Fwd: Fw: Lawmakers Agree to Patriot Act With No Oversight Revisions 20 May 2011

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Date: Sat, May 21, 2011 at 5:25 PM
Subject: Fw: Lawmakers Agree to Patriot Act With No Oversight Revisions 20 May 2011
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Subject: Lawmakers Agree to Patriot Act With No Oversight Revisions 20 May 2011

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens for Legitimate Government

20 May 2011

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Lawmakers Agree to Patriot Act With No Oversight Revisions 19 May 2011 Congressional leaders reached a deal Thursday to extend the Patriot Act, the set of antiterrorism laws passed in the wake of Sept. 11, with no oversight revisions, leadership aides in both parties said. The plan would extend the law until June 2015. The most controversial elements of the antiterrorism law were set to expire May 27. The provisions give law enforcement access to troves of personal information, including business and library records, so long as a judge approves. They also let officials keep wiretaps on terrorism suspects who change numbers and permit surveillance of foreign terrorism suspects who appear to be acting on their own.

 

Anthrax attacks: Failure of FBI to pursue investigation raises possibility killer still on loose 19 May 2011 Buried in FBI laboratory reports about the anthrax mail attacks that killed five people in 2001 is data suggesting that a chemical may have been added to try to heighten the powder's potency, a move that some experts say exceeded the expertise of the presumed killer. The lab data... show unusual levels of silicon and tin in anthrax powder from two of the five letters. Those elements are found in compounds that could be used to weaponize the anthrax, enabling the lethal spores to float easily so they could be readily inhaled by the intended victims, scientists say. The existence of the silicon-tin chemical signature offered investigators the possibility of tracing purchases of the more than 100 such chemical products available before the attacks, which might have produced hard evidence against Ivins or led the agency to the real culprit. But the FBI lab reports released in late February give no hint that bureau agents tried to find the buyers of additives such as tin-catalyzed silicone polymers. The apparent failure of the FBI to pursue this avenue of investigation raises the ominous possibility that the killer is still on the loose. [Cui bono? The Bush regime. Tom Daschle was set to vote *no* on the Patriot Act... until he received 100,000 anthrax spores.]

 

Japan's Fukushima Reactor May Have Leaked Radiation Before Tsunami Struck 19 May 2011 A radiation alarm went off at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima nuclear power plant before the tsunami hit on March 11, suggesting that contrary to earlier assumptions the reactors were damaged by the earthquake that spawned the wall of water. A monitoring post on the perimeter of the plant about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the No. 1 reactor went off at 3:29 p.m., minutes before the station was overwhelmed by the tsunami that knocked out backup power that kept reactor cooling systems running, according to documents supplied by the company. The monitor was set to go off at high levels of radiation, an official said.

 

Radioactive Substances Found in Breast Milk of 5 Japanese Women --Safety levels of radioactive substances in breast milk have not been set by Japanese government 19 May 2011 'Small' amounts of radioactive substances have been detected in the breast milk of five women in Japan, online newspaper Japan Today reported Thursday, citing a study by a citizen's group. Taking samples from 41 women across five prefectures, the tests found cesium in the breast milk of four women in Tokyo, Fukushima and Ibaraki, and radioactive iodine in the breast milk of a woman in Fukushima.

 

US drone strike kills four in Pakistan: officials 20 May 2011 A US drone strike destroyed a vehicle in Pakistan's North Waziristan district on the Afghan border Friday, killing four 'suspected militants,' local officials said. The two missiles struck the Tappi area, 10 kilometres (six miles) east of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, where US officials want Pakistan to launch an offensive against networks fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan. "A US drone targeting a militants' vehicle fired two missiles killing four militants," a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

 

Police open fire to disperse more protests in north Afghanistan 19 May 2011 Protesters spilled into northern Afghan streets on Thursday, a day after at least 14 people were killed and scores wounded in wild protests that underscored deep tensions between Afghans and foreign troops. The second day of outcry came as the NATO-led force in Afghanistan said some of its troops had fired during protests on Wednesday, during which at least 80 people were also wounded... The protests were sparked by a disputed "night raid" by Afghan and NATO troops late on Tuesday in which four people were killed, including two women.

 

Kirkuk car bombs target Iraqi police, killing at least 29 20 May 2011 Three explosions aimed at Iraqi security forces ripped through the divided northern city of Kirkuk yesterday, killing at least 29 people, most of them police officers, and wounding scores more. The attackers used a now-familiar [CIA-style] tactic, detonating successive explosions that injured those who rushed to the scene of the first eruption. The initial blast was caused by a small improvised explosive device attached to a sedan in a parking lot outside Kirkuk police headquarters. After the police ran to the scene, a larger car bomb went off, killing 26 officers and three civilians.

 

Israeli troops shoot Gazan protesters 20 May 2011 Israeli troops have opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators in the besieged Gaza Strip, injuring several anti-occupation protesters. Hundreds of Palestinians and pro-Palestinian activists were holding an anti-Israeli march near the border fence when the shooting occurred. At least three protesters were wounded by gunfire and many others suffered from tear gas inhalation, a Press TV correspondent reported on Friday.

 

Netanyahu tells Obama: Israel cannot go back to the 1967 borders --Comments in front of press comes day after U.S. president's Mideast policy speech called for negotiations for two-state solution based on 1967 lines. 20 May 2011 Prime Minister Netanyahu told U.S. President Barack Obama in his comments to the press Friday that Israel cannot go back to the "indefensible' 1967 borders, claiming they are not feasible in light of today's security and demographic reality. The two leaders had a closed door meeting in the Oval Office before jointly talking to the press on Friday afternoon.

 

Israel OK's over 1,500 new settler units 19 May 2011 Israel's Interior Ministry Planning Committee has given the final approval for construction of 620 settlement units in Pisgat Zeev in northeastern Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and another 900 in Har Homa in the south of the city. The plan was approved on Thursday just hours before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to leave for Washington, where he is to meet US President Barack Obama in the White House on Friday.

 

Judge dismisses parts of Blackwater lawsuit 20 May 2011 A federal judge has tossed out parts of a lawsuit filed by two former employees against the security company formerly known as Blackwater. But the judge decided at a hearing Friday in Virginia to allow other key claims to go to trial next month. Brad and Melan Davis sued in 2008 under a whistleblower law. They allege Blackwater used excessive force and submitted fraudulent bills for its work in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Davises also alleged fraud on a security contract given in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina [aka blown levies].

 

Spain bans young protesters ahead of elections 20 May 2011 Police and tens of thousands of young protesters camped out in dozens of Spanish cities are heading for a clash after the country's electoral authorities effectively ordered the government to dissolve the protests. The committee declared that the protests contravened Spain's election laws, which ban campaigning the day before a vote. Municipal and regional government elections are to be held on Sunday amid a climate of growing anger over government austerity, spending cuts and 21% unemployment. "They [the protests] are against electoral legislation... and cannot happen," the committee ruled.

 

Obama praises CIA workers' role in bin Laden killing 20 May 2011 President Obama visited CIA headquarters in Langley on Friday to praise employees for their role in the operation to kill Osama bin Laden but cautioned that 'al-Qaeda' remains a potent threat despite the demise of its leader. Obama spoke before a packed crowd in the CIA's main lobby, and his remarks were carried by video feed to other agencies in the U.S. intelligence community.

 

Interpol creates new unit to combat nuclear terrorism 19 May 2011 In an attempt to help nations counter nuclear and other unconventional threats, Interpol has launched a nuclear terrorism prevention unit. The new team, named the Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism Prevention Unit, will help the international crime-fighting agency strengthen its anti-bio-terrorism activities to counter chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats. The unit will help police develop capacity globally to 'stop' the next bio-terrorist attack.

 

Al Qaeda Considered Targeting Oil Tankers 21 May 2011 Intelligence seized from Osama bin Laden's Pakistani hideout suggested that al Qaeda is interested in attacking oil tankers, Homeland Security officials said, a discovery that has prompted the agency to warn industry officials and local law enforcement. The warning comes on the heels of indications of continued interest by al Qaeda in attacking other favorite targets, including planes and trains. [Re: Oil tankers -- just al-Qaeda? I would think resistance movements all over the world -- especially where the US invaded/occupied for oil -- would want the tankers *gone.*]

 

Canada to provide additional radar data to U.S. on border security 17 May 2011 Canada will contribute to American efforts to better patrol its northern border by providing information from 22 Canadian radar feeds starting in November, a U.S. Senate hearing was told Tuesday. Canada will provide the additional radar data to a California agency that monitors air traffic along the Canada-U.S. border. The purpose of the surveillance is to nab not just drug smugglers, but anyone illegally entering the United States, said Alan Bersin, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

 

Oops. Bomb at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was only a drill 18 May 2011 With their guns drawn, police surrounded a man who reportedly was trying to get through security at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport with a bomb in a carry-on bag. It was a drill, but the trouble was no one had told the cops, who thought it was real. The routine drill conducted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began about 2:40 p.m. last Thursday, when a man with a fake bomb in his bag attempted to get through the security at checkpoint 2, Patrick Hogan, spokesman for the Metropolitan Airport Commission, said.

 

Strauss-Kahn team consults ex-CIA officers' firm 20 May 2011 The legal team defending former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn against sexual assault charges has informally sought public relations advice from a Washington consulting firm run by former CIA officers and U.S. diplomats, Reuters has learned. TD International is the same company Strauss-Kahn, then a private citizen, hired in 2007 to advise him on how to navigate international and Washington politics in his bid to become managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

 

Dominique Strauss-Kahn: former IMF chief released from jail 20 May 2011 Dominique Strauss-Kahn was released from prison last night, but a plan to place him under armed guard at a luxury Manhattan apartment building was abandoned amid protests from its residents. The former IMF chief was freed from New York's Rikers Island jail after his wife, Anne Sinclair, produced the $1 million (£600,000) and $5 million (£3 million) bond required for his bail. Mr Strauss-Kahn was instead moved to temporary accommodation 700 feet from Ground Zero, in lower Manhattan, run by Stroz Friedberg, the security firm recruited to monitor him. 

 

Strauss-Kahn forced to wear prison 'suicide smock,' also worn by Guantanamo prisoners 20 May 2011 Bleary-eyed, unshaven and forced to wear a blue anti-suicide smock, this is Dominique Strauss-Kahn pictured in jail ahead of his bail hearing. The former head of the International Monetary Fund had to give up his expensive suit for the unflattering one-piece during his stay in New York's notorious Rikers Island prison. Suicide smocks - also worn by prisoners in Guantanamo Bay - are usually made from nylon Cordura, a hard-wearing synthetic material which is ten times tougher than a pair of Levi's jeans.

 

IMF Chief Resigns After Sex Attack Charges 19 May 2011 The IMF chief charged with a sex attack on a hotel maid has resigned from his post ahead of a new bail hearing in New York. Dominique Strauss-Kahn maintained his innocence in a formal letter to the organisation and said he was quitting with "infinite sadness". Polls released in France on Wednesday showed 57% of respondents thought the Socialist politician was definitely or probably the victim of a plot.

 

Senate GOP filibusters Goodwin Liu 19 May 2011 Senate Republicans staged the first successful filibuster of a judicial nominee since 2005 on Thursday, dealing a blow to the Obama administration on the long-stalled nomination of Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The final vote was 52-43, eight votes shy of the 60 needed to overcome the filibuster. Only one Republican joined Democrats in supporting Liu and only one Democrat voted "no" to opening debate on the 39-year-old University of California, Berkeley professor's nomination.

 

U.S. Inspector General to Investigate "Secure Communities" Program 19 May 2011 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General will be conducting an investigation next year of a controversial federal program that requires local law enforcement to run information of people they detain through an immigration database. In a May 10 letter to California Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D), who has expressed concerns about the program, which is called Secure Communities, acting Inspector General Charles K. Edwards said he was planning a review "to determine the extent to which ICE uses the program to identify and remove dangerous criminal aliens from the United States."

 

Up to 20 million Americans 'overcharged' by AT&T for data usage 20 May 2011 AT&T are 'systematically overcharging' up to 20 million Americans who use their iPhone or iPad to access data on the go, an investigation has uncovered. The lawsuit alleges the phone giant routinely over charges customers between 7 and 14 per cent, and in some cases up to 300 per cent. In tests, engineers said they found the company charged for downloading data and surfing the web even when the iPhones remained untouched.

 

Where did all the snow go? The polar bear who can't understand why his world has suddenly turned purple 19 May 2011 This confused polar bear looks as though he's taken a bit of a wrong turn - the Arctic landscape is covered in beautiful purple flowers instead of crisp white snow. Far from being camouflaged, the bear can be seen from far away as he stands among thousands of fireweed flowers. The pictures were taken by photographer Michael Poliza, who couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the bear wandering across the landscape. He said: 'The polar bear was all by himself as they are very solitary animals anyway. But this one looked particularly sad as it wandered around, almost a though it didn't understand where the snow had gone.'

 

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