Air Force Aims for 'Full Control' of 'Any and All' Computers 14 May 2008 Resent-Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 22:51:24 -0500 (CDT) Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government 14 May 2008 http://www.legitgov.org/ All items are here: http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news Air Force Aims for 'Full Control' of 'Any and All' Computers By Noah Shachtman 13 May 2008 The Air Force wants a suite of hacker tools, to give it "access" to -- and "full control" of -- any kind of computer there is. And once the info warriors are in, the Air Force wants them to keep tabs on their "adversaries' information infrastructure completely undetected." The government is growing increasingly interested in waging war online. The Air Force recently put together a "Cyberspace Command," with a charter to rule networks the way its fighter jets rule the skies. The Department of Homeland Security, Darpa, and other agencies are teaming up for a five-year, $30 billion "national cybersecurity initiative." Air Force Colonel Wants to Build a Military Botnet By Kevin Poulsen 12 May 2008 ...Col. Charles W. Williamson III is proposing that the Air Force build its own zombie network, so it can launch distributed denial of service attacks on foreign enemies. In the most lunatic idea to come out of the military since the gay bomb, Williamson writes in the Armed Force Journal that the Air Force should deliberately install DDoS code on its unclassified computers, as well as civilian government machines. He even wants to rescue old machines from the junk bin to enlist in the .mil botnet army. U.S. Forcibly Drugs Detainees --Sedation of deportees is far more common than federal immigration officials have admitted. 14 May 2008 The U.S. government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged. The government's forced use of antipsychotic drugs, in people who have no history of mental illness, includes dozens of cases in which the "pre-flight cocktail," as a document calls it, had such a potent effect that federal guards needed a wheelchair to move the slumped deportee onto an airplane. Italian Trial of CIA Operatives Begins With Torture Testimony 15 May 2008 (Milan) A long-delayed trial of C.I.A. operatives and former top Italian intelligence officials moved forward here on Wednesday, as a judge ruled that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi could be called to testify about the abduction of a Muslim cleric here in 2003. Testimony also began Wednesday. The clerics wife, Ghali Nabila, said her husband, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, known as Abu Omar, was taken from Italy and transferred to a prison in Egypt, where, she said, he was repeatedly tortured. "He was tied up like he was being crucified. He was beat up, especially around his ears. He was subjected to electroshocks to many body parts." "To his genitals?" the prosecutors asked. "Yes," she replied. Italian PM may be drawn into CIA abduction case 13 May 2008 An Italian judge could decide on Wednesday to make Silvio Berlusconi the first head of a government to testify in criminal proceedings over secret CIA transfers of terrorism suspects. Prosecutors say a CIA-led team kidnapped a Muslim cleric off the streets of Milan and secretly flew him to Egypt. There, the terrorism suspect, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, says he was tortured under questioning and held for years without charge before being released in 2007. Bush: Democratic presidency could lead to another terror attack on U.S. 13 May 2008 President [sic] Bush said on Tuesday he was disappointed in "flawed intelligence" before the Iraq war and was concerned that if a Democrat wins the presidency in November and withdrew troops prematurely it could "eventually lead to another attack on the United States." He acknowledged concerns about leaving the unfinished [lost] Iraq war to a Democratic successor. Bush said his "doomsday scenario of course is that extremists throughout the Middle East would be emboldened, which would eventually lead to another attack on the United States." US Listed Palestine Hotel as Target Prior to Killing of Two Journalists: Fmr. Military Intelligence Sgt. (Democracy Now!) 13 May 2008 Last month marked the fifth anniversary of the US military shelling of the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. The attack killed two journalists: Reuters cameraman Taras Protsyuk and Jose Couso, a cameraman for the Spanish television network Telecinco. The Pentagon has called the killings accidental, but in this broadcast exclusive Army Sgt. Adrienne Kinne (Ret.) reveals she saw secret US military documents that listed the hotel as a possible target. Kinne also discloses that she was personally ordered to eavesdrop on Americans working for news organizations and NGOs in Iraq. Military analysts named in Times exposi appeared or were quoted more than 4,500 times on broadcast nets, cables, NPR 13 May 2008 A New York Times article detailed the connection between numerous media military analysts and the Pentagon and defense industries, reporting that "the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform" media military analysts "into a kind of media Trojan horse -- an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks." A Media Matters review found that since January 1, 2002, the analysts named in the Times article -- many identified as having ties to the defense industry -- collectively appeared or were quoted as experts more than 4,500 times on various media outlets. Two suicide bombings kill over 20 Iraqis 15 May 2008 Two suicide bombings left more than 50 people killed or injured on Wednesday in Iraq. A suicide bomber blew himself up in a tent on a funeral site at the Zaidan village of Abu Ghraib area, some 15 km west of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said. The blast killed at least 20 mourners and wounded about 30 others at the funeral, the source said. Kitty Hawk air wing commander removed for 'loss of confidence' [?] 11 May 2008 The U.S. Navy air wing commander for the USS Kitty Hawks strike group was relieved of duty Friday after an admiral said he lost confidence in the commanders ability, according to a Navy spokeswoman. Capt. Michael P. McNellis was relieved as commander of Carrier Air Wing 5 by Rear Adm. Richard B. Wren, commander of Commander Task Force 70, the Navy said in a news release. MI6 chief visits Mossad for talks on Iran's nuclear threat 04 May 2008 The head of MI6, Sir John Scarlett, is to visit Israel later this month as Britain forges closer links with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service. Irans nuclear programme is expected to be high on the agenda in an intelligence-sharing process described by Israeli officials as a "strategic dialogue". It is building on long-standing cooperation between MI6 and Mossad, both of which have extensive spy networks in the Middle East. Afghanistan seeks $50 billion in aid 14 May 2008 Afghanistan will ask international donors next month for $50 billion to fund a five-year development plan, a presidential aide said, despite growing criticism that aid money is being wasted. [Thanks to Bush,] Afghanistan produces about 93 percent of the world's opium, the raw material of heroin. 13 Taliban, 2 police killed in Afghanistan 14 May 2008 Clashes in southern Afghanistan have left 13 Taliban militants and two policemen dead, while a teacher was shot to death in the north after giving a speech condemning suicide bombings, officials said Wednesday. Generals dismissed over Afghan assassination bid 13 May 2008 Eight senior generals have been suspended from Afghanistan's armed forces and are being questioned over last month's failed assassination bid on President Hamad Karzai. Mr Karzai survived the April 27 'Taliban' attack on a military parade, which left three other people dead including an Afghan MP. Jordan convicts 3 of plotting to kill Bush 14 May 2008 Jordan's military court convicted three militants Wednesday of plotting to assassinate President [sic] Bush during a 2006 visit to the kingdom and sentenced them to 15 years in jail. The Jordanian men -- Nidhal Musleh al-Momani, Sattam al-Zawahrah and Tharwat Darajs -- were arrested Nov. 28, 2006, the day before Bush landed in the Jordanian capital Amman. [They couldn't get bail?] Why has the US dropped 9/11 charges? [Because Bush did it.] 13 May 2008 The American government has given no reason why charges against the man it has alleged was the "20th hijacker" in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US have been dropped... The CCR said in a statement it believed the charges against him had been dropped because Mohammad al-Qahtani had been tortured. "The government's claims against our client were based on unreliable evidence obtained through torture at Guantanamo," it said. Police warn editors on terrorism article 14 May 2008 (AU) Police have issued formal warnings to six editors and an investigative reporter over coverage of the Operation Eight terrorism investigation. In what is believed to be a legal first, a police investigation found that the seven journalists had a case to answer over an alleged breach of Section 312K of the Crimes Act. The section limits publication of information gathered using an interception warrant. The Police investigation related to news reports published in Fairfax Media newspapers and the Stuff website last November. John Edwards endorses Barack Obama for president 14 May 2008 John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama for president today, dealing a major blow to Hillary Clinton's hopes for prolonging the Democratic race into next month. Both Obama and Clinton had courted the 2004 vice-presidential nominee, paying personal visits to Edwards's North Carolina home and vowing to carry on his agenda to end poverty in the US. NARAL Pro-Choice America endorses Obama 14 May 2008 The group NARAL Pro-Choice America just announced it has endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's bid for the White House. "Sen. Obama has been a strong advocate for a woman's right to choose throughout his career in public office," NARAL President Nancy Keenan says in a prepared statement. Tennessee superdelegate endorses Clinton for president 14 May 2008 Tennessee superdelegate Vicky Harwell has decided to endorse Hillary Clinton's bid for the Democratic nomination for president. Harwell, the president of the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women, says in a statement that Clinton's overwhelming win in West Virginia shows she is the best candidate to take on Republican nominee John McCain in November. W.Va. blowout bolsters Clinton's resolve 13 May 2008 Hillary Clinton crushed Barack Obama by more than 2-1 in the West Virginia primary Tuesday -- a victory that was surely personally satisfying but came as the Democratic presidential nomination is nearly in the grasp of her rival. "There are some who have wanted to cut this race short," Clinton told raucous, cheering supporters in Charleston, but she left no doubt she plans to stay in the race through the final contests. Clinton cruises to easy West Virginia win 13 May 2008 Hillary Clinton scored a big victory over front-runner Barack Obama in West Virginia on Tuesday, but it could be too little and too late to stop his march to the Democratic presidential nomination. Democrats capture GOP seat in special Mississippi election --Loss in solidly Republican area may spell trouble for party in fall 13 May 2008 Travis Childers, a Democrat, won a special election for a House seat in Mississippi on Tuesday night, defeating Republican opponent Greg Davis and lengthening a string of Democratic victories in solidly Republican congressional areas. The win by Childers adds to potential trouble for the Republican party in the fall. Democrats win again in a Republican stronghold 13 May 2008 Both parties watched a special House election in Mississippi -- and the results could not be worse for the GOP. For the third time during the last few months, a Democrat triumphed in a House district that long had been solidly Republican. In this case -- Mississippi's 1st congressional district -- Travis Childers bucked last-minute intervention by Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney to win a seat that the GOP had held, easily, since 1994. Cheney personally stumped on behalf of the Republican candidate, Greg Davis, on Monday. Polar Bears Listed as Threatened Species in U.S. 14 May 2008 After delaying a decision for several weeks, the U.S. government today listed the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), creating new protections for the bears in their Alaskan habitat. But officials emphasized that the decision will not be used to determine U.S. climate policy. Polar Bear Is First Species Protected Because of Climate Change 14 May 2008 The U.S. declared the polar bear a threatened species, giving protected status for the first time to an animal because of global warming. Polar bear listed as threatened but protection uncertain 14 May 2008 Defenders of Wildlife today welcomed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This move officially recognizes that polar bears are threatened with extinction from global warming, which is melting the Arctic sea ice where polar bears hunt for ringed and bearded seals, their primary food source. Defenders cautioned, however, that the Bush administration continues to be unwilling to address global warming, which is the leading threat to the polar bear. Bird Flu Medicine Toxic for Teens 13 May 2008 Concerns are rising over side effect of bird flu drug Tamiflu on teenagers. Tamiflu is Swiss-based Hoffman-La Roche's antiviral for general influenza A and B but is also used to combat bird flu. However, worries have surfaced about the possibility of the medicine causing mental disorders among teenagers. [See: Rumsfeld's growing stake in Tamiflu --Defense Secretary, ex-chairman of flu treatment rights holder, sees portfolio value growing. 31 Oct 2005 Rumsfeld still holds a Gilead stake valued at between $5 million and $25 million, according to federal financial disclosures filed by Rumsfeld. House votes to stop adding to [Bush's insane] oil stockpile 14 May 2008 The House of Representatives on Tuesday followed the Senate in rejecting the Bush regime's policy of adding oil to the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve while fuel prices are high. The Senate approved a similar measure earlier in the day. Like the Senate's legislation, the 385-to-25 vote in favor of the bill in the House was big enough to override a possible presidential veto of the measure. Toll Hikes Used to Boost Foreign Company Profits --North American motorists pay extra to cover the losses at a Spanish toll road giant. 09 May 2008 Drivers in North America are paying higher fees to cover the red ink of a Spanish infrastructure firm. Global toll road giant Cintra announced yesterday that its first quarter revenue had jumped 15.3 percent thanks in part to toll hikes on roads in the US, Canada, Chile, Ireland and Spain... American motorists are now paying significantly more as a result. In 2005, Governor Mitch Daniels (R) leased the Chicago Skyway to Cintra and the Australian tolling firm Macquarie for the next 99 years. The consortium hiked tolls 20 percent earlier this year, charging motorists $3 each to drive the 7.8 mile route. US foreclosure filings surge 65 percent in April 14 May 2008 More U.S. homeowners fell behind on mortgage payments last month, driving the number of homes facing foreclosure up 65 percent versus the same month last year and contributing to a deepening slide in home values, a research company said Tuesday. CLG needs 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:] 'I have determined that you pose a security threat.' Blunt Federal Letters Tell Students They're Security Threats 13 May 2008 A German graduate student in oceanography at M.I.T. applied to the Transportation Security Administration for a new ID card allowing him to work around ships and docks. What the student, Wilken-Jon von Appen, received in return was a letter that not only turned him down but added an ominous warning from John M. Busch, a security administration official: "I have determined that you pose a security threat." Similar letters have gone to 5,000 applicants across the country who have at least initially been turned down for a Transportation Worker Identification Credential, an ID card meant to guard against acts of terrorism, agency officials said Monday. Arrested, killed, re-arrested, allegedly re-killed and now devalued: US slashes reward for al-Qaida Iraq leader 13 May 2008 The Bush regime has slashed its reward for the leader of al-Qaida [al-CIAduh] in Iraq from $5 million to $100,000 because it feels he's lost effectiveness and is no longer worth such a steep price, officials said Tuesday. Information on Abu Ayyub al-Masri is now worth only up to $100,000 under a separate and less well-known rewards program run by the Defense Department, which asked that he be taken off the State Department list, they said. Ex-officials: Bush admin. ignored Iraq corruption 12 May 2008 The Bush administration repeatedly ignored corruption at the highest levels within the Iraqi government and kept secret potentially embarrassing information so as not to undermine its relationship with Baghdad, according to two former State Department employees. The State Department's policies "not only contradicted the anti-corruption mission but indirectly contributed to and has allowed corruption to fester at the highest levels of the Iraqi government," Arthur Brennan, who briefly served in Baghdad as head of the department's Office of Accountability and Transparency last year, told the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. Those who'd like to be added to the list can go here: http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg and add your name. Those who wish to be removed from the list can access the same link and click 'unsubscribe.' Please write to: signup@legitgov.org for inquiries/issues/concerns with your subscription. CLG Newsletter editor: Lori Price, Manager. Copyright ) 2008, Citizens For Legitimate Government . All rights reserved. CLG Founder and Chair is Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.