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Gates estimates 2009 war costs at $136 billion 06 Jan 2009 Defense Secretary Robert Gates says [illegal] military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan would cost almost $136 billion for the 2009 budget year that began Oct. 1 if they continue at their current pace. Gates told top lawmakers in a New Year's Eve letter that the Pentagon would need nearly $70 billion more to supplement the $66 billion approved last year.

Israeli 'eyes' fixed on Lebanon 06 Jan 2009 Tel Aviv has warned Hezbollah against intervening in the war on Gaza after Israeli fighter jets conducted overflights into Lebanon. In a veiled reference to Hezbollah on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tel Aviv is on high alert to respond to any threat coming from its northern fronts. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak also issued a strong warning to Hezbollah.

Israel shells houses, schools in 11th day of offensive 07 Jan 2009 Israel pressed on with its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday by shelling houses and a school run by the United Nations, killing 82 Palestinians, the majority women and children, in the eleventh day of violence. An Israeli air and ground strike on al-Fakhoura school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Jabalia refugee camp on Tuesday evening killed 46 people and wounded 150 others, medics said.

Israel hits UN-run Gaza schools --Palestinian death toll hits 635 as Israel keeps pounding Gaza Strip indiscriminately. 06 Jan 2009 Israeli tanks and troops surged into towns across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday striking three UN-run schools killed at least 45 people sparking urgent new ceasefire calls. Troops fought Hamas fighters around the back alleys of Gaza's main city in the heaviest fighting of the 11-day-old offensive aimed at halting rocket attacks, but Hamas still made its deepest rocket strike yet into Israel.

U.N. official says Gaza school was clearly marked 06 Jan 2009 A U.N. official in Gaza said a school where dozens of Palestinians were killed by tank shells on Tuesday was clearly marked with a U.N. flag and its location had been reported to Israeli authorities. John Ging, director of operations in Gaza for UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, said the death toll in the Israeli artillery strike near the school in Jabalya refugee camp was 30 dead with another 55 people injured. Medical officials on the spot have said more than 40 people were killed.

Israel splits Gaza in three as soldiers battle Hamas [and civilians] 05 Jan 2009 Israeli tanks and infantry battalions swept up to the edges of Gaza City yesterday, battling Hamas fighters and sealing off the bomb-scarred capital city from the rest of the coastal territory. With the civilian death toll rising by the hour and diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting making no headway, the head of the UN refugee agency called the situation a catastrophe. Israel made clear that it was not about to heed calls for a swift ceasefire.

Four Israeli soldiers die in friendly fire incidents 05 Jan 2009 Israel's Golani Brigade 13th Battalion suffered heavy casualties on Monday in the army's Cast Lead offensive. Three soldiers were killed and another 20 were wounded, including brigade commander Colonel Avi Peled when fired on by an Israeli tank.

IDF ban on reporters in Gaza Strip combat zones leading to limited coverage 07 Jan 2009 The Israel Defense Forces' refusal to allow reporters into the combat zones in the Gaza Strip is making it difficult for journalists, including television stations interested in broadcasting video from the field, to cover the fighting in Gaza. The IDF ban is forcing journalists to rely on reports from Israeli soldiers and the IDF spokesman.

Israel bombs Gaza media installations; two journalists killed 06 Jan 2009 Israel deliberately targeted Hamas-run media installations in its bombing campaign on Gaza and is practising media censorship, a journalist rights group said Monday. The installations in question include Al-Aqsa television, Al-Resalah newspaper and Sawt Al-Aqsa radio, which the Israeli army bombed on December 28 and over the weekend respectively, the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign said in a statement, citing a Palestinian media non-governmental group. The press group also condemned the recent deaths of two journalists as a result of Israeli attacks.

Egypt bars doctors from entering Gaza Strip 06 Jan 2009 Frustration is mounting at Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip, where many local and foreign doctors are stuck after Egyptian authorities denied them entry into the coastal area now under an Israeli ground invasion. Anesthesiologist Dimitrios Mognie from Greece idles his time at a cafe near the border, drinking tea and chatting with other doctors, aid workers and curious Egyptians. "This is a shame," said Mognie, who decided to use his vacation time to try help Gazans.

MAP: On the Ground in Gaza --The Injured Out of Reach 06 Jan 2009 MAP [Medical Aid for Palestinians] staff in Gaza report that over 70 Palestinians have been killed so far today including 40 in a UN school. Heavy Israeli fire continues to hit buildings across Gaza although it seems that the brunt of the actual fighting occurs at night. Although medical aid has been able to reach the central stores in Gaza city at present Israeli internal military checkpoints have prevented it reaching parts of the middle area and the south.

Wounded Gaza family lay bleeding for 20 hours 05 Jan 2009 Three hours after the Israel Defense Forces began their ground operation in the Gaza Strip, at about 10:30 P.M. Saturday night, a shell or missile hit the house owned by Hussein al A'aiedy and his brothers. Twenty-one people live in the isolated house, located in an agricultural area east of Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood. Five of them were wounded in the strike: Two women in their eighties (his mother and aunt), his 14-year-old son, his 13-year-old niece and his 10-year-old nephew. Twenty hours later, the wounded were still bleeding in a shed in the courtyard of the house. There was no electricity, no heat, no water. Their relatives were with them, but every time they tried to leave the courtyard to fetch water, the army shot at them.

Peres: Israel not worried by international image [Obviously.] 06 Jan 2009 Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday blasted European efforts to seek a halt to the Gaza conflict insisting that Israel was not worried about its international image, his office said. "Europe must open its eyes. We are not in the business of public relations or improving our image. We are fighting against terror, and we have every right to defend our citizens," the Nobel Peace Prize winning leader told an EU ministerial delegation.

Top 5 Lies About Israel's Assault on Gaza By Jeremy R. Hammond 03 Jan 2009 Lie #1 Israel is only targeting legitimate military sites and is seeking to protect innocent lives. Israel never targets civilians. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated pieces of property in the world. The presence of militants within a civilian population does not, under international law, deprive that population of their protected status, and hence any assault upon that population under the guise of targeting militants is, in fact, a war crime.

Iran bans companies with suspect Israel ties 06 Jan 2009 Iran announced on Tuesday that it would ban international companies in which Israelis may have shares from work in the country. The move was meant as a gesture of support for Hamas - a top Iran ally which is under an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. The official IRNA news agency reported that Industry Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian issued the order in response to Israel's assault on Gaza.

Suicide car bomber wounds 10 in northern Iraq 06 Jan 2009 A suicide car bomb Tuesday hit a police patrol in the city of Mosul, the capital city of Nineveh province, wounding five policemen and five civilians, a provincial police source said. The suicide bomber struck the patrol at the Mosul al-Jadida neighborhood, or New Mosul, in southern part of the city before midday, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Two people killed, 22 injured in Baghdad bomb attacks 05 Jan 2009 Two people were killed and 22 others injured in bomb attacks in Baghdad on Monday, an Interior Ministry source said. A roadside bomb struck a police patrol near the Shaab Football Stadium in eastern Baghdad, killing a policeman and a civilian and wounding three policemen and three civilians, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Feds intend to charge former Blackwater mercenary for Iraq death 06 Jan 2009 Federal prosecutors intend to charge a former mercenary with Blackwater USA in the killing of an Iraqi security guard in 2006, his lawyer said Tuesday. Attorney Stewart Riley said he received a letter from prosecutors outlining their intent to charge his client, Andrew Moonen, of Seattle.

Former Blackwater Mercenaries Plead Not Guilty 06 Jan 2009 Five former Blackwater Worldwide mercenaries pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal manslaughter and gun charges resulting from a 2007 shooting in a crowded Baghdad square that killed 17 Iraqi civilians and injured dozens of others.

Ex-Guantánamo detainee describes torture 06 Jan 2009 ...The full stories of individual detainees like Muhammad Saad Iqbal are only now emerging after years in which they were shuffled around the globe under the Bush regime's system of extraordinary rendition, which used foreign countries to interrogate [torture] and detain terrorism suspects in sites beyond the reach of U.S. courts. Iqbal was never convicted of any crime, or even charged with one.

Pakistani President vows to jointly fight terrorism with Afghanistan 07 Jan 2009 The visiting Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari vowed Tuesday to jointly fight militancy and terrorists with Afghanistan. "Both countries are fighting together against terrorism promoted by non-state actors," Zardari told newsmen at a joint press conference with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai.

U.S. judge revives lawsuit over Bush wiretaps 06 Jan 2009 A defunct Islamic charity in Oregon that says it was illegally wiretapped by federal authorities can pursue its lawsuit challenging President [sic] Bush's clandestine eavesdropping program, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled Monday. In reviving a suit filed by Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker said the group had enough publicly available evidence to show that it could reasonably believe it had been wiretapped.

British police can now hack citizens' PCs By Richard Koman 04 Jan 2009 Seems like Britain’s Home Office is channeling Dick Cheney. Last week I wrote that the U.K. is going forward with a plan to build a massive database of every phone call, email and chat conversation in the country... Now police have been given the power to break into British subjects' PCs without a warrant, The Independent reports. And there are plans on the drawing board to allow European police forces to access Britons’ computers.

Air Security Could Involve Private Jets 06 Jan 2009 The Department of Homeland Security is proposing to extend to private aviation many of the security rules imposed on commercial airlines. Those include requiring fingerprint-based background checks on pilots, checking passenger names against a government watch list and restricting what items may be carried onto the airplane.

240,000 dollars awarded to man forced to cover Arab T-shirt 05 Jan 2009 An airline passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded 240,000 dollars in compensation, campaigners said Monday. Raed Jarrar received the pay out on Friday from two US Transportation Security Authority officials and from JetBlue Airways following the August 2006 incident at New York's JFK Airport, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced.

Law on Flu Vaccinations May Be Tested 06 Jan 2009 New Jersey, the first state in the nation to require flu shots for young schoolchildren, set a Dec. 31 deadline for parents to obtain [mercury-laden] flu vaccinations for their children. It was part of a new policy requiring a total of four additional immunizations for schoolchildren over the objections of some parents who worry about possible risks from vaccinations. The requirement applies to children between 6 months and 5 years who are attending licensed day care and preschool programs.

Scientists map epidemic trigger zones 05 Jan 2009 Scientists have identified and mapped potential zones that can trigger deadly outbreak of plagues and epidemics, with devastating consequences. The study of global disease hot-spots was carried out by Peter Daszak and colleagues of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine in New York, a partner of the Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Disease (AB-CRC), said its release.

Australia surrounded by SARS, bird flu 'ring of fire' 06 Jan 2009 Australia risks being caught unawares by outbreaks of SARS, bird flu and other diseases in what a study describes as a "ring of fire" of disease hotspots. The study, conducted by Dr Peter Daszak of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine in New York, constructed an earthquake zone map to predict where new outbreaks of diseases such as foot-and-mouth, avian influenza and SARS are most likely to occur. The Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Disease (AB-CRC) has found that a super-highway for disease transmission is being created through increasing international air travel, global trade, urbanisation and land-clearing.

Burris Is Blocked From Taking Senate Seat 06 Jan 2009 Roland W. Burris, the would-be junior senator from Illinois, arrived at the Capitol on Tuesday morning for the start of the 111th Congress and was greeted like a celebrity, even though he remains a private citizen, at least for the moment. Somehow, Citizen Burris made his way to the office of Nancy Erickson, the secretary of the Senate, to whom he presented his credentials, only to have her reject them. Afterward, the aspiring legislator stood in the rain outside and declared, "Members of the media, my name is Roland Burris, the junior senator from the State of Illinois." [He is.]

Ex-Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush won't run for Senate in 2010 06 Jan 2009 Former Gov. Jeb Bush announced Tuesday that he won't run for the U.S. Senate in 2010 to replace the retiring Mel Martinez, saying that it was not the right time to return to elected office.

Trans-Texas Corridor is dead, TxDOT chief says 06 Jan 2009 In response to public outcry, the ambitious proposal to create the Trans-Texas Corridor network has been dropped and will be replaced with a plan to carry out road projects at an incremental, modest pace, a state transportation official announced today. The renewed effort now will operate under the name "Innovative Connectivity Plan."

Sea ice changes hamper polar bears' hunt for food --U of A-gov't study comparing bears 20 years apart reveals difficulties for animals in western Arctic 06 Jan 2009 Polar bears in the western Arctic are finding it increasingly difficult to find food during the critical spring period, according to a study by a team of University of Alberta and Environment Canada scientists.

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Israel rains fire on Gaza with phosphorus shells 05 Jan 2009 Israel is believed to be using controversial white phosphorus shells to screen its assault on the heavily populated Gaza Strip yesterday. The weapon, used by British and US forces in Iraq, can cause horrific burns but is not illegal if used as a smokescreen. As the Israeli army stormed to the edges of Gaza City and the Palestinian death toll topped 500, the tell-tale shells could be seen spreading tentacles of thick white smoke to cover the troops’ advance. Burning blobs of phosphorus would cause severe injuries to anyone caught beneath them and force would-be snipers or operators of remote-controlled booby traps to take cover. Israel admitted using white phosphorus during its 2006 war with Lebanon.

Israel Stocks Rise With Global Equities as Investors Ignore War 05 Jan 2009 Investors in Israeli stocks are disregarding a war less than 60 kilometers (37 miles) away from the commercial center in Tel Aviv, helping the TA-25 index rebound from its worst year since 1983... The benchmark TA-25 index has climbed 7.4 percent since Dec. 27 when Israel started its campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, tracking a rise in global equities.

Israel drives deeper into Gaza, rebuffing diplomatic efforts 06 Jan 2009 Israeli troops commandeered high-rise buildings in three eastern districts of Gaza City on Monday, expelling residents and shooting militants civilians in the streets in its furious effort to break Hamas's fighting ability as European diplomats poured into the region seeking a cease-fire. The 10th day of Israel's war on the Islamist rulers of Gaza also killed more civilians, including about 12 children, pushing the total death toll to 550, and severely strained fuel and water supplies for hundreds of thousands.

Olmert rebuffs Sarkozy call for Gaza ceasefire 05 Jan 2009 French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Israel on Monday to halt its war in Gaza, but was rebuffed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who rejected any truce that fails to end the Islamist group's rocket attacks on Israel. Sarkozy met Olmert after talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the architect of a six-month truce whose expiry on December 19 unleashed a series of events that resulted in the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Israeli army moves on Gaza City as war toll passes 510 05 Jan 2009 Israeli troops and Hamas fighters battled at dawn in Gaza on Monday amid tank, artillery and air strikes, as the death toll from the offensive to end rocket attacks passed 510. Israeli forces moved into the fringes of Gaza City as families fled or remained hidden after a second night of combat.

Israel intensifies violations of Lebanon's airspace 06 Jan 2009 Israel's air force stepped up reconnaissance flights over Beirut on Monday after a senior Israeli intelligence chief warned politicians that Hizbullah could launch an attack across the Lebanese border. Several Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace on Monday, flying over Hizbullah's political strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Israeli killings 'state terrorism,' Brown told by advisory group 06 Jan 2009 The Young Muslim Advisory Group (YMAG) has raised concerns in a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown about the failure by the Government to condemn Israel’s killing of more than 500 Palestinians in Gaza as an 'act of state terrorism.'

70,000 Iranian suicide bombers ready to fight Israel --Tens of thousands of Iranian students said to respond to hardliners' call to avenge Israeli offensive in Gaza 05 Jan 2009 More than 70,000 Iranian student volunteers have registered to carry out suicide bombings against Israel because of Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip. According to the official IRNA news agency, hard-line student leader Esmaeil Ahmadi said the students want to fight Israel in support of Hamas – Gaza's Islamic militant rulers.

Keeping out the cameras and reporters simply doesn't work By Robert Fisk 05 Jan 2009 What is Israel afraid of? Using the old "enclosed military area" excuse to prevent coverage of its occupation of Palestinian land has been going on for years. ...[T]he Israelis are so ruthless that the reasons for the ban on journalism may be quite easily explained: that so many Israeli soldiers are going to kill so many innocents – more than three score by last night, and that's only the ones we know about – that images of the slaughter would be too much to tolerate. Not that the Palestinians have done much to help.

Hands off Gaza! (WSWS) 05 Jan 2009 The International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site denounce the Israeli military's murderous assault on the Palestinian population of Gaza. The combined air and ground attack on the densely populated and virtually defenseless enclave is a war crime.

Guantanamo detainee identities to stay secret 05 Jan 2009 The Defense Department does not have to release the names of Guantanamo Bay detainees who reported abuse by military personnel or who were suspected of abusing others, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Manhattan (2nd Cir.) decided Monday, overturning a lower court decision. The three-judge panel held that The Associated Press’s Freedom of Information Act request for the detainee names and family member names and addresses should not be granted because of the detainees' privacy [?!?] interests.

UK 'has not been asked to take Guantanamo bay inmates' 04 Jan 2009 The British government has confirmed that it has yet to receive any formal request to accept prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. Incoming US president Barack Obama has pledged to shut down the military camp when he takes office. But the UK's Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the US hasn't asked if they'll take in any inmates yet.

Gag me with a chainsaw! Tony Blair honoured for war against terrorism in George Bush's swansong 06 Jan 2009 Tony Blair will be presented with one of America’s highest civilian honours by President [sic] Bush for his unfaltering support for the United States in the fight against terrorism, the White House announced yesterday. The award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom is being made on January 13, just a week before Mr Bush leaves office after eight years in which his Administration has largely been defined by [his] terror attacks at home and two unfinished wars abroad.

US inaugurates new $700 million embassy in Baghdad 05 Jan 2009 The United States inaugurated its largest embassy ever on Monday, officially opening a fortress-like compound in the heart of the Green Zone as a testament to America's commitment to [corpora-terrorists' profiteering] Iraq. Addressing an inauguration ceremony under tight security, Ambassador Ryan Crocker said the $700 million embassy was testimony to America's long-term friendship with Iraq, where about 146,000 U.S. troops are deployed. [Gee, you'd think a building that big would attract many 'insurgents.']

Bird flu flutters closer to Gulf countries 05 Jan 2009 Two years after the former peak in cases of bird flu, the deadly H5N1 virus appears to fighting back in countries neighbouring the Middle East. The H5N1 strain of the virus is extremely difficult to transmit from bird to human, but scientists fear a mutation to a different strain could quickly change that fact. [See: US, Japanese Researchers Mix Samples of 1918 Flu Pandemic to Recreate Deadly Code 30 Dec 2008.]

Afghanistan expects bloody 2009 05 Jan 2009 Afghanistan is likely to face a similar level of 'insurgent' violence this year after a bloody 2008, but security forces will be in a better position to fight back, the defence ministry said on Monday. Last year was the deadliest year for Afghan security forces and civilians as well as for the nearly 70,000-strong international force deployed to Afghanistan since the US-led invasion 'toppled' the Taliban regime in late 2001.

Australian killed in Afghanistan 05 Jan 2009 An Australian soldier has been killed in Afghanistan by a Taleban rocket attack, the Australian Defence Department says. The soldier, who was not named, was killed instantly when a rocket exploded in a compound in Afghanistan's southern province of Uruzgan.

Obama picks former Clinton aide Panetta for CIA 05 Jan 2009 President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to lead the CIA, which has been widely criticized for harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects, Democratic officials said on Monday. The surprise pick of Panetta for Central Intelligence Agency director was one of the last major nominations for the incoming Obama administration.

Pakistan: Seven Killed, Several Injured In Blasts 05 Jan 2009 Five policemen and two civilians were killed Sunday (4 Jan) in a suspected suicide blast in D.I. Khan area in Pakistan, a local government official said. The explosion, which also wounded 28 people, took place on a busy road in the centre of town, district coordination officer Syed Mohsin Shah told a foreign news agency.

Terrorists could use 'insect-based' biological weapon --Terrorists would find it "relatively easy" to launch a devastating attack using swarms of insects to spread a deadly disease, an academic has warned. 05 Jan 2009 Jeffrey Lockwood, professor of entomology at Wyoming University and author of 'Six-legged Soldiers: Using Insects as Weapons of War,' said such Rift Valley Fever or other diseases could be transported into a country by a terrorist with a suitcase. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think a small terrorist cell could very easily develop an insect-based weapon."

Photographers criminalised as police 'abuse' anti-terror laws --Fury as stop-and-search powers are used to block and confiscate legal pictures 06 Jan 2009 Reuben Powell is an unlikely terrorist. A white, middle-aged, middle-class artist, he has been photographing and drawing life around the capital's Elephant & Castle for 25 years... But to the police officers who arrested him last week his photographing of the old HMSO print works close to the local police station posed an unacceptable security risk. "The car skidded to a halt like something out of Starsky & Hutch and this officer jumped out very dramatically and said 'what are you doing?' I told him I was photographing the building and he said he was going to search me under the Anti-Terrorism Act," he recalled. For Powell, this brush with the law resulted in five hours in a cell after police seized the lock-blade knife he uses to sharpen his pencils. His release only came after the intervention of the local MP, Simon Hughes, but not before he was handcuffed and his genetic material stored permanently on the DNA database.

FBI plans large hiring blitz of agents, experts 05 Jan 2009 Wanted by the FBI: agents, language specialists, computer experts, intelligence analysts and finance experts. The FBI said on Monday it had launched one of the largest hiring blitzes in its 100-year history involving 2,100 professional staff vacancies and 850 special agents aimed at filling its most critical vacancies.

Trooper: Politics Held Up Drug Case Involving Levi Johnson's Mother 05 Jan 2009 Last month, Sherry Johnston of Wasilla, Alaska was arrested and charged with selling OxyContin, a prescription painkiller. Johnston is the mother of Levi Johnson, the young man who just had a baby with Bristol Palin, the daughter of 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Now an Alaska trooper is alleging that the investigation and arrest of Johnson was delayed for political purposes. "[A]s soon as investigators realized who the target was...this case became anything but normal," Kyle Young wrote in an email to the union that represents troopers and other Alaska law enforcement officials. "It was not allowed to progress in a normal fashion, the search warrant service WAS delayed because of the pending election and the [regional] Drug Unit and the case officer were not the ones calling the shots," he continued.

U.S. Forest Policy Is Set to Change, Aiding Developer --Shift Would Let Firm Pave Logging Roads 04 Jan 2009 The Bush regime appears poised to push through a change in U.S. Forest Service agreements that would make it far easier for mountain forests to be converted to housing subdivisions. Mark E. Rey, the former timber lobbyist who heads the Forest Service, last week signaled his intent to formalize the controversial change before the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

Kempthorne's Interior bathroom gets $236K upgrade 05 Jan 2009 Workers recently completed a $236,000 renovation to U.S. Interior Secretary [sociopath] Dirk Kempthorne's office bathroom in Washington, D.C., including asbestos and lead paint removal, handicapped access, a refrigerator and shower, and wood paneling to match the rest of the office.

Democrat Al Franken wins Minnesota senate recount 05 Jan 2009 Democrat Al Franken won the recount of ballots for a Minnesota senate seat Monday but the contentious battle was set to drag on for weeks or months as his Republican rival [Norm Coleman] vowed to contest the results. The legal battle will leave the seat empty and weaken the Democratic majority.

Defiant Burris Says Senate Seat Is His [It is.] 05 Jan 2009 In a news conference at Midway airport in Chicago before his scheduled 2:20 p.m. flight to Baltimore, a defiant Roland W. Burris told reporters that he was not concerned about the fact that the Illinois secretary of state, Jesse White, has rejected the paperwork that would officially send Mr. Burris to the Senate. "Why don’t you all understand that what has been done here is legal?" he said. "I am the junior senator from Illinois, and I wish my colleagues in the press would recognize that." He later added, "This is all politics and theater, but I am the junior senator according to every law book in the nation."

Burris lawyer prods Senate Democratic leaders 03 Jan 2009 A lawyer representing the man appointed to the Senate by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich has written to Senate Democratic leaders asking them to seat his client. Attorney Timothy Wright also tells the Chicago Tribune he plans to go to court if the Senate refuses to seat Roland Burris. Wright's letter was dated Friday.

Obama Eyes $300 Billion Tax Cut --Huge Breaks for Firms, Individuals Are Aimed at Winning GOP Support for Stimulus [Thanks, Barack! Gee, not even in office yet, and he can't *wait* to lay out his terms of surrender to the GOP! --LRP] 05 Jan 2009 President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are crafting a plan to offer about $300 billion of tax cuts to individuals and businesses, a move aimed at attracting Republican support for an economic-stimulus package and prodding companies to create jobs. The size of the proposed tax cuts -- which would account for about 40% of a stimulus package that could reach $775 billion over two years -- is greater than many on both sides of the aisle in Congress had anticipated. It may make it easier to win over Republicans who have stressed that any initiative should rely more heavily on tax cuts rather than spending.

Prosecutors seek to jail Madoff 05 Jan 2009 U.S. prosecutors asked a judge to jail accused swindler Bernard Madoff on Monday, saying he sent jewelry and other items worth more than $1 million to family and friends in violation of his bail.

Car sales plunge, heralding bleak 2009 05 Jan 2009 Major automakers reported U.S. sales in December that plunged by more than a third, closing out the weakest year for the battered industry in over a decade and a half in its largest single market. Chrysler LLC led the industry lower with sales that dropped by 53 percent in December, a month when the struggling automaker and larger rival GM fought to clinch a $17.4 billion bailout from the U.S. government.

Group says program benefits industrial farms 01 Jan 2009 A federal conservation program originally designed to help small farmers is now disproportionately benefiting industrial livestock operations, according to a new report by a family farm advocacy group. The Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment examined five years worth of payments through the federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program, known as EQIP.

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"Treacherous" U.S. breaks pacts, Iran tells Iraq 04 Jan 2009 Iran warned Iraq on Sunday an "intensely treacherous" United States habitually broke pacts like one it recently concluded on American troops quitting Iraq by 2011. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued the warning to Iraq's visiting Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose country last year reached the agreement on the pullout of U.S. troops now numbering more than 140,000.

U.S.-installed Iraqi ex-PM says Bush "utter failure" 03 Jan 2009 Former U.S.-installed Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has denounced the policies of [also installed] President [sic] George W. Bush as an "utter failure" that gave rise to the sectarian venom that ravaged his country. In an interview published on Saturday in the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, Allawi found fault with American management of Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 as well as the government of present Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Iraqi Station Rebuts U.S. Account of Employee's Shooting --Statement posted Saturday on station's Web site said Imad was shot "in cold blood." 04 Jan 2009 The employer of an Iraqi television producer shot and wounded by U.S. troops on New Year's Day disputed the military's assertion Saturday that she had acted suspiciously and had failed to heed warnings before the troops opened fire. Hadil Imad, who works for the satellite station Beladi TV, was shot on a bridge in central Baghdad as she approached a group of U.S. troops working with Iraqi police.

The 'surge' is a complete failure: Suicide bomber kills at least 40 in Iraq 05 Jan 2009 At least 40 people, 16 them Iranian pilgrims, were killed and 72 were wounded Sunday in a suicide bombing in Baghdad at the doorstep of one of Iraq's holiest Shiite shrines, government and hospital officials said. The attacker appeared to have singled out a procession of Iranian pilgrims visiting the shrine of Imams Musa al-Kadhim and Mohammed al-Jawad in Baghdad's northern Kadhimiya district, witnesses and security officers said.

Cheney: U.S. close to achieving its goals in Iraq 04 Jan 2009 U.S. Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney said on Sunday the United States was close to achieving its aims in Iraq. Interviewed on CBS's "Face the Nation," Cheney offered another spirited defense of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, of which he was a key proponent and architect. [Yup - its goals. See: Iraq opens nearly 90 pct of its oil reserves to foreign firms --Among those bidding: Royal Dutch Shell PLC, BP PLC, ExxonMobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and Total. 31 Dec 2008.

World unites in protests 04 Jan 2009 Tens of thousands took to the streets across the world yesterday to protest against Israel's bombing of Gaza, writes David Leask. More than 5,000 demonstrators marched on Trafalgar Square in London. Hundreds threw shoes at Downing Street, inspired by the Iraqi journalist who showed the same traditional Muslim sign of disrespect to US President [sic] George Bush last month. More protested in cities across Britain, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, all demanding an immediate halt to Israeli air attacks on the Palestinian enclave and Hamas. Mass demonstrations took place in other major western capitals and across the Muslim nations of the Middle East.

Demonstrators hurl shoes at Downing Street in day of global protest against Israeli attacks 04 Jan 2009 Demonstrators demanding an end to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza hurled their shoes at the gates of Downing Street yesterday during a wave of global protests. Riot police were also pelted with missiles and fireworks as about 5,000 pro-Palestinians descended on the Israeli Embassy in London in the evening. Earlier in the day, around 12,000 people marched through the centre of the capital.

Thousands in Lebanon, Turkey protest Israel attack 04 Jan 2009 Thousands protesting Israel's ground offensive on Gaza converged Sunday in Beirut and the Turkish capital, as the leaders of the only two Mideast Arab nations to sign peace treaties with Israel demanded an end to the attack.

Thousands in Tel Aviv protest against Gaza War 04 Jan 2009 Thousands of people converged on Rabin Square in Tel Aviv Saturday night to protest against the Gaza war. According to Yney news the protesters were marching in the streets and carrying bnners saying "Stop the fire" and "Children in Gaza and Sderot wish to live." The demonstrators chanted "Defense Minister Barak, how many children have you murdered today?"

Europe angered by Bush's defence of Israel (AM) 05 Jan 2009 Eleanor Hall: European leaders are increasing their calls for a ceasefire. And a European Union delegation is on its way to the region. But in the United States, the Bush administration is backing Israel's actions and continues to blame Hamas for the violence.

Abbas asks for international condemnation of Israel 04 Jan 2009 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has asked for UN Security Council intervention to stop the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. President Abbas has been making contact with leaders in Arab and other countries to convince them to help stop what he has called "Israeli aggression" on the Gaza Strip.

U.S. Said to Block U.N. Gaza Statement 04 Jan 2009 The United States has blocked approval of a U.N. Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers, diplomats said. Several council members, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations were closed, also said the U.S. was responsible for the council's failure to issue a statement.

NYC mayor heads to Israel to 'show his support' --Bloomberg to spend Sunday meeting with mayors of Sderot, Ashkelon and with New Yorkers who have moved to Israel 04 Jan 2009 New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is heading to Israel along with police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and New York Rep. Gary Ackerman. Spokesman Andrew Brent said the mayor "is going in order to show his support for Israel." The trip comes as Israel launches a ground offensive in Gaza following eight days of punishing airstrikes that failed to halt militant rocket attacks on Israel.

Israel on high alert at Lebanon border 04 Jan 2009 Israeli Forces along the border with Lebanon have been put on high alert amid concerns that Hezbollah might respond to the onslaught in Gaza. The Israeli daily Jerusalem Post reported Sunday that the military has been put on high alert after the ground forces crossed the border with the Gaza Strip following a week-long aerial and naval attacks on the region.

Israel pushes deeper into Gaza 05 Jan 2009 Israel has said that its offensive in Gaza could take "many long days" as its troops moved deeper into the Palestinian territory in the second day of its ground attack. An Israeli air strike hit two ambulances in Gaza on Sunday, killing four paramedics as they tried to reach those injured in the offensive.

Thousands flee guns and shells as Israel tightens grip on Gaza --Gaza City surrounded as territory is effectively divided 05 Jan 2009 Israeli tanks and troops seized control of large parts of the Gaza Strip yesterday, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes as relentless artillery and gunfire killed at least 40 more civilians, including children. Some were killed when an Israeli shell hit Gaza City's central market.

Israeli troops push forward, splitting Gaza 04 Jan 2009 Thousands of Israeli troops pushed into Gaza, essentially splitting north from south by Sunday, the second day of the ground incursion. The troops, backed by tanks, artillery and helicopters, gained control of parts of northern Gaza on Sunday, according to Palestinian security sources... More than 500 Palestinians were killed over the past week, according to Palestinian medical sources.

Depleted uranium found in Gaza victims 04 Jan 2009 Medics tell Press TV they have found traces of depleted uranium in some Gaza residents wounded in Israel's ground offensive on the strip. Norwegian medics told Press TV correspondent Akram al-Sattari that some of the victims who have been wounded since Israel began its attacks on the Gaza Strip on December 27 have traces of depleted uranium in their bodies.

Bodies of Hamas leader's children paraded as group promises 'painful' revenge for their deaths 03 Jan 2009 The bodies of a senior Hamas leader's small children were today ghoulishly paraded through the streets of Gaza as the group pledged to avenge their deaths. Nizar Rayan, his four wives and 10 of his children were all killed by in an Israeli air strike on his home after he ignored warnings [?] they should go into hiding... Graphic images showed the young children's uncovered faces as the victims were carried by thousands of angry Hamas supporters during the funeral procession.

Oil surges over 3 percent on Gaza and gas row 04 Jan 2009 Oil prices jumped more than 3 percent in opening trade on Monday, rising for a third day after Israel launched a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip at the weekend and on concerns over a deepening Russian gas supply row. U.S. light, sweet crude for February delivery rose $1.47 a barrel to $47.81 by 11:05 p.m. British time, trading at the highest in over two weeks.

British soldier killed in Afghanistan got engaged the day he went to war 04 Jan 2009 A British soldier who was killed by an explosion on New Year's Day in Helmand province had got engaged the day he left for Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said. Sergeant Christopher John Reed, a Territorial Army soldier with the 6th Battalion The Rifles, was on a routine patrol in Helmand province, when he was killed.

French government fears far-Left terrorism [What a shame!] 04 Jan 2009 The French government is concerned about a possible campaign of far-Left terrorism this year, including potential sabotage of critical infrastructure or even bomb attacks. In recent months, according to Michčle Alliot-Marie, the interior minister, intelligence services have detected a "radicalisation of extreme Left-wing movements that could go as far as (the perpetration) of acts of violence."

Obama Inauguration: 1,300 National Guard soldiers, 11,500 military people for 'largest ever' security operation --Secret Service overseeing inaugural security plan, working with 57 other federal and local agencies --23 subcommittees focusing on issues ranging from explosives to civil disturbances to airspace 04 Jan 2009 Authorities are organizing what appears to be the largest security operation ever for an inauguration, bringing in thousands of extra police, agents and troops to handle crowds as President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in. Park Police are relying on a massive security force, including 1,300 unarmed National Guard soldiers, to detect problems. It is the first time in recent history that Park Police have sought military help at an inauguration, according to Chief Sal Lauro.

Presidential Jet Wings Obama to Washington 04 Jan 2009 President-elect Barack Obama arrived at Andrews Air Force Base tonight, aboard a presidential aircraft for the first time as the principal passenger, as he moved to Washington from his home town of Chicago 16 days before being sworn into office. After posing for pictures on the windy tarmac with the ground crew, Obama boarded a Boeing 757 painted like Air Force One. Obama's motorcade ferried him from the Maryland Air Force base to the Hay-Adams Hotel in the District, where he is staying with his wife, Michelle, and two daughters.

Panel to declare Franken winner of Senate race 04 Jan 2009 A state election board on Monday will announce Democrat Al Franken has defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, state officials told CNN Sunday. The canvassing board on Monday will say a recount determined Franken won by 225 votes, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie told CNN.

Richardson Withdraws Name as Commerce Secretary-Designee 04 Jan 2009 New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name from consideration as commerce secretary for President-elect Barack Obama, citing an ongoing investigation about business dealings in his state. A grand jury in New Mexico is currently looking into charges of "pay-to-play" in the awarding of a state contract to a company that contributed to Richardson.

Va. Governor Kaine to Become DNC Chairman 04 Jan 2009 Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will become chairman of the Democratic National Committee later this month, serving as the top political messenger for Barack Obama's administration even while he finishes his final year in the governor's mansion, several sources said.

Rates may sink to lowest since 1694 04 Jan 2009 The Bank of England is this week poised to cut interest rates to the lowest level in its 300-year history, in the latest sign of the severity of the economic crisis. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is widely expected to use its two-day meeting this week to cut the benchmark Bank rate below its current 2pc level – the first time this has been done since the Bank was founded in 1694.

Five governors seek $1 trillion federal bailout 02 Jan 2009 Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and four other Democratic governors are asking the federal government for a $1 trillion boost to deal with unprecedented state budget shortfalls. The governors say they have presented their plan to President-elect Barack Obama's transition team as well as congressional leaders, including $250 billion for education and $150 billion in middle class tax cuts.

Why Obama's green jobs plan might work 04 Jan 2009 (Hemlock, MI) On Dec. 15, the same week that General Motors Corp. and Chrysler begged $17.4 billion from taxpayers to stave off collapse, Hemlock announced a $3-billion expansion that could create hundreds of jobs. It's a rare piece of good news for this battered Rust Belt state, whose 9.6% unemployment rate is the nation's highest. In contrast to Detroit iron, Hemlock's quartz-based polycrystalline silicon is in such demand that workers in white smocks and protective gear toil around the clock to get it to customers around the globe.

Mega barf alert! Bush would like to see Jeb as president 04 Jan 2009 Former President George H.W. Bush said on Sunday he'd like to see his second son, Jeb, become President of the United States some day. Interviewed on Fox News Sunday, Bush said his second son, a former Governor of Florida, had all the qualifications to serve in the White House. Jeb Bush has said he was considering running for a U.S. Senate seat representing Florida in 2010.

A President Forgotten but Not Gone By Frank Rich 04 Jan 2009 The last NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll on Bush’s presidency [sic] found that 79 percent of Americans will not miss him after he leaves the White House. He is being forgotten already, even if he’s not yet gone. You start to pity him until you remember how vast the wreckage is. It stretches from the Middle East to Wall Street to Main Street and even into the heavens, which have been a safe haven for toxins under his passive stewardship... Iraq burned, New Orleans flooded, and Bush remained oblivious to each and every pratfall on his watch.

New bird flu cases revive fears of human pandemic 04 Jan 2009 The deadly H5N1 virus has resurfaced in poultry in Hong Kong for the first time in six years, reinforcing warnings that the threat of a human pandemic isn't over. India, Bangladesh, Vietnam and mainland China also experienced new outbreaks in December. During the same period, four new human cases were reported to the World Health Organization. [See: US, Japanese Researchers Mix Samples of 1918 Flu Pandemic to Recreate Deadly Code 30 Dec 2008.]

More Polar Bears Going Hungry --Study Shows Polar Bears Are in Serious Trouble, Marine Conservationist Says 03 Jan 2009 Warmer temperatures and earlier melting of sea ice are causing polar bears to go hungry. The number of undernourished bears has tripled in a 20-year period. Seth Cherry of the University of Alberta, Canada, and colleagues monitored the health of polar bears in the ice-covered Beaufort Sea region of the Arctic during April and May in 1985, 1986, 2005 and 2006.

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Gaza protesters gather near Obama's home --As the death toll climbs, Palestinian supporters have criticized the president-elect for remaining silent. 03 Jan 2009 (IL) Joining a growing number of demonstrations worldwide, protesters marched today in President-elect Barack Obama's South Side neighborhood to voice their opposition to Israel's strikes against Gaza. Nearly three dozen demonstrators walked in front of police barricades a few blocks from Obama's Kenwood home, waving a Palestinian flag and chanting anti-war slogans that chastised the United States for manufacturing the bombs and warplanes used by Israel. "We won't be silent, we won't be tame," they chanted. "No more mass murder in our name." [Odd, Barack Obama condemned the Mumbai attacks... but not the Israeli invasion. He's (now) playing the 'there can only be one president at a time' card. --LRP]

Gaza telecommunication systems offline 04 Jan 2009 Palestinian communications networks are barely functioning in the Gaza Strip due to cables damaged by several Israeli airstrikes on network infrastructure on Saturday. Palestinian mobile provider Jawwal’s phone may stop working “at any minute” as shelling severely damaged the provider’s telecommunications network in Gaza. PalTel, Jawwal’s parent company based in the West Bank, told Ma’an, "The Israeli shelling damaged the electric grid and caused continuous cuts."

Gaza's main hospital struggles to stay functioning 03 Jan 2009 The sudden and violent beginning of Israel's areal onslaught into Gaza Strip was bigger that the emergency plans drawn up earlier by the Palestinian health care system, Gaza doctors say. The crisis emerged widely in al-Shifa hospital, the only main sanatorium for Gaza's 1.5 million population. The hospital's floors were colored in red, and also the grass in its yard, as doctors and volunteers offered first aid to hundreds of wounded people on the floor.

Hamas leader: Israel killing Gaza civilians, not our fighters 04 Jan 2009 A Hamas leader early on Sunday morning denied reports that armed groups affiliated with the Islamic movement had been killed by invading Israeli forces. Appearing on Al-Jazeera just after midnight on Sunday, Mousa Mohammad Abu Marzook claimed that "there are casualties, but they are of the people of the Gaza Strip, not us."

Israel okays call-up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists 04 Jan 2009 Israel's government has approved the call-up of tens of thousands of reservist soldiers, it was announced Saturday, almost simultaneously with the launch of a Gaza ground incursion aimed at halting rocket fire on Israel's southern communities. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said in a statement that, in accordance with a secret cabinet discussion Friday, the government ordered the armed forces "to draft the necessary reservists, on a scale of tens of thousands of troops."

Explosions shake Gaza as Israeli troops roll in 03 Jan 2009 Explosions shook the Gaza Strip and fires lit up the night skies as Israeli ground forces moved on Saturday into the battered Palestinian enclave after a week of air and naval raids. Hours after Israeli infantry troops armed with night-vision equipment trotted alongside tank columns through the border and into the Hamas stronghold, battles raged in open areas east and north of Jabaliya and east of Gaza City.

Israeli tanks roll into Gaza Strip 04 Jan 2009 Israeli troops clashed with Hamas fighters as they advanced into Gaza Strip on Saturday in the first ground combat of an eight-day offensive on the Palestinian enclave, witnesses and the Israeli army said. Columns of tanks backed by helicopters crossed the boundary fence from four directions into the northern Gaza Strip under the cover of darkness, a Palestinian witness said.

Palestine: Invasion of Gaza begins (The Muslim News) 03 Jan 2009 Israeli ground troops and armoured vehicles are invading Gaza strip and have intensified missile attacks. Israel wants to destroy Hamas and destroy Gaza infrastructure to allow President Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority to take over. Israel has the support of the West on this issue as the West considers the Hamas, who won the last Palestinian elections, as a terrorist organisation. The invasion was preceded by artillery attacks.

White House gives Israel green light to invade Gaza 02 Jan 2009 A ground invasion by the Israeli army of the blockaded Gaza Strip is imminent. Mass troop build-ups on the border, accompanied by tanks, and armoured personnel carriers, are awaiting the signal to enter Gaza. The White House says any ground invasion is a matter for Israel.

Three more children slain by Israeli warplanes --56% of the Gaza Strip population of 1.5 million consists of children. 02 Jan 2009 Three boys aged from 7 to ten have been killed by the Israel Air Force in its continual bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Israeli media say the boys were killed in their home in a targeted air strike, while Reuters newsagency say they were playing in the street. The boys were brothers. One of them was decapitated in the attack. "These injuries are not survivable injuries," Madth Gilbert, a Norwegian doctor at Gaza's Shifa hospital who could not save another boy who had both feet blown off. "This is a murder. This is a child," he told Reuters.

Spy for Israel: Jets drop recruitment leaflets over Gaza Strip 02 Jan 2009 Israeli airplanes dropped leaflets calling for Gazans to inform their military of the whereabouts of projectile launchers in return for aid and assistance. The papers were found by the thousands all over Gaza on Friday morning and bear the signature of the Israeli military... 'Your anonymity is guaranteed. Call us at the following number: 02-5839749 Or you can e-mail us at: helpgaza2008@gmail.com to provide us with any information on the terrorist factions. Note: To protect your safety, we ask you to be secretive when you call us. Head of the Israeli Defense Forces.'

EU presidency: Israel ground op in Gaza 'defensive not offensive' 03 Jan 2009 European Union president, the Czech Republic, said Saturday an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza was "defensive, not offensive" action. "At the moment, from the perspective of the last days, we understand this step as a defensive, not offensive, action," Czech EU presidency spokesman Jiri Potuznik said.

Bush calls Hamas attacks 'acts of terror', says working on truce 03 Jan 2009 President [sic] George W. Bush on Friday branded the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel an act of terror and outlined his own [insane] condition for a cease-fire in Gaza, saying no peace deal would be acceptable without monitoring to halt the flow of smuggled weapons to terrorist groups.

UN's Palestinian envoy on assault 04 Jan 2009 The Palestinian observer to the UN, Riyad Mansour, has said that Israel's actions in Gaza are de-stabilising the Middle East. The United Nations secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, has called for an immediate halt to the Israeli ground assault in Gaza. The Security Council is holding a special, closed session meeting to discuss the Middle East crisis.

Tel Aviv rally decries Gaza assault 04 Jan 2009 Amid cries of "Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies!" and banners reading, "Enough!" thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night to protest against the country's war on Gaza. Protesters called for an immediate end to the Israeli attacks, in which more than 450 Palestinians have been killed and around 2,100 injured since air assaults on Gaza began last Saturday.

Worldwide protests denounce Israel 03 Jan 2009 Angry protests against Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip have continued throughout the world, with two of the largest demonstrations taking place in London and in Sakhnin in northern Israel. Other large demonstrations were staged in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, Lebanon, Turkey and the West Bank.

Thousands protest in Europe at Gaza offensive 03 Jan 2009 Thousands of chanting, banner-waving demonstrators marched in cities across Europe on Saturday to demand a halt to Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip. Protests were held or scheduled in Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain as the Israeli offensive entered its second week. Kuwaitis also took to the streets, a day after bigger Middle East rallies.

Israel must prepare to turn its military might from Gaza to Iran By Amir Oren 03 Jan 2009 It is no wonder the U.S. Army, which has 100 soldiers manning the large radar installation in the Negev meant to detect Iranian missiles, has hastened to assure its troops that they are not at risk. ...[T]he IDF must move quickly to disengage, in order to free its attention for the paramount task of preparing a military blow to Iran, if diplomacy and deterrence fail. As long as the great threat of Iranian power is hovering, the smaller threats of Hezbollah and Hamas that derive from it will not be dispelled.

Another day, another US war crime in Iraq: U.S. troops shoot Iraqi TV producer in Baghdad 03 Jan 2009 U.S. troops opened fire on a female Iraqi television producer at a Baghdad checkpoint and critically wounded her, a local TV station and the U.S. military said on Saturday. A statement issued by the television of Biladi (my country) said that Hadeel Imad, 25, was seriously injured when U.S. troops opened fire on her at a checkpoint in the Jadriya neighborhood in southern Baghdad on Thursday.

War Vet, 50, Stunned By New Deployment --Former Soldier Last Served During 1st Gulf War 02 Jan 2009 A veteran who has been out of the military for 15 years and recently received his AARP card was stunned when he received notice he will be deployed to Iraq. The last time Paul Bandel, 50, saw combat was in the early 1990s during the Gulf War.

US general warns Australia against taking Guantanamo inmates 02 Jan 2009 A top US general has urged Australia against accepting inmates from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, warning that a significant number had gone on to commit terrorist acts or resume training. Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Friday confirmed the government was considering a request from outgoing US president [sic] George W Bush to help a small number of the centre's 250 prisoners resettle.

Petraeus Says Afghanistan Progress Requires 'Sustained' Effort 03 Jan 2009 The war in Afghanistan will require a sustained commitment that must extend to Pakistan, General David Petraeus [Betrayus], head of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, told Foreign Policy magazine. "Progress there will require a sustained, substantial commitment," Petraeus said in an interview in the magazine’s January/February issue.

'Light the fire' order set Mumbai ablaze --Evidence is growing that the bombings were orchestrated by militants in Pakistan 04 Jan 2009 Tensions between India and Pakistan, the rival nuclear powers, are on a knife edge this weekend as Islamabad refuses to admit that the Mumbai terrorist outrage was planned and carried out by Pakistanis. Zarar Shah, a leading commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, has admitted under interrogation in Pakistan that he advised the terrorists by telephone as the attack unfolded. Controllers in Pakistan watched live television and warned the gunmen of the arrival of Indian commandos, according to evidence 'amassed' by the FBI and handed over to the Pakistani government.

Police set to step up hacking of home PCs 04 Jan 2009 The Home Office has quietly adopted a new plan to allow police across Britain routinely to hack into people’s personal computers without a warrant. The move, which follows a decision by the European Union’s council of ministers in Brussels, has angered civil liberties groups and opposition MPs. They described it as a sinister extension of the surveillance state which drives "a coach and horses" through privacy laws.

Georgia law restricting red-light cameras takes effect Jan. 1 30 Dec 2009 A new law in Georgia is intended to make it tougher for local governments to post red-light cameras. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2009. The cameras that are used in more than 20 cities and counties across the state snap pictures of red-light runners or speeders’ vehicle tags. Tickets are mailed to the vehicles’ owners, regardless of who was driving at the time. [How annoying. You'd think people would have just destroyed them by now.]

Blagojevich stripped of access to classified federal security information 02 Jan 2009 Gov. Blagojevich's access to classified federal security information was revoked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after he was charged last month with trying to sell a Senate seat, officials confirmed Friday. Every governor is given such a clearance by Homeland Security to receive briefings on sensitive security information from Homeland Security and other federal agencies such as the FBI, said Amy Kudwa, spokeswoman for Homeland Security. [Oh, but polar bear-killing sociopath, Sarah Palin, has clearance?]

Coleman trying to execute a *second* coup d'etat: Tense moments in Minnesota Senate recount --Republican incumbent's dirtbag's attorneys attempted to stop recount 03 Jan 2009 One of the last remaining steps in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race recount was temporarily halted Saturday morning when attorneys with Republican incumbent Norm Coleman's