White House ordered to keep backup copies of e-mail 13 Nov 2007
 
Resent-Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:04:33 -0600 (CST)

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government
13 Nov 2007 http://www.legitgov.org/ All items are here:

http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news White House ordered to keep
backup copies of e-mail 12 Nov 2007 A federal judge on Monday issued
a temporary restraining order blocking the White House from destroying
back-up copies of deleted e-mails. The order by U.S. District Judge
Henry Kennedy came in a lawsuit by the Citizens for Responsibility
and Ethics in Washington, a private watchdog group, which claims
the White House has failed to preserve millions of deleted e-mails
it was supposed to keep.

'Charge as many as possible' 13 Nov 2007 A senior counter-terrorism
officer with the Australian Federal Police [Kemuel Lam Paktsun] has
testified that police were directed to charge "as many suspects as
possible" with terrorism offences in order to test the new
anti-terrorism laws introduced in 2003. "At the time we were directed,
we were informed, to lay as many charges under the new terrorist
legislation against as many suspects as possible because we wanted
to use the new legislation," Mr Lam Paktsun testified.

ASIO attacked for 'moronic prosecution' 13 Nov 2007 Australia's
counter-terror agencies have come under intense criticism after
another terrorism case collapsed and a judge found ASIO officers
had kidnapped and falsely imprisoned the suspect [Sydney medical
student, Izhar Ul-Haque].

Terrorism bill passed into law 13 Nov 2007 Parliament today voted
108-13 to strengthen terrorism suppression laws... The Terrorism
Suppression Amendment Bill has the main purpose of allowing New
Zealand to meet its international obligations in terms of designating
terrorist organisations. It also creates a new offence of committing
an act of terrorism, under penalty of a life sentence, and gives
the prime minister responsibility for designating groups and
individuals as terrorists.

Britain has longest terrorism detention 12 Nov 2007 Police in Britain
can hold terrorism suspects without charge for longer than in any
other comparable democracy, according to a study by human rights
organisation Liberty.

Britain's 28-day limit already far exceeds other democracies and
the government is considering doubling it.

Parliament Hill security under review --Plan in works as senator
calls current system 'dumb with a capital D' 12 Nov 2007 Police and
other security officials are quietly working on a security plan
that could greatly restrict Canadians' access to Parliament and
possibly even the grounds.

MP says Kelly's 2003 death not suicide 12 Nov 2007 A former U.N.
weapons inspector, whose death caused one of the biggest crises of
Tony Blair's premiership, did not commit suicide as official accounts
state, an MP claims in a new book. David Kelly was found dead in
woods near his home in July 2003, just days after it was revealed
that he was the source for a BBC report that said Blair's government
had deliberately "sexed-up" intelligence to justify the invasion
of Iraq.

Roadside bombs found in Iraqi intelligence officer's house 11 Nov
2007 Roadside bombs and other weapons have been found in the house
of an Iraqi intelligence officer in Kerbala, the provincial capital
and a centre of Shiite pilgrimage. The head of police intelligence,
Lieutenant-Colonel Hashem Chalub, was found to have a large quantity
of weapons and explosives. The U.S military transferred security
responsibility for the province to Iraqi authorities late last
month.

DynCorp security guards shoot taxi driver dead in Baghdad 12 Nov
2007 Mercenaries working for an American private security firm
[child rapists and slave traders, DynCorp] have shot dead an Iraqi
taxi driver in the latest in a series of killings that has prompted
a shake-up of Iraq's multibillion-dollar foreign security industry.

Gordon Brown threatens Iran's oil interests unless it curbs nuclear
ambition 13 Nov 2007 Gordon Brown last night proposed a worldwide
ban on companies developing Irans oil and gas fields if it failed
to curb its nuclear ambitions. He promised to take the lead in
seeking tougher penalties through the United Nations and the European
Union as Britain and the United States seek to increase the pressure
on Tehran.

Israelis urge EU to get tougher on Iran 12 Nov 2007 Senior Israeli
officials are touring Europe this week to raise the alarm about
Iran's accelerating nuclear programme and urge EU governments to
take tougher sanctions without waiting for the United Nations.

US strike on Iran 'not being prepared' 12 Nov 2007 The Pentagon is
not preparing a pre-emptive attack on Iran in spite of an increase
in bellicose rhetoric from Washington, according to senior officers.
Admiral William Fallon, head of Central Command, which oversees
military operations in the Middle East, told the Financial Times
that while dealing with Iran was a "challenge", a strike was not
"in the offing".

'Hidden Costs' Double Price of Two Wars, Democrats Say 13 Nov 2007
The economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, according to
a new study by congressional Democrats that estimates the conflicts'
"hidden costs"-- including higher oil prices, the expense of treating
wounded veterans and interest payments on the money borrowed to pay
for the wars. That amount is nearly double the $804 billion the
White House has spent or requested to wage these wars through 2008,
according to the Democratic staff of Congress's Joint Economic
Committee.

Chertoff: US in Iraq Keeps al-Qaida Out 12 Nov 2007 The United
States military must remain in Iraq long enough to ensure that
al-Qaida [al-CIAduh] cannot reclaim the havens it has lost there,
the U.S. Homeland Security secretary said Monday.

US-led forces kill two children in Afghanstian 13 Nov 2007 US-led
occupation troops battling suspected militants in southern Afghanistan
lobbed a grenade that destroyed a house and killed 15 militants as
well as a civilian woman and two children, the 'coalition' said
yesterday.

2 NATO soldiers killed, another injured in E Afghanistan 12 Nov
2007 Two soldiers of NATO-led International Security Assistance
Force were killed and another wounded while conducting an operation
in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, said an ISAF statement.

18 arrested in antiwar protest by veterans 12 Nov 2007 More than a
dozen members of an antiwar veterans group were arrested yesterday
as they protested the exclusion of their message from Boston's
Veterans Day parade. Some protesters wore gags, which they later
said symbolized the fact that, while they were permitted to march
in the parade, they were prevented from carrying signs opposing the
war in Iraq.

Anti-war vets allowed to march after all 11 Nov 2007 (Denver)
Anti-war veterans groups were allowed to march in the Veterans Day
Parade after reaching a last minute deal with organizers. Members
of Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War marched at
the end of Saturdays parade holding signs protesting the war and
President [sic] Bush.

Space Weapons Program Gets Extra Funding 12 Nov 2007 While wrestling
with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon is preparing weapons
to fight the next battle from space, according to information in
the 621-page, House-Senate conference report on the fiscal 2008
defense appropriations bill. The $459 billion bill, which awaits
President [sic] Bush's signature, provides $100 million for a new
"prompt global strike" program that could deliver a conventional,
precision-guided warhead anywhere in the world within two hours.

[Yeah, too bad SCHIP isn't a weapons program.]

The uninvited guest: Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy
exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced 10 Nov 2007 American
military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected Chinese
submarine popping up at the heart of a recent Pacific exercise and
close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk - a 1,000ft supercarrier with
4,500 personnel on board. By the time it surfaced the 160ft Song
Class diesel-electric attack submarine is understood to have sailed
within viable range for launching torpedoes or missiles at the
carrier.

According to senior Nato officials the incident caused consternation
in the U.S. Navy.

Chinese Sub Pops Up Undetected in U.S. Navy Exercise [LOL!] 10 Nov
2007 Recently, when a Chinese submarine popped up undetected in the
middle of a Pacific Ocean exercise, dangerously close to the U.S.S.
Kitty Hawk, American military chiefs were left dumbfounded and
red-faced, according to UK newspaper, Daily Mail.

Drivers' price at the pump could rise by 20 cents 12 Nov 2007
Gasoline prices could rise as much as 20 cents in the next few weeks
as the price at the pump catches up with the recent surge in oil
costs, the head of the Energy Department's analytical arm said
Monday.

Subprime Losses May Reach $400 Billion, Analysts Say 12 Nov 2007
Losses from the falling value of subprime mortgage assets may reach
$300 billion to $400 billion worldwide, Deutsche Bank AG analysts
said.

For Ousted Citigroup Chief, a Bonus of $12.5 Million 12 Nov 2007
Last week, Charles O. Prince III resigned under pressure as chairman
and chief executive of Citigroup. Mr. Prince, arguably the person
most responsible for Citigroups enormous problems, can expect at
least a $12.5 million cash bonus, compared with last years cash
payout of $13.8 million.

Auckland Airport Bird flu scare a false alarm 13 Nov 2007 Passengers
on an international flight were held on their aircraft at Auckland
International Airport today as authorities feared a passenger may
have become ill with avian influenza or bird flu. It was later
reported a passenger had been taken to hospital in a stable condition
with suspected gastroenteritis. Ambulance and public health authorities
were alerted and about 220 passengers on the aircraft were quarantined
by St John Ambulance staff.

UK farm put under surveillance after H5 bird flu strain found in
turkeys 13 Nov 2007 All 5,000 poultry at a Norfolk farm will be
culled today after the H5 strain of bird flu was found in turkeys.
Last night a three-kilometre protection zone and a 10-kilometre
surveillance zone were set up around Redgrave Park Farm in Redgrave,
near Diss. But the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra) said further tests were needed to ascertain whether
the strain is H5N1, which is potentially dangerous to humans and
has swept across Asia, Europe, and Africa since 2003.

Smallest species joins other bears on red list 13 Nov 2007 The
smallest species of bear, the sun bear, has been included on the
red list of threatened species for the first time, the World
Conservation Union (IUCN) said yesterday. Its inclusion on the list
raises the number of bear species considered threatened from five
to six, the IUCN said in its annual report.

More bear species threatened with extinction 12 Nov 2007 Six of the
world's eight species of bear are threatened with extinction,
according to a report from the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The
smallest species of bear, the sun bear, has been included on the
list for the first time, while the giant panda remains endangered.
[See species under threat in the Guardian gallery and use the
interactive guide to find out more about the bears.]

Black Sea spill: '30,000 birds killed' 13 Nov 2007 Authorities say
more than 30,000 birds have been killed by the thousands of tonnes
of oil that leaked after a heavy storm broke a tanker apart near
the Black Sea. Countless other birds, weighed down by thick coatings
of the fuel oil, hopped weakly along the shore or sat helplessly
in the sand yesterday.

UN official warns of ignoring warming 12 Nov 2007 The U.N.'s top
climate official warned policymakers and scientists trying to hammer
out a landmark report on climate change that ignoring the urgency
of global warming would be "criminally irresponsible."

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[Previous lead stories:] Intelligence official: U.S. must redefine
privacy --Residents [!] need to adjust to loss of anonymity,
government leader says 11 Nov 2007 As Congress debates new rules
for government eavesdropping, a top intelligence official says it
is time that people in the United States changed their definition
of privacy. Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr,
the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Kerrs
comments come as Congress is taking a second look at the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act. [I think not. We'll adjust the Bush
dictatorship, instead.

And, speaking of residents, the *resident* occupying the White House
needs to be arrested and tried for treason. --LRP]

The Coup at Home By Frank Rich 11 Nov 2007 While the public has not
erupted in riots, the executive branch has subverted the rule of
law in often secretive increments. The results amount to a quiet
coup, ultimately more insidious than a blatant putsch like General
Musharrafs. More Machiavellian still, Mr. Bush has constantly told
the world hes championing democracy even as he strangles it. ...[I]n
the Republican presidential race, where most of the candidates seem
to be running for dictator and make no apologies for it. They're
falling over each other to expand Gitmo, see who can promise the
most torture and abridge the largest number of constitutional rights.
The front-runner, Rudy Giuliani, boasts a proven record in extralegal
executive power grabs, Musharraf-style: After 9/11 he tried to mount
a coup, floating the idea that he stay on as mayor in defiance of
New Yorks term-limits law. [Uh, 'the coup at home' took place in
2000 and 2004. --LRP]

'This is reminiscent of Kafka.' Terror case thrown out 12 Nov 2007
A high profile terror case was abandoned before it got to trial
today after a judge found that two ASIO officers had kidnapped and
falsely imprisoned a young medical student, Izhar ul-Haque. Mr
ul-Haque's lawyer, Adam Houda, later accused authorities of launching
a politically motivated and "moronic prosecution" against his client.
In a scathing judgment, NSW Supreme Court Justice Michael Adams
found that two ASIO officers had broken the law in a deliberate
attempt to coerce answers from Mr ul-Haque. "I am satisfied that
B15 and B16 [the ASIO officers] committed the criminal offences of
false imprisonment and kidnapping at common law and also an offence
under section 86 of the Crimes Act," the judge said.

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CLG Newsletter editor: Lori Price, Manager. Copyright ) 2007,
Citizens For Legitimate Government . All rights reserved. CLG Founder
and Chair is Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.