Arab Media Reports Syria Making Preparations for War with Israel 15 Jun 2007 Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:14:20 -0500 (CDT) Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens for Legitimate Government 15 Jun 2007 http://www.legitgov.org/ All links to articles as summarized below are available here: http://www.legitgov.org/index.html#breaking_news Arab Media Reports Syria Making Preparations for War with Israel 15 Jun 2007 A Qatari newspaper, Al Watan, reported Friday that Syria is making concrete preparations for war with Israel, saying that the Syrian government has removed the Government and State Archives from the Damascus area. According to the paper, this move indicates preparations for war. Syrian parliament member Muhammad Habash confirmed on Al-Jazeera Arabic world news satellite TV last week that Syria is indeed engaged in active preparations for a war with Israel. The conflict, said the Syrian MP, is expected to break out during the summer months. Israel to ready public for 'all-out war' 31 May 2007 With Iran racing toward nuclear power and IDF preparations for the possibility of a conflict with Syria and Hizbullah in high gear, the Home Front Command plans to launch a publicity campaign to prepare the public for war. U.S. official: Samarra attack may have been inside job (jonesreport) --CNN Downplays Second-False Flag Bombing of Golden Mosque in Follow-up Story --Update Obscures Previous 'Inside Job' Report by Replacing Link, Killing Story 13 Jun 2007 (CNN) Authorities have evidence that Wednesday's bombing of Al-Askariya Mosque in Samarra was an inside job, and 15 members of the Iraqi security forces have been arrested, a U.S. military official said. The attack Wednesday destroyed two towers, referred to as minarets, at the revered Shiite shrine, police said. It was a repeat of the 2006 bombing that sparked Iraq's current wave of deadly sectarian violence. [See: U.S. unit enters an alliance with former insurgents --Soldiers in Baghdad give police powers, guns to former insurgents 09 Jun 2007.] US report on killing of journalists raises more question than it answers 15 Jun 2007 Newly declassified records, disclosed [by the US military] in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from the Committee to Protect Journalists, describe a chaotic scene in which the soldiers targeted a white Volvo that had failed to slow down as it neared the checkpoint. The 117-page report concluded that Al-Arabiyya journalists Ali Abdel-Aziz and Ali al-Khateeb were killed accidentally in the crossfire and that troops had properly followed the military's rules of engagement. But the report does not reconcile statements from Al-Arabiyya employees that US soldiers fired directly on the journalists' vehicle, a Kia Sportage, while other soldiers were firing at the Volvo. Neither does the report address a statement -taken from the Al-Arabiyya Baghdad bureau chief and relayed by a US Army colonel to her superiors - that a US tank may have briefly collided with the press vehicle moments before soldiers opened fire. The report also fails to reconcile statements from Al-Arabiyya employees that the checkpoint was poorly illuminated, assertions that contradict the military's conclusions. Uprooted Iraqis move into "atrocious" camps - UN 15 Jun 2007 People fleeing violence in Iraq have begun to move into atrocious makeshift camps on the fringes of cities such as Najaf, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday. Andrew Harper, coordinator of the UNHCR's Iraq Support Unit, said the sites were a result of certain governorates sealing off their regions to newcomers. "Camps are one of the worst things you can have, because you are not going to have proper provision of water ... of sewage, of shelter, of security," he said. "They are atrocious." Torture: the 10 claims against the Army 13 Jun 2007 Lawyers for Baha Musa claimed today that the case had uncovered evidence that the Government approved the systematic torture of detainees. Today a panel of five law lords ruled that Mr Musa, a hotel receptionist who died of multiple injuries after two nights in British military custody, was entitled to the protection of the UK's Human Rights Act while held by British soldiers. Guantanamo inmate told: You can't return to UK, you've been away too long 15 Jun 2007 Gordon Brown is being urged to intervene to stop the Home Office banning a British resident from returning home after more than four years at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. Campaigners expressed fury after ministers said Jamil el-Banna's permission to stay in Britain had lapsed during the four-and-a-half years he has been held without charge at the US detention camp. They warned that Mr Banna, a refugee whose wife and five children live in north London, could face detention or torture if he is sent back to his native Jordan when he is released. American Fighter Jet Crashes in Iraq 15 Jun 2007 An F-16 fighter jet crashed Friday in Iraq, the Air Force reported. The statement said the crash was an accident, but did not say where the plane went down or what happened to the pilot. 5 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq Violence 15 Jun 2007 Five American soldiers died in Iraq, the U.S. military announced Friday, a day after extremists fired shells into Baghdad's Green Zone during a visit by the State Department's No. 2 official. The prime minister imposed an indefinite curfew on Basra, Iraq's second largest city and gateway to the Persian Gulf, after [US] bombers leveled a Sunni shrine just outside the city. Gates in Iraq to assess progress in US troop "surge" 15 Jun 2007 U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Baghdad on Friday to assess a U.S. troop buildup and press Iraq's government to move faster in passing [oil] laws that Washington views as critical to [help KBR and Exxon Mobil] reconciling Iraqis. Pace says he refused to quit voluntarily 15 Jun 2007 In his first public comments on the Bush administration's surprise decision to replace him as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Peter Pace disclosed that he had turned down an offer to voluntarily retire rather than be forced out. NKorea warns against U.S. missile plan 15 Jun 2007 North Korea on Friday warned it may strengthen its "self-defense deterrent," a term it usually uses to refer to its nuclear program, despite news that millions in frozen funds the country had sought as a condition to disarm was en route to its accounts. The comments came in a statement from the government criticizing U.S. efforts to build a missile defense system. Gates wins NATO backing on U.S. missile shield 14 Jun 2007 The U.S. defense secretary, Robert Gates, secured NATO's endorsement on Thursday for an American plan to build missile 'defense' bases in Poland and the Czech Republic, overcoming past reticence of some alliance members concerned that the effort could rupture relations with Russia. The Pentagon v. Peak Oil --How Wars of the Future May Be Fought Just to Run the Machines That Fight Them 14 Jun 2007 By Michael T. Klare Multiply that daily tab by 365 and you get 1.3 billion gallons: the estimated annual oil expenditure for U.S. combat operations in Southwest Asia. That's greater than the total annual oil usage of Bangladesh, population 150 million -- and yet it's a gross underestimate of the Pentagon's wartime consumption. Such numbers cannot do full justice to the extraordinary gas-guzzling expense of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Guard running low on equipment 15 Jun 2007 National Guard units in 31 states say four years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan have left them with 60% or less of their authorized equipment, a USA TODAY review found. Eighteen of those 31 states report having half or fewer of the vehicles, aircraft, radios, weapons and other items they are authorized to have for home-front uses, the 50-state review found. Seattle-Area VA Hospital Criticized 15 Jun 2007 The Department of Veterans Affairs, rocked by reports of shoddy treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, says it has remedied problems that had been described as an "immediate threat to life" at two Seattle-area VA hospitals. Abbas declares state of emergency 15 Jun 2007 Hamas Islamist fighters said they had taken control of the Palestinian presidential compound in Gaza late on Thursday, calling it the "last bastion'' of President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah forces in the enclave. A broadcast on a Hamas-run radio station said "the last bastion of corruption has fallen''. Hamas hails 'liberation' of Gaza 14 Jun 2007 Hamas militants have hailed a series of military victories over rivals Fatah in the Gaza Strip as a new "liberation" of the territory. Fighters seized Fatah's Preventative Security building in Gaza City and the intelligence service headquarters, and overran the town of Rafah. 10 ex-Argentine security agents detained 14 Jun 2007 A federal court in northern Argentina has detained 10 former state security agents including four army colonels for prosecution in connection with a 1976 massacre, the government news agency said. The officials were taken into custody on charges of complicity in the Dec. 13, 1976, killings of 17 political prisoners near the Chaco province capital of Resistencia, the Telam news agency said. US Tried to Smuggle C4 Into G8 Protests 07 Jun 2007 Heiligendamm, Germany (dpa) Police allowed protesters to assemble peacefully for a second day at a fence two kilometres from the G8 summit venue... Sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that US security men tested German security by trying to smuggle C4 plastic explosive past a checkpoint at Heiligendamm. German surveillance machinery detected the tiny [?] stash in a suitcase in a car and the Americans in plainclothes then identified themselves. Drill in Miami Tests Response to Dirty Bomb 14 Jun 2007 A Blackhawk helicopter flew low and circled Florida's Orange Bowl stadium Wednesday when, suddenly, ropes were thrown out of the body of the aircraft and SWAT teams began fast roping from the chopper to the ground in a matter of seconds. The team was part of an unusual demonstration meant to showcase how the FBI and local SWAT teams would handle the threat of a so-called [US] dirty bomb on a major metropolitan city. UK jails 7 'dirty bomb' plotters 15 Jun 2007 Seven Britons 'linked' to a plot to blow up U.S. financial institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange, and stage a series of attacks in Britain, have been jailed for a total of 136 years by a London court. U.S. may require European visitors to register online --It would 'elevate the security level' for foreign visitors, Chertoff says 14 Jun 2007 Europeans who visit the U.S. would be required to fill out an online questionnaire two days before they enter the country under a proposal being studied by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Delay for tight passport rules gains momentum --Senate panel, House vote to put off requirements due to massive backlog 14 Jun 2007 The House voted overwhelmingly Friday to delay for 17 months new rules requiring passports for U.S. land and sea travelers entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Children's DNA stored on database 15 Jun 2007 (UK) Children younger than 10 are having their genetic fingerprints stored on the national DNA database. More than 100 have been put on the system, even though they are below the age of criminal responsibility, research by the Liberal Democrats discovered. Nightmare at Reagan National Airport: A Security Story to End all Security Stories By Bill Adler 14 Jun 2007 Here's what happened in Monica's words: "I explained that the sippy cup water was filtered tap water. The sippy cup was seized as my son was pointing and crying for his cup... As I was escorted out of security by TSA and a police officer, I unscrewed the cup to drink the water, which accidentally spilled because I was so upset with the situation. At this point, I was detained against my will by the police officer and threatened to be arrested for endangering other passengers with the spilled 3 to 4 ounces of water... I was ordered to apologize for the spilled water, and again threatened arrest. I was threatened several times with arrest while detained, and while three other police officers were called to the scene of the mother with the 19 month old." U.S. officials can be sued in Sept 11 abuse case 14 Jun 2007 A Pakistani man who says he was abused in detention after the September 11 attacks can name the FBI director and a former U.S. attorney general in his lawsuit against the government, an appeals court ruled on Thursday. Javaid Iqbal, a Muslim, was held for more than a year at a Brooklyn detention center after the September 11 attacks. He, along with hundreds of Muslims and Arabs sued the U.S. government, claiming they were abused and held for no legitimate reason. Iqbal says he was subjected to repeated strip searches, beaten, dragged across the floor and that the lights in his cell were kept on 24 hours a day. ACLU Files New Challenge to Government's Secret Filings in NSA Case 14 Jun 2007 The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a legal motion to unseal secret materials filed by the government in an ongoing challenge to the Bush administrations warrantless surveillance program. The Justice Department filed the classified materials last Friday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which is currently reviewing the legality of the National Security Agencys warrantless surveillance program. A federal district court previously ruled that the program is unconstitutional and violates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). DOJ Investigates Gonzales --Justice Dept. Checking For Possible Wrongdoing 15 Jun 2007 The Justice Department is investigating whether Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales sought to improperly influence the testimony of a departing senior aide [Monica M. Goodling], two of its senior officials said yesterday, adding a new dimension to the troubles already besetting the nation's chief law enforcement official. Libby judge harassed after sentencing 14 Jun 2007 A federal judge showed no sign that he would delay I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison term in the CIA leak case Thursday even as he reported getting threatening letters and phone calls after sentencing the former White House aide. "I received a number of angry, harassing, mean-spirited phone calls and letters," U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said. "Some of those were wishing bad things on me and my family." Libby preparing for prison after judge rejects delay in CIA leak case 14 Jun 2007 I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby wanted to take the slow, winding path through the appeals courts. Instead, the former White House aide is on the fast track to prison. Showing no leniency Thursday, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton rejected a request to put Libby's 2.5-year prison sentence on hold. Tell Congress: Send Scooter Libby to Guantanamo (ActForChange) 14 Jun 2007 Today a judge ruled that Scooter Libby must begin serving his prison sentence while his appeal proceeds. The former Assistant to the President (and Vice Presidential Chief of Staff) has been sentenced to a 30 month jail sentence for obstruction of justice and perjury during the investigation of who revealed the identity of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame. Why not send Libby to Gitmo? ..Hundreds of prisoners at Guantanamo have not even been accused of crimes, but are still being held without being convicted. Scooter Libby has already been convicted. Cheney Is Trying to Silence The Star Witness to His Felony By Bob Fertik 15 Jun 2007 Cheney is trying to get a pardon for Scooter - are you kidding??????? ..Can you imagine if Al Gore had tried to use Bill Clinton's pardon power to silence the star witness against him in a major national security investigation? Rightwingers would have screamed about it until the end of time. I can't imagine a greater abuse of Presidential power than pardoning a felon to stop him from exposing a criminal Vice President. N.C. pressed on voter listings --State, feds say rolls out of date, push changes; official says no need 15 Jun 2007 State and federal officials are mounting two broad challenges to the way North Carolina maintains its voter rolls, charging widespread irregularities that include votes cast under the names of dead people. [Bullsh*t! The GOP is carrying out wholesale *election theft* under the guise of investigating phony 'voting irregularities' charges!] Duke Prosecutor Nifong Will Resign --Falsely Charged Player Testifies At Nifong's Ethics Trial 15 Jun 2007 Duke lacrosse prosecutor Mike Nifong said Friday he will resign as Durham County district attorney. Energy Measure Blocked by Republicans in Senate 15 Jun 2007 Senate Democrats, facing their first significant battle over a wide-ranging bill intended to reduce oil consumption, found themselves blocked by Republicans on Thursday and postponed all significant votes until next week. Republicans vowed to filibuster over a Democratic proposal that would force electric utility companies to generate a big share of their power from renewable fuels, and Democrats failed to muster the 60 votes needed to close off debate. New Orleans turns to international aid --City has received only half of promised funds 15 Jun 2007 The cash-strapped city of New Orleans is turning to foreign countries for help to rebuild as federal hurricane-recovery dollars remain slow to flow. Kenya Smith, director of intergovernmental relations for Mayor Ray Nagin, said city leaders are talking with more than five countries. U.N. rules to contain health emergencies take hold 14 Jun 2007 New rules to help the United Nations contain public health emergencies took effect on Friday, requiring countries to disclose potential threats from disease, chemical agents, radioactive materials and contaminated food. How the FDA is Becoming a Drug Company: Consumer Safety and Access to Natural Health Options Threatened By Byron J. Richards 14 Jun 2007 Under the false pretense of improved food and drug safety the FDA is re-inventing itself as a kingpin drug company. This charade has so far hoodwinked virtually all members of Congress. The Senate has already approved this FDA transformation. The House will bring similar legislation out of committee next week, with a vote in the full House likely in July. G8 agreement on climate change a "disgrace": Al Gore 14 Jun 2007 Former U.S. President Al Gore denounced a deal by world leaders on curbing greenhouse gases as "a disgrace disguised as an achievement," saying on Thursday the agreement struck last week was insufficient. Scorching Summers in Store for Mediterranean 14 Jun 2007 Scorching heat could spell more dangerous summers for the Mediterranean over the next 100 years, a new analysis finds. A 2003 heat wave took 15,000 lives in France and 3,000 in Italy as temperatures soared over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but if greenhouse gases continue to build up in the atmosphere at their present rate, temperature rises could dwarf those in Europe during that summer. CLGers, we need your support. http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute Or, please mail a check or money order to the CLG: Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG) P.O. Box 1142 Bristol, CT 06011-1142 Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible. [Previous lead stories:] FBI Terror Watch List 'Out of Control' 13 Jun 2007 A terrorist watch list compiled by the FBI has apparently swelled to include more than half a million names. The bureau says the number of names on its terrorist watch list is classified. A portion of the FBI's unclassified 2008 budget request posted to the Department of Justice Web site, however, refers to "the entire watch list of 509,000 names," which is utilized by its Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force. "It grows seemingly without control or limitation," said ACLU senior legislative counsel Tim Sparapani of the terrorism watch list. Sparapani called the 509,000 figure "stunning." FBI Finds It Frequently Overstepped in Collecting Data 14 Jun 2007 An internal FBI audit has found that the bureau potentially violated the law or agency rules more than 1,000 times while collecting data about domestic phone calls, e-mails and financial transactions in recent years, far more than was documented in a Justice Department report in March that ignited bipartisan congressional criticism. The new audit covers just 10 percent of the bureau's national security investigations since 2002, and so the 'mistakes' in the FBI's domestic surveillance efforts probably number several thousand, bureau officials said in interviews. Secret Surveillance Evidence Unsealed in AT&T Spying Case --Whistleblower Declaration and Other Key Documents Released to Public 12 Jun 2007 More documents detailing secret government surveillance of AT&T's Internet traffic have been released to the public as part of the Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF's) class-action lawsuit against the telecom giant. Some of the unsealed information was previously made public in redacted form. But after negotiations with AT&T, EFF has filed newly unredacted documents describing a secret, secure room in AT&T's facilities that gave the National Security Agency (NSA) direct access to customers' emails and other Internet communications. Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. Those who'd like to be added to the Newsletter list can sign up: http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg. Please write to: signup@legitgov.org for inquiries. CLG Newsletter editor: Lori Price, Manager. Copyright ) 2007, Citizens For Legitimate Government . All rights reserved. CLG Founder and Chair is Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.