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U.S. troops quietly surge into Middle East 12
Jan 2012 The Pentagon has quietly shifted combat troops and warships to
the Middle East after the top American commander in the region warned
that he needed additional forces to deal with Iran and other potential
threats, U.S. officials said. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, who heads
U.S. Central Command, won White House approval for the deployments late
last year after talks with the government in Baghdad broke down over
keeping U.S. troops in Iraq, but the extent of the Pentagon moves is
only now becoming clear. The Pentagon has stationed nearly 15,000 troops
in Kuwait, adding to a small contingent already there. The new units
include two Army infantry brigades and a helicopter unit - a substantial
increase in combat power after nearly a decade in which Kuwait chiefly
served as a staging area for supplies and personnel heading to Iraq.
U.S. Sends Top Iranian Leader a Warning on Strait Threat 13
Jan 2012 The Obama administration is relying on a secret channel of
communication to warn Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
that closing the Strait of Hormuz is a "red line" that would provoke an
American response, according to United States government officials. The
officials declined to describe the unusual contact between the two
governments, and whether there had been an Iranian reply. Gen. Martin E.
Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said this past
weekend that the United States would "take action and reopen the
strait," which could be accomplished only by military means, including
minesweepers, warship escorts and potentially airstrikes.
Iran to probe N-assassination via IAEA 13
Jan 2012 Iran's permanent envoy to International Atomic Energy Agency
says the country will follow up the recent assassination of nuclear
scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan through the IAEA. Ali Asghar Soltanieh
said Friday that he has already written a letter to the Non-Aligned
Movement countries for the condemnation of the terrorist attack in Iran
and will also follow up on this issue at the IAEA. Soltanieh added that
assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists will have no affect on the
Iranian nation's resolve to insist on its right to using various
technologies, including nuclear technology.
Iran blasts US, UK for N-assassination --'The Uk is responsible for such acts of terror.' 13
Jan 2012 Iran's Foreign Ministry has blasted the US and UK governments
for their obvious roles in assassinating Iranian scientist Mostafa
Ahmadi Roshan in two strongly-worded protest notes. Ahmadi Roshan was
assassinated on Wednesday, after an unknown motorcyclist attached a
sticky bomb to his car near Allameh Tabatabaei University in Tehran,
killing him instantly. The note to the UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs
pointed to the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists that
immediately followed the remarks of head of the British Secret
Intelligence Service (MI6) John Sawers, who discussed the launch of
intelligence operations against Iran.
Leader: CIA, Mossad behind Iran killing 12
Jan 2012 Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei
has condemned the US and Israeli spy agencies, CIA and Mossad, for the
recent assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist. "This cowardly
[act of] terror, whose perpetrators and plotters will never dare to
confess to their dirty and hideous crime or accept responsibility for
it, has been carried out by the planning or support of CIA and Mossad
[spy] services, like all other crimes of the network of international
state terrorism," said Ayatollah Khamenei late on Thursday in a message
of condolence on the death of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan.
Met to probe Libyan rendition claims 12
Jan 2012 No British spies will be charged over alleged complicity in
the torture of terror suspects but a new investigation will look into
allegations of rendition in Libya, it has been announced. Several MI5
and MI6 agents were at the centre of criminal investigations into the
treatment of former detainees, including UK resident Binyam Mohamed. Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay claim British
security and intelligence officials colluded in their torture and abuse
while they were held at the controversial detention centre... But a
joint statement by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer QC
and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) confirmed that no individuals
had been charged in relation to Operations Hinton and Iden. However,
the MPS will now investigate two cases of alleged rendition of Libyan
nationals.
British spies await findings of torture probe 12
Jan 2012 British spies will discover later whether they will face
charges over their alleged complicity in the torture of terror suspects.
Several MI5 and MI6 agents are understood to be at the centre of
criminal investigations into the treatment of former detainees,
including UK resident Binyam Mohamed. Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay claim
British security and intelligence officials colluded in their torture
and abuse while they were held at the controversial detention centre.
MI5 and MI6 expected to be cleared of torture allegations 11
Jan 2012 MI5 and MI6 are expected to be cleared of allegations that
they were complicit in torture after a four year investigation. Despite
years of allegations against the security and intelligence services by
terrorism suspects, Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service have
now concluded that there is no case to answer, sources have told the
Daily Telegraph. Both the police and Kier Starmer, the Director of
Public Prosecutions, are to make a statement explaining the decision.
Lawsuit demands that Obama administration release Guantanamo torture tapes By
Tom Carter 12 Jan 2012 A lawsuit filed Monday by lawyers for the Center
for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in federal court in New York demands
that the Obama administration turn over video tapes documenting the
torture of Mohammed al-Qahtani at the US military prison in Guantanamo.
The videotapes requested by the CCR constitute important evidence of war
crimes and crimes against humanity, and could serve as the basis for
criminal indictments of top US military and civilian officials. The CCR
made a formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the tapes
last year, but the Obama administration refused to turn them over.
Guantanamo Bay remains open 10 years on 11
Jan 2012 Amnesty International calls on the US government to end
indefinite detentions in Guantanamo, as the prison reaches its 10th
anniversary. In a new report, Guantánamo: A Decade of Damage to Human Rights,
the charity said the treatment of Guantanamo detainees underlined
reasons why the detention centre continued to represent an attack on
human rights. The charity said the failure to close the Cuba-based
detention centre represented "a toxic legacy for human rights". Of the
171 men still held at the camp, at least 12 were in the original group
first transferred to Guantanamo on 11 January, 2002.
Four US suspects nabbed in Baghdad --The
US Embassy in Baghdad has declined comment on the incident, which is
seen as a violation of a security pact signed between Baghdad and
Washington. 12 Jan 2012
Iraqi authorities have detained four armed American nationals over what
the officials described as "suspicious" activity in the capital,
Baghdad, Press TV reports. Iraqi sources said the suspects, including
two women, were arrested on Thursday as they were found traveling in a
BMW car with a local license plate, instead of diplomatic registration. The
US nationals were wearing flak jackets and were armed with pistols --
equipped with silencers -- and automatic weapons when they were arrested
in a Shia neighborhood in central Baghdad.
US Marines grilled over abuse video 14
Jan 2012 US investigators have identified the four Marines seen
urinating on Afghan corpses in an inflammatory video and expect to bring
charges against them soon, a senior military official told FOX News
Channel today. The online video showed the US troops urinating on three
bloodied corpses, and one of the men, apparently aware he was being
filmed, saying: "Have a great day, buddy," referring to one of the dead.
All four are from a sniper unit in the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines based
at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, the official said, noting that the
two who were questioned by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are
on active duty.
US Marines identify Afghanistan 'urination' troops 13
Jan 2012 At least two of four US Marines shown in a video appearing to
urinate on Taliban corpses have been identified, a Marine Corps official
has told the BBC. The video, which was posted online, purports to show
the Marines standing over the bodies of several Taliban fighters, at
least one of whom is covered in blood. The BBC says the official would
not confirm the Marines' whereabouts, but reports suggested the unit
involved was based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina - a major military
base.
Another day, another US war crime: Video allegedly showing US troops urinating on bodies of Taliban fighters 12
Jan 2012 This video shows what are alleged to be American forces in
Afghanistan urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters land
laughing. The film is being investigated by the US Marine Corps. If it
proves to be authentic, desecration of corpses will be regarded as a
serious crime [WARNING: This video contains graphic images.]
Military court orders release of IDF soldier suspected of passing info to rightists --IDF
paratrooper Amichai Zoaretz was arrested earlier this week and
questioned by military police; Zoaretz expressed strong anti-Arab and
anti-leftist sentiments on Facebook.
12 Jan 2012 A military court in Jaffa on Thursday ordered the release
from detention of an Israel Defense Forces paratrooper suspected of
passing military information to right-wing activists in the West Bank.
Amichai Zoaretz serves in Paratrooper Battalion 890 and has recently
filled a combat support role at the battalion headquarters following an
injury. He was arrested earlier this week and questioned by military
police.
Loggers 'burned Amazon tribe girl alive' 10
Jan 2012 Loggers in Brazil captured an eight-year-old girl from one of
the Amazon's last uncontacted tribes and burned her alive as part of a
campaign to force the indigenous population from its land, reports
claimed on Tuesday night. The child was said to have wandered away from
her village, where around 60 members of the Awá tribe live a primitive
life in complete isolation from the modern world, and fallen into the
hands of the loggers. Luis Carlos Guajajaras, a local leader from a
separate tribe, told a Brazilian news website that they tied to her a
tree and set her alight as a warning to other natives, who live in a
protected reserve in the north-eastern state of Maranhão. [Hopefully,
the indigenous people are using any and *all* tactics against these
sociopaths, including, of course, ARMED resistance.]
U.S. Coast Guard will escort ship into Port of Longview, as Occupy movement plans big protest --'The Coast Guard is definitely going to be involved in making sure the port is safe.' 06
Jan 2012 (WA) The U.S. Coast Guard will escort the first ship coming to
the EGT grain terminal at the Port of Longview this month, and the
Occupy movement and local labor groups say they are planning to greet
the vessel with a massive protest. The Coast Guard will deploy one or
two vessels to escort the grain ship up the Columbia River, with more on
call if necessary, said Lt. Lucas Elder, a spokesman for Coast Guard's
Portland-based marine safety unit. Other law-enforcement agencies will
also be present, he said.
Court rejects petition from WikiLeaks, Julian Assange 11
Jan 2012 The U.S. military's highest appeals court has rejected a
petition by WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange to give their
lawyers guaranteed access to the Army's legal proceedings against the
Army intelligence analyst accused of leaking thousands of military
reports and diplomatic cables, Pfc. Bradley Manning. WikiLeaks and
Assange argued they deserved a permanent seat at the recent
investigative hearing in Manning's case because of an ongoing criminal
investigation targeting Assange and his global transparency website...
However, in an order Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed
Forces denied the petition without comment.
Bradley Manning moves step closer to full court martial --Investigating officer in pre-trial hearing recommends that 22 charges against WikiLeaks suspect be referred to military trial 12
Jan 2012 Bradley Manning, the US soldier accused of having been the
source of the massive WikiLeaks dump of state secrets, is one step
closer towards the possibility of spending the rest of his life in
military confinement after the officer who presided over his pre-trial
hearing recommended he be sent to a full court martial. Colonel Paul
Almanza, the investigating officer at last month's hearing in Fort
Meade, Maryland, has written to his superiors recommending that all 22
charges against Manning be referred to a general court martial – the
most serious military trial.
Abandoned
by British justice: Student faces 10 years in U.S. jail for setting up
'illegal' website (in a chilling echo of Gary McKinnon) --'Quiet
and vulnerable' man could spend ten years in high-security American
jail after he lost fight against extradition yesterday 14
Jan 2012 A British student faces up to a decade in a U.S. prison for
actions which are not even a crime in the UK. Campaigners say Richard
O'Dwyer, 23, is being abandoned by his country in the same way as
computer hacker Gary McKinnon. Mr O'Dwyer is accused of listing places
where films and TV programmes could be illegally downloaded, on a
website he ran from his university bedroom in Sheffield... The case has
chilling similarities with the attempt by the U.S. to extradite
Asperger's sufferer Mr McKinnon, who hacked into Pentagon computers from
his north London bedroom.
FBI agent admits deleting emails amid terror probe --FBI
agent was member of so-called "dirty" team that did an initial
intelligence-gathering interview of Ahmed without reading him his
Miranda rights 12
Jan 2012 An FBI agent testified Thursday that she deleted potentially
sensitive emails covering several months when she was helping spearhead
an investigation of a terror suspect. Defense attorneys have sought to
examine FBI emails to see if they reveal agents skirted interrogation
rules in the case of Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed, an Eritrean man charged in
Manhattan federal court with supporting terrorism. Ahmed's lawyers have
asked U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel to bar statements made by
Ahmed while he was detained in Nigeria in 2009 before being turned over
to U.S. authorities.
Fears over outbreak after 12 infected with new swine flu strain in U.S. 12
Jan 2012 Twelve Americans have been reported infected with a mutating
and now possibly human-to-human transmitted form of the H1N1 Swine Flu
virus called H3N2v. An investigation undertaken by the U.S. Center for
Disease Control and Prevention found
that human infections of these viruses followed contact with swine as
well as through 'limited human-to-human transmission.' 'While there is
no evidence that sustained human-to-human transmission is occurring, all
influenza viruses have the capacity to change and it's possible that
this virus may become widespread,' the CDC explained through their
website.
Fukushima eyes checking radiation in breast milk for 10,000 mothers 12
Jan 2012 Fukushima Prefecture plans to test for radioactive
contamination in breast milk samples from about 10,000 mothers residing
in the prefecture, home to the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
plant, prefectural officials said Thursday. While details, including how
and when to implement the survey, have not been finalized, the plan
will offer the tests to mothers who wish to participate. Many mothers
have expressed concerns about breast-feeding their babies amid fears
that their milk may be contaminated by radioactive materials released
into the air and sea by the Fukushima plant.
Iodine pills should be distributed to households near nuclear plants: experts 12
Jan 2012 The intake of potassium iodine tablets immediately after a
nuclear accident is effective in preventing the thyroid from being
exposed to radiation, and they should be distributed to households near
nuclear power plants in advance, a recent nuclear safety commission
proposal suggests. The plan was put together by a subcommittee of the
Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) and was released on Jan. 12.
9 eurozone nations downgraded by S&P 13
Jan 2012 Standard & Poor's said Friday that it has downgraded the
credit ratings of nine euro area governments, including AAA-rated France
and Austria. S&P lowered its rating for Italy, Spain, Portugal and
Cyprus by two notches. The move means Italian bonds are now rated BBB+,
dangerously close to the junk bond level that could make it even harder
for the government to raise money. France's top-tier credit rating was
lowered by one notch to AA+, said S&P.
Judge: John Edwards Has Life-Threatening Condition 13
Jan 2012 A federal judge says she has two letters from a cardiologist
saying ex-presidential candidate John Edwards has a life-threatening
condition that will require surgery in February. The letters were
revealed during a hearing Friday to consider whether the 58-year-old
ex-North Carolina Senator would go on trial later this month for alleged
campaign finance violations. Attorneys for Edwards were seeking a
60-day delay to allow time for Edwards to recover. The judge delayed the
trial to March 26.
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Bristol, CT 06011-1142
Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible.
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Editor-in-Chief: Lori Price. CLG Chair: Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2012, Citizens for Legitimate Government ® All rights
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