U.S. has military plan should Iran conflict erupt, says Air Force chief --Pentagon officials say U.S. prepared options to provide aerial refueling for IDF planes, as well as plans to attack Iranian military bases 01 Mar 2012 U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz said Wednesday that Washington has prepared military options to strike Iran's nuclear sites should conflict erupt, Bloomberg reported. Just four days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington, Schwartz told reporters that military options are being prepared in the event of a conflict. According to Bloomberg, which quoted Pentagon officials, some of the preparations include providing aerial refueling for Israel Air Force planes and attacking the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian military bases, and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
US Air Force ready to attack Iran: General 29 Feb 2012 US Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz says the military is prepared for a possible military offensive against Iran over the country's nuclear energy program. "We have an operational capability and you wouldn't want to be there when we used it," he said when asked about a 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb. The general, however, refused to comment if the MOP bomb could reach underground nuclear sites in Iran. "The bottom line is we have a capability but we're not sitting on our hands, we'll continue to improve it over time," Schwartz added.
Netanyahu will urge Obama to publicly back attack on Iran, sources say 29 Feb 2012 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to publicly harden his line against Iran during a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on March 5, according to a senior Israeli official. Israel wants Obama to make further-reaching declarations than the vague assertion that "all options are on the table," the official said. In particular, Netanyahu wants Obama to state unequivocally that the United States is preparing for a military operation in the event that Iran crosses certain "red lines," said the official; Israel feels this will increase pressure on Iran by making clear that there exists a real U.S. threat.
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Afghan soldier, civilian kill two US-led soldiers in Kandahar 01 Mar 2012 Two US-led troops have been killed in an attack by an Afghan soldier and a civilian in southern Afghanistan, the military says. According to a statement released by International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the incident occurred Thursday when an Afghan soldier and a civilian opened fire on the foreign troops in a military outpost in the troubled Kandahar province.
Is Omar Khadr headed to Canada's 'Guantanamo North?' --The $3.2-million, six-bunk facility, was built in 2006 to house non-Canadian terrorism suspects held on controversial national security certificates. 29 Feb 2012 Is Canadian Omar Khadr destined to leave the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to serve the remainder of his sentence in "Guantanamo North?" A report this week in Montreal's LaPresse stated that the 25-year-old Toronto-born Khadr will be imprisoned at the vacant Millhaven immigration centre, derisively dubbed "Guantanamo North."Despite its name, and aside from the isolation, the Millhaven facility is hardly comparable to the Guantanamo cell where Khadr is now - or many of Canada's federal prisons where he could be held.
New Navy Railgun Tests Leading to Ship Superweapon by 2020 28 Feb 2012 The first weapon-scale prototype of a futuristic Navy railgun began undergoing firing tests last week, the next big step toward putting the electromagnetic superweapon on U.S. warships by 2020. The Navy envisions using railguns to destroy enemy ships, defend against enemy missiles, or bombard land targets in support of Marines hitting the beaches. Newly released video shows the prototype railgun using an electric-powered launcher rather than gunpowder to fire a huge hypersonic bullet in a cloud of flame and smoke.
CIA joins hunt for 7/7 widow who 'collaborated with terrorists' 01 Mar 2012 The US has joined the hunt for Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of a July 7 [another inside job with Rudy Giuliani at the scene of that crime, too] bomber, who is suspected to be part of a terror cell in East Africa, it was reported. Officials from the CIA have started working with the Kenyan authorities to find the members of a suspected terror plot over fears of escalating violence in nearby Somalia. It comes as the Times reported police in Britain were also cooperating after it emerged the woman was believed to be Miss Lewthwaite. She is being investigated for allegedly supplying money, weapons and fighters to an al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] terrorist cell in East Africa.
Goodbye, First Amendment: 'Trespass Bill' will make protest illegal 29 Feb 2012 The House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday that outlaws protests in instances where some government officials are nearby, whether or not you even know it. The US House of Representatives voted 388-to-3 in favor of H.R. 347 late Monday, a bill which is being dubbed the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011. In the bill, Congress officially makes it illegal to trespass on the grounds of the White House. Under the act, the government is also given the power to bring charges against Americans engaged in political protest anywhere in the country.
Justice Dept. to review NYPD over Muslim spying 28 Feb 2012 Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress on Tuesday that, months after receiving complaints about the New York Police Department's surveillance of entire American Muslim neighborhoods, the Justice Department is beginning a review to decide whether to investigate civil rights violations... Holder responded under questioning by Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., who as an infant was sent with his parents to a Japanese internment camp during World War II and has compared that policy to the NYPD's treatment of Muslims. Holder did not suggest that a Justice Department investigation of the NYPD was imminent. [Of course not. Integrity-free Obama has to check with his GOP overlords prior to taking action. BTW, how are those DOJ investigations into the CIA waterboarders going? Oh, that's right. They're *not.* --LRP]
STRATFOR: 'Assange is going to make a nice bride in prison. Screw the terrorist.' (The Global Intelligence Files) By WikiLeaks 28 Feb 2012 Confidential emails obtained from the US private intelligence firm Stratfor show that the United States Government has had a secret indictment against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for more than 12 months. Fred Burton, Stratfor's Vice-President for Counterterrorism and Corporate Security, is a former Deputy Chief of the Department of State's (DoS) counterterrorism division for the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). In early 2011, Burton revealed in internal Stratfor correspondence that a secret Grand Jury had already issued a sealed indictment for Assange: "Not for Pub - We have a sealed indictment on Assange. Pls protect." (375123) According to Burton: "Assange is going to make a nice bride in prison. Screw the terrorist." (1056988)... Emails from Fred Burton reveal that the US Government employs the same counterterrorism strategy against Julian Assange and WikiLeaks as against Al Qaeda: "Take down the money. Go after his infrastructure. The tools we are using to nail and de-construct Wiki are the same tools used to dismantle and track aQ [Al Qaeda]. Thank Cheney & 43 [former US President [sic] George W. Bush]. Big Brother owns his liberal terrorist arse." (1067796).
Greens call for details on secret Assange charges --'We will not tolerate his transfer to the United States to face charges that could potentially land him in prison or in a hole like Guantanamo Bay, as David Hicks did, potentially for decades.' 29 Feb 2012 The Greens have called on the Federal Government to reveal whether it knew about secret United States charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. An email from staff at private US intelligence agency Stratfor, released by WikiLeaks, refers to an indictment on Assange. "We have a sealed indictment on Assange," said the short email from Stratfor's vice-president of intelligence Fred Burton to analysts at the security firm. The information comes with the request to protect the information and not to publish. Greens Senator Scott Ludlam wants Prime Minister Julia Gillard to say whether the Government will defend the Australian against possible extradition to the US.
Anonymous hackers ratted out by infiltrators 01 Mar 2012 A law enforcement operation that ended with the arrest of 25 hackers in Europe and South America was not the result of police intelligence but rather an informers' job within the hacker community, claims Anonymous. As well as launching a cyber-assault on Interpol's website, the hacker group appears to be conducting its own investigation in order to find out how police managed to break through its veil of anonymity. In a statement on Anonymous's Spanish-language website, the group said that the arrests were down to the "carelessness" of the parties involved. They had apparently given "personal details to spies and people who were not members" of the organization. "This wave of arrests was not the product of intelligence or technical wizardry on the part of Interpol, like they want you to believe. They were done using a much more deplorable technique: the use of spies and informants within the collective," said Anonymous.
Interpol Site Knocked Offline Following Anonymous Arrests [<g>] 28 Feb 2012 Interpol's Web site went down Tuesday just hours after the international police agency announced the arrest of 25 suspected members of the hacking collective Anonymous in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Spain. On Twitter, hackers affiliated with Anonymous took credit for the attack and openly encouraged their sympathizers to keep Interpol's site offline by flooding its servers with traffic. The attack followed Interpol's announcement Tuesday that it had arrested suspected Anonymous hackers in an operation it titled Operation Unmask.
No bomb found after SFO bound plane searched 01 Mar 2012 The Federal Bureau of Investigation is trying to determine who phoned in a bomb threat involving a United Airlines plane in Denver bound for San Francisco. The Transportation Security Administration says the plane was swept and nothing suspicious was found. TSA spokeswoman Carrie Harmon says someone phoned in a bomb threat at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday. She says passengers had not begun boarding and the plane was towed to a remote location.
Japan's leaders feared 'devil's chain reaction' at plant 28 Feb 2012 Japan's prime minister ordered workers to remain at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear plant last March as fears mounted of a "devil's chain reaction" that would force tens of millions of people to flee Tokyo, a new investigative report shows. Then-premier Naoto Kan and his staff began referring to a worst case scenario that could threaten Japan's existence as a nation around three days after the March 11 events, according to the report by a panel set up by a private think-tank. At that point, fears mounted that thousands of spent fuel rods stored at a damaged reactor would melt and spew radiation after a hydrogen explosion at an adjacent reactor building, according to the panel report.
Scientists report first evidence of flu in bats 29 Feb 2012 For the first time, scientists have found evidence of flu in bats, reporting a never-before-seen virus whose risk to humans is unclear. The surprising discovery of genetic fragments of a flu virus is the first well-documented report of it in the winged mammals. About five years ago, Russian virologists claimed finding flu in bats, but they never offered evidence. If the virus mingled with more common forms of influenza, it could swap genes and mutate into something more dangerous, a scenario at the heart of the global flu epidemic movie "Contagion." [Yes, and US bioterrorists are busy little bees, hoping life will imitate art.]
Toxic chemical found under O.C. building 28 Feb 2012 (CA) A toxic chemical used in dry cleaning and for degreasing equipment has been found underneath an Orange County building that is already the subject of two lawsuits, officials said Monday. Over the weekend, soil testing was conducted at the two-story office building that houses more than 550 county workers, including employees of the Orange County Social Services Agency and the Sheriff's Department. Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or perc for short, was detected in an area of soil at 5 feet and 10 feet underground.
Organic farmers' case against Monsanto thrown out by judge 27 Feb 2012 U.S. Federal Dist. Judge Naomi Buchwald ruled Friday to dismiss the case brought by organic farmers to stop patent infringement lawsuits brought by seed giant Monsanto. The suit, called OSGATA et al. vs. Monsanto, was brought by the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Assn. (OSGATA), as well as 82 other plaintiffs representing as many as 300,000 farmers. The farmers had sought a declaratory judgment against Monsanto to stop the agribusinessterrorist giant from suing farmers who ended up with patented genes in their seed crops through cross-contamination via wind or other accidental methods. Monsanto has said for years that it would not sue farmers who inadvertently acquired their patented [poisonous] genes, yet there have been over a hundred such lawsuits, including several against farmers who proved they had no intention of using Monsanto genes, and an unknown number of settlements that have not been disclosed.
What happened to Obama's Big Oil windfall tax? --The administration dropped it quietly in early 2009. 01 Mar 2012 Republicans are slamming the White House for rising gas prices and Democrats have been whining about them doing that. Most of the [2008 Sen. Obama campaign ads] were focused not on actually blaming Republicans for the '08 spike, but their acceptance of millions in Big Oil campaign cash and -- more to the point -- Republican resistance to his plan to impose a windfall surtax on the industry's profits. Obama backed the tax lustily in '08 and posted it prominently on his campaign web site as gas soared to $100 a barrel. What happened to it? The administration dropped it quietly in early 2009 when the price dropped below $80. And they haven't been talking much about it since, except briefly during the Gulf oil spill.
US crude oil imports fall to 12-year low 01 Mar 2012 US crude imports have fallen to their lowest level for a decade as a result of weak demand and growth in domestic production, making the economy more resilient to oil price rises. The US imported 8.91m barrels a day of crude oil last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration, the lowest amount since 1999. Imports as a share of US oil consumption dropped to 44.8 per cent, the lowest proportion since 1995, down from a peak of 60.3 per cent in 2005. Rising fuel prices, driven by tensions with Iran corpora-terrorists' greed, sanctioned by Wall Street troll Barack Obama, have become a big political issue in the US.
US Senate rejects Republican birth control challenge --Senate votes 51-48 against Blunt's contraceptives measure 01 Mar 2012 The U.S. Senate narrowly backed a key plank of President Barack Obama's healthcare law on Thursday by rejecting a sweeping Republican measure that would have allowed employers to opt out of birth control coverage and other services on moral grounds. Senators voted 51-48 to set aside a measure proposed by Republican Roy Blunt that would have exempted employers like Catholic hospitals, universities and charities from an Obama healthcare provision that requires most employers to offer free insurance coverage for women's contraceptives. Democrats and some Republicans had warned that Blunt's "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act," introduced as an amendment to an unrelated highway bill, contained language broad enough to deny any number of benefits from prenatal care and childhood vaccinations [too bad those weren't banned] to cancer screenings on the basis of a conscientious objection.
More GOP election theft: Michigan GOP changes delegate award after vote 01 Mar 2012 Michigan GOP officials have raised a ruckus in the presidential race by awarding native son Mitt Romney 16 of the state's delegates rather than the 15 it appeared he won in Tuesday's primary election. State GOP rules said two of the state's 30 delegates would be awarded proportionally based on the statewide vote, while the other 28 would be awarded based on the results in each of the state's 14 congressional districts. That would have given Romney and GOP rival Rick Santorum's one delegate each, on top of the 14 each candidate won by splitting the congressional contests, resulting in a 15-15 tie. The Michigan Republican Party Credentials Committee voted 4-2 Wednesday night, however, to reaffirm a rule it passed Feb. 4 giving both delegates to the winner of the statewide vote - in this case, Romney. The committee gave 16 delegates to Romney and 14 to Santorum.
Romney setback as Santorum takes half of Michigan delegates 01 Mar 2012 Mitt Romney's marginal primary victory in the Michigan has turned out to be a dead heat after the final count showed rival Rick Santorum still won half the state's delegates. Romney's result in the state of his birth lost some of its lustre as it emerged he and Rick Santorum each received 15 delegates. The result, despite Romney winning 41% of the primary vote compared with Santorum's 38%, came about because Michigan divides up delegates on a proportional basis.
Maryland legalizes same-sex marriage; challenge looms 01 Mar 2012 Maryland became the eighth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage on Thursday, just as opponents were ramping up efforts to repeal the new law at the ballot box. At a ceremony in the state capitol building, Governor Martin O'Malley signed into law the measure he has vigorously advocated, surrounded by a cheering crowd of legislators and gay-marriage supporters. Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York and the District of Columbia currently allow gay and lesbian nuptials.
Bomb squad called to Rush Limbaugh's house on Palm Beach 01 Mar 2012 The bomb squad has been called to the Palm Beach home of Rush Limbaugh. The conservative talk-show host lives on the northern end of the island. According to Palm Beach police, Rush Limbaugh's security found a package containing an electronic plaque. Because it was electronic and had wires, they believed the package was suspicious and contacted authorities.
Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart dies in LA 01 Mar 2012 Andrew Breitbart used the Internet relentlessly to ignite political scandal and expose what he saw as media bias, even if he sometimes had to edit the facts lie to do it. The fiery online publisher and blogger who collapsed and died Thursday at 43 relished public combat with liberals - a YouTube clip last month shows him bellowing at Occupy Wall Street protesters, "Stop raping people, you freaks!" Yet the conservatives and tea party activists who loved him said he exposed corrupt leaders and what he called the hopelessly liberal "old media guard."
5 deaths on one street: 'There are no words to describe this' --The city of 9,000 was caught in the crosshairs of a storm that raked the nation's midsection Wednesday, killing at least 12 people in three states. 01 Mar 2012 (IL) Brady Street stood directly in the path of the deadly tornado that tore through Harrisburg before dawn. The roaring twister destroyed seven of the 10 duplexes on the small street, leaving behind piles of splintered lumber, torn insulation and totaled cars. Five of the six people killed in the storm lived on Brady Street. Their four duplexes simply disappeared, blown off their foundations and disintegrating into the path of debris that stretched across the neighborhood.
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