Worst Storm in 100 Years Seen for Northeast U.S.!

Worst Storm in 100 Years Seen for Northeast U.S. 26 Oct 2012 Hurricane Sandy will probably grow into a “Frankenstorm” that may become the worst to hit the U.S. Northeast in 100 years if current forecasts are correct. Sandy may combine with a second storm coming out of the Midwest to create a system that would rival the New England hurricane of 1938 in intensity, said Paul Kocin, a National Weather Service meteorologist in College Park, Maryland. The hurricane currently passing the Bahamas has killed 21 people across the Caribbean, the Associated Press reported, citing local officials. "What we're seeing in some of our models is a storm at an intensity that we have not seen in this part of the country in the past century," Kocin said in a telephone interview yesterday.

NYSE and Nasdaq to close --New York Stock Exchange located on Wall Street in a flood zone 28 Oct 2012 U.S. stock exchanges will be closed Monday as Hurricane Sandy bears down on New York. The New York Stock Exchange said in a statement late Sunday that it will close its markets Monday. Markets are likely to remain closed on Tuesday as well. The Nasdaq stock market, which trades many technology stocks including Google and Microsoft, will also be closed Monday. The exchange will later announce plans for Tuesday.

Federal offices in Washington area closed Monday due to storm 28 Oct 2012 Federal offices in the Washington, D.C., area will be closed to the public and non-emergency federal employees will be granted administrative leave on Monday as Hurricane Sandy approaches. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management said on its website that employees scheduled to telework must work the full day or request leave. Sandy is expected to come ashore late on Monday.

Last train before the storm: Grand Central deserted and subway CLOSED for second time ever as NYC goes into lockdown 28 Oct 2012 Frantic passengers sprinted for the last trains pulling out of Grand Central Station in New York City this evening as the transport system shut down for only the second time in history. New York is on lock down in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy causing trains, the subway and buses to stop at 7pm on Sunday night. Cavernous Grand Central on 42nd Street was eerily deserted as the NYPD patrolled to make sure every passenger had left. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that those living in low-lying areas must evacuate and that all public schools will be closed tomorrow as the storm barrels towards the city.

DC's Metro subway and bus system to shut down on Monday 28 Oct 2012 All Monday Metro service, both rail and bus, has been cancelled, Metro officials said Sunday night. In explanation, the officials cited the expected high winds, the likelihood of widespread power outages, and the closing of the federal government. As for Monday's Metro closure, officials said no decision had yet been made about when rail service would be restored.

Nuclear Reactors Await Hurricane Sandy 28 Oct 2012 Among the various immobile pieces of infrastructure in the path of the East Coast hurricane are around 20 nuclear reactors, from Calvert Cliffs in southern Maryland to Pilgrim in Plymouth, Mass., and Vermont Yankee, just north of the Massachusetts line in Vernon, Vt. But the industry and regulatory officials say that this is an anticipated challenge. At the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's mid-Atlantic office in King of Prussia, Pa., Diane Screnci, a spokeswoman, said that reactors in the region have undertaken routine preparations. "They all have severe weather procedures," she said.

Early voting cancelled in Maryland on Monday due to approach of Hurricane Sandy 28 Oct 2012 Hurricane Sandy was already making its presence felt in Maryland politics on Sunday, forcing the cancellation of early voting for at least a day and scuttling a U.S. Senate debate. Gov. Martin O'Malley announced that early voting would be scrapped for Monday. The Democratic governor said a decision on whether to resume early voting on Tuesday would be made later, and he hoped the missed days would be made up. "We would anticipate at this point rescheduling what would have been Monday's early voting for Friday, I do believe," O'Malley said at a news conference at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.

The Weather Channel tone turns ominous for hurricane, its collision course with other systems 28 Oct 2012  The Weather Channel had its third straight day of a round-the-clock vigil for the approaching superstorm, and the tone of its meteorologists turned more ominous Sunday with evidence building that their forecasts would come true. Meteorologist Jim Cantore, the network's most visible personality, said it was unlike anything he’d ever seen or covered. The Weather Channel sent a message via Twitter calling it "an extraordinary storm, an extremely serious threat" and urged followers to re-tweet it. The storm "will occupy a place in the annals of weather history as one of the most extraordinary to have affected the United States," the network tweeted.

US downplayed effect of Deepwater oil spill on whales, emails reveal 24 Oct 2012 The images from the summer of 2010 were undoubtedly gruesome: the carcass of a young sperm whale, decayed and partially eaten by sharks, sighted at sea south of the Deepwater Horizon oil well. It was the first confirmed sighting of a dead whale since the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April that year – a time of huge public interest in the fate of whales, dolphins, sea turtles and other threatened animals – and yet US government officials suppressed the first reports of the discovery and blocked all images until now. The photographs, along with a cache of emails obtained by the campaign group Greenpeace under freedom of information provisions and made available to the Guardian, offer a rare glimpse into how many whales came into close contact with the gushing BP well during the oil spill.

US Military Chief in Israel to Oversee Largest Ever Joint Drill --Austere Challenge 2012 is an air defense drill that includes more than 3,500 Americans and 1,000 Israelis. 28 Oct 2012 The American military chief is in Israel to observe the largest armed forces drill between the two countries. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was meeting Sunday with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak at the beginning of his visit. He'll also be meeting with his Israeli counterpart and the country's president.

AT&T Blocking CLG Newsletters, Again 25 Oct 2012 AT&T -- and its domains, including Yahoo.com -- is blocking the CLG Newsletters from reaching anyone who uses AT&T, once again. I thought this problem had been resolved a few days ago, but apparently, that is not the case. (See: AT&T Stops Holding CLG Newsletters

Hostage, Releases 'Quarantined' Editions By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org 18 Oct 2012 CLGers, AT&T -- including Yahoo.com, att.net, ameritech.net, bellsouth.net, flash.net, nvbell.net, pacbell.net, prodigy.net, sbcglobal.net, snet.net, swbell.net, and wans.net -- was incontrovertibly blocking the server used to disseminate the CLG Newsletter. And so, some back issues may (finally) be released.)

Remote U.S. base at core of secret targeted-killing operations --The Obama administration has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal the legal and operational details of its targeted-killing program. 25 Oct 2012 Around the clock, about 16 times a day, drones take off or land at a U.S. military base here, the combat hub for the Obama administration's counterterrorism wars in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East. Some of the unmanned aircraft are bound for Somalia. Most of the armed drones, however, veer north across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. Camp Lemonnier, a sun-baked Third World outpost established by the French Foreign Legion, began as a temporary staging ground for U.S. Marines looking for a foothold in the region a decade ago. Over the past two years, the U.S. military has clandestinely transformed it into the busiest Predator drone base outside the Afghan war zone, a model for fighting a new generation of terrorist groups new US war crimes. Behind closed doors, painstaking debates precede each decision to place an individual in the cross hairs of the United States' perpetual war against 'al-Qaeda' and its allies. [Targeting killing we can believe in!]

Obama moves to make the War on Terror permanent 24 Oct 2012 The Washington Post has a crucial and disturbing story this morning [23 Oct] by Greg Miller about the concerted efforts by the Obama administration to fully institutionalize – to make officially permanent – the most extremist powers it has exercised in the name of the war on terror...To understand the Obama legacy, please re-read that sentence. As Murtaza Hussain put it when reacting to the Post story: "The US agonized over the targeted killing Bin Laden at Tarnak Farms in 1998; now it kills people it barely suspects of anything on a regular basis."

Court told UK spies 'assisting' CIA to murder Pakistanis 24 Oct 2012 The High Court has been told that the UK intelligence officials could be "encouraging or assisting murder" and the commission of war crimes by providing assistance for then CIA drone strikes in Pakistani tribal areas. The two day hearing opened on Tuesday at the Royal Courts of Justice here on the application by Pakistani national from Miranshah, North Waziristan Agency (NWA), Noor Khan, who has challenged UK government's support for the secret drone strikes. Legal action charity Reprieve is helping Noor Khan.

CIA behind attack on Malala; Attackers are in Afghanistan - Royal News 14 Oct 2012 The United States of America was behind the attack on 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai, who was awarded the National Peace Prize, Royal News reported on Sunday. Taliban militants who attacked on Malala Yousafzai are believe to be in Afghanistan, TV channel reported. It becomes more and more clear that the USA is involved in attack on Malala Yousafzai, to continue drone strikes in tribal areas of Pakistan. There is a clear link between Peace March of Imran Khan to Waziristan (in which many foreign journalists participated) and the attack on Malala.

US deploys troops to Turkey amid Syria unrest: US General 25 Oct 2012 The commanding general of the US Army Europe (USAREUR) says the Pentagon has recently sent a number of American soldiers to Turkey in a bid to assist Ankara in handling the spillover of the Syrian crisis. "We have had a relatively few number of US Army Europe personnel in Turkey recently," Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper quoted Lieutenant General Mark Phillip Hertling as saying. The general added, "Some of that has been sharing intelligence."

US assists, funnels arms to Syrian insurgents: Russia 25 Oct 2012 Russia says the United States assists and coordinates arms deliveries to foreign-sponsored insurgents battling the Syrian government forces. "Washington is aware of the deliveries of various weapons to illegal armed groups active in Syria. Moreover, judging by the declarations of US officials published in US media, the US coordinates and provides logistical assistance in such deliveries," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on Thursday. On Wednesday, Russia's chief military officer said that Syrian armed groups have acquired US-made weapons, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.

Attack kills Italian trooper, injures 3 others in W Afghanistan 25 Oct 2012 An Italian trooper has been killed and three others wounded in an attack in the Farah province in western Afghanistan, says the Italian Defense Ministry.

WikiLeaks: The Detainee Policies 25 Oct 2012 Starting today, Thursday, 25th October 2012, WikiLeaks begins releasing the 'Detainee Policies': more than 100 classified or otherwise restricted files from the United States Department of Defense covering the rules and procedures for detainees in U.S. military custody... The documents include the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of detention camps in Iraq and Cuba, interrogation manuals and Fragmentary Orders (FRAGOs) of changes to detainee policies and procedures. A number of the 'Detainee Policies' relate to Camp Bucca in Iraq, but there are also Department of Defense-wide policies and documents relating to Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay and European U.S. Army Prison facilities.

'Detainee Policies': over 100 classified or restricted DoD files covering rules detainees in U.S. military custody (WikiLeaks) 25 Oct 2012 WikiLeaks has begun releasing the 'Detainee Policies': more than 100 classified or otherwise restricted files from the United States Department of Defense covering the rules and procedures for detainees in U.S. military custody. Over the next month, WikiLeaks will release in chronological order the United States' military detention policies followed for more than a decade.

UN expert: Boycott companies dealing with Israeli settlements until they meet rights standards 25 Oct 2012 The U.N. special investigator on human rights in the Palestinian territories called Wednesday for a boycott of all companies that have dealings with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem until they adhere to international rights standards and practices. Israel and the U.S. quickly rejected Richard Falk's report, accusing the U.N. special rapporteur of bias against Israel and calling for his removal.

Group: Ministry may have manipulated Fukushima radiation readings --Group's readings at some locations averaged 40-50 percent higher than figures reported by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology at the posts themselves 06 Oct 2012 Citizens and scientists have raised concerns that the science ministry manipulated its measurement of radiation levels in Fukushima Prefecture to show figures lower than they really were. The Association for Citizens and Scientists Concerned About Internal Radiation Exposures said on Oct. 5 that its survey this year of airborne dose levels found an average 10-30 percent higher than the ministry's numbers, and in certain areas, the discrepancy was even greater.

Italy Bans Novartis Flu Vaccines, Citing Side Effects 24 Oct 2012 Italy and Switzerland halted sales of Novartis AG's flu vaccines after the company informed Italian authorities of a buildup of particles in the shots. Novartis said the products are safe. Novartis didn't provide enough information for officials to know the exact makeup of the proteins [not to mention insect parts, mercury, and squalene] found in the Agrippal and Fluad shots, or their impact on the quality and safety of the vaccine, Italy's Health Ministry said today in a statement.

Switzerland, Italy Ban Novartis Flu Vaccines 25 Oct 2012 Switzerland's health regulator imposed an immediate ban on Novartis AG's flu vaccines Thursday after possibly contaminated flu shots were found in batches in Italy, in a further embarrassment for the Swiss drug maker, which has struggled with a raft of manufacturing problems recently. Medical watchdog Swissmedic halted deliveries of up to 160,000 doses to doctors and pharmacies as a precaution following a similar move by Italian authorities.

Texas attorney general threatens to arrest monitors observing US election --State attorney general calls international group's plan to watch for fairness at the polls 'legally irrelevant in the United States' 24 Oct 2012 The Texas attorney general, Greg Abbott, has threatened to arrest international election monitors invited by liberal groups to observe the conduct of next month's presidential vote in states accused of attempting to disenfranchise minorities. Abbott has written to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe warning that its monitors have no right to monitor the vote even though they have observed previous US elections.

Texas threatens to arrest international monitors sent to watch US election 25 Oct 2012 A handful of international election monitors have touched down in the US to swing by polling places next month when voters cast ballots for the president, but officials in the state of Texas have issued them a warning: you’re not welcome. State Attorney General Greg Abbott has sent a scathing letter to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, threatening to arrest any of the election auditors that have been dispatched to America to ensure that voters won't be disenfranchised, discriminated against or intimidated when they take to the polls on November 6.

NYPD officer plotted to kidnap, cook women, officials say [Think 'GOP candidate running for Senate in Missouri or Indiana.'] 25 Oct 2012 Federal authorities say a New York City police officer plotted to kidnap women, rape and torture them and then cook and eat their body parts. Gilberto Valle was arrested Wednesday in the ghoulish case. He is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan sometime Thursday. According to a criminal complaint, the FBI intercepted emails from Valle to an unidentified co-conspirator "discussing plans to kidnap, rape, torture, kill, cook and eat body parts of a number of women."

Early Worries That Hurricane Sandy Could Be a 'Perfect Storm' 26 Oct 2012 Hurricane Sandy, which on Thursday was barreling through the Bahamas as a Category 2 storm, may be taking aim at the northeastern United States and could make landfall along the Atlantic coast early next week. If so, forecasters say, the storm could become, to use a technical term from meteorology, a whopper. "It really could be an extremely significant, historic storm," said Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami, explaining that conditions are similar to those that created the famous "perfect storm" of 1991. That disaster was memorialized in a 1997 novel and a 2000 movie by the same name.

Breaking: Tsunami warning issued for Hawaii 28 Oct 2012 A tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked an island off the west coast of Canada Saturday. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center originally said there was no threat to the islands, but a warning was issued later Saturday and remains in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday.

Tsunami Warning Issued for Southern Alaska 28 Oct 2012 A tsunami warning for southern Alaska and northern British Columbia has been downgraded to an advisory, while a warning has been issued for Hawaii. In addition, the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center says parts of coastal Oregon and northern California have been placed under a tsunami advisory. The alerts came after the U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit in the Queen Charlotte Islands area Saturday night.

7.7 earthquake hits Haida Gwaii Region 27 Oct 2012 A tsunami warning is in effect for the British Columbia coast after a major magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Queen Charlotte Islands region at 8:04 p.m. local time Saturday night. The epicenter of the earthquake was located 198 kilometres south-southwest of Prince Rupert at a depth of 10 km in a seismically active region, said the U.S. Geological Survey and Earthquakes Canada, who measured the quake at a magnitude of 7.7. Earthquake Canada initially measured it at magnitude 7.1 but altered their report later Saturday.

16 nuclear plants in Hurricane Sandy's potential path 26 Oct 2012 U.S. electric companies from Maine to Florida are preparing for heavy wind, rain and flooding that could take down power lines and could close some East Coast nuclear plants early next week when Hurricane Sandy comes ashore. There are more than a dozen nuclear plants near Hurricane Sandy's path in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut.

NRC Monitors Nuclear Plants in Hurricane's Projected Path 26 Oct 2012 Nuclear reactors in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast are being monitored for potential impacts by Hurricane Sandy, a Category 1 storm that may strike anywhere from Delaware to southern New England. "Because of the size of it, we could see an impact to coastal and inland plants," Neil Sheehan, a spokesman based in Philadelphia for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said by phone today. "We will station inspectors at the sites if we know they could be directly impacted." The NRC met earlier today to discuss the necessary precautions to take for the storm, Sheehan said. Plants must begin to shut if wind speeds exceed certain limits, he said.

Radioactive cesium found in West Coast albacore tuna 25 Oct 2012 Oregon State University researchers have found traces of radioactive cesium from last year's Japanese nuclear reactor disaster in West Coast albacore tuna. Scientists from the university and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration collected and tested fish caught off the West Coast before and after the [Fukushima nuclear meltdowns], the Longview Daily News reported. The team's findings are in line with work by researchers in California, who announced in May that they had found traces of radioactive cesium in bluefin tuna caught off the southern coast.

60,000 National Guard troops in nine states ready to assist local authorities 28 Oct 2012 More than 50 million people from the mid-Atlantic to New England braced Saturday for a potentially massive storm, as Hurricane Sandy churned northward on a collision course with another storm system that is sweeping in from the west. More than 60,000 National Guard troops in nine states were ready to assist the local authorities... Gov. Chris Christie (R) of New Jersey told residents that they should be prepared to go 7 to 10 days without electricity. [Right, that's so no one in the 'blue states' will be able vote on November 6. --LRP]

Conn. Towns Order Mandatory Evacuations Sunday --Mandatory evacuations underway 27 Oct 2012 Three Connecticut towns have ordered mandatory evacuations for flood-prone areas ahead of Hurricane Sandy. East Haven is asking residents near the shore to begin evacuations starting at 8 a.m., Sunday. Fairfield First Selectman Michael Tetreau has issued a mandatory evacuation for the town's beach area beginning at noon on Sunday. Bridgeport has ordered families out of low-lying areas also starting at noon on Sunday.

NYC moves to protect rail, subway lines 27 Oct 2012 Work was underway Saturday to protect the nation's largest transportation network, the rail and subway lines in and out of New York City, from Hurricane Sandy. The storm headed toward the city held the potential for high winds and heavy rain that could make operating transit lines as well as tunnels and bridges dangerous, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Transit officials were preparing "for the worst," MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said in a statement.

Hurricane Sandy prompts Obama, Romney to cancel Virginia rallies 27 Oct 2012 Hurricane Sandy has prompted the two presidential campaigns to cancel scheduled events in Virginia. Mitt Romney's campaign said it was cancelling scheduled Virginia appearances Sunday at Haymarket, about 35 miles west of Washington, D.C., and in Richmond. Also, The White House said President Barack Obama would be returning to Washington to monitor Sandy's progress after an event in Ohio and thus cancelling a planned northern Virginia event. Obama had planned to attend a rally Monday in Prince William County with former President Bill Clinton.

Pentagon warns WikiLeaks against releasing information about their military prisons 27 Oct 2012 The Pentagon has warned WikiLeaks against releasing information about their military prisons, saying it threatens national security and undermines relationships. [LOL! I think the horse is out of the barn on that one. Here's a link to the documents.]

No letup in carnage in Iraq as day's death toll hits 49 27 Oct 2012 Police and hospital sources say at least 49 people have been killed and 63 others injured in bombings and shooting incidents across Iraq. On Saturday evening, two car bombs detonated in Sadr City on the northeast edge of Baghdad, killing 23 people on the second day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) holiday, Reuters reported. Hours earlier, a roadside bomb planted near an open-air market in Baghdad's eastern neighborhood of Maama killed seven people, including three children at a playground. Thirteen people were also injured.

Seattle police plan to deploy spy drones 26 Oct 2012 The FAA has approved the Seattle Police Department to start using surveillance drones for law enforcement, but protesters are making it clear that they're willing to put up a fight. The SPD displayed a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on Thursday that they intend on using soon to monitor criminal activity across the city, but opponents of drone use came out in droves to protest the proposed plans. The SPD is one of only law enforcement agencies given the go-ahead by the Federal Administration Agency to show officers the ins-and-outs of UAVs.

Mechanical problems delay first lady's plane 27 Oct 2012 First lady Michelle Obama is returning to Washington after her plane was delayed in Nevada Friday night because of mechanical problems. A McCarran International Airport spokesman says her aircraft was held up for three hours but departed about 9 p.m. PDT. Glenn Gardner says he doesn't know the nature of the mechanical issues that delayed her flight home.

Sen. Rubio's daughter in car accident 27 Oct 2012 Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's is en route back to Miami after his 12-year-old daughter was in a car accident Saturday, according to a statement by his office. "Amanda Rubio, the oldest daughter of Senator Marco Rubio was injured in an accident this afternoon... She was airlifted to Miami Children's Hospital with a head injury. She has been admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. She is in fair condition." "The Rubio's are touched and grateful for calls from President Obama and Vice President Biden, and Governor Romney's personal message earlier today," a Rubio spokesman said.

Fukushima 'running out of space' to store radioactive water --Nuclear engineer: 'Radioactive water in the basements may already be getting into the underground water system, where it could reach far beyond the plant, possibly into the ocean or public water supplies.' 25 Oct 2012 Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is struggling to find space to store tens of thousands of tons of highly contaminated water, it emerged today. About 200,000 tons of radioactive water used to cool the broken reactors are being stored in hundreds of gigantic tanks built around the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. Tepco's tanks are filling up mostly because leaks in reactor facilities are allowing ground water to pour in.

Japan: Nuclear radiation could leak past zones 25 Oct 2012 Radiation leaks from Japan's nuclear reactors could spread farther than expected in the event of an accident, the country's nuclear regulatory agency said. Simulations conducted by the Nuclear Regulation Authority found hazardous levels of radiation could go beyond the 18.6-mile-radius priority zones used for emergency management planning, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Thursday. A report released Wednesday by the NRA said the simulations found accumulated radiation levels around four of 16 nuclear plants could reach levels at which residents would need to evacuate in seven days.

Fukushima fish still radioactive --Many have cesium levels that are just as high as they were after disaster 25 Oct 2012 More than a year and a half after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster in Japan, many fish in the area contain levels of radioactive cesium that are just as high as they were soon after the nuclear crisis. The finding suggests that the region's coastal-dwelling fish are still being exposed to new sources of cesium, possibly from the seafloor or from contaminated groundwater that's flowing into the ocean.

Britain rejects US request to use UK bases in nuclear standoff with Iran --Secret legal advice states pre-emptive strike could be in breach of international law as Iran not yet 'clear and present threat' --Military action not 'right course', Downing Street says 25 Oct 2012 Britain has rebuffed US pleas to use military bases in the UK to support the build-up of forces in the Gulf, citing secret legal advice which states that any pre-emptive strike on Iran could be in breach of international law. The Guardian has been told that US diplomats have also lobbied for the use of British bases in Cyprus, and for permission to fly from US bases on Ascension Island in the Atlantic and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, both of which are British territories. The US approaches are part of contingency planning over the nuclear standoff with Tehran, but British ministers have so far reacted coolly. They have pointed US officials to legal advice drafted by the attorney general's office which has been circulated to Downing Street, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence.

Iran military action not 'right course at this time', Downing Street says --Government reiterates its current opposition to military action against Iran after revelation US has requested use of UK bases 26 Oct 2012 The UK government has reiterated that it does not believe military action against Iran would be appropriate at the moment, following the disclosure that Britain has rebuffed US requests to use UK military bases to support the buildup of forces in the Gulf. Downing Street said: "We are working closely with the US with regard to UK bases" but "the government does not think military action is the right course at this point of time".

UK support for US drones in Pakistan may be war crime, court is told --Case opened as RAF confirmed it is to double number of its own drones flying combat and surveillance operations over Afghanistan 23 Oct 2012 The British government's support for US drone operations over Pakistan may involve acts of assisting murder or even war crimes, the high court heard on Tuesday. In the first serious legal challenge in the English courts to the drones campaign, lawyers for a young Pakistani man whose father was killed by a strike from an unmanned aircraft are seeking to have the sharing of UK locational intelligence declared unlawful. The British government has declined to state whether or not its signals intelligence agency GCHQ passes information in support of the CIA drone operations over Pakistan, although the court heard that media reports suggest that it does.

UK claims possible court hearing into CIA drone strikes in Pakistan would risk denting US ties 25 Oct 2012 Ties between Britain, the U.S. and Pakistan could be jeopardized if a judge grants a request for a court inquiry into the possible role of U.K. spy agencies in aiding covert CIA drone strikes in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, a government lawyer told Britain's High Court on Thursday. James Eadie, lawyer for Britain's Foreign Office, insisted that intelligence sharing between Britain and the U.S. -- already under strain by previous disclosures made in London courtrooms -- and links between Washington and Pakistan would all potentially be cast into doubt.

British ExxonMobil oil chief 'assassinated' in Brussels street 25 Oct 2012 Nicholas Mockford, a British executive for the oil company ExxonMobil has been shot dead in front of his wife in an assassination-style killing in Brussels. Belgian police have imposed a news blackout after Nicholas Mockford, 60, was shot as he left an Italian restaurant in Neder-over-Heembeek, a suburb of the capital. The executive was shot three times, once as he lay on the ground, after leaving the Da Marcello restaurant in Rue de Beyseghem at around 10pm on Oct 14... One family member told The Daily Telegraph he believed Mr Mockford had been killed in a professional hit.

Navy moving ships out of Hurricane Sandy's path 26 Oct 2012 The U.S. military will be moving ships from the Norfolk Naval Station region in Virginia out to sea to get out of the path of Hurricane Sandy. The Navy says 24 of the larger ships in southeastern Virginia bases, including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, are preparing to leave and will be moving out over the next day or so. The orders affect ships at Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in the Hampton Roads area.

New York Held Hurricane Sandy Drill in October...1997 Posted by Lori Price, www.legitgov.org 26 Oct 2012