Archive for December, 2009
Discredited Claim that Saddam Hussein Could Unleash Weapons of Mass Destruction Within 45 Minutes Came from Taxi Driver
December 8th, 2009Via: Guardian: An Iraqi taxi driver was the source of the discredited claim that Saddam Hussein could unleash weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes, a Tory MP claimed today. Adam Holloway, a defence specialist, said MI6 obtained the information indirectly from a taxi driver who had overheard two Iraqi military commanders talking about Saddam’s […]
Ha’aretz Says U.S. Officials Face ‘Pro-Israel’ Background Check
December 8th, 2009Via: Foreign Policy: There is an amazing story in Ha’aretz today on the “pro-Israel” litmus test that determines who is permitted to serve in the United States government. Here’s the sort of lede you’re not likely to read in the New York Times or Washington Post: Every appointee to the American government must endure a […]
Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water
December 8th, 2009Via: New York Times: More than 20 percent of the nation’s water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data. That law requires communities to deliver safe tap water to local residents. But since 2004, the […]
Jobless Professionals Learn How to Ask: Paper or Plastic?
December 8th, 2009Via: AP: Mara Proctor used to design limestone hearths and columns for luxury homes near Kansas City, drawing on her college education and six years of training. These days, she’s leading customers around a store that sells sculptured snowmen and Santa figurines. It isn’t by choice. Until a few weeks ago, Proctor was among the […]
FBI Informant Hal Turner: Judge Declares Mistrial
December 8th, 2009Via: New York Times: A judge declared a mistrial Monday in the case against a New Jersey blogger accused of making death threats against three federal judges in Chicago because they wrote a ruling supporting gun control. The mistrial came after the jury sent two notes — one during its first day of deliberation on […]
Brussels Gives CIA the Power to Search UK Bank Records
December 7th, 2009Via: Times Online: THE CIA is to be given broad access to the bank records of millions of Britons under a European Union plan to fight terrorism. The Brussels agreement, which will come into force in two months’ time, requires the 27 EU member states to grant requests for banking information made by the United […]
RAND: A Stability Police Force for the United States
December 7th, 2009Via: RAND Corporation: Establishing security is the sine qua non of stability operations, since it is a prerequisite for reconstruction and development. Security requires a mix of military and police forces to deal with a range of threats from insurgents to criminal organizations. This research examines the creation of a high-end police force, which the […]
Telco and ISP Lawful Interception (Spying) Guides
December 7th, 2009Via: Cryptome: yahoo-spy.pdf Yahoo Lawful Spying Guide December 2, 2009 cox-spy.pdf Cox Lawful Spying Guide December 2, 2009 sbc-ameritech-spy.pdf SBC-Ameritech Lawful Spying Guide December 2, 2009 sbc-lea-spy.pdf SBC Lawful Spying Guide December 2, 2009 ameritech-spy.pdf Ameritech Lawful Spying Guide December 2, 2009 cingular-spy.pdf Cingular Lawful Spying Guide December 2, 2009 cricket-spy.pdf Cricket Lawful Spying Guide […]
IRS Sells Native American Tribe’s Land to Settle Tax Debt
December 7th, 2009Via: Oakland Tribune: The Internal Revenue Service on Thursday auctioned off a large swath of land owned by an impoverished Indian tribe to help pay off more than $3 million in back taxes, penalties and interest—a sale the tribe says is illegal under federal laws protecting Indian land. The 7,100 acres, or 11 square miles, […]
Is the “Wonga” Running Out for Africa’s Mercenaries?
December 7th, 2009Via: Reuters: Africa’s infamous “dogs of war” may still be going strong, but it seems the rewards of the mercenary life aren’t quite what they used to be. Only this month, Britain’s Simon Mann won a pardon for his part in a foiled 2004 coup attempt on Equatorial Guinea, an old-style adventure whose glittering prize […]
