Double number of ex-cons join the US army 21 Apr 2008 Resent-Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:37:41 -0500 (CDT) Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government 21 Apr 2008 http://www.legitgov.org/ All items are here: http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news Double number of ex-cons join the US army --Sex offenders, child abusers, arsonists, terrorists and thieves serving in US army 22 Apr 2008 The US army doubled its use of "moral waivers" for enlisted soldiers last year to cope with the demands of the Iraq war, allowing sex offenders, people convicted of making terrorist threats, and child abusers into the military, new records released yesterday showed. The army gave out 511 moral waivers to soldiers with felony convictions last year. Criminals got 249 army waivers in 2006, a sign that the demand for US forces in Iraq has forced a sharp increase in the number of criminals allowed on the battlefield [not to mention the criminal allowed in the White House, the Commander in Thief]. The felons accepted into the army and marines included 87 soldiers convicted of assault or maiming, 130 convicted of non-cannabis-related drug offences, seven convicted of making terrorist threats, and two convicted of indecent behaviour with a child. Waivers were also granted to 500 burglars and thieves, 19 arsonists and nine sex offenders. More convicted felons allowed to enlist in Army, Marines --Marines recruited felons with manslaughter and sex crime convictions 21 Apr 2008 Under pressure to meet combat needs, the Army and Marine Corps brought in significantly more recruits with felony convictions last year than in 2006, including some with manslaughter and sex crime convictions. General: Army needs 'stop-loss' until late 2009 21 Apr 2008 It will be more than a year before the Army can end the unpopular [illegal] practice of forcing soldiers to stay in the service beyond their retirement or re-enlistment dates, a top official said Monday. Lt. Gen. James D. Thurman, deputy chief of staff for operations, also said that as officials continue to increase the size of the Army [yup, swelling the ranks with lots more rapists, pedophiles, arsonists and terrorists], it could be possible by the fall of 2011 for troops to be home two years for every year they are deployed. Shiite party denies mortar strike on HQ 22 Apr 2008 A senior official [Haitham al-Husseini] at the Baghdad headquarters of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council has denied that a missile or mortar struck the compound. The Council is the biggest Shiite group in the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Earlier, a party official said a rocket struck the compound in the central Karrada neighbourhood, hurting no one. Female suicide bomber kills four in Iraq 21 Apr 2008 A female suicide bomber in northern Iraq killed three pro-American [bought] Sunni fighters and a civilian Monday, and fighting in east Baghdad left at least nine suspected Shiite fighters dead. The bomber set off her explosives in Baqubah outside the offices of the Sons of Iraq, Sunni Muslim paramilitary groups allied with the U.S. Army, said a Sons of Iraq commander in Diyala province. Roadside bomb kills soldier in Afghanistan 22 Apr 2008 A British soldier was killed in south Afghanistan yesterday when his vehicle was hit by a suspected mine, the Ministry of Defence said. A second soldier was injured in the blast and was receiving treatment at Camp Bastion. Italy joins EU drive for more Iran sanctions 22 Apr 2008 Italy is expected to join a European Union consensus on Iran's nuclear program, after dropping earlier objections last week, possibly paving the way for new sanctions, a government official in Jerusalem said. Hamas accepts two-state idea, says Carter --Referendum might let it live with 1967 boundaries --Gaza spokesman throws doubt on new hope 22 Apr 2008 The former US president Jimmy Carter said yesterday that the leaders of the Islamist movement Hamas would accept a two-state peace agreement with Israel as long as it was approved by a Palestinian referendum or a newly elected government. Carter - who spoke in Jerusalem after meetings with Hamas figures in the West Bank, Cairo and Damascus - said they had told him they would support the results of a referendum or election on a final status peace agreement negotiated by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, even if Hamas itself opposed the agreement. 'There was a snafu and all was lost.' Torture victim's records lost at Guantanamo, admits camp general --No evidence of al-Qaida suspect's interrogation --CCTV automatically recorded over tapes 21 Apr 2008 The former head of interrogations at Guantanamo Bay found that records of an 'al-Qaida' suspect tortured at the prison camp were mysteriously lost by the US military, according to a new book by one of Britain's top human rights lawyers. Retired general Michael Dunlavey, who supervised Guantanamo for eight months in 2002, tried to locate records on Mohammed al-Qahtani, accused by the US of plotting the 9/11 attacks, but found they had disappeared. The records on al-Qahtani, who was interrogated for 48 days - "were backed up ... after I left, there was a snafu and all was lost", Dunlavey told Philippe Sands QC, who reports the conversation in his book Torture Team, previewed last week by the Guardian. Snafu stands for Situation Normal: All Fucked Up. Saudi-born al-Qahtani was sexually taunted, forced to perform dog tricks and given enemas at Guantanamo. 'Haynes and Rumsfeld had been able to run rings around him.' US General 'duped' over Guantanamo Bay 21 Apr 2008 Richard Myers, the former head of America's armed forces, has suggested he was duped into approving harsh interrogations at Guantanamo Bay detention centre and blamed "intrigue" among his political bosses. In a new book British lawyer Phillipe Sands said Gen Myers, now retired, appeared shocked when he saw a controversial 2002 legal memo that authorised widely-criticised techniques including waterboarding, or simulated drowning of detainees. Mr Sands, a QC, said Myers was "hoodwinked" by then Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and a legal team headed by White House lawyer Jim Haynes. "As we worked through the list of techniques, Myers became increasingly hesitant and troubled," Sands writes in Torture Team. "Haynes and Rumsfeld had been able to run rings around him." S. Carolina considers special prisons, funded by Homeland Security 21 Apr 2008 South Carolina sheriffs back a plan to build three regional prisons in the state to hold illegal immigrants [hmm... others, too?] as they await deportation. The current plan calls for the three prisons to hold up to 400 inmates each. State prison officials will run the facilities, which will be paid for through a program with the federal Department of Homeland Security. MPs to rebel over 42-day terror detention limit 21 Apr 2008 More than 50 Labour MPs are preparing to block Home Office plans to detain terrorist suspects for up to 42 days without charge, a leaked list compiled by government whips revealed yesterday. New anti-terrorism rules 'allow US to spy on British motorists' 21 Apr 2008 Routine journeys carried out by millions of British motorists can be monitored by authorities in the United States and other enforcement agencies across the world under anti-terrorism rules introduced discreetly by Jacqui Smith. The discovery that images of cars captured on road-side cameras, and "personal data" derived from them, including number plates, can be sent overseas, has angered MPs and civil liberties groups concerned by the increasing use of "Big Brother" surveillance tactics. Bush defends free-trade agreement with Mexico and Canada 21 Apr 2008 President [sic] Bush and Mexican President [sic - he wasn't elected, either] Felipe Calderon strongly defended free trade across North America on Monday, fending off anti-trade remarks that Democrats running for the White House are using to lure working class voters. Josi Can You See? Bush's Trojan Taco --Psst! George Bush has a secret By Greg Palast 21 Apr 2008 While you Democrats are pounding each other to a pulp in Pennsylvania, the President [sic] has snuck back down to New Orleans for a meeting of the NAFTA Three: the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of Mexico. Youre not supposed to know that for two reasons: First, the summit planned for the N.O. two years back was meant to showcase the rebuilt Big Easy, a monument to can-do Bush-o-nomics. Well, it is a monument to Bushs leadership: The city still looks like Dresden 1946, with over half the original residents living in toxic trailers or wandering lost and broke in America. The second reason Bush has kept this major summit a virtual secret is its real agenda - and the real agenda-makers... The North American Competitiveness Council. Never heard of The Council? Well, maybe youve heard of the counsellors: the chief executives of Wal-Mart, Chevron Oil, Lockheed-Martin and 27 other multinational masters of the corporate universe. Abramoff Fallout: Ex-DOJ Official Charged --Former Official Charged With Conflict of Interest in Disgraced Lobbyist Probe 21 Apr 2008 Federal prosecutors have charged a former Justice Department official with an alleged conflict of interest for his connections with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's law firm, according to documents filed in the case. Robert E. Coughlin II was the former deputy chief of staff for the Justice Department's criminal division, which oversaw the department's prosecution of Abramoff, former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and 11 related cases stemming from the influence peddling scandal. Former Justice official charged in Abramoff lobbying probe 21 Apr 2008 A former high-ranking Justice Department official is being accused of criminal conflict of interest in the latest case stemming from the investigation of disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Robert Coughlin was deputy chief of staff of the Justice Department's criminal division before his resignation a year ago. Paper ballot bill goes down in House after White House intervenes --Congressman to press on with paper ballot emergency voting bill 18 Apr 2008 A bill that would have helped states pay to switch to paper-election balloting systems and for random audits after elections died out of a House committee this week, but its prime sponsor said he is not giving up the fight. U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) said the bill he sponsored, House Bill 5036, the Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act, would help make the nation's elections more accurate and secure by helping states move to paper ballots over touch-screen electronic machines. On Tuesday, the bill, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass, went down to defeat in the House 239-178, with 223 Democrats in favor and 176 Republican opposed, after the White House sent out a statement opposing the measure. Clinton on Iran Attack: 'Obliterate Them' --Hillary: If Iran Attacked Israel With Nukes 'We Would Be Able to Totally Obliterate Them' 21 Apr 2008 In an ad that began airing in Pennsylvania Monday morning, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., implies she is tougher than Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Clinton further displayed tough talk in an interview airing on "Good Morning America" Tuesday. ABC News asked Bush Clinton what she would do if Iran attacked Israel with nuclear weapons. "I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran," Clinton said. "In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them." Final Push for Democrats in Pennsylvania 22 Apr 2008 Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama opened their final push across Pennsylvania here on Monday, rallying their committed supporters and seeking to win over a dwindling lot of undecided voters in the most expensive -- and exhaustive -- presidential primary in state history. Obama predicts Clinton win in Pennsylvania 21 Apr 2008 Barack Obama predicted Monday that Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton would get the critical victory she needs in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, but said his goal is to keep it close. Democrat Obama hauls in $42.8 million in March 21 Apr 2008 U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama raised more than $42 million in campaign donations in March, his campaign reported on Sunday. 'Why can't I just eat my waffle?' 21 Apr 2008 Chomping down on sausage and waffles at Glider's Diner in Scranton today... Barack Obama avoided commenting on former President Jimmy Carter's meeting with Hamas. Asked by a reporter if he had heard that Carter reported a positive outcome from the meeting, Obama looked sternly at the reporter in question and said, "Why can't I just eat my waffle?" Asked again by the reporter, Obama bit -- not at the question but into a butter covered bite of Glider's specialty over-size Belgian waffles. With a wink this time he said, "Just let me eat my waffle." Obama Says McCain Better than Bush, Clinton Responds 20 Apr 2008 Sen. Barack Obama, speaking in Reading, Pa., said that John McCain would be better than President [sic] Bush, and Hillary Clinton used the line as an opening to attack both Obama and McCain. Clinton pounced on the comments immediately in Johnstown, Pa. "Sen. Obama said today that John McCain would be better for the country than George Bush... Sen. McCain thinks its OK to keep our troops in Iraq for the next 100 years. Is that better than George Bush?" McCain exits campaign money race 21 Apr 2008 John McCain is abandoning any hope of catching the Democrats in fundraising. Based on new financial disclosure reports released Sunday, and interviews with his finance team, the Republican Partys presumptive nominee will instead accept taxpayer money to finance his general election and share other costs with the Republican National Committee. Halliburton Profit Rises After Oil Climbs to Record 21 Apr 2008 Halliburton Co., the world's second-largest oilfield contractor, said profit rose 5.8 percent after crude topped $100 a barrel, prompting producers to increase spending on Middle East and Latin American projects. First-quarter net income climbed to $584 million from $552 million a year earlier, Houston-based Halliburton said today in a statement. Halliburton CEO: International Oil Service Margins Have Not Peaked 21 Apr 2008 Spending on oilfield services is set to take off in the U.S. and Canada in the second half of 2008, while the boom is likely to continue internationally, said David Lesar, chief executive of Halliburton Co. Lesar's comments are the latest indication that North America, the world's largest market for oilfield services, is on the rebound after a patchy 2007. Exxon Loses U.S. Supreme Court Challenge to $112 Million Award 21 Apr 2008 The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a $112 million punitive damage award against Exxon Mobil Corp. in a Louisiana land-contamination case, rejecting the company's contention that the award violated constitutional limits. Food Rationing Confronts Breadbasket of the World 21 Apr 2008 Many parts of America, long considered the breadbasket of the world, are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing. Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are also anecdotal reports that some consumers are hoarding grain stocks. [Taking a page from the Exxon Mobil playbook, Bush's agri-terrorists have declared war on the US consumer. Where is Moqtada al-Sadr, when you need him?] Quick action! Help End a Bear Poaching Plague (Defenders of Wildlife) 21 Apr 2008 America's bears are facing a poaching plague. Increasing demand for traditional medicines using bear parts like gallbladders is fueling a lucrative black market -- and poachers are targeting bears in the U.S. Representatives Raul Grijalva (AZ) and John Campbell (CA) have introduced legislation that will help bears by banning the trade in gallbladders at the federal level. The Bear Protection Act will end a patchwork of state laws that create an enforcement nightmare and allows the illegal killing of bears to continue. Tell your Representative to become a cosponsor of the Bear Protection Act today. Sudden Oak Death Pathogen Is Evolving, Restriction On Movement of Infected Plants Urged 21 Apr 2008 The pathogen responsible for Sudden Oak Death first got its grip in California's forests outside a nursery in Santa Cruz and at Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County before spreading out to eventually kill millions of oaks and tanoaks along the Pacific Coast, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. CLG needs your support. http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute Or, please mail a check or money order to the CLG: Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG) P.O. Box 1142 Bristol, CT 06011-1142 Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible. [Previous lead stories:] British dealers supply arms to Iran --Probe reveals sanctions-busting sales of arms, missile technology and nuclear components 20 Apr 2008 Investigators have identified a number of British arms dealers trading with Tehran, triggering alarm among government officials who fear Iran's nuclear programme may be receiving significant support from UK sources. The probe by customs officers suggests that at least seven Britons have been defying sanctions by supplying the Iranian air force, its elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, and even the country's controversial nuclear ambitions. Huge War Supplemental in Works 16 Apr 2008 The House Democratic leadership is close to finalizing a decision to combine all outstanding Bush administration requests for war funding totaling at least $170 billion into one huge bill, according to lawmakers and aides. Such a move would clear war funding from the congressional agenda until well into the next administration. [Just say no! Sign petition from democrats.com: No More Funds for Iraq.] 'We will declare a war until liberation.' Iraq's Sadr warns of 'open' war 19 Apr 2008 Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr threatened on Saturday to declare "open war" if the crackdown by Iraqi and US forces against his loyalists is not stopped. "I am giving my last warning and my word to the Iraqi government to take the path of peace and stop violence against its own people, otherwise it will be a government of destruction," Sadr said in a statement his office issued in the holy city of Najaf. "If it does not stop the militias that have infiltrated the government, then we will declare a war until liberation." Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. Those who'd like to be added to the list can go here: http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg and add your name. Those who wish to be removed from the list can access the same link and click 'unsubscribe.' Please write to: signup@legitgov.org for inquiries/issues/concerns with your subscription. CLG Newsletter editor: Lori Price, Manager. Copyright ) 2008, Citizens For Legitimate Government . All rights reserved. CLG Founder and Chair is Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.