Curiouser and curiouser: Fort Hood Shooting 'Oddities' --Video surfaces of alleged shooter, Major Nidal Hasan, at Homeland Security Task Force conference By Lori Price Updated 06 Nov 2009 Major Hasan's name appears on page 29 of The George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute's 'Thinking Anew—Security Priorities for the Next Administration' --Proceedings Report of the HSPI Presidential Transition Task Force - April 2008 - January 2009. The report is dated 19 May 2009. Other news: The Alleged shooter graduated from Virginia Tech. Major Hasan is 'in a coma,' and 'on a ventilator.' Officers raided the Texas home of the suspect in the Fort Hood shootings. Full updates here.]

Mission accomplished! ExxonMobil-led consortium nets 'supergiant' Iraq oil field 06 Nov 2009 An ExxonMobil-led consortium has beaten rival Russian, French and Chinese groups to bag initial rights to develop Iraq’s West Qurna field, the Oil Ministry said. With reserves of 8.7 billion barrels, West Qurna is among the prized Iraqi fields eyed by Western oil majors. "The consortium led by ExxonMobil, which includes Shell, won the contract to develop West Qurna Phase One oilfield," Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said. The initial deal was signed in Baghdad on Thursday but needs Cabinet approval before it can be finalized. The 20-year contract is part of a raft of deals Iraq is close to formalizing. [Will the real insurgency keep ExxonMobil, Shell, and other corporaterrorists from taking Iraq's oil?]

Sen. Dorgan: KBR Still Using Burn Pits 06 Nov 2009 According to Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), who chairs the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, military contractor [terrorist group] Kellogg, Brown, and Root (KBR) is continuing to dispose of waste in Iraq using burn pits that reportedly give off toxic fumes. "The Army and the contractor in charge of this waste disposal Kellogg, Brown, and Root, made frequent and unnecessary use of these burn pits and exposed thousands of U.S. troops to toxic smoke…burn pits are still used at the Balad Airbase in Iraq, which is the largest U.S. base in that country."

UN sanctions Goldstone report on Gaza war 06 Nov 2009 The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly in favor of a report, which accuses Israel of war crimes as well as crimes against humanity during the weeks-long onslaught on the Gaza Strip. 114 states endorsed a resolution supporting the report by a Human Rights Council panel led by the South African judge Richard Goldstone in Thursday's UN vote while only 18 states including the US objected to the report's adoption.

Palestinians take down parts of WB wall 06 Nov 2009 Palestinian youths have tipped over a part of Israel's separation wall in the occupied West Bank during a demonstration which marked the fall of the Berlin Wall. Some 300 Palestinians and left-wing activists attended the demonstration in the village of Naalin, Ynet reported on Friday. They held banners reading "No matter how tall, all walls fall." According to the demonstrators, a 6-meter (20-foot) high section of the wall was taken down.

Policeman who killed British troops 'is back with Taliban' --Gunman identified as policeman called Gulbadin greeted with flowers on return to Taliban protection, sources say 05 Nov 2009 The gunman who killed five British soldiers in an attack in Afghanistan's Helmand province was today back with Taliban fighters who greeted him with flowers, sources close to the Afghan security forces said. The killer - identified only as a policeman called Gulbadin - was back under Taliban protection, the source said. British and Afghan commanders were undertaking an urgent investigation into the circumstances of the attack.

Afghan National Police penetrated by Taliban at 'every level' 04 Nov 2009 The Afghan National Police have been penetrated by the Taliban "at every level" with officers poorly trained, corrupt and some addicted to drugs, a former Army officer has said. Capt Doug Beattie, who served two tours in Afghanistan working with the ANP, said many police officers are in the paid of 'insurgents' and were more loyal to their tribes than the Afghan government. British officers say that among low-ranking Afghan police, and particularly in more rural areas away from central control, there is widespread corruption and disloyalty.

25 troops injured in search for U.S. paratroopers missing in Afghanistan 06 Nov 2009 More than 25 international and Afghan troops were wounded Friday in western Afghanistan -- possibly by friendly fire -- during a search operation for two U.S. Army paratroopers who had gone missing, according to the military. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan initially said that the troops conducting the search had been injured by 'insurgents.' But a spokesman later said that officials were investigating the incident and had not ruled out the possibility of friendly fire.

Poland denies asking US troop deployment 06 Nov 2009 Warsaw has denied Russian media reports that Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski asked Washington to deploy US troops to protect Poland. On Thursday, the Russian Interfax news agency quoted Sikorski as saying Poland had requesting the United States and NATO to deploy troops in Central Europe.

Cheney blasts probe of CIA interrogations --'I find that absolutely abhorrent,' former vice president says 06 Nov 2009 Former Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney held back no criticism Thursday of President Barack Obama, strongly questioning the administration's policy in Afghanistan and its approach to combating terrorism. Cheney, speaking to the Economic Club of Southwest Michigan, was harshest when addressing a Department of Justice investigation into so-called "enhanced interrogations" [torture] used by the CIA and military on detained suspected terrorists. "I find that absolutely abhorrent," said Cheney, who served under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009.

Senate Votes on Terrorism Trials 06 Nov 2009 The Democratic-controlled Senate turned back a Republican-led effort to bar Sept. 11 terrorists from being prosecuted in civilian federal courts. Instead, senators voted 54 to 45 to support a request by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to have the option of prosecuting those accused of terrorism in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in either federal courts or by military tribunals.

Guantanamo became a recruiting tool for terrorism: Napolitano 06 Nov 2009 Guantanamo Bay was used as a "recruiting tool" for terrorism more than anything else, US homeland security chief Janet Napolitano said Friday, during a visit to the European parliament. "Guantanamo has been used more as a recruiting tool than anything else," she told members of the European parliament's civil liberties committee in Brussels. Therefore "it needs to be closed and the individuals dealt with appropriately," she added.

Massachusetts: Terrorism Charges 06 Nov 2009 A Massachusetts man has been indicted on new charges involving a plot to kill two prominent politicians and shoot people at shopping malls. The man, Tarek Mehanna, of Sudbury, is accused of conspiring with two other men: Ahmad Abousamra, whom the authorities say is now in Syria, and an unnamed cooperating witness. Mr. Mehanna, was arrested Oct. 21 on a charge of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. The 10-count indictment also charges Mr. Mehanna and Mr. Abousamra with conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, conspiracy to provide false information to law enforcement and making false statements to law enforcement.

Counter-terror plans will be revised to reflect Fort Hood and Afghan attacks [Wow, that was quick!] 05 Nov 2009 (UK) A soldier turning on his comrades at Fort Hood, an Afghan policeman killing the British soldiers who trained him - two uncannily similar events in two days, but incidents which, across the Western world, security authorities have been planning for and dreading. Since the Mumbai attacks counter-terrorism planning has seen a major shift. The shootings in Afghanistan and Fort Hood carry echoes of the attacks in India with the added danger that the enemy has come from within.

Orlando Shooting Suspect Had Money Woes --1 Confirmed Dead; 5 Others Hurt 06 Nov 2009 A man so broke that he said he didn't have the money to visit his son 30 minutes away opened fire Friday at the engineering firm that fired him two years ago, killing one person and wounding five, authorities said. As officers led a handcuffed Jason Rodriguez into a police station, a reporter asked the divorced 40-year-old why he had attacked his former colleagues. "Because they left me to rot," said Rodriguez, who recently told a bankruptcy judge he was making less than $30,000 a year... and owed nearly $90,000.

Orlando shooting suspect had recently filed for bankruptcy 06 Nov 2009 The suspect in Friday's shooting of six people in a downtown high-rise is a 40-year-old "man with economic woes that include a recent bankruptcy filing, federal records show. In his filing last May for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, under which he sought to have his assets liquidated and his debts discharged, Jason S. Rodriguez listed his assets at $4,675 and his liabilities at $89,873.31.

Report: NWA Flight Had No Contact for 3 Hours 05 Nov 2009 FOX News has learned Northwest Airlines Flight 188 that overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles in October was out of contact with air traffic controllers for approximately three hours, and NORAD was not informed until the last few minutes. Sources told FOX News there were three NORDO's -- or non-contacts -- the first one occurring shortly after the plane reached cruising altitude out of San Diego. The military was not notified until after the third NORDO -- which occurred as the plane approached Minneapolis.

Rare Ebola-like virus poses new threat to Afghan troops 06 Nov 2009 U.S. military officials sent a medical team to a remote outpost in southern Afghanistan this week to take blood samples from members of an Army unit after a soldier in the unit died from an Ebola-like virus. Dr. Jim Radike, an expert in internal medicine and infectious diseases at the Role 3 Trauma Hospital at Kandahar Air Field, told The Washington Times that Sgt. Robert David Gordon, 22, from River Falls, Ala., died Sept. 16 from what turned out to be Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever after he was bitten by a tick. The virus is transmitted by infected blood and can be carried by ticks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dutch pull Pfizer vaccine batch after infants die --110,000 doses of anti-infection drug Prevenar quarantined after deaths 05 Nov 2009 Dutch authorities say they have banned use of a batch of Pfizer's Prevenar, or Prevnar, after three infants died within two weeks of receiving the anti-infection vaccination. Pfizer spokeswoman Gwen Fisher said the three infants also received two unrelated other [deadly] vaccines as part of routine immunizations.

Quebec woman dies from H1N1 virus after getting vaccine 04 Nov 2009 A 42-year-old Quebec woman has died from complications resulting from the H1N1 virus. It is the third death in the province since September. The woman, who worked at the Monteregie Health and Social Services Centre, died Tuesday night. She had also received the H1N1 vaccination on Oct. 29, two days before coming down with symptoms of the flu.

NYC Commissioner Defends Giving H1N1 Shots to Goldman 06 Nov 2009 New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said his department sent 6 percent of the city’s limited doses of swine flu vaccine to Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and other large employers because they traditionally distribute shots in flu seasons.

At Supreme Court: Can prosecutors be sued for framing defendants? 03 Nov 2009 The US Supreme Court on Wednesday is set to consider an unusual question: Do Americans who have been framed by unscrupulous prosecutors for crimes they did not commit have a right to sue the prosecutors when the fraud is finally exposed? According to the Obama administration, the answer is no. Solicitor General Elena Kagan argues in a friend of the court brief that local, state, and federal prosecutors must enjoy absolute immunity from citizen lawsuits - even when they sent innocent men to prison for life by fabricating incriminating evidence and hiding exculpatory evidence.

U.S. Economy: Unemployment Rate Jumps to 26-Year High 06 Nov 2009 The unemployment rate in the U.S. jumped to 10.2 percent in October, the highest level since 1983, casting a pall over the prospects for a sustained recovery and risking further erosion of President Barack Obama’s popularity. Payrolls fell by 190,000 last month, more than forecast by economists, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington.

Wall Street bonuses to rise by 40 percent By Patrick Martin 06 Nov 2009 The authors of the biggest financial catastrophe in world history--executives and traders at US investment and commercial banks--will see their year-end bonuses rise by an average of 40 percent compared to last year, according to a report issued Wednesday by Johnson Associates, a Wall Street-based compensation consulting firm. Traders in stocks, bonds and derivatives are likely to significantly exceed even that lofty average, with projected bonuses 60 percent higher than in 2008, the company said.

Fannie Mae seeks $15B more in government aid after 3Q loss 05 Nov 2009 Fannie Mae is asking for an additional $15 billion in government aid after posting another big loss in the third quarter as the taxpayer bill from the housing market bust keeps rising. The government-controlled company continued to see a dramatic surge of borrowers fall behind as the unemployment rate climbs.

More Delays? House Health Care Bill Vote May Not Come Until Sunday 06 Nov 2009 Members of the House of Representatives are poised to vote Saturday on health care legislation, but a top Democratic leader acknowledged today that the vote may get pushed back to Sunday or later if there is not enough support to pass the bill on the floor. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said today that he still expects the vote to take place on Saturday, but that Democrats may not have the 218 votes needed for the bill to pass.

Quick action: Protect Polar Bears and the Places They Live 06 Nov 2009 Rising temperatures are robbing polar bears of their homes and access to the food they need to survive. In response, the Interior Department has announced a proposal to designate more than 200,000 square miles of critical habitat for these struggling bears -- including the vital coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most important onshore denning habitats for America’s struggling polar bears. Please fill out the form to urge the Interior Department to adopt this proposal to help save America's polar bears.

Breaking: Guy Fawkes Day attack? Gunman Kills at Least 7, Wounds 12 at Ft. Hood 05 Nov 2009 (Texas) Third Gunman has opened up on SWAT team - Fort Hood, the largest military base in the US, is under lockdown --Details forthcoming

'US officials offered me 500,000 dollars to set meeting with Taliban' US 'spending money to reach Taliban' --The US has already planned to allocate a specific budget from its annual 680 billion dollar defense bill to the Taliban. 05 Nov 2009 Washington is ready to spend a huge sum of money to start talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, a former Pakistani lawmaker says. Javed Ibrahim Paracha, a former member of Pakistan's National Assembly said that top US diplomats contacted him in 2005 and offered him a huge sum of money to broker the talks. "US officials had offered me 500,000 dollars in that meeting for mediating. I refused that offer and had asked US officials to first take permission from the government and corps commanders," The Daily Times quoted Paracha, as saying. Paracha is known for having contacts with the Taliban leadership.

UN to evacuate staff in Afghanistan --Some 600 non-essential staffers will be moved to more secure locations while the body works to find safer permanent housing 05 Nov 2009 The United Nations is temporarily relocating more than half its staff in Afghanistan following last week's deadly Taliban attack against UN workers. The UN mission is still reeling from a pre-dawn assault on a guesthouse in the capital last week that left five UN staffers dead. The Kabul attack was the most direct targeting of UN employees during the organisation's decades of work in the country.

Two Pakistanis killed in US drone attack 04 Nov 2009 Two people have been killed as a result of a US drone missile attack in the tribal region of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan. Pakistani intelligence officials confirmed that there were casualties in early Thursday's strike that targeted a house in a village near the town of Miranshah.

Justice Department won't appeal order to free Guantanamo detainee 03 Nov 2009 A Kuwaiti Airways engineer who the U.S. military has accused of being a key aide to Osama bin Laden has been moved to the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention center's minimum-security section that's reserved for prisoners slated to be released. Fouad al Rabiah, who the Pentagon says was bin Laden's logistics chief during the 2001 battle at Tora Bora in Afghanistan, was transferred to Camp Iguana after the Justice Department decided not to appeal a judge's order that he be released, his civilian lawyer, David Cynamon, said Tuesday.

Italian court finds CIA agents guilty of kidnapping terrorism suspect --First prosecution for US abduction of suspects to torture states --Italian court convicts Robert Lady and 23 others in absentia 04 Nov 2009 Twenty-three Americans were tonight convicted of kidnapping by an Italian court at the end of the first trial anywhere in the world involving the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" programme for abducting terrorist suspects. The former head of the CIA in Milan Robert Lady was given an eight-year jail sentence for his part in the seizure of Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, known as Abu Omar, who claimed that he was subsequently tortured in Egypt. Lady's superior, Jeff Castelli, the then head of the CIA in Italy, and two other Americans were acquitted on the grounds that they enjoyed diplomatic immunity. But another 21 alleged CIA operatives and a US air force officer were each sentenced to five years in jail. All were tried in absentia and those who were convicted will be regarded as fugitives under Italian law.

CIA agents guilty of Italy kidnap --22 Americans convicted were sentenced to five years in prison, in absentia 04 Nov 2009 An Italian judge has convicted 23 Americans - all but one of them CIA agents - and two Italian secret agents of the 2003 kidnap of a Muslim cleric. The agents were accused of abducting Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, known as Abu Omar, from Milan and sending him to Egypt, where he was allegedly tortured. The trial, which began in June 2007, is the first involving the CIA's so-called "extraordinary rendition" programme. Three Americans and five Italians were acquitted by the court in Milan. The Americans were all tried in their absence after the US refused to extradite them.

Venezuelan Authorities Seize 2 Tons of Cocaine [God, the CIA's got to be hopping mad about that one!] 04 Nov 2009 Venezuelan authorities seized 1,100 kilograms (2,402 lbs.) of cocaine in an area very close to the border with Colombia, the commander of Venezuelan’s National Guard announced Wednesday. The drug was found in the Buena Vista del Meta sector in Apure state "a few kilometers from the border with Colombia, in an area of medium vegetation near the end of a clandestine landing strip," Gen. Freddy Alonso Carrion told the official ABN news agency.

Government agrees to pay $3 million in CIA lawsuit --The CIA itself was a defendant in the lawsuit until early this year. 04 Nov 2009 The government has agreed to pay $3 million to a former agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration who sued CIA officers for illegal eavesdropping. The proposed settlement followed a ruling by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth in July that CIA officials committed fraud to protect a former covert agent against the eavesdropping allegations. The lawsuit was brought by former DEA agent Richard Horn, who says his home in Rangoon, Burma, was illegally wiretapped by the CIA in 1993.

Iraq Fails to Agree on Election Law 04 Nov 2009 Iraqi lawmakers failed again to agree on national-election legislation on Wednesday, and the country's 'election' commission warned the vote—scheduled for January—would have to be delayed if the law doesn't pass this week. That ultimatum sets up Thursday's session as the last one in which Iraq's various blocs can hammer out a deal. Delaying the elections will likely require approval by a high court, because the Iraqi constitution requires the country to hold an election by the end of January.

Palestinians will prosecute Israel in ICC 04 Nov 2009 The Palestinians have warned that they will seek justice for the case of Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip through the International Criminal Court. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN observer, urged the General Assembly on Wednesday to support a resolution that called on Israel and the Palestinians to carry out independent investigations into human rights violations during the Gaza war, AP reported.

Busy Day Four for Exercise Vigilant Guard 04 Nov 2009 The four-star general who heads the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Craig McKinley visited the Erie and Niagara counties on Wednesday, Nov. 4, as Vigilant Guard entered its forth day. Major General Joseph Taluto, the Adjutant General of New York, and commander of the New York National Guard, escorted McKinley to the exercise locations as well as the Erie County Emergency Operations Center in Cheektowaga, where he met with state, county and city emergency responders. Army and Air National Guard General's from a number of states were on hand to view the exercise and pick up lessons learned on Wednesday.

Ex-NY police chief Kerik guilty --In December 2004, George W. Bush nominated Kerik as Secretary of Homeland Security 05 Nov 2009 Former New York City police chief Bernard Kerik has pleaded guilty to lying to the White House and has also said he will admit tax crimes. Mr Kerik, who was police commissioner at the time of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, was facing a corruption trial. He had his bail revoked two weeks ago for passing on secret pre-trial documents and has been in prison since. He was charged with lying to the White House in 2004 while being considered for a job as homeland security chief.

Secret copyright treaty leaks. It's bad. Very bad. By Cory Doctorow 03 Nov 2009 The internet chapter of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a secret copyright treaty whose text Obama's administration refused to disclose due to "national security" concerns, has leaked. It's bad. It says that: *ISPs have to proactively police copyright on user-contributed material. *ISPs have to cut off the Internet access of accused copyright infringers or face liability. *The whole world must adopt US-style "notice-and-takedown" rules that require ISPs to remove any material that is accused -- again, without evidence or trial -- of infringing copyright. This has proved a disaster in the US and other countries, where it provides an easy means of censoring material, just by accusing it of infringing copyright. *Mandatory prohibitions on breaking DRM, even if doing so for a lawful purpose...

Goldman Sachs Received H1N1 Vaccine Before Several Hospitals 05 Nov 2009 As noted on The Today Show this morning, several banks have been among the early recipients of H1N1 vaccine, allowing them to get ahead of hospitals in some instances. The story was originally broken by BusinessWeek this week. Goldman Sachs has received 200 doses in total -- the exact same as Lennox Hill hospital. Health officials say corporate partners are always part of the distribution of any vaccine. [Not to mention, the pandemic itself. --LRP]

World first as swine flu found in US cat 04 Nov 2009 Vets in the US state of Iowa said Wednesday that a household cat had tested positive for swine flu -- the first known case in the world of the new pandemic strain spreading to the feline population. The 13-year-old male domestic shorthair apparently caught A(H1N1) from its owners -- two of the three members of the family had previously contracted the virus.

Universal Health Care Protesters Arrested at Lieberman's Office 05 Nov 2009 Protesters backing a universal health care system occupied Sen. Joe LieberBush's office this morning. Protesters were arrested, one by one, and dragged out of his office amid chants of "Everyone in and no one out, universal healthcare now!" and "Represent Connecticut, not AETNA!" The whole affair, from occupation to final arrest, lasted 40 minutes. Lieberman, the Connecticut Israel Independent, has said he will join Republicans to filibuster a Democratic health bill if it contains a public health insurance option to operate alongside the private insurance market.

CLG: ABC Series 'V': Invading, Fascist Lizards Arrive With 'Universal Health Care' and 'Message of Hope' --ABC Network Portrays Aliens, Hell-bent on Destroying Planet Earth, as the Obama Administration By Lori Price 04 Nov 2009 The ABC television network has brought back the science fiction series, 'V,' in a remake of the 1980's classic by the same name... During the interview, interspersed with scenes from a meeting of a nascent resistance movement, Anna, the Visitors' leader, announces that the Visitors 'want to provide complete medical services for all.' The interviewer actually asks, 'You're talking about universal health care?' And Anna, the scourge of mankind, replies, 'Yes, I believe that's what you call it.' The implication by the ABC producers of 'V': An alien lizard fascist, trying to take control of earth and who must be destroyed at any cost, will provide universal health care as a cover to control all earthlings and to take over the planet.

House Votes to Expand Homebuyer Tax Credit 05 Nov 2009 Buying a home is about to get cheaper for a whole new crop of homebuyers -- $6,500 cheaper. First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package enacted earlier this year. But with the program scheduled to expire at the end of November, the House voted 403-12 Thursday to extend and expand the tax credit to include many buyers who already own homes. The Senate approved the measure Wednesday, and President Barack Obama is expected to sign it.

U.S. Senate approves unemployment extension 04 Nov 2009 The U.S. Senate voted unanimously tonight to extend unemployment benefits by as much as 14 weeks to out-of-work Americans, including about 100,000 Michiganders who have exhausted their jobless benefits or would do so by year’s end.

Prejean Sex Tape Triggers Settlement 04 Nov 2009 Carrie Prejean demanded more than a million dollars during her settlement negotiations with Miss California USA Pageant officials -- that is, until the lawyer for the Pageant showed Carrie an triple x home video of her handiwork. The video the lawyer showed Carrie is extremely graphic and has never been released publicly. We know that, because TMZ obtained the video months ago but decided not to post it because it was so racy... We're told it took about 15 seconds for Carrie to jettison her demand and essentially walk away with nothing.

CLG needs your support. 
http://www.legitgov.org/donate.html
Or, please mail a check or money order to 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 knew of CIA torture, considered prosecution By Tom Eley 04 Nov 2009 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents witnessed the torture of inmates at secret Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) overseas prisons in 2002, according to documents partially declassified in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the advocacy group Judicial Watch. In September 2002, the FBI agents saw prisoners chained naked to chairs, "manacled to the ceiling and subjected to blaring music around the clock," and knew of written orders to CIA agents asking them to compare "How close is each [interrogation] technique to the 'rack and screw' " (an extreme method of torture). The Obama administration resisted release of the documents, and continues to withhold critical information, including a transcript of an interview between FBI Director Robert Mueller and investigators on the question of "terror suspect" interrogations.

CLG Managing Editor: Lori Price. Copyright © 2009, Citizens For Legitimate Government ® All rights reserved.

ABC Series 'V': Invading, Fascist Lizards Arrive With 'Universal Health Care' and 'Message of Hope' --ABC Network Portrays Aliens, Hell-bent on Destroying Planet Earth, as the Obama Administration By Lori Price 04 Nov 2009 The ABC television network has brought back the science fiction series, 'V,' in a remake of the 1980's classic by the same name... During the interview, interspersed with scenes from a meeting of a nascent resistance movement, Anna, the Visitor's leader, announces that the Visitors are going to open medical clinics all over the country, as a gift to humanity. The interviewer actually asks, 'Oh, do you mean like universal health care?' And Anna, the scourge of mankind, replies, 'Yes, I believe that is what your people call it.' The implication by the ABC producers of 'V': An alien lizard fascist, trying to take control of earth and who must be destroyed at any cost, will provide universal health care as a cover to control all earthlings and to take over the planet.

Italian judge to reach verdict in CIA kidnap trial --25 CIA agents, US air force colonel tried in absentia in case 03 Nov 2009 An Italian judge was expected to reach a verdict Wednesday in the landmark trial of 26 US secret agents in the 2003 abduction of a terror suspect from a Milan street. The trial, which opened in June 2007, is the highest profile case involving the CIA's covert "extraordinary rendition" programme in which scores of terror suspects are thought to have been transferred to countries known to practise torture. Twenty-five 25 CIA agents and a US air force colonel were tried in absentia in the case, which also involved seven Italian secret service officials including the former head of military intelligence, Nicolo Pollari, who was forced to quit over the affair.

FBI knew of CIA torture, considered prosecution By Tom Eley 04 Nov 2009 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents witnessed the torture of inmates at secret Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) overseas prisons in 2002, according to documents partially declassified in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the advocacy group Judicial Watch. In September 2002, the FBI agents saw prisoners chained naked to chairs, "manacled to the ceiling and subjected to blaring music around the clock," and knew of written orders to CIA agents asking them to compare "How close is each [interrogation] technique to the 'rack and screw' " (an extreme method of torture). The Obama administration resisted release of the documents, and continues to withhold critical information, including a transcript of an interview between FBI Director Robert Mueller and investigators on the question of "terror suspect" interrogations.

US Offers Taliban 6 Provinces for 8 Bases 02 Nov 2009 The emboldened Taliban movement in Afghanistan turned down an American offer of power-sharing in exchange for accepting the presence of foreign troops, Afghan government sources confirmed. "US negotiators had offered the Taliban leadership through Mullah Wakil Ahmed Mutawakkil (former Taliban foreign minister) that if they accept the presence of NATO troops in Afghanistan, they would be given the governorship of six provinces in the south and northeast," a senior Afghan Foreign Ministry official told IslamOnline.net requesting anonymity for not being authorized to talk about the sensitive issue with the media. He said the talks, brokered by Saudi Arabia and Turkey, continued for weeks at different locations including the Afghan capital Kabul. [See: Persistent accounts: Western forces in Afghanistan using their helicopters to ferry Taleban fighters By Ahmad Kawoosh 26 Oct 2009.]

Former minister: British should leave Afghanistan 'sooner rather than later' 04 Nov 2009 British troops should withdraw from Afghanistan "sooner rather than later", former Labour minister Kim Howells has said. The former foreign office minister suggested that the money saved should be invested in protecting Britain from terrorist attacks instead. Mr Howells, who is now chairman of the parliamentary intelligence and security committee, said there was no evidence that spending more time in the country would result in significant gains, and accused the government in Kabul of "squandering" the help offered by other nations.

Five British soldiers shot dead by rogue Afghanistan policeman 04 Nov 2009 Five soldiers have been shot dead by a "rogue" Afghan policeman in an attack at a police checkpoint. Three Grenadier Guards and two Royal Military Police were attacked as they rested inside a compound. The soldiers, who had removed their body armour and helmets, were shot by an Afghan national policeman who then fled. The gunman is thought to go by the name Gulbuddin and is believed to have had an accomplice.

British medics in Afghanistan see more traumas than UK hospitals put together 03 Nov 2009 British medics in Afghanistan are seeing more major trauma cases every day than all the UK hospitals put together, the colonel in charge of the main field hospital in Helmand said. Many of the injured have lost limbs after being caught by roadside bombs or improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Colonel Peter Gilbert said.

Mission accomplished! Iraq Signs Contract to Develop Oil Field 04 Nov 2009 Iraq formally signed a contract with a consortium of foreign oil companies Tuesday to develop its largest oil field. A partnership of British Petroleum and the Chinese National Petroleum Company signed a 20-year deal to develop the Rumalia field in southern Iraq, which contains about 17.8 billion barrels of oil. The field currently produces about one million barrels per day, but the companies plan to increase production to 2.85 million barrels per day within six years.

Israel intercepts ship carrying weapons: military 04 Nov 2009 The Israeli navy intercepted a ship carrying weapons 100 nautical miles (185 kilometres) off its coastline overnight, a military spokeswoman said on Wednesday. "During the night a special marine force intercepted a ship that was supposed to be carrying cargo around 100 (nautical) miles from our shore," the spokeswoman said, adding that the vessel was sailing under an Antigua flag.

Peres to Join Military Exercise 04 Nov 2009 President Shimon Peres will participate in the joint Israel-U.S. Juniper Cobra military exercise on Wednesday. Joining Peres will be Israel Air Force commander Ido Nechushtan, chief of IDF Operations Tal Russo, and other senior officers.

Pentagon: Defense personnel to get H1N1 vaccine before Guantanamo detainees 03 Nov 2009 The Pentagon stressed Tuesday that detainees prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, won't be receiving H1N1 flu vaccinations until well after all Department of Defense active duty and civilian employees have received their vaccinations. Pentagon officials said doses of the vaccine are on order for Guantanamo and are expected to arrive at the base in late November.

Inspections are top priority at Minot AFB 04 Nov 2009 The new commander of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base said his first priority is to make sure the wing is ready for inspections. Col. Douglas Cox began Monday as the top officer of the bomb wing. Cox replaced Col. Joel Westa, who, along with the commander of the base's 5th Operations Support Squadron, were relieved of duty... "Building that credibility is one of the biggest challenges that we are working on." [I'd say so. It would be much easier to clean the Augean stables in a single day.] "We actually are inspected all the time so every day we're either inspecting ourselves or we're expecting inspectors to come from outside of Minot Air Force Base," Cox said.

New Wing Commander at Minot AFB 03 Nov 2009 There's a new wing commander at Minot Air Force base. [This happens about once a week.] Col. Douglas Cox is the new commander of the 5th bomb Wing. Col. Cox took over the wing after Col. Joel Westa was relieved of command on Friday. Westa was removed due to the Air Force losing confidence in his ability to command. Col. Cox says he is ready to lead the 5th bomb wing knowing that perfection is the standard.

Terror plot case: In bid to deny bail, prosecutors allege suspect also tried to skirt immigration laws --Man passed tips to an associate of a terror group, prosecutors allege 04 Nov 2009 A Chicago businessman linked to a plot to attack a Danish newspaper that published controversial cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad passed on tips to an associate of a terror group on how to illegally enter the United States, prosecutors alleged Tuesday. The new allegations against Tahawwur Hussain Rana came as the government renewed its push to keep him in custody pending trial. The filing in federal court delayed a bond hearing for Rana until next week.

Government planning to impose quarantines in regions with growing number of flu patients 04 Nov 2009 The Ukrainian government is planning to impose quarantines in the Ukrainian regions in which the number of patients with flu and acute respiratory infections is growing, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said. As reported, quarantines were imposed in nine Ukrainian regions on October 30 due to the epidemic of flu and acute respiratory infections.

Ukraine virus mystery deepens 03 Nov 2009 The mystery of the unidentified flu virus in the Ukraine, first reported by RNW on 29 October, has deepened... In August 2009, a man called Joseph Mosse, who claims to be a former microbiologist with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, was arrested in Los Angeles, having made threats against the White House. Shortly after his arrest, there were reports that he had called into a radio show with a warning about a biological weapon being prepared in the Ukraine by a company called Baxter International. According to these reports, Mr Mosse said that the weapon would be spread via a flu vaccine. Credence is being given to these reports because Mr Mosse's qualifications as a microbiologist are confirmed by his research profile on this website. There is also a story doing the rounds that a light aircraft has been spotted spraying an unidentified substance over the capital, Kiev, but this has been denied by the country’s Office of Emergency Response. [See: Baxter working on vaccine to stop swine flu, though admitted sending live pandemic flu viruses to subcontractor By Lori Price 26 Apr 2009.]

Swine flu could raise constitutional issues --Most governors have the power to take drastic measures such as quarantining people, seizing medications, overturning laws and using martial police power. 03 Nov 2009 Civil liberties advocates caution that mandatory vaccinations, forced quarantines and restricted interstate travel would not only endanger individual rights but also would be unlikely to prevent disease in the event of a severe H1N1 outbreak. "These raise the highest constitutional problems," said Michael Greenberger, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security at the University of Maryland, at a recent panel discussion. Greenberger said in the case of a pandemic, state and federal governments have extensive executive emergency powers. State laws give governors the authority to contravene any law that interferes with the governor's ability to deal with an emergency.

School District's H1N1 Flu Vaccine Ruined 03 Nov 2009 (PA) With a shortage of H1N1 flu vaccine all across the country thousands of doses in the Stroudsburg Area School District are being thrown out because the refrigerator storing the doses somehow ended up at the wrong temperature. Five thousand swine flu vaccinations, enough for every student in the district, were ruined because of a mechanical malfunction.

Republicans win Virginia and New Jersey elections in blow for Barack Obama 04 Nov 2009 American voters have delivered a sharp rebuke to Barack Obama by rejecting his allies in Virginia, the swing state that helped deliver him the White House almost exactly a year ago, and the Democratic stronghold of New Jersey. Bob McDonnell, the Republican candidate, trounced his Democratic opponent Creigh Deeds, for whom Mr Obama had campaigned, by 17 points to become Virginia governor. Republicans also won the races in Virginia for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Governor Jon Corzine, the incumbent Democrat, was defeated by Chris Christie in New Jersey, where no Republican had won state-wide since 1997.

Democrat wins House seat in heavily GOP area in NY 04 Nov 2009 A Democrat running in a historically Republican stronghold won a closely watched special congressional election in northern New York on Tuesday, capitalizing on a split that emerged between moderates and conservatives for control of the GOP. Lawyer and retired Air Force Capt. Bill Owens defeated businessman Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, 49 percent to 45 percent, after a boost from unified labor efforts in the last days of the campaign and the withdrawal of the Republican candidate over the weekend.

Bloomberg Wins 3rd Term as Mayor in Unexpectedly Close Race 04 Nov 2009 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg pulled out a narrow re-election victory on Tuesday, as voters angry over his maneuver to undo the city’s term limits law and his extravagant campaign spending provided an unexpected lift to his vastly underfinanced challenger, William C. Thompson Jr. Unofficial returns showed Mr. Bloomberg with 51 percent and Mr. Thompson with 46 percent. The result will make Mr. Bloomberg only the fourth three-term mayor in the last century.

Maine voters overturn legal same-sex marriage 04 Nov 2009 Voters in Maine repealed a state law legalizing same sex marriage, which backers of the measure said shows "voters don't want to change what you call marriage." Advocates of same-sex marriage refused to concede defeat early Wednesday after supporters declared victory. Nearly 53 percent of voters backed the referendum of a law the state legislature approved in May and the governor signed.

The Halliburton Loophole (The New York Times) 03 Nov 2009 Among the many dubious provisions in the 2005 energy bill was one dubbed the Halliburton loophole, which was inserted at the behest of -- you guessed it -- then-Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney, a former chief executive of Halliburton. It stripped the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate a drilling process called hydraulic fracturing. Invented by Halliburton in the 1940s, it involves injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals, some of them toxic, into underground rock formations to blast them open and release natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing has been implicated in a growing number of water pollution cases across the country. It has become especially controversial in New York, where regulators are eager to clear the way for drilling in the New York City watershed, potentially imperiling the city’s water supply. Thankfully, the main company involved has now decided not to go ahead.

California to withhold a bigger chunk of paychecks --The amount goes up 10% on Sunday as Sacramento borrows from taxpayers. 31 Oct 2009 Starting Sunday, cash-strapped California will dig deeper into the pocketbooks of wage earners -- holding back 10% more than it already does in state income taxes just as the biggest shopping season of the year kicks into gear. Technically, it's not a tax increase, even though it may feel like one when your next paycheck arrives. As part of a bundle of budget patches adopted in the summer, the state is taking more money now in withholding, even though workers' annual tax bills won't change.

US wages and salaries rise at record-low levels By Andre Damon 31 Oct 2009 Employment costs in the US rose at the lowest annual amount in at least 27 years, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. Stagnant wages and salaries are the outcome of government policies designed to lower the living standards of workers. Over the past 12 months, the Labor Department’s Employment Cost Index rose by 1.5 percent, marking the lowest wage and salary growth since these figures started to be collected in 1982.

CLG needs your support. 
http://www.legitgov.org/donate.html
Or, please mail a check or money order to CLG:
Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG)
P.O. Box 1142
Bristol, CT 06011-1142
Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible 

Previous lead stories: Persistent accounts: Western forces in Afghanistan using their helicopters to ferry Taleban fighters --The local talk is of the insurgency being consciously moved north, with international troops ferrying fighters in from the volatile south, to create mayhem in a new location. By Ahmad Kawoosh 26 Oct 2009 Persistent accounts of western forces in Afghanistan using their helicopters to ferry Taleban fighters, strongly denied by the military, is feeding mistrust of the forces that are supposed to be bringing order to the country. One such tale came from a soldier from the 209th Shahin Corps of the Afghan National Army, fighting against the growing insurgency in Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan. Over several months, he had taken part in several pitched battles against the armed opposition. "Just when the police and army managed to surround the Taleban in a village of Qala-e-Zaal district, we saw helicopters land with support teams," he said... Dozens of people claim to have seen Taleban fighters disembark from foreign helicopters in several provinces. For months or even years, rumours have been circulating in Afghanistan that the Taleban are being financed or even directly supported militarily by the foreign forces.

Jet named in torture flight report is met by SAS at British airport --The Gulfstream, registration number N478GS, is owned by a company called L-3 Integrated Systems. 31 Oct 2009 A U.S. plane that featured in a European Parliament report into the 'extraordinary rendition' of terror suspects was met by two SAS helicopters in a secret operation at one of Britain's biggest airports. The Gulfstream jet landed at Birmingham International Airport on Friday, October 2, having flown in from an undisclosed location, and was seen by a member of staff being met minutes later by the Special Forces regiment aircraft. Records show that the jet is owned by a subsidiary of L-3 Communications, a multi-billion-dollar defence corporation based in New York, whose clients include several American government departments, among them the Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. court denies Maher Arar's appeal 02 Nov 2009 Syrian-born Canadian Maher Arar has again been denied the right to sue the United States over his deportation to Syria, where he was tortured. During a September 2002 stopover in New York, while returning to Canada from a vacation in Tunisia, Arar was detained by U.S authorities, who were acting on information from Canadian security officials. Based on the erroneous Canadian information that Arar had links to al-Qaeda, the U.S. deported him to Syria, even though he was carrying a Canadian passport.

Persistent accounts: Western forces in Afghanistan using their helicopters to ferry Taleban fighters --The local talk is of the insurgency being consciously moved north, with international troops ferrying fighters in from the volatile south, to create mayhem in a new location. By Ahmad Kawoosh 26 Oct 2009 Persistent accounts of western forces in Afghanistan using their helicopters to ferry Taleban fighters, strongly denied by the military, is feeding mistrust of the forces that are supposed to be bringing order to the country. One such tale came from a soldier from the 209th Shahin Corps of the Afghan National Army, fighting against the growing insurgency in Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan. Over several months, he had taken part in several pitched battles against the armed opposition. "Just when the police and army managed to surround the Taleban in a village of Qala-e-Zaal district, we saw helicopters land with support teams," he said... Dozens of people claim to have seen Taleban fighters disembark from foreign helicopters in several provinces. For months or even years, rumours have been circulating in Afghanistan that the Taleban are being financed or even directly supported militarily by the foreign forces.

Jet named in torture flight report is met by SAS at British airport --The Gulfstream, registration number N478GS, is owned by a company called L-3 Integrated Systems. 31 Oct 2009 A U.S. plane that featured in a European Parliament report into the 'extraordinary rendition' of terror suspects was met by two SAS helicopters in a secret operation at one of Britain's biggest airports. The Gulfstream jet landed at Birmingham International Airport on Friday, October 2, having flown in from an undisclosed location, and was seen by a member of staff being met minutes later by the Special Forces regiment aircraft. Records show that the jet is owned by a subsidiary of L-3 Communications, a multi-billion-dollar defence corporation based in New York, whose clients include several American government departments, among them the Department of Homeland Security.

Canadian sent to Syria can't sue U.S. over torture --In a 7-4 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit agreed with a lower court that Arar could not sue U.S. officials. 02 Nov 2009 A Canadian man who was detained at a New York airport and then moved to Syria, where he says he was tortured, cannot sue the United States, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday. Maher Arar, a Syrian-born software engineer, was arrested by U.S. officials during a 2002 stopover in New York while on his way home to Canada and then deported to Syria because of suspected links to al Qaeda [al-CIAduh]. Arar says he was imprisoned in Syria for a year and tortured and has sued top U.S. government officials, claiming his civil liberties were violated.

U.S. court denies Maher Arar's appeal 02 Nov 2009 Syrian-born Canadian Maher Arar has again been denied the right to sue the United States over his deportation to Syria, where he was tortured. During a September 2002 stopover in New York, while returning to Canada from a vacation in Tunisia, Arar was detained by U.S authorities, who were acting on information from Canadian security officials. Based on the erroneous Canadian information that Arar had links to al-Qaeda, the U.S. deported him to Syria, even though he was carrying a Canadian passport.

Suicide bomber kills 35 near Pakistan's capital --No group claimed responsibility for the bombing [Yeah, but we can all take a guess.] 02 Nov 2009 A suicide bomb killed 35 people near Pakistan's military headquarters Monday while a second blast wounded several police, continuing a wave of terrorism that prompted the United Nations to suspend long-term development work near the Afghan border. The rash of attacks by Islamist militants has killed at least 300 people across Pakistan over the past month -- including 11 U.N. workers -- and threatened to destabilize the nuclear-armed nation.

'Obama hasn't visited Pakistan. He's the unmanned drone at home.' Pakistanis challenge Clinton over drone attacks, US bullying By Keith Jones 02 Nov 2009 During a three-day visit to Pakistan last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressed Pakistan’s government and military to do even more to support the US drive to subjugate Afghanistan and secure a strategic foothold in oil-rich Central Asia. [Not to mention, all those poppy fields under CIA management.] Specifically, she urged Islamabad to extend the current military offensive against Taliban-aligned militias beyond South Waziristan, a Pashtun-speaking tribal agency bordering Afghanistan. Under heavy pressure from Washington, Pakistan since October 17 has been mounting a three-pronged assault on South Waziristan involving 30,000 troops, helicopter gunships and F-16 jets. [I guess the difference is that in losing, Clinton's the one who has to face the people we are bombing with unmanned drones. Obama hasn't visited Pakistan. He's the unmanned drone at home. --MDR]

Bomb expert killed on last day of tour 03 Nov 2009 A senior British explosives expert was killed while trying to defuse a bomb on the last day of his tour in Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, 30, of the Royal Logistic Corps, died near Sangin in central Helmand Province on Saturday.

Afghan election farce ends, escalation to begin By Bill Van Auken 03 Nov 2009 President Barack Obama called [Hamid] Karzai to congratulate him. Admitting that the election had been "messy," Obama said he had told Karzai this was the "time in which we begin to write a new chapter..." The "new chapter" or "new phase" in Afghanistan is being prepared in the form of a major military escalation, in which tens of thousands of additional American troops will be deployed in an attempt to quell armed resistance to the US-led occupation that has grown and spread to 80 percent of the country. The only purpose of the election was to lend "legitimacy" to this escalation of Washington’s colonial-style war.

Civilian deaths in Iraq jump higher in October 02 Nov 2009 The number of civilians killed by violence in Iraq jumped higher in October after two huge suicide bombings in Baghdad while the two U.S. soldiers killed in combat in October was the lowest monthly number this year, data showed. Security sources said 343 civilians were killed, almost half of them in the Oct. 25 attacks on the justice ministry and Baghdad governorate building, which dealt a blow to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki as he seeks 're-election' in January.

Iraqi MPs delay election law vote 01 Nov 2009 Iraqi MPs say they are not yet ready to pass an election law that needs to be approved urgently if polls are to be held on schedule in January. The UN had warned that it could not guarantee to endorse the polls if the bill was not approved on Sunday. MPs have told the BBC that the 'vote' might not be held for several days as several sticking points remain.

KBR faulted for ineffective drawdown in Iraq 02 Nov 2009 Houston-based KBR Inc could save the government at least $193 million by reducing its workforce in Iraq more quickly, in line with the drawdown of U.S. troops, the Pentagon's chief auditor said on Monday. "In October 2009, we issued a report concluding that KBR's drawdown was ineffective and KBR could save the government at least $193 million by improving the staff management and aligning their labor drawdown with the military drawdown," April Stephenson, director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), said at a hearing on wartime contracting.

Blackwater facility accepting civilians 01 Nov 2009 The massive Blackwater training center in Moyock, Va., is opening its doors to civilians, the company's ads indicate. An advertisement in The (Norfolk, Va.) Virginian-Pilot indicated the Blackwater facility, owned by Xe Services LLC of McLean, Va., has changed its name to the U.S. Training Center and is offering gun training courses to civilians as well as to military personnel and police officers, the newspaper reported Sunday.

Netanyahu savours victory after US drops settlement demand 01 Nov 2009 Israel's premier savoured a victory on Sunday after Washington hailed his "unprecedented" stand on settlements and backed his call for peace talks to resume without the construction freeze sought by the Palestinians. "There is no question that the United States are our staunchest friends and that Israel's firm stance on its positions pays off," Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon happily told public radio. Speaking before the weekly cabinet meeting, Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz said: "The US administration understands what we have always said -- that the real obstacle to negotiations are the Palestinians." [The 'real obstacle to negotiations' are mayhap the people who dumped white phosphorous on the Palestinians' heads, stole their water and shot up their chicken farms (yes, I realize those hens could have been suicide bombers --and their eggs, weapons of mass destruction) during Operation Cast Lead. --LRP]

Israeli man arrested in Tel Aviv for killing Palestinians 02 Nov 2009 Police in Israel have arrested a Jewish settler on suspicion of murder and carrying out bomb attacks. Yaakov Teitel, an immigrant from the United States, is alleged to have been involved in the murder of two Palestinians in 1997. He has also been accused of carrying out four bomb attacks since 2006.

Cheney FBI interview: 72 instances of can't recall 02 Nov 2009 Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald famously declared in the Valerie Plame affair that "there is a cloud over the vice president." Last week's release of an FBI interview summary of Dick Cheney's answers in the criminal investigation underscores why Fitzgerald felt that way. On 72 occasions, according to the 28-page FBI summary, Cheney equivocated to the FBI during his lengthy May 2004 interview, saying he could not be certain in his answers to questions about matters large and small in the Plame controversy.

More Olympic security exercises this week --In the air, and in 'mock disaster' scenarios on the ground 02 Nov 2009 The skies above Metro Vancouver could be filled with the roar of fighter jets this week. Today through Friday, pilots with NORAD will be doing test flights above the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. It's all part of "Exercise Gold"--the final round of security rehearsals for the 2010 Games. Part of the full-scale test includes events simulating chemical, biological, nuclear or explosive incidents in Richmond and Vancouver -- complete with mock casualties.

'This is the big question: Who sent them in? And don't give me some lame excuse that it was a low-level officer.' Officers accused of inciting violence to testify before police ethics panel 31 Oct 2009 Three undercover officers accused of inciting protesters to attack riot police at the 2007 North American leaders summit in Montebello are being summoned to testify before Quebec's independent police ethics committee. The decision from the committee released this week overrules an independent review that exonerated the officers. It also comes more than two years after the black-clad trio were first exposed on YouTube. Dave Coles, the union leader who confronted the men at the time and filed a complaint against the police, said a public inquiry is needed to determine whether they were acting on orders from federal officials.

Chicago reviewing who made G-20 detainee kneel for photo 16 Oct 2009 Chicago police are investigating more than a dozen officers for their involvement in a "trophy" style photo taken with a university student arrested during the G-20 protests last month, an episode caught on tape and flashed across the Internet. The tape shows roughly 15 officers in riot helmets around University of Pittsburgh student Kyle Kramer, who is then made to kneel while what appears to be a supervisor in a white shirt snaps a photo.

Doctors May 'Fire' Parents Who Don't Vaccinate Children 23 Oct 2009 An anti-vaccination movement is growing online, from parent to parent, and through activist celebrities, such as actress Jenny McCarthy. Now, more and more doctors are feeling compelled to say "no" back to these parents. The issue was raised Wednesday at the annual American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in Washington, D.C. Dr. Gary Marshall, a presenter at the meeting, said there are some cases when it's ethical and legal to refuse to continue to see, or treat, a child.

Another city student gets flu vaccine by mistake: Dept. of Ed. officials 01 Nov 2009 Officials admitted on Friday that a third student was 'mistakenly' given the swine flu vaccine - an error the school nurses union blamed on the city. "Nurses are not getting the support they need," said Judith Arroyo, president of Local 436, District Council 37, adding that the union had warned of problems.

Pharmaterrorists are making a *killing* on their pandemic: Kids will 'need' two doses of H1N1 flu vaccine 02 Oct 2009 Up to 30 million doses of [squalene-laden, mercury-filled, Polysorbate 80-laced] vaccine against the pandemic H1N1 flu have been delivered to the U.S. government and production is now picking up, officials said on Monday. But they said more studies confirm that children under the age of 9 will need two doses to be fully protected.

Connecticut probes seasonal flu vaccine pricing 02 Nov 2009 The state of Connecticut's top prosecutor said on Monday he is investigating complaints of price fixing by companies that make and distribute the seasonal flu vaccine. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said his office has received reports that the seasonal flu vaccine is being offered at many times the normal price, and of distributors and manufacturers reneging on previously negotiated agreements.

RBS and Lloyds agree to bonus clampdown as taxpayer injects billions more --Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group have agreed to a clamp down on bonuses in exchange for the UK taxpayer pumping more money into the banks. 03 Nov 2009 The banks will not to pay cash bonuses to any staff earning over £39,000 this year as part of a wide-ranging plan that will see the Government inject a further £5.7bn into Lloyds as part of the bank's own cash call and another £25.5bn into RBS. The move comes as the European Union forces the two troubled institutions to sell off a range of businesses that the Government claims will inject more competition into high street banking.

Tory MP apologises for 'gas chambers' expenses email 03 Nov 2009 A Conservative MP was ordered to apologise by David Cameron after he likened the plight of politicians over expenses to the persecution of the Jews in Nazi Germany. David Wilshire's remarks, on the eve of tomorrow's publication of wide-ranging plans to overhaul the expenses system, provoked anger and embarrassment in the Tory leadership. In an email to constituents, Mr Wilshire protested that the "witch-hunt" against politicians would "undermine democracy". He added: "Branding a whole group of people as undesirables led to Hitler's gas chambers." Mr Wilshire later apologised, saying he had been responding to some "very unpleasant emails".

GOP Rep: Health reform scarier than terrorism 02 Nov 2009 A Republican congresswoman said Monday that people have more to fear from Democratic health care legislation than from terrorists. Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina made the comments in a speech on the House floor Monday. "I believe that the greatest fear that we all should have ... to our freedom comes from this room, this very room, and what may happen later this week in terms of a tax increase bill masquerading as a health care bill," she said. "I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country."

Limbaugh, Palin urge right wing to step up efforts to purge moderates from Republican Party 02 Nov 2009 Right wing purists egged on by Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin fought to capture an upstate House seat today and electrify their drive to purge moderates from the Republican Party. With Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman jumping to the lead in a new poll, the hard-core right smelled [it usually does] a chance to remold the GOP in the image of raucous town hall protests and "tea party" rallies of the summer.

Last-minute NY 23rd poll: Conservative Doug Hoffman surges, but ... 02 Nov 2009 A last-minute poll of New York's suddenly significant 23rd District interim House race shows that with less than 12 hours before voting begins, the Conservative/Republican candidate Doug Hoffman has built a 5-point lead over Democrat Bill Owens. But, the undecided voters there have doubled to nearly 1 in 5, making the final hours volatile.

Climate change will melt snows of Kilimanjaro 'within 20 years' --Ice on Africa's highest peak is vanishing at fastest rate for 100 years 03 Nov 2009 The snows of Mount Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain in Africa - may soon be falling on bare ground following a study showing that its ice cap is destined to disappear entirely within 20 years, due largely to climate change. The vast ice fields of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania are melting at a faster pace than at any time over the past 100 years and at this rate they will be gone completely within two decades or even earlier according to one of the world's leading glaciologists.

CLG needs your support. 
http://www.legitgov.org/donate.html
Or, please mail a check or money order to CLG:
Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG)
P.O. Box 1142
Bristol, CT 06011-1142
Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible 

Previous lead stories: 'Journalists risk detention.' Iraq restricts movement by TV journalists, bans live broadcasts --The orders have no time-limit and it is not clear for how long the authorities want to have them in place. 30 Oct 2009 The government has banned movement by press vehicles with equipment to broadcast live. The measure, which will prevent live coverage of events particularly inside Baghdad, has been harshly criticized by Iraqi journalists. The order has been issued by the military command of Baghdad operations which specifically denies television broadcasters the right of live coverage. Such coverage, the military orders say, will only take place after applying for permission from the military authorities. Without permission, the orders add, the journalists risk detention. The request of permission before driving in Baghdad essentially blocks all live coverage of events. Previous experience shows that journalists or media outlets that happened to be at the scene just before such large-scale bombing take place have been suspected of collaborating with the attackers. Numerous Iraqi journalists have been imprisoned on such suspicions.

Occupiers involved in drug trade: Afghan minister --Drug production in Afghanistan has increased dramatically since the US-led invasion eight years ago. 01 Nov 2009 The Afghan minister of counter narcotics says foreign troops are earning money from drug production in Afghanistan. General Khodaidad Khodaidad said the majority of drugs are stockpiled in two provinces controlled by troops from the US, the UK, and Canada, IRNA reported on Saturday. He went on to say that NATO forces are taxing the production of opium in the regions under their control.

Documents Detail Conditions Found at Secret C.I.A. Jails: "How close is each technique to the 'rack and screw?' " 01 Nov 2009 F.B.I. agents who arrived at a secret C.I.A. jail overseas in September 2002 found prisoners "manacled to the ceiling and subjected to blaring music around the clock," and a C.I.A. official wrote a list of questions for interrogators including "How close is each technique to the 'rack and screw,' " according to hundreds of pages of partly declassified documents released Friday by the Justice Department. Newly disclosed passages from a 2008 report by the Justice Department inspector general describe what agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation saw at the C.I.A. jail where Ramzi bin al-Shibh, one of the plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was being questioned. The F.B.I. agents helped C.I.A. officers prepare questions for Mr. Binalshibh but "were denied direct access to him for four or five days," the report said. Then an F.B.I. agent, identified as "Thomas," was allowed to see him and found him "naked and chained to the floor."