
US
- Iraq
- Police
- Government
- Military
- Law
- Blackwater
- "Sources:
Blackwater contractor wrote first U.S. report on shooting."
... "A Blackwater contractor wrote an initial U.S. government report about
how his colleagues killed Iraqi civilians in a September shooting that
strained U.S.-Iraqi relations, government and industry sources told CNN."
... "The Iraqi government claims private contractors with Blackwater USA,
who were guarding a U.S. diplomatic convoy, killed as many as 20 civilians
on September 16 in western Baghdad's [Iraq's capital] Nasoor Square." ...
"The incident produced an outcry in Iraq and raised questions about the
accountability of foreign security contractors in Iraq, who under an order
laid down by the U.S.-led occupation government are not subject to Iraqi
law for actions taken within their contracts." ... "Blackwater -- which
provides security to U.S. diplomats -- says its employees responded properly
to an insurgent attack on a convoy, and the State Department initial "spot
report" written by the Blackwater contractor underscores that scenario
and doesn't mention civilian casualties." ... "However, that account is
at odds with what the Iraqis are saying. A senior Iraqi National Police
official participating in the Iraqi governmental probe of the shooting
said the Blackwater gunfire was unprovoked and the guards fired randomly,
killing and wounding several civilians." ... "The Blackwater contractor,
Darren Hanner, drafted a two-page "spot report" on the letterhead of the
Bureau of Diplomatic Security for the embassy's Tactical Operations Center,
said a source involved in diplomatic security at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad."
... "The TOC -- which tracks and monitors all incidents and movements involving
diplomatic security missions -- has outsourced positions to Blackwater
and another private firm, the embassy source said." -Contributed
to by Jomana Karadsheh, Zain Verjee, and Suzanne Simons
-CNN
Burma[Myanmar]
- Military
- Police
- Politics
- History
- Religious
- "Nine
dead after troops fire into crowds of democracy protesters:
· Mayhem as crackdown gathers pace on 10th day of protests ·
Civilians take to streets after hundreds of monks arrested." ... "Burmese
troops and riot police battled to put an end to the 10th consecutive day
of protests against the country's military dictatorship that has maintained
an iron grip on power for 45 years, firing automatic weapons into crowds
of pro-democracy demonstrators in Rangoon after they flouted warnings to
clear the streets or face "extreme action"." ... "A Japanese photographer,
Kenji Nagai, 50, was among at least nine people killed in the fierce clashes.
Thousands of protesters played a deadly game of cat and mouse with the
police and troops, continually dispersing as they were attacked and reforming
to taunt the security forces who used teargas, baton charges and live ammunition
against them." ... "Fewer monks were seen on the streets yesterday as up
to 500 had been arrested and many others confined to their quarters by
soldiers who raided six monasteries around the capital from dawn onwards.
Leaders of the National League for Democracy were also rounded up." ...
"Pools of blood remained in monastery dormitories and stairwells where
the troops had smashed in windows and doors, and beat the young novices
as they lay sleeping. In some raids shots were fired and a senior abbot
at Moe Ngway monastery was said to have died later in the afternoon." ...
"The ferocity of the attacks on the monks, the ransacking of monasteries
that saw Buddhist relics vandalised and gold looted, according to diplomatic
sources, shocked ordinary Burmese people, who revere the clergy." -By
Ian MacKinnon -Guardian.co.uk
Pakistan
- Military
- Police
- Politics
- History
- "Chief
justice orders Musharraf to release opposition activists:
· Government ordered to give reason for crackdown · President
awaits key court ruling on re-election bid." ... "Pakistan's chief justice
ordered the release of hundreds of opposition activists yesterday as [Pakistan]
President Pervez Musharraf pushed ahead with controversial plans for re-election
in eight days' time. Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudhry ordered government officials
to free the activists, mostly from Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party, whom the
police had been rounding up since the weekend. The interior minister said
200 people were in custody; the opposition put the figure in the thousands."
... "The judge, who scored a historic court victory over General Musharraf
in July, also demanded an explanation for a security crackdown across the
capital, Islamabad. Hundreds of riot police flooded on to the streets at
dawn and main roads were blocked to prevent expected protests." ... "But
the president may have to cross his greatest hurdle today, when the supreme
court is expected to rule on a major challenge by opposition parties, who
claim that Gen Musharraf's re-election bid is illegal and unconstitutional."
... "Analysts say that if Gen Musharraf loses the court battle he may resort
to emergency rule or impose martial law. He has tried to assuage concerns
by promising to resign from the army - but only if he is re-elected." -By
Declan Walsh -Guardian.co.uk
US
- Iraq
- Global
- Military
- Politics
- "Army
is worn too thin, says general: Calls force not ready
to meet new threats." ... "The Army's top officer, General George Casey,
told Congress yesterday that his branch of the military has been stretched
so thin by the war in Iraq that it can not adequately respond to another
conflict - one of the strongest warnings yet from a military leader that
repeated deployments to war zones in the Middle East have hamstrung the
military's ability to deter future aggression." ... "In his first appearance
as Army chief of staff, Casey told the House Armed Services" ... "Committee
that the Army is "out of balance" and "the current demand for our forces
exceeds the sustainable supply. We are consumed with meeting the demands
of the current fight and are unable to provide ready forces as rapidly
as necessary for other potential contingencies."" ... "Officials said Casey,
who appeared along with Army Secretary Pete Geren, personally requested
the public hearing - a highly unusual move that military analysts said
underscores his growing concern about the health of the Army, America's
primary fighting force." ... "Casey's testimony yesterday sent a clear
message: If [Republican] President Bush or Congress does not significantly
reduce US forces in Iraq soon, the Army will need far more resources -
and money - to ensure it is prepared to handle future security threats
that the general warned are all but inevitable." ... ""As we look to the
future, national security experts are virtually unanimous in predicting
that the next several decades will be ones of persistent conflict," Casey
told the panel, citing potential instability caused by globalization, humanitarian
crises, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction." -By
Bryan Bender -Boston/Globe
US
- Iraq
- History
- Blackwater
- Military
- Business
- Politics
- Calif-
"Blackwater
blamed for guard deaths." ... "Blackwater USA triggered
a major battle in the Iraq war in 2004 by sending an unprepared team of
guards into an insurgent stronghold, a move that led to their horrific
deaths and a violent response by U.S. forces, says a congressional investigation
released Thursday." ... "The private security company, one of the largest
working in Iraq and under scrutiny for how it operates, also is faulted
for initially insisting its guards were properly prepared and equipped.
It is also accused of impeding the inquiry by the Democratic staff of the
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee." ... "The results of the
staff inquiry come less than a week before Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL
and Blackwater's founder, is scheduled to testify before the committee,
which is chaired by [California Democratic Representative] Rep. Henry Waxman,
D-Calif., a longtime critic of Blackwater." ... "The March 2004 incident
involving Blackwater was widely viewed as a turning point in the Iraq war
after images of the mutilated bodies of the four guards were seen around
the world. Four days after the Blackwater guards were killed, a major military
offensive, known as the Battle of Fallujah, began." ... "The combat lasted
almost a month in Fallujah, which is 40 miles west of Baghdad [Iraq's capital].
At least 36 U.S. military personnel were killed along with 200 insurgents
and an estimated 600 civilians, the congressional investigation found."
-By Richard Lardner and Mike Baker
-AP via -Yahoo
Myanmar[Burma]
- Military
- Police
- Politics
- History
- Religious
- "Police
Clash With Monks in Myanmar." ... "The government
of Myanmar [Burma] began a violent crackdown today after tolerating more
than a month of ever-larger protests in cities around the country, clubbing
and tear-gassing protesters, firing shots into the air and arresting hundreds
of the monks who are at the heart of the demonstrations." ... "Despite
threats and warnings by the authorities and despite the beginnings of a
violent response, tens of thousands of chanting, cheering protesters flooded
the streets, witnesses reported. Monks were in the lead, “like religious
storm troopers,” as one foreign diplomat described the scene." ... "Though
the crowds were large and energetic, they were smaller than on previous
days, apparently in part because of the deployment of armed soldiers to
prevent monks from leaving some of the main temples." ... "But it appeared
that an attempt by the military to halt the protests through warnings,
troop deployments and initial bursts of violence had not succeeded. Analysts
said that the next steps in the crackdown might be yet more aggressive
and widespread." ... "Tens of thousands of people were reported to be demonstrating
in the streets of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city." ... "The
demonstrations have grown from several hundred people protesting a fuel
price rise in mid-August to as many as 100,000 Sunday, led by tens of thousands
of monks in the largest and most sustained antigovernment protests since
1988." ... "That earlier peaceful uprising was crushed by the military,
which shot into crowds, killing an estimated 3,000 people. It was during
the turmoil a decade ago that the current military junta took power in
Myanmar, and it has maintained its grip by arresting dissidents, quashing
political opposition and using force and intimidation to control the population."
-By Seth Mydans -NYTimes
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Intelligence
- Accounting
- Politics
- Terrorism
- Crime
- Database
- "What
Defines a Killing as Sectarian? U.S. Military Teams
Analyze and Tally Each Civilian Death." ... "On Sept. 1, the bullet-riddled
bodies of four Iraqi men were found on a Baghdad [Iraq's capital] street.
Two days later, a single dead man, with one bullet in his head, was found
on a different street. According to the U.S. military in Iraq, the solitary
man was a victim of sectarian violence. The first four were not." ... "Such
determinations are the building blocks for what the [Republican President]
Bush administration has declared a downward trend in sectarian deaths and
a sign that its war strategy is working. They are made by a specialized
team of soldiers who spend their nights at computer terminals, sifting
through data on the day's civilian victims for clues to the motivations
of killers." ... "Apparent contradictions are relatively easy to find in
the flood of bar charts and trend lines the military produces. Civilian
casualty numbers in the Pentagon's latest quarterly report on Iraq last
week, for example, differ significantly from those presented by the top
commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, in his recent congressional
testimony. Petraeus's chart was limited to numbers of dead, while the Pentagon
combined the numbers of dead and wounded -- a figure that should be greater.
Yet Petraeus's numbers were higher than the Pentagon's for the months preceding
this year's increase of U.S. troops to Iraq, and lower since U.S. operations
escalated this summer." ... "The charts are difficult to compare: Petraeus
used monthly figures on a line graph, while the Pentagon computed "Average
Daily Casualties" on a bar chart, and neither included actual numbers."
... "In an Iraq assessment released this month, the Government Accountability
Office said it "could not determine if sectarian violence had declined"
since the U.S. troop buildup began in the spring and saw no decrease in
overall attacks against civilians as of the end of July." ... "The U.S.
intelligence community considers more than numbers in making its war assessments.
"What the Iraqis perceive" about their country and their daily lives "may
be more important than what the numbers are," said a senior intelligence
official, who discussed the subject on the condition of anonymity. Even
so, he said, intelligence officials found contradictions in the available
statistics as they wrote last month's National Intelligence Estimate on
Iraq, whose conclusions were somewhat less optimistic than the military's."
(1, 2)
-By Karen DeYoung -WashingtonPost
Pakistan
- Military
- Police
- Politics
- "Musharraf
arrests opposition leaders: Police raids round up
politicians planning demonstrations against the President; politicians
fear democratic process has broken down." ... "Opposition leaders were
arrested over the weekend in Pakistan as General Pervez Musharraf extended
his crackdown on dissent ahead of a presidential election." ... "Heavy
police raids rounded up politicians, who had been planning to spearhead
demonstrations in the [Pakistan] capital of Islamabad this week against
Gen. Musharraf's re-election plans. Leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League,
the party of exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and some religious
party chiefs were taken away. All were members of an opposition coalition,
the All Parties Democratic Movement, that has vowed to end the rule of
Gen. Musharraf, who is both president and head of Pakistan's military."
... "Imran Khan, the cricketer turned politician, warned that democratic
process has broken down in Pakistan." ... ""This is descending into a complete
banana republic," he said in an interview. "Whatever obstacles come into
Musharraf's way, he is determined to remove them. And all for one reason:
to stay in power," he said." ... "Similarly to this weekend's pre-emptive
crackdown, the government took no chances when Mr. [Nawaz] Sharif tried
to return from seven years of exile earlier this month. He was deported
immediately on landing at Islamabad airport. His party activists were arrested
and all roads leading to the airport were sealed off to ensure that no
crowds turned out to greet him." -By Saeed Shah
-TheGlobeAndMail.com
Iraq
- US
- Government
- Blackwater
- Company
- Military
- Law
- Politics
- "Where
Military Rules Don't Apply: Blackwater's Security
Force in Iraq Given Wide Latitude by State Dept.." ... "Blackwater USA,
the private security company involved in a Baghdad [Iraq's capital] shootout
last weekend, operated under [Republican President Bush's] State Department
authority that exempted the company from U.S. military regulations governing
other security firms, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials and industry
representatives." ... "In recent months, the State Department's oversight
of Blackwater became a central issue as Iraqi authorities repeatedly clashed
with the company over its aggressive street tactics. Many U.S. and Iraqi
officials and industry representatives said they came to see Blackwater
as untouchable, protected by State Department officials who defended the
company at every turn." ... "The State Department allowed Blackwater's
heavily armed teams to operate without an Interior Ministry license, even
after the requirement became standard language in Defense Department security
contracts. The company was not subject to the military's restrictions on
the use of offensive weapons, its procedures for reporting shooting incidents
or a central tracking system that allows commanders to monitor the movements
of security companies on the battlefield." ... "A one-paragraph subsection
to a 2004 edict issued by the Coalition Provisional Authority, the now-defunct
U.S. occupation government, granted contractors immunity from the Iraqi
legal process. This edict is still in effect. Congress has moved to establish
guidelines for prosecuting contractors under U.S. law or the Uniform Code
of Military Justice, but the issue remains unresolved." ... "The use of
private security skyrocketed in Iraq after the March 2003 invasion because
of troop shortages and growing violence. U.S. authorities have no idea
how many hired guns operate in the country; estimates range from 20,000
to 50,000 or higher." ... "Over the past year, the military has issued
a series of "fragos," or fragmentary orders, designed to impose greater
accountability on security contractors operating under Defense Department
contracts. Blackwater was not covered because it reported to the State
Department." ... "None of the new orders applied to Blackwater, which has
received $678 million in State Department contracts since 2003 and operates
under the department's authority." ... "Blackwater is not required to report
its movements to the military." (1, 2,
3,
4,
5)
-By Steve Fainaru with contributions by Joshua Partlow,
Megan Greenwell, and Julie Tate-WashingtonPost
Howard
J Krongard - US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Accounting
- Law
- Government
- Employees
- Blackwater
- Money
- Politics
- California
- "State
Dept. Official Accused of Blocking Inquiry." ...
"A top House Democrat began an inquiry on Tuesday into accusations that
the State Department's inspector general repeatedly interfered with investigations
into fraud and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, including security defects
at the new United States Embassy in Baghdad [Iraq's capital]." ... "[Democratic]
Representative Henry A. Waxman of California, the chairman of the Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform, sent the inspector general, Howard
J. Krongard, a 14-page letter spelling out accusations made by several
current and former employees of Mr. Krongard's office who documented their
charges with e-mail messages." ... ""One consistent element in these allegations
is that you believe your foremost mission is to support the [Republican
President] Bush administration, especially with respect to Iraq and Afghanistan,
rather than act as an independent and objective check on waste, fraud and
abuse on behalf of U.S. taxpayers," Mr. Waxman wrote. He invited Mr. Krongard
to respond to the accusations at a committee hearing on Oct. 16." ... "Mr.
Waxman told Mr. Krongard that he had been accused of impeding an investigation
of a security company suspected of "illegally smuggling weapons into Iraq."
The Associated Press reported that the unnamed company was Blackwater."
-By David Stout with contributions by Brian Knowlton
-NYTimes
US
- Iraq
- Howard
Krongard
- Blackwater
- Money
- Employees
- Military
- Law
- Enforcement
- Politics
- North
Carolina - 
Virginia
- "Rules
of engagement are sketchy when private security firms are deployed in war."
... "The fog of war keeps getting thicker." ... "Iraq's decision to temporarily
ban Blackwater USA after a fatal shooting of civilians in Baghdad [Iraq's
capital] reveals a growing web of rules governing weapons-bearing private
contractors but few signs U.S. agencies are aggressively enforcing them."
... "Nearly a year after a law was passed holding contracted employees
to the same code of justice as military personnel, the [Republican President]
Bush administration has not published guidance on how military lawyers
should do that, according to Peter Singer, a security industry expert at
the Brookings Institution in Washington." ... "Blackwater, based in Moyock,
North Carolina, is one of three private security firms employed by the
State Department to protect its personnel in Iraq. The two others, both
of which are headquartered in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, are Dyncorp,
based in Falls Church, Virginia, and Triple Canopy of Herndon, Virginia."
... "In a letter to Howard Krongard, the State Department inspector general,
the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Krongard impeded
a Justice Department probe into claims that a "large private security contractor
was smuggling weapons into Iraq."" ... "Although the security company is
not named in the letter, several senior administration officials confirmed
it is Blackwater." (1, 2)-AP
via -IHT.com
Edwards
- Military
- Family
- US
- Iraq
- 
Newspaper
- Ad
- Opinion
- Des-Moines
- Iowa
- 2008
Election - "Elizabeth
Edwards criticizes MoveOn.org ad." ... "MoveOn.org
should not have labeled [General] Gen. David Petraeus “General Betray Us”
in a controversial newspaper ad, Elizabeth Edwards said in Des Moines [Iowa]
Friday." ... "“Someone who’s spent their life in the military doesn’t deserve
‘General Betray Us,’” said Edwards, wife of [2008 election] Democratic
presidential candidate John Edwards." ... "Elizabeth Edwards spoke in an
interview after a Des Moines campaign appearance. She noted that her father
was a career naval officer, and she grew up on Navy bases, so she said
she respects military service." ... "Elizabeth Edwards said the group could
have made its point by simply using Petraeus’ own previous words about
purported good news in Iraq without insulting him personally."
-DesMoinesRegister/News
US
- Iraqi
- Terrorism
- Politics
- "Iraqi
insurgents kill key US ally." ... "A key Sunni ally
of the US and Iraqi governments has been killed in a bomb attack in the
city of Ramadi, Iraqi police and media say." ... "Abdul Sattar Abu Risha
led what was known as the "Anbar Awakening", an alliance of Sunni Arab
tribes that rose up against al-Qaeda in Iraq." ... "The movement helped
reduce violence dramatically and was hailed by the US as an example for
the rest of Iraq." ... "[Republican] President George Bush met and endorsed
him during a visit to Iraq last week." ... "Abu Risha's assassination will
be a severe blow to the "Awakening" in Anbar province, says the BBC's Hugh
Sykes in Baghdad [Iraq's capital]." ... "It may undermine the new movement
against al-Qaeda in Iraq, he says, or it could strengthen resolve in Anbar
to resist the insurgents, who are regarded by an increasing number of people
there as unwelcome invaders." ... "Abu Risha was killed, along with two
bodyguards, by a roadside bomb planted near his home in Ramadi, the capital
of Iraq's western Anbar province." -BBC
/News
US
- Iraq
- Op-Ed
- Politics
- "Two
of Seven Soldiers Who Wrote 'NYT' Op-Ed Die in Iraq."
... "The Op-Ed by seven active duty U.S. soldiers in Iraq questioning the
war drew international attention just three weeks ago. Now two of the seven
are dead." ... "Sgt. Omar Mora and Sgt. Yance T. Gray died Monday in a
vehicle accident in western Baghdad [Iraq's capital], two of seven U.S.
troops killed in the incident which was reported just as Gen. David Petraeus
was about to report to Congress on progress in the "surge." The names have
just been released." ... "Gen. Petraeus was questioned about the message
of the op-ed in testimony before a Senate committee yesterday." ... "The
controversial Times column on Aug. 19 was called "The War As We Saw It,"
and expressed skepticism about American gains in Iraq. “To believe that
Americans, with an occupying force that long ago outlived its reluctant
welcome, can win over a recalcitrant local population and win this counterinsurgency
is far-fetched,” the group wrote." -By Greg Mitchell
-EditorAndPublisher.com
Israel
- Syria
- US
- "U.S.
Confirms Israeli Strikes Hit Syrian Target Last Week."
... "After days of silence from the Israeli government, American officials
confirmed Tuesday that Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes inside Syria
last week, the first such attack since 2003." ... "A Defense Department
official said Israeli jets had struck at least one target in northeastern
Syria last Thursday, but the official said it was still unclear exactly
what the jets hit and the extent of the bombing damage." -By
Mark Mazzetti and Helene Cooper -NYTimes
US
- Iraq
- Military
- California
- Nevada
- NC
- "Petraeus,
Crocker Face Skepticism on Drawdown." ... "Plans
by [Republican] President Bush to announce a withdrawal of up to 30,000
U.S. troops from Iraq by next summer drew sharp criticism yesterday from
Democratic leaders and a handful of Republicans in Congress, who vowed
to try again to force Bush to accept a more dramatic change of policy."
... "A second day of testimony by Gen. [General] David H. Petraeus, the
U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker yielded some of
the most biting GOP [Republican] objections since the president announced
his troop buildup in January. Several Republicans joined Democrats in saying
that Petraeus's proposal to draw down troops through the middle of next
summer would result only in force levels equivalent to where they stood
before the increase began, about 130,000 troops." ... "[House Speaker,
California Democratic Representative Nancy] Pelosi said she told Bush that
he was essentially endorsing a 10-year "open-ended commitment." [Senate
Majority Leader, Nevada Democratic Senator Harry] Reid said the president
wants "no change in mission -- this is more of the same."" ... "Even [North
Carolina Republican Senator] Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), a mainstream
conservative who has never publicly strayed from the administration's position
on Iraq, made it clear that she would now support "what some have called
action-forcing measures."" ... ""The difficulty of the current American
and Iraqi situation is rooted in large part in the Bush administration's
substantial failure to understand the full implications of our military
invasion and the litany of mistakes made at the outset of the war," Dole
said." (1, 2)
-By Michael Abramowitz and Jonathan Weisman
-WashingtonPost
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Safety
- Politics
- Lawmakers
- Va
- "Senate
grills Petraeus on Iraq strategy." ... "GOP [Republican]
lawmakers including some of the party's most respected voices on foreign
policy demonstrated at the hearings that they are not quietly following
the [Republican President Bush] White House script. In some instances,
their criticism was almost as scathing as that of the most hostile Democrats."
... "And [Virginia Republican Senator] Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), the former
chairman of the Armed Services Committee and a former secretary of the
Navy, sharply dismissed [U.S. Ambassador Ryan] Crocker's talk of reaching
a national reconciliation in Iraq." ... ""That's what's been said at this
table for a long time, sir," Warner said. "And ... it hasn't happened.""
... "Warner, one of the Senate's most influential policymakers when it
comes to the military, urged [General David] Petraeus to tell the president
if he disagrees with him on his strategy." ... ""I hope in the recesses
of your heart," Warner said, "that you know that strategy will continue
the casualties, stress on our forces, stress on military families, stress
on all Americans."" ... "Finally, Warner concluded with a question: "Are
you able to say at this time, if we continue what you have laid before
the Congress here as a strategy, do you feel that that is making America
safer?"" ... "Petraeus said the strategy is the best course for achieving
U.S. objectives in Iraq." ... ""Does that make America safer?" pushed Warner."
... "Said Petraeus, "Sir, I don't know, actually. I have not sat down and
sorted it out in my own mind."" (1, 2)
-By Jill Zuckman -ChicagoTribune
US
- Iraq
- Global
- Military
- Del- Ind
- 
Neb
- 2008
Election - "Iraq
Progress Hearing Quotes." ... "Quotes from Tuesday's
Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committee hearings on progress
in Iraq featuring testimony from Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan
Crocker." ... ""The fact of the matter is that American lives remain in
jeopardy and, as I said, if every single jihadi in the world was killed
tomorrow, we'd still have a major, major war on our hands." - [Delaware
Democratic Senator and 2008 election Presidential Candidate] Sen. Joseph
Biden, D-Del." ... ""At this stage of the conflict, with our military strained
by Iraq deployments, our global advantages being diminished by the weight
of our burden in Iraq, it is not enough for the [Republican President Bush]
administration to counsel patience until the next milestone or the next
report. We need to see a strategy for how our troops and other resources
in Iraq might be employed to fundamentally change the equation." - [Indiana
Republican Senator] Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind." ... ""The other part of
this is that it seems to me logical that when you flood a zone with more
troops, when you put more troops in Baghdad or Anbar province, you're going
to see some consequence to that, you're going to see some result. So I
don't think that's particularly news, that where we have inserted more
American troops, costing more American lives, we've seen some differences."
- [Nebraska Republican Senator] Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb." ... ""It's not
your fault, General. It's not Ambassador Crocker's fault. It's this [Republican
President Bush] administration's fault." - Hagel."
-AP via -Forbes
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Intelligence- Accounting
- Politics
- "Numbers
cast doubt on U.S. claims: Analysts questioning military
counts of civilian casualties." ... "Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador
Ryan Crocker emphasized signs of progress in Iraq during their presentation
to Congress on Monday and frequently interpreted events in the most optimistic
light while downplaying more troubling signs." ... "A review of war statistics
provides a number of examples in which the officials' analysis seemed incomplete."
... "For example, Petraeus placed a heavy emphasis on U.S. military figures
showing a 45 percent drop in civilian deaths in Iraq since the peak of
sectarian violence in December 2006 and a 55 percent drop in killings that
the military judged "ethno-sectarian." But the December 2006 time frame
that Petraeus used for the comparison was a high point in sectarian violence
that predated the U.S. troop "surge."" ... "[Republican] President Bush
announced the surge in January and the first U.S. troops under the strategy
arrived in Iraq in late February. By then, violence already had subsided
somewhat from the unprecedented levels of sectarian strife that racked
Baghdad in 2006. Also, in previous years, there has been a surge of violence
in Iraq during Ramadan, the monthlong Islamic holiday that begins later
this week." ... "Analysts inside and outside the government, including
the General Accountability Office in a recent report, also have questioned
the military's counting of civilian casualties." ... "The Associated Press
counted 1,809 civilian deaths in August, its second-highest monthly total
this year." -By Mike Dorning with contributions by
Aamer Madhani -ChicagoTribune
Mexico
- US
- Oil
- Money
- Political
- Army
- "6
pipelines blown up in Mexico." ... "In an apparent
case of politically motivated sabotage, six explosions blew apart oil and
natural gas pipelines operated by Mexico's Pemex state oil and gas monopoly
early Monday in Veracruz and Tlaxcala states [of Mexico], causing fires
and forcing the evacuation of 15,000 people from surrounding towns." ...
"Mexico is the world's sixth-largest oil producer and a major supplier
of petroleum to the U.S. The outages drove the price of oil above $78 a
barrel in futures trading Monday." ... "Monday's attacks occurred two months
after a leftist guerrilla group, the Popular Revolutionary Army, known
by its Spanish initials EPR, took responsibility for carrying out four
similar bomb attacks on Pemex pipelines and a switching station in the
central states of Queretaro and Guanajuato." ... "Although no group claimed
responsibility for Monday's attacks, political analysts here said they
bore the hallmarks of the EPR or a similar group, and probably were intended
as a message against President Felipe Calderon and his policies." ... "Jose
Antonio Crespo, a political analyst, said that the attacks on Pemex reflected
the growing "radicalization" of Mexico's left-wing groups, which believe
they have been systematically shut out of political power by the Fox and
Calderon administrations." ... ""This is a direct consequence of what Calderon
received as an inheritance of the election, in which he was chosen in a
doubtful manner" from his leftist opponents' perspective, Crespo said."
-By Reed Johnson with contributions by Cecilia Sánchez
-LAtimes
United
States - Afghanistan
- Pakistan
- Osama
bin Laden
- Terrorism- Intelligence
- Law
- Enforcement
- Politics
- "Intelligence
officials contradict White House on bin Laden." ...
"Contradicting [Republican] President Bush's counter-terrorism adviser,
U.S. intelligence and law enforcement chiefs and a Cabinet member said
Monday that Osama bin Laden remained the most dangerous terrorist threat
to the United States six years after the 9-11 attacks." ... "Eliminating
the threat that the al Qaida leader and his inner circle pose from their
sanctuary in Pakistan's remote tribal region bordering Afghanistan "is
our number one priority," Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell
told a Senate committee." ... "The assessments by McConnell, Homeland Security
Secretary Michael Chertoff and FBI Director Robert Mueller came a day after
White House homeland security adviser Frances Fragos Townsend called bin
Laden "a man on the run from a cave who is virtually impotent other than
these tapes."" ... "Townsend was commenting on the release of the first
bin Laden video in nearly three years, which surfaced Friday on the Internet."
... "McConnell recalled that a comprehensive U.S. intelligence assessment
issued in July warned that the gravest terrorist threat to the United States
for the next three years is bin Laden and the plots to attack American
targets that he and his lieutenants are hatching in their sanctuary in
Pakistan." -By
Jonathan
S. Landay -McClatchyDC.com
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Poll
- Delaware
- Massachusetts
- 
Election
2008 - "Democrats
Say They Will Keep Pressing for U.S. Iraq Withdrawal."
... "Congressional Democrats said they will keep pressing for a withdrawal
of American forces from Iraq even if Army General David Petraeus, the top
U.S. military commander there, argues for more time." ... "[2008 election
Democratic Presidential Candidate and Delaware Senator] Joseph Biden, chairman
of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, said [Republican] President
George W. Bush's strategy of deploying more U.S. troops in Iraq this year
has failed because the Iraqi government didn't achieve the political stability
that Bush said was possible if security improved. [Massachusetts Democratic]
Senator Edward Kennedy said American forces are being ``held hostage''
by the ineffectiveness of Iraq's elected leaders." ... "``The reality is
that we were supposed to stand up the Iraqis so that the Americans could
stand down,'' Biden, a Delaware Democrat who recently visited Iraq, said
on NBC's ``Meet the Press'' program. ``We've been hearing that for five
years. We're nowhere near being able to do that.''" ... "A Washington Post/ABC
News poll released today shows 53 percent of Americans say they expect
Petraeus will try to make the situation in Iraq look better than it is.
The latest New York Times/CBS News poll, also released today, showed that
62 percent of those polled said the U.S. made a mistake getting involved
in Iraq, and 45 percent said Bush's troop increase hasn't had an impact
on the situation in Iraq." -By Nadine Elsibai
-Bloomberg
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Accounting
- Politics
- "Iraq
debate is sea of statistics." ... "In vertical bars
of blue, green, gray and red, a briefing chart prepared by the Defense
Intelligence Agency says what Gen. David Petraeus won't." ... "Insurgent
attacks against Iraqi civilians, their security forces and U.S. troops
remain high, according to the document obtained by The Associated Press.
It is a conclusion that the well-regarded Army officer who is the top U.S.
commander in Iraq is expected to try to counter when he and Ryan Crocker,
the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad [Iraq's capital], testify before Congress
on Monday and Tuesday." ... "More than four years into a conflict initially
thought to be a cakewalk, the war has become a battle of statistics, graphs
and conflicting assessments of progress in a country of more than 27 million
people." ... "The defense intelligence chart makes the point, with figures
from Petraeus' command in Baghdad, the Multinational Force-Iraq. Congressional
auditors used the same numbers to conclude that Iraqis are as unsafe now
as they were six months ago; the [Republican President] Bush administration
and military officials also using those figures say that finding is flawed."
-By
Richard Lardner -AP
via -Yahoo
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- Military
- Media
- Marketing
- Intelligence
- Politics
- Ill
- "Among
Top Officials, 'Surge' Has Sparked Dissent, Infighting."
... "For two hours, [Republican] President Bush listened to contrasting
visions of the U.S. future in Iraq. Gen. David H. Petraeus dominated the
conversation by video link from Baghdad [Iraq's capital], making the case
to keep as many troops as long as possible to cement any security progress.
Adm. William J. Fallon, his superior, argued instead for accepting more
risks in Iraq, officials said, in order to have enough forces available
to confront other potential threats in the region." ... "The polite discussion
in the White House Situation Room a week ago masked a sharper clash over
the U.S. venture in Iraq, one that has been building since Fallon, chief
of the U.S. Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, sent
a rear admiral to Baghdad this summer to gather information. Soon afterward,
officials said, Fallon began developing plans to redefine the U.S. mission
and radically draw down troops." ... "One of those plans, according to
a Centcom officer, involved slashing U.S. combat forces in Iraq by three-quarters
by 2010. In an interview, Fallon disputed that description but declined
to offer details. Nonetheless, his efforts offended Petraeus's team, which
saw them as unwelcome intrusion on their own long-term planning. The profoundly
different views of the U.S. role in Iraq only exacerbated the schism between
the two men." ... "Fallon, who took command of Centcom in March, worried
that Iraq was undermining the military's ability to confront other threats,
such as Iran. "When he took over, the reality hit him that he had to deal
with Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and a whole bunch of other stuff besides
Iraq," said a top military officer." ... "Fallon was also derisive of Iraqi
leaders' intentions and competence, and dubious about the surge. "He's
been saying from Day One, 'This isn't working,' " said a senior administration
official. And Fallon signaled his departure from Bush by ordering subordinates
to avoid the term "long war" -- a phrase the president used to describe
the fight against terrorism." ... "To Bush aides, [defense secretary Robert]
Gates did not seem fully on board with the president's strategy, either.
As a member of the congressionally chartered Iraq Study Group before his
selection to head the Pentagon, Gates embraced proposals to scale back
the U.S. presence in Iraq. Now that he was in the Cabinet, he kept his
own counsel." ... "Another new arrival in the [Republican President Bush's]
West Wing set up a rapid-response PR unit hard-wired into Petraeus's shop.
Ed Gillespie, the new presidential counselor, organized daily conference
calls at 7:45 a.m. and again late in the afternoon between the White House,
the Pentagon, the State Department, and the U.S. Embassy and military in
Baghdad to map out ways of selling the surge." ... "From the start of the
Bush plan, the White House communications office had been blitzing an e-mail
list of as many as 5,000 journalists, lawmakers, lobbyists, conservative
bloggers, military groups and others with talking points or rebuttals of
criticism. Between Jan. 10 and last week, the office put out 94 such documents
in various categories -- "Myths/Facts" or "Setting the Record Straight"
to take issue with negative news articles, and "In Case You Missed It"
to distribute positive articles or speeches." ... "Petraeus was doing his
part in Baghdad, hosting dozens of lawmakers and military scholars for
PowerPoint presentations on why the Bush strategy had made gains." ...
"Some visitors suspected a skewed picture. "We only saw things that reinforced
their message that the surge was working," said [Illinois Democratic Representative]
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)." (1, 2,
3,
4)
-By Peter Baker, Karen DeYoung, Thomas E. Ricks, Ann
Scott Tyson, Joby Warrick and Robin Wright with contributions by Julie
Tate -WashingtonPost
Chuck
Hagel - US
- Iraq
- Military
- History
- Nebraska
- Virginia
- 2008
Election - "Senator
Hagel retiring, not running for president." ... "[Republican
Senator] Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, a harsh critic of the Iraq war,
plans to retire and will not seek the Republican [2008 election] presidential
nomination next year, a source said on Saturday." ... "Last week, Republican
U.S. [Republican Senator] Sen. John Warner of Virginia said he would not
run for re-election [in 2008]." ... "Hagel, who earned two Purple Hearts
as a combat soldier during the Vietnam War, has been a harsh critic of
the [Republican President] Bush administration's Iraq strategy. In January,
he denounced President George W. Bush's plan for a U.S. troop buildup in
Iraq as "the worst foreign policy blunder since Vietnam -- if it's carried
out."" ... "Hagel has been among a handful of Senate Republicans supporting
legislation that would set an April 30, 2008, deadline for U.S. troops
in Iraq to begin withdrawing." (1, 2)
-Reuters
US
- Iraq
- "US
troops levels edge toward new record." ... "The number
of U.S. troops in Iraq has climbed to a record high of 168,000, and is
moving toward a peak of 172,000 in the coming weeks - a level that could
extend into December, a senior military official said Thursday."
-AP via -SeattlePI
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Intelligence
- Politics
- "Experts
Doubt Drop In Violence in Iraq: Military Statistics
Called Into Question." ... "The U.S. military's claim that violence has
decreased sharply in Iraq in recent months has come under scrutiny from
many experts within and outside the government, who contend that some of
the underlying statistics are questionable and selectively ignore negative
trends." ... "Reductions in violence form the centerpiece of the Bush administration's
claim that its war strategy is working. In congressional testimony Monday,
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, is expected
to cite a 75 percent decrease in sectarian attacks. According to senior
U.S. military officials in Baghdad, overall attacks in Iraq were down to
960 a week in August, compared with 1,700 a week in June, and civilian
casualties had fallen 17 percent between December 2006 and last month.
Unofficial Iraqi figures show a similar decrease." ... "Others who have
looked at the full range of U.S. government statistics on violence, however,
accuse the military of cherry-picking positive indicators and caution that
the numbers -- most of which are classified -- are often confusing and
contradictory. "Let's just say that there are several different sources
within the administration on violence, and those sources do not agree,"
Comptroller General David Walker told Congress on Tuesday in releasing
a new Government Accountability Office report on Iraq." ... "Senior U.S.
officers in Baghdad disputed the accuracy and conclusions of the largely
negative GAO report, which they said had adopted a flawed counting methodology
used by the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency. Many of those conclusions
were also reflected in last month's pessimistic National Intelligence Estimate
on Iraq." ... "The intelligence community has its own problems with military
calculations. Intelligence analy